Roger Waters "Radio K.A.O.S." 1987***

As I read in last week's Guardian, "Police in Germany have launched a criminal investigation into the Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters over a Nazi-style uniform he wore at a recent concert in Berlin. According to a police spokesman “An investigation has been opened over the costume displayed at the concerts on 17 and 18 May... The context of the clothing worn is deemed capable of approving, glorifying or justifying the violent and arbitrary rule of the Nazi regime in a manner that violates the dignity of the victims and thereby disrupts public peace”. Berlin police will continue to gather evidence and then hand over their findings to the state prosecutor, who will assess whether Waters’s act can be considered as incitement to hatred". Now doesn't that sound like a bad joke? Waters' work is deeply humanist, pacifist and anti-fascist in nature; could the German police really believe that Waters was actually "glorifying" the Nazis (who, incidentally, his father died fighting against)? Are they really unaware of Pink Floyd's The Wall album and movie? After all, the same work was presented with lots of fanfare and high profile guests in what was formerly no man's land between East and West Germany, only a few months after the fall of the Berlin Wall. In every performance, during the song "In The Flesh", he impersonates onstage (as actor Bob Geldof did in the film) a demented and hateful character, don't they know that? Of course they do! It's just that Waters has always been very vocal in his support for the Palestinian cause, openly condemning the state of Israel for human rights violations and for the occupation of Palestinian lands. So they apply political pressure on other governments to try and shut him up! How very not fascist of them!

Coincidentally, this is the same week I bought a vinyl copy of Waters' 1987 Radio K.A.O.S. LP. It's not a work that's aged well, I must say. Like most of his work, solo or with Pink Floyd, it's a concept album. I'm now going to to do something lazy and paraphrase wikipedia to give you a synopsis of the story: Our hero Billy is a paraplegic youngster with severe motoric and speech disabilities, but his brain is somehow able to receive and manipulate radio waves. His twin brother Benny is a miner who lost his job due to the "market forces". One night, drunken Benny inadvertently kills a passerby by dropping a concrete block from a bridge. He is taken to prison, while Billy is sent to live with his uncle David in California. Using a cordless phone and his radio wave manipulation abilities, Billy learns to access computers and speech synthesisers, and starts having conversations with a DJ on L.A.'s Radio K.A.O.S. Exasperated by the political and social world situation, he eventually hacks into a military satellite, simulating a worldwide nuclear attack while deactivating the military's power to retaliate. The album concludes with a song about how, faced with imminent death, people realize that the struggle for more money and power has led the world astray, and start to give attention to the things that really matter, like their friends, family, and solidarity to fellow humans. The story nowadays is supposedly rather outdated - and I say supposedly, because neither the poverty caused by neoliberal politics nor the nuclear threat is as distant as we would like it to be - certainly not with the NATO vs. Russia hostilities materializing into an actual war in Ukraine. Specific references, such as jabs at Reagan and Thatcher, are nevertheless too grounded in the 80's, and the story is needlessly convoluted. Musical production is likeways very old-fashioned, and clean to the point of sterility in a way that only 80's productions can be. Overproduced too, but that I don't mind, because which Floyd album isn't? The songs are full of female backing vocals, synthesizers, and saxophone solos (by Mel Collins, formerly of King Crimson/Camel). I'm often reminded of Robert Palmer, sans the soul vocals. There's also some very good guitar by Andy Fairweather-Low, albeit discreetly low in the mix. Most of the songs are 4 or 5 minutes long, with the whole thing sounding more like contemporary (for the 80's) pop rock than like Floyd's prog rock heyday. The unity of the project is achieved by the interspersed effects (such as Morse-code) and radio snippets, mostly by Radio K.A.O.S.'s fictional DJ. Upbeat opener "Radio Waves" is the lead single, commercial AOR with a nice guitar solo. Mid-tempo follower "Who Needs Information" is better, sounding somewhat like mid 80's David Bowie. "Me Or Him" is slower and quieter, the use of flute instead of the more bombastic synths giving it an understated feel. "The Powers That Be" reminds me of Floyd's "Dogs"; there's a sense of menace in the guitar riff and urgency and "you better run" chorus, but that's disarmed by the pleasant synths and upbeat horns. Likewise, side 2 opener "Sunset Strip" is as bright as befits a song about L.A.; never mind that the protagonist feels out of place and nostalgic for his UK home. "Home" and "Four Minutes" propel the story forward. As compositions, they are rather generic 80's pop rock whose saving grace is guest vocalist Clare Torry. Sure you know who she is; even if the name may not sound familiar there's no way you don't remember the wordless wailing in "Great Gig In The Sky" on Dark Side Of The Moon. Well, that was Clare! The album closes with a hopeful note on "The Tide Is Turning". It's a melodic ballad with the surprising addition of a male choir. Nice of Waters to add a bit of light to his usually bleak world vision. Now, I'm old enough to remember when this album got out in '87 and how everyone pitted it against his former bandmates' A Momentary Lapse Of Reason to decide who is the true heir to the Pink Floyd legacy. In most aspects, Radio K.A.O.S. seems to take up where Floyd left off with The Final Cut, which in turn was a (weaker) retread of The Wall. Which means there's a direct line linking it to one of Floyd's greatest artistic achievements. But, while Waters' hired band are impeccable professionals, there's something missing: Gilmour's distinctive guitar and vocal, Wright's keyboard magic, and whatever Mason does on drums - sorry Nick, I can't tell the difference between you and any other drummer, but the fault is all mine. On the other hand, A Momentary Lapse Of Reason (to be presented some other time) may lack a unifying theme, but sounds more like classic Floyd by virtue of the musicians involved. The production, incidentally, lets both albums down, being very sterile and rooted in the 80's. I personally think that they're equally good (or bad, as some would have it), and that each represents different aspects of Pink Floyd. The audience voted for Gilmour's version; possibly because it had more radio/MTV exposure, or because of the impressive spectacle of the gigantic stadium tours, or simply because he won the court case and got to keep the band name. Listening to Radio K.A.O.S. now, and production notwithstanding, it obviously doesn't deserve the bad rap it gets by critics and fans. P.S. It just dawned on me that many of you may not realize what the album cover is depicting: it is supposed to be an 80's computer screen; don't you go on thinking of a flat screen either, these were heavy cubic monitors usually displaying a black background with monochromatic green letters/characters. In this case, the green dots and dashes are nothing more than the album's tracklist rendered in Morse code - or so I'm told; next thing you know they might accuse Waters of adorning his record covers with coded anti-semitic propaganda, and no-one but a few ancient sailors/radio operators could tell the difference! 

