Great Rock Albums of 1984: David Gilmour- About Face

Like Lennon and McCartney after the Beatles split and Henley and Frey after the split of the Eagles, I wonder if Roger Waters and David Gilmour were entwined in some music one-upsmanship after the imagined Pink Floyd split following the last album with Waters, “The Final Cut.” Early in the year, we were treated to Roger’s album, “The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking,” which I’ve already posted about. In the months that followed, Pink Floyd guitarist, David Gilmour, released his solo album, “About Face.”

One thing I will never do is allow myself to be dragged into any debate as to which was the better album between Waters and Gilmour. Don’t even ask because even after thirty-three years, I couldn’t give an answer. I like both of them very much.

Some critic back then stated that “About Face” had a commercial feel that Pink Floyd were never bothered with. I would never call this album commercial, even if in a 2006 interview, Gilmour stated that he thought that it was too 80s. Well, maybe it was for him. In my not so humble opinion, I think that the album doesn’t go too far from the Pink Floyd formula. While I wouldn’t call the opening track typically Floyd, I do think “Until We Sleep” a cool space rock tune. I can easily listen to it while puffing the magic dragon and might have done so. However, the next two tracks are definitely Pink Floyd style tracks. The first of these, “Murder” was written in angry reaction to the senseless murder of John Lennon. On the track, Gilmour really vents that anger with a hair raising guitar solo. “Blue Light” has a funky jazz beat with the horns and this song is probably the farthest song from the traditional Pink Floyd trademark. I like it regardless.

“Out of the Blue” goes back to more familiar territory, nothing wrong with that either, but the track after, “All Lovers are Deranged” is a bit of a rocker. The lyrics were written by Who guitarist Peter Townsend and you can hear a bit of early Who in the song. It had to have been put on the album to give the listener a shock after being absorbed by the mellower track before it. “Don’t Turn You Back” starts out like a Floyd-esque song but there’s some interesting stuff going on in the middle of it with horns. If there was any track on the album that sounded commercial 80s, then it would be “Cruise.” I have always wondered why it never was released as a single. With its more easy listening style, the trendy top forty types might have liked it even if they didn’t know anything about David Gilmour or Pink Floyd. Some good organ work behind a reggae tint makes this song. Another interesting song is the instrumental that is “Let’s Get Metaphysical.” This goes from being spacey type Floyd to jazzy horns to some very good progressive sounds. The thing is that with all of this mixed together, David pulls it off. That must be a tribute to his genius. Then he ends things in what I call typical Pink Floyd fashion with “Near the End.” A long sounded space out track with some great Gilmour guitar licks. It is the best song to end with.

One thing consistent on every song is the guitar work of David Gilmour. He does let himself go more and while I always liked his guitar work with Pink Floyd, he outshines himself on “About Face.” It also helps that he put a great band together as well as some cool guest musicians to play with him.

Track Listing:

1. Until We Sleep
2. Murder
3. Love On the Air
4. Blue Light
5. Out of the Blue
6. All Lovers are Deranged
7. Don’t Turn Your Back
8. Cruise
9. Let’s Get Metaphysical
10. Near the End

David Gilmour

David Glimour- guitars, lead vocals, bass

Jeff Procraro- drums, percussion

Pino Palladino- bass

Ian Kewley- organ

Additional Musicians

Steve Winwood- organ on “Blue Light” and piano on “Love on the Air”

Jon Lord- synthesizer

Anne Dudley- synthesizer

Bob Ezrin- keyboards, orchestral arrangement

The Kick Horns- brass

Luis Jardim, Ray Cooper- percussion

Roy Harper, Sam Brown, Vicki Brown, Mickey Feat- vocals

The National Philharmonic Orchestra

David Gilmour popped out onto the music world of 1984 with a great solo album. Okay, it didn’t have the chart success even if Dave thought it was too 1980s. Many Pink Floyd fans do like it and so do some who weren’t. A great effort from a fine musician.

