David Gilmour really deserves credit for his "On An Island" album, released today. The man clearly doesn't give a damn about following any trends, and I say more power to him. The album does indeed sound very Floyd-ish, which Gilmour himself admits, but it's not merely some toothless rehash of past glories, and the production values here are really excellent (the album was produced by Gilmour, Phil Manzanera, and Chris Thomas). And Gilmour's in excellent voice too, sounding as though he's barely aged a day in the past 20 years. You needn't have any worries about this being a "modernized", high-tech disaster--the album sounds more like something that was recorded in 1980 than in the 2000s, and I really mean that as a compliment.

I think it's off the mark and misleading to bluntly say that Gilmour has "gone adult contemporary" with this album--that might get certain people thinking he's chosen a bland synthesizer-heavy approach. Quite the contrary, synthesizer is only used for a light sprinkling of effects on the title track, and synths are nowhere to be heard on songs such as "The Blue" and "Where We Start"--instead, David favors real piano, real electric piano, and especially real Hammond organ (which all three of these have), and that plays a huge role in them sounding so wonderfully organic.

Yes, this is a VERY low volume album, but for the most part, it's very appealing, not just thanks to the production, but also because the songwriting is generally at a really high level. Frankly, I think you could throw the same kind of praise at much of the Floyd's work--"Wish You Were Here", great album as it is, never rocks very hard at all.

Most of the lyrics here were written by Gilmour's wife Polly Samson, and although they occasionally lean towards the sickly-sweet end of things, as on "Smile", they're hardly as embarassing as some of the reviewers make them out to be. And ultimately, Gilmour makes up for it with the music. The title track is sumptuous--it sounds kind of like an acoustic modification of Floyd's "Breathe", featuring superb guitar work, live orchestration, and vocal harmonies from Crosby & Nash that really take the song to the next level (Richard Wright plays the Hammond on this track as well). The super-mellow "The Blue" has a wonderfully serene, blissful feel to it, with gentle harmonica and a remarkably effective back-and-forth piano line, and Gilmour's extended soloing, even if he overdoes those swooping sounds a bit, is still really really nice, with extremely impressive tone. The relatively short instrumental "Red Sky At Night" is an intriguing change of pace, with Gilmour switching over to saxophone, and to excellent effect--he brings the same kind of unique feeling to his sax soloing as he does to his emotional guitar leads. "A Pocketful Of Stones" is also a really fine ballad, with Gilmour's vocal making the most of the wonderful lilting melodicism on the verses. "This Heaven" adds a welcome diversity to the proceedings, shuffling