**** for Who Needs Information,The Tide Is Turning [After Live Aid]  

*** for Radio Waves, Me Or Him, The Powers That Be, Sunset Strip, Home, Four Minutes

Syd Barrett "Barrett" 1970****

Syd Barrett's two solo LPs were among my favorite pieces of vinyl when I discovered them during my late teens. I was enchanted by the weirdness and deceptive simplicity of the music, curiously detached singing and surreal and indecipherable poetry. I sensed there was something wonderful beyond the surface, a mystery that rendered these albums different from everything else I had heard until then. I guess that this is result of getting drawn into the world of a mad genius. Genius being the key word here. Usually, mental illness is off-putting, an obstacle to communication, and a cause for uneasiness and emotions of pity towards the person that suffers from it. But madness like Barrett's is captivating, like seeing pieces of a puzzle that you sense would reveal a wonderful picture if assembled - only that assemblage is impossible without the key of that special madness. In the mid 60's, 20-year old Barrett was the undisputed leader of Pink Floyd, a band at the forefront of the new psychedelic movement. Then, during late '67 - early '68,  he started faltering. His behavior got more erratic, he missed gigs, and if he was present he was often unable to play a single note, just standing there and staring at nothingness. Whether his mental illness was created or only exacerbated by LSD, drugs certainly played a role in his condition. His bandmates first drafted in Barrett's high school pal David Gilmour to substitute for him when he couldn't perform, and then ousted Syd from the group altogether. Hard as it may seem, it was a sensible decision for a band with ambitions. Those who didn't know how deep Barrett's problems went thought that Pink Floyd wouldn't get very far without their leader - indeed Barrett wasn't just the lead singer and guitarist but the principal songwriter as well, having written most of the songs on their debut and all the early singles including Top 20 hits "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play". Even the band's managers chose Barrett over the rest of Pink Floyd and quickly booked a studio for him to record his first solo album. The recording lasted on and off for a year, and was a tortuous process for everyone. Barrett had many half-baked ideas, but couldn't finish any of them, and even when something worked he was unable to repeat it. The album, called Madcap Laughs, was finally finished with the help of former bandmates Roger Waters and David Gilmour who took time out of Pink Floyd's busy schedule to help their old friend. It was released in January 1970, although the original recordings dated from '68 - '69. It was a weird folky lo-fi experience with flashes of the old genius, but proved successful enough for EMI to give the green light for a sequel. The sequel, simply named Barrett, was produced by Gilmour and Pink Floyd organist Richard Wright. The two of them, alongside drummer John Shirley, also function as Barrett's backing band. Compared to its predecessor, the production here is fuller, sometimes even sounding like the work of a real band - which is a testament to Gilmour's talent and persistence to first coax Barrett into giving a coherent performance and then to orchestrate it somehow so as to resemble a pop song despite Barrett's idiosyncratic sense of timing. Two songs are particularly successful in recreating that band sound - and both were influential enough to have bands named after them: "Baby Lemonade" and "Gigolo Aunt". The former features a great guitar part that didn't originally belong to the song but was stuck at its beginning by Gilmour who thus transformed a piece of absent-minded noodling into the perfect song intro. Although relatively upbeat musically, it's still a rather bleak song (sample lyric "I’m screaming, I met you this way/ You're nice to me like ice"). Richard Wright's distinctive keyboards on both songs evoke similarities to Pink Floyd's early psychedelic pop singles. "Love Song" is just a sweet tune, and Wright's contribution on piano and organ give it a charming baroque air. "Dominoes" is nostalgic with a rather lethargic vocal, and "Is It