Next post: The Bangles- All Over the Place

To buy Rock and Roll Children, go to: https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Roll-Children-Michael-Lefevre/dp/1609763556/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1499972446&sr=8-8&keywords=michael+d+lefevre

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great Rock Albums of 1981: The Who- Face Dances

In 1985, I remember listening to a radio programme about The Who and the concluding bit stated that the death of Keith Moon in 1979 marked the end of The Who as a band. The programme went on to admit that the band would continue to tour and that Roger Daltrey, Pete Townsend and John Entwistle would all have successful solo projects, however, The Who as a band, were gone. My reaction was then as it is now, “What about the 1981 album with Kenney Jones?” For me, “Face Dances” has always been a good album but it’s Kenney Jones I feel sorry for. Because he was the replacement drummer for Moon, he didn’t get the respect he deserves. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Jones has been relegated to a pub trivia question and that’s not fair on him. It is the exact same thing I said about Jimmy Farrar, had been Jones made it with another band, his drumming efforts would have been more appreciated.

That said, the radio programme also stated that after Moon’s death, The Who’s sixties hard rock lyrics and rebelliousness as well as their seventies creativity were gone as well. Not entirely true! When I listen to “Face Dances” I hear a little bit of both of these elements in the album. While there isn’t the crashing hard sound that they made famous in classics like “My Generation,” the elements of hard rock are definitely there in songs like “Don’t Let Go the Coat” and “Another Tricky Day” to name two. Plus, the big single from the album, “You Better, You Bet” definitely has reminds me of that creativity that radio programme praised them for over the likes of the rock opera “Tommy.”  Whichever way you want to view “Face Dances” the one thing I can say about it throughout is that you know that it is definitely The Who on this album. Their trademark truly resonates on it.

Track Listing:

1. You Better, You Bet

2. Don’t Let Go The Coat

3. Cache Cache

4. The Quiet One

5. Did You Steal My Money

6. How Can You Do It Alone

7. Daily Records

8. You

9. Another Tricky Day

The Who

Roger Daltrey- vocals

Pete Townsend- guitar, vocals

John Entwistle- bass, vocals

Kenney Jones- drums

Hopefully, I have provided sufficient evidence that the radio programme was wrong in regards to The Who being finished in 1979 because in 1981, they put out one very good album in “Face Dances.” It showed the world that they were still a force to be reckoned with in the music world. Thinking of Keith Moon, his passing opened the way for the many drummers who would join him since. John Bonham would follow him a year later. I believe that Moon, Bonham, along with the likes of Cozy Powell, Levon Helm and Razzle are drumming away together in a better place.

Keith Moon

Next post: Devo- Dev O Live

To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html

Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London

Great Rock Albums of 1978: The Who- Who Are You

The Who were considered the comeback story of 1978. They hadn’t put an album out in three years and all the band members were engaged in solo projects. Furthermore, drummer Keith Moon was having battles with drug and alcohol addiction, a battle that he would eventually lose.

I am reminded of the this album every time I see CSI Las Vegas on TV as they use the title track for the title sequences of the show. But for me, it is the lyrics of the song that do it for me. While I’ve never woken up in a Soho doorway, I know of people who have. I have been to parties in London and had to make my way home on the underground with a little bit of a sore head and asking myself that question.

With “Who Are You” the Who seemed to have returned to their more traditional blues/hard rock sound. In the mid 70s, they experimented with different creative thoughts, although I really do love “Tommy” and “Pinball Wizard” is one of my all time Who favourites. But this album reminds me more of the early days when they had a more aggressive harder rock edge.

Track Listing:

1. New Song

2. Had Enough

3. 905

4.  Sister Disco

5. The Music Must Change

6. Trick of the Light

7. Guitar and Pen

8. Love is Coming Down

9. Who Are you

The Who

Roger Daltrey- vocals, percussion

Pete Townshend- guitars, piano, synthesiser, backing vocals

John Entwistle- bass, synthesiser, brass, backing vocals

Keith Moon- drums, percussion

Keith Moon’s tragic death shortly after the release of this album would overshadow the success that “Who Are You” would have. The album would reach number 2 in the US and number 6 in the UK and showed that The Who were definitely back and in great form.

Next post: Deep Purple- When We Rock We Rock and When We Roll We Roll

To buy Rock and Roll Children, go to www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html

Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London