Obvious" a disjointed folk ditty. "Rats" and "Wolfpack" are also difficult, featuring louder vocals and discordant acoustic guitars without any melody. "Maisy" is a throwback to Pink Floyd's blues roots, sounding a bit like a drowsy John Lee Hooker on barbiturates. "Waving My Arms in the Air/ I Never Lied to You" and "Wined And Dined" are a couple of affable psychedelic folk tunes, while closer "Effervescing Elephant" is a quirky children's rhyme about zoo animals with playful vocal and whimsical tuba backing - more reminiscent of Bonzo Dog or the Monty Pythons than of Pink Floyd. Barrett contains Syd's last songs; soon afterwards he disappeared from public life altogether, moved back to his mother's house in Cambridge and never played music again, preferring other hobbies like painting, photography, and gardening. The insect painting on the album cover is one of his own, by the way. Both his LPs are wonderful examples of whimsical and quintessentially British psychedelic pop. The melodies are usually quite lovely and wordplay occasionally brilliant, with a superficial childlike innocence hiding a sometimes dark and desperate underbelly. After all these years, Madcap and Barrett retain their mystery and charm, and I never get tired of them. Unconventional, but highly recommended - just don't expect to hear anything similar to The Wall or Dark Side Of The Moon.

***** for Baby Lemonade, Love Song, Dominoes, Gigolo Aunt, Effervescing Elephant

**** for Rats, Waving My Arms in the Air/I Never Lied to You

*** for It Is Obvious, Maisie, Wined and Dined, Wolfpack

Roger Waters "Is This The Life We Really Want?" 2017****

I recently saw Roger Waters play Amsterdam's Ziggo Dome. The concert was in the cadre of his Us And Them tour, one of his most ambitious (and certainly most political) thus far. Having already seen Pink Floyd circa '89, Waters again in the 00's and David Gilmour lately, I have enough for comparison and I can honestly say that this may well have been the best of them. Granted, the songs don't sound the same without Gilmour's guitar, and I would have liked to hear "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". But other than that, it was a top band that also featured an unexpected guest: American songwriter Jonathan Wilson whom Waters introduced as the band's resident hippie and who sang and even looked a lot like a young Gilmour. Music aside though, Waters proved he was the visionary behind the band by putting on a whole multi-media performance rather than just playing the songs. This time the concert centered around Floyd's angriest LP, 1977's "Animals" as well as around Waters' latest. Donald Trump was the "guest of honour" given the role of the quintessential Pig during the same-named song, but other world "leaders" also featured as token pigs, from Israel's Netanyahu to Turkey's Erdogan and beyond. The first part ended with a version of "Another Brick in The Wall" featuring a local kids' chorus and finished with a giant "Resist" sign. Waters then proceeded during the intermission to remind us what/whom he thought we should resist. My favorite was "Resist Israel's Anti-Semitism" following another slide defining Anti-Semitism as the practice of discrimination on the basis of religion or ethnicity. Interestingly, only a few weeks after the show, Israeli parliament passed a law declaring Israel "a Jewish State" further downgrading the position of Bedouins and other minorities. Since he began campaigning against Israel's neo-appartheid policy, Waters has been walking with a target  on his back - figuratively, of course, since the Israeli state does not assassinate people. At least not Westerners. Unless they come between their armed forces and the demolition of Palestinian houses, like Rachel Corrie did. Palestine, of course, is only one of many causes Waters is campaigning about at the moment. As a result he can sometimes seem unbearably preachy, since after all the audience comes to his concerts to have a good time, not for the speaches. Hell, even I felt like shouting "Hey teacher, leave us kids alone!" despite agreeing with him in most counts. But when the world is going down the toilet you have to do something better than hold your nose and pretend it isn't happening, don't you?

So here's Waters' new state of the nation address, 25 years after Amused To Death, his attack on media culture and war-as-spectacle during the first Gulf War. As pessimistic as that album was, it still couldn't predict how badly our reality would evolve: the oceans of trash dumped into our brains daily through mass "social" media, the climatic change of pre-apocalyptic proportions shrugged off by the brainwashed public, the rabid hate of religious fanatics and fearmongering of politicians urging us to close the borders to the masses of the "third world" trying to escape the wastelands of our making. As you can imagine, the lyricist behind Animals and The Wall has a lot to say about all this. Mostly he's directly in-your-face about it: "Picture a shithouse with no fucking drains/ Picture a leader with no fucking brains" is a crude but acute description of Trump's AmeriKKKa. But he can also be poignant: The story of mother-and-child separation of "The Last Refugee" can be rejected as corny sentimentalism, but what other way is there to approach a tragedy repeatedly happening before our doorstep? On the other hand he can be sarcastically self-deprecating: If the rockstar of "Déjà Vu" became God he'd start by making faces less affected by age and alcohol. Scattered among the polemic there are moments of evocative poetry and tenderness, like "Wait For Her", inspired by a Palestinian love poem. Together, it adds up to Waters' best writing since "The Wall" - provided you have the stomach for its brutal, singleminded, often way too literal, honesty. Or, according to Waters' critics, hypocrisy: after all, what right does a priviledged millionaire have to critisize "the system" from the comfort of his huge mansion?

The initial idea was a more theatrical concept piece in the vein of The Wall, but producer Nigel Godrich (of Radiohead fame) persuaded him to break it down to smaller, more easily swallowed, song-sized bites. It's still grandiose at times, helped with the use of strings, and evokes all of his post-Wall albums in its excessive use of sound effects, radio samples etc, as well as the theatrical half-spoken vocal. Waters' voice, by the way, is starting to match his looks: weathered and broken, yet defiant. Unlike some of his other albums though, behind every track here there's the bare backbone of an acoustic-based song. Electric guitars (played by Jonathan Wilson) take a back seat: one can explain it as Waters escaping the shadow of his former bandmate Gilmour, but I'm not sure I like it. After the opening ballads "Déjà Vu" and "The Last Refugee", "Picture This" is a more aggressive number with 80's synths and nimble bass. "Bird in a Gale" is this album's equivalent to "Run Like Hell" while "Smell The Roses" sounds like something out of Floyd's Animals. Waters lays down some killer bass lines. It's followed by a trio of rather calm songs: "Wait for Her", "Oceans Apart" and "Part of Me Died" ensure that the album ends on a tender, as opposed to angry, note. Still, the question remains "Is this the life we really want?/ It surely must be so/ For this is a democracy and what we all say goes". And, if it isn't, then what are we doing about it? Ultimately this might well be Waters' best, and easily most accessible, solo album. Godrich's work as arranger/producer on it has been universally praised for making it more down-to-earth, but I'm not sure he was the best choice: Now that Waters decided to listen to someone else after 40 years of authoritarian approach to recording, I wish he had found an associate more sympathetic to his Floydian past, someone like Steven Wilson for example. He might have turned this into a triple-disc prog opera. It wouldn't sell as much, but it'd make Floyd fans happy. Something for the future, probably. If Waters picks up his pace. I'm not sure we have the luxury of waiting another 25 years, maybe this is the final word. In that case, it's not a bad one.

**** for Déjà Vu, The Last Refugee, Picture That, Is This the Life We Really Want?, Smell the Roses, Wait for Her

*** for Broken Bones, Bird in a Gale, The Most Beautiful Girl, Oceans Apart, Part of Me Died

** for When We Were Young

Roger Waters "The Pros And Cons Of Hitch Hiking" 1984***

It was about 40 years ago that Roger Waters went to a Pink Floyd band meeting to discuss ideas for the band's next album. He had two ideas for a concept album already partly worked out in his mind, which he presented to the band complete with demos of some of the songs. The first one was about alienation and revolved around a rock star with childhood traumas, while the second was somewhat more abstract, having to do with the mid-life crisis and fantasies of an everyday bloke. The band discussed the merits of both, and predictably chose the one with the more well-defined narrative, which turned out to be their biggest hit ever, spawning a mammoth live show and successful film adaptation - I'm talking, of course, about The Wall.  The second idea was destined to become Waters' first solo album proper "The Pros And Cons Of Hitch Hiking", released when the band was technically in hiatus but had essentially practically already broken up. Even more than other Waters-penned concept works "Pros..." only makes sense as a whole - and even then hardly makes sense at all. Which doesn't mean that the writing is bad, quite the contrary. The album recounts the protagonist's dream, and evolves in real time. Every piece has a time-stamp denoting the time the dream takes place, while the story progresses with leaps as it usually happens in dreams - the subconscious throws unexpected pictures into the mix which the dreamer incorporates in the narrative. In the beginning he dreams he is on a holiday in Germany with his wife, when they pick up a couple of hitch-hikers. He feels lust for the female hitch hiker and has passionate sex with her. It is the only time sex holds a central position in a Floyd/Waters album, which brings me to the subject of the controversial cover art: racy covers were not rare in the late 70's - early 80's, but mostly by metal or funk bands, not something you'd expect by a former Floyd. So the picture of a shapely naked backside on the cover attracted criticism by many sides: Old Floyd fans found it crassly commercial, prudes too provocative (they managed to get the girl's bum covered with a black sticker in the U.S.) and feminists accused it as sexist and inducing to rape(?) - which was missing the point completely. The hitch-hiker represents the protagonists' repressed sexual desires, so he equipped her with a killer body, fetish red heels, and (something no-one else seems to have noticed) no face. 

My own gatefold. I had this on CD already, but I re-bought it on vinyl have a thing for collecting these with original uncensored covers.

By the way, the model is quasi-famous in her own right: Linzie Drew is a former groupie, glamour model and pornstar, as well as writer of a spicy autobiography. Musically the album sounds like the continuation of The Wall and The Final Cut. Eric Clapton on guitar makes for a great substitute for Gilmour, his bluesy style fits well with the music and provides some of the record's highlights, as in the uncharacteristically blues-rock "4.41 Am (Sexual Revolution)". I would have liked to hear more of him in the record, but he mostly provides tasteful fills rather than solos. Another great instrumentalist in this album is saxophonist David Sanborn whose solo literally lifts off "4.50 Am (Go Fishing)". Renowned composer Michael Kamen played piano and arranged the orchestral score. There's a lot always going back in the background, including special effects and dialogues by actors like Jack Palance and scenester Cherry Vanilla, which will be of interest for those who want to follow the story but are otherwise just distracting. The female backing singers add a bit of sugar to the mix, while strangely the weakest link is Waters himself on lead vocal: Always theatrical, he whispers and shouts but hardly sings. I'll admit he did exactly the same in The Wall without bothering me, but that was probably because I got caught up in the story. Furthermore The Wall left more space for the instruments while "Pros..." focuses more on the words. Here you'll also find the same quite/loud dynamic with sudden bursts as in The Wall e.g. in the start of "Running Shoes" which is similar to "In The Flesh". "4.39 Am (For the First Time Today, Part. 2)" reminds me of "Mother" and 4:47 AM (The Remains Of Our Love)" of "Don't Leave Me Now" from the same album. Meanwhile, the first 5 songs dealing with the protagonist's infidelity end with him waking up "...in a fever/The bedclothes were all soaked in sweat/She said `You've been having a nightmare/And it's not over yet'". The couple moves to the country and tries to start anew, but this fails and leads to the central character becoming a drifter/hitch hiker. He tastes the freedom of that life ["5.01 Am (The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking part 10)", the album's lead single and only straight-ahead rocker] as well as the loneliness ["5.06 Am (Every Strangers Eyes)", a poignant ballad]. In the end, he wakes up realising that his life isn't all that bad and finding solace in the arms of his wife ["5.11 Am (The Moment of Clarity)"] - which sounds about as appeasing as a hastily concocted happy end in a Hollywood movie. Listening to the whole album again, I find it's better than it's usually given credit for. Understandably, its similarity to The Wall leads to unfavourable comparisons, lacking as it does a really great standalone song like "Comfortably Numb" or "Another Brick In The Wall". Taken as a whole, though, it is a complex and at times rewarding listening experience. Pink Floyd (or just Prog Rock) fans should give it their full attention. They may end up loving it.

**** for 4.39 Am (For the First Time Today, Part. 2), 4.41 Am (Sexual Revolution),  4.50 Am (Go Fishing), 5.01 Am (The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking part 10), 5.06 Am (Every Strangers Eyes)

*** for 4.30 Am (Apparently They Were Travelling abroad), 4.33 Am (Running Shoes), 4.37 Am (Arabs With Knives and West German Skies) (2:21), 4.47 Am (The Remains of Our Love), 4.56 Am (For the First Time Today, Part. 1), 4.58 Am (Dunroamin, Duncarin, Dunlivin), 5.11 Am (The Moment of Clarity)

David Gilmour "Live In Gdansk" 2008*****

I set about writing this review after witnessing David Gilmour's concert at the courtyard of the majestic Schloss Schönbrunn in Vienna, a huge baroque palace and the erstwhile seat of the Austro-Hungarian empire. Like everyone else present, I wasn't drawn there by Gilmour's fame as a solo artist: we were all there to listen to "The Voice & Guitar of Pink Floyd" as advertised on the CD sticker here. Which doesn't leave much for Roger Waters - maybe he should advertise himself as "The Bass and Brains of Pink Floyd" just to get even. Not that he's doing badly himself. I've had the luck to catch his Athens show in '06 and Pink Floyd in '89 - now with the solo Gilmour concert, I can compare 3 different live versions of my favourite Floyd tracks like "Comfortably Numb", "Time", "...Crazy Diamond" etc. One may argue that '89 Floyd were Gilmour and co but I'll beg to differ. First of all, that'd be hugely underestimating Rick Wright, which everyone seems to do, and secondly the Floyd concert was all about the show. Stunning visual effects, unparallelled surround sound, huge flying pigs etc. Gilmour's stage show and sound equipment would be impressive for any other band, but compared to Floyd (or his former bandmate Waters) it comes up short. He was so little interested in the show that he used the same visuals (e.g. in "Time") that I remembered from the '89 Floyd concert. But the guitar - ah, the guitar!- was up front like never before. Gilmour's solo career has allowed him to get rid of the elaborate Floyd concepts, write simpler songs and focus on his guitar playing which was always impressive but often overshadowed by the huge show. His playing is now better than ever, or at least better presented than it ever was. The Vienna concert consisted of a 60/40 mix of Floyd and solo tracks. We heard most of his new album, a couple of older solo tracks, and of course Floyd songs, both classic and obscure ("Fat Old Sun" from Atom Heart Mother, "One of These Days" from Meddle, "Coming Back to Life" from A Momentary Lapse Of Reason and Division Bell's "Sorrow"). 

Live In Gdańsk is likewise divided between solo and Floyd numbers, but here we get the whole of On An Island played in its original sequence, albeit with the addition of the Baltic Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, conducted by noted Polish composer and Gilmour collaborator Zbigniew Preisner. The location is highly symbolic as the city's shipyards were famously the birthplace and bastion of Poland’s Solidarity trade union, somewhat of a Marxist paradox where the workers were inspired by Catholicism, and rebelled against a Communist (supposedly the worker's own) government, demanding workers' rights and political freedom. Gilmour's band here also includes former Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera, Floyd saxophonist Dick Parry, and -critically- Rick Wright in one of his last performances; he would be dead within a few months. It opens with a Dark Side medley (Speak to Me-Breathe-Time) before launching into the tracks from On An Island. Thanks to the intimacy of the live setting and Manzanera's second guitar the songs gain a little in punch, while they are perfectly complemented by the orchestra which enriches the sound without drowning the band out. IMO, the live versions are different but equally good to the more atmospheric studio ones, while some songs (e.g. "Castellorizon") sound much better live. "Live In Gdańsk" is, just like "On An Island", above all a guitar album for people seeking something more sophisticated than Heavy Metal's flashy guitar pyrotechnics. As such, it stands well as a whole while the individual songs are less impressive. The song "On An Island" is melodic with folky harmonies and the standout track of both the studio and live version of the album. "The Blue" and the closing "Where We Start" lull you into a state of comfortable numbness, until it's time for the passionate solo. On the atmospheric instrumentals "Red Sky at Night" and "Then I Close My Eyes" the guitar takes a back seat to the sax and orchestra, with Gilmour returning to his fiery solos with a rocking "This Heaven". "Smile" and "A Pocketful of Stones" are closer to Paul McCartney balladry, but the former is saved by its great slide guitar. "Take a Breath" is the hard rocker of this bunch, channeling the angst of classic Floyd circa Animals and The Wall. The second set is the fans' reward for politely listening to Gilmour's latest album when all they wanted was their favourite Pink Floyd hits.
It opens with a flawless "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" and makes an unexpected return to Sixties psychedelia with versions of "Astronomy Domine" and the folky "Fat Old Sun". A forgotten Floyd gem that Gilmour has dusted off and polished with a fabulous solo, making it worthy to feature in his set among classics like the following "High Hopes", undoubtedly Floyd's greatest post-Wall achievement sounding even more resplendent backed by a full orchestra. The inclusion of "Echoes" is a pleasant surprise. Gilmour and -especially- Wright shine in their recreation of the "Meddle" track and it's incredibly sad to think that this was one of the Wright's last performances. "Wish You Were Here" is one of the greatest ballads ever, while "A Great Day For Freedom" gets an orchestral score especially for the occasion by Michael Kamen, supposedly as a tribute to the Solidarity freedom fighters of so long ago. Thankfully Gilmour does not join the fools in celebrating the "End of History" and "Triumph of the Free Market". Listen carefully to the lyrics and you'll discover the irony behind the title: "On the day the wall came down/They threw the locks onto the ground/And with glasses high we raised a cry for freedom had arrived...Now life devalues day by day/As friends and neighbours turn away/And there's a change that, even with regret, cannot be undone/Now frontiers shift like desert sands/While nations wash their bloodied hands/Of loyalty, of history, in shades of grey". Does that sound like a celebration of freedom to you? Did the Solidarity workers really win as "history" wants us to believe? Only if their dream was to scatter around Germany, England or anywhere else there was demand for cheap labor. As for the trade union itself, it withered and died as its leaders surrendered hard-won workers' rights in the hope that rampant capitalism will magically bring prosperity to all. You've got to hand it to Pink Floyd, there's nothing like one of their songs to start a socio-politico-philosophical discussion. "Comfortably Numb" closes the concert in a grand manner, with one rock's most transcendental solos ever. I don't know how Gilmour does it -he should have been tired of it by now, but he always pours his soul into this solo and never sounds like he's just going through the motions. This song alone would be enough to earn "Live In Gdańsk" its 5* rating...

***** for Time, Shine on You Crazy Diamond, High Hopes, Echoes, Wish You Were Here, Comfortably Numb

**** for Breathe, Breathe (reprise), Castellorizon, On An Island, Red Sky at Night, This Heaven, Astronomy Domine, Fat old Sun, A Great Day For Freedom

*** for Speak to Me, The Blue, Then I Close My Eyes, Smile, Take a Breath, Where We Start, 

** for A Pocketful of Stones

Snowy White's Blues Agency "Blues On Me" 1989***

Snowy White is one of those musicians I knew by association, as a session musician and hired hand for the likes of Pink Floyd and Thin Lizzy. Actually he became a full-time member of the latter band, replacing Gary Moore during their lackluster 80's days, but who remembers that? He's engraved in my mind as Roger Waters' favorite pseudo-Gilmour for countless productions including "The Wall Live in Berlin". Of his solo work I knew little when I picked this album from a basket with €1 offers. It didn't contain any familiar songs and the cover certainly didn't get my hopes up. But the music therein justifies those who've always talked of him as a guitarist in the same league with Gilmour, Clapton and Knopfler.  So maybe he isn't a contender for the league title, but there aren't more than a dozen guitarists playing at that level. His commitment to the blues is admirable as well: Look, 2 out of 7 words on the cover are "Blues" - and which color did he choose for it? Why, blue of course! Unlike other blues albums of the time that were either bloated and overproduced or just too loud (e.g. the otherwise great string of albums produced by Gary Moore in the early 90's), this is a rather understated affair. White's playing is virtuosic but not bombastic, often reminding me of his friend Peter Green. Graham Bell, whom we've met in this blog as a member of Skip Bifferty, plays harmonica and sings in a style (but not voice) that reminded me of Joe Cocker - nowhere more so than in the opener "I Can't Help Myself". Probably the most commercial song here, like something you'd hear from Chris Rea of the same period. It's followed by the atmospheric blues of "Blues On Me", the instrumental "Out Of Order" and Peter Green-like "When You Broke Your Promise" (almost a rewrite of his "Need Your Love So Bad"). "I Want Your Love" has more of a New Orleans R&B feel, "Out Of My Dreams" is a soft rock ballad and "Addicted Man" reminds me of ZZTop's bluesier offerings of the 70's. "Open For Business" is an instrumental allowing Snowy to stretch out a bit, rockin' a la Rory Gallagher and "Walking The Streets" is another hard rock/blues (think Free/Whitenake) combination. The album closes with the atmospheric "Land Of Plenty", a protest song with Afro-Latin percussion and Green/Santana-like guitar licks. So maybe the compositions aren't the height of originality, but it's a very enjoyable album nevertheless, filled with Snowy's fluid and exciting guitar sounds.

**** for Blues On Me, When You Broke Your Promise, I Want Your Love, Addicted Man, Land Of Plenty

*** for I Can't Help Myself, Out Of Order, Open For Business, Walking The Streets

** for Out Of My Dreams

Pink Floyd "A Nice Pair" 1967-1968(rec) 1973(comp)*****

Front

Back

You know how classic albums are endlessly remastered and repackaged in order to sell to fans again what they already own? I have to plead guilty - I'm the kind of fan that always rises to the bait. I've bought the entire Doors discography 3 times: on vinyl, CD and DVD-audio/CD combos (the "perception" box set). Actually, I don't regret buying the last one: it sounds fantastic, both in stereo and 5:1 mixes. The Beatles, of course - Full discography. Twice. I didn't fall for the original CD's but when the in mono box set came out I couldn't resist. The Stones: Twice (full discography on vinyl, still missing 4 or 5 on CD). Zeppelin: Everything on vinyl, then the 2 box sets containing the complete studio output in jumbled order. They were remastered by Jimmy Page in the 90's and still sound great, but it goes without saying I've got my eye on the new Jimmy Page remasters with the bonus tracks. Etc etc. Pink Floyd are no exception: Despite previously owning most of their discography either on vinyl or CD I've almost completed my collection of the new remasters. So now I have "Piper At The Gates Of Dawn" and "A Saucerful Of Secrets" on CD and will present them in time. Until recently, I only had them in the form of this compilation: both albums in a double LP. It was issued in 1973, probably to capitalize on the unprecedented success of Dark Side Of The Moon. Like I've said, I'll present the contents in a later post - but it'd be a shame to bypass the LP if only for the (always interesting) cover design by Floyd's regular collaborators, Hipgnosis. Front, back and inserts consist of 9 squares each, some of which are rejected covers and some illustrate a pun e.g. the album title square "A Nice Pair" displays a pair of breasts and a pear. Another literally depicts a fork in the road, and yet another shows a kettle of fish. My favorite story about the cover is the one with Dr. Phang's dental surgery. It was, unbeknownst to the good doctor, depicted on the front cover of the initial pressing. But apparently that was against the General Dental Council's rules on advertising, so it had to be replaced (with a photo of a Buddhist monk, top right). In later U.S. editions it was reinstated - either Dr. Phang retired or the GDC turns a blind eye to transatlantic "advertising".

Insert

Another difference between the UK and US editions is that the American one contains the 8-minute long live version of  "Astronomy Domine" (from Ummagumma) instead of the shorter studio version from Piper...  Also, the US edition is a slightly different mix. My LP is the UK version by the way, so I couldn't inform you on the differences and whether they are actually audible. This compilation has never been officially released on CD. There's a Russian bootleg CD version that might be of interest for collectors, but apparently it's just a digital copy of the latest reissues of "Piper..." and "Secrets", thus not the same mix as the LP. So if you must have it, by all means buy it on vinyl - it's legal, it's not that expensive, and you don't need a magnifying glass for the cover!

The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn *****

1.Astronomy Domine 2.Lucifer Sam 3.Matilda Mother 4.Flaming 5.Pow R. Toc. H. 6.Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk 7.Interstellar Overdrive 8.The Gnome 9.Chapter 24 10.Scarecrow 11.Bike

A Saucerful Of Secrets****

1.Let There Be More Light 2.Remember A Day 3.Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun 4.Corporal Clegg 5.A Saucerful Of Secrets 6.See Saw 7.Jugband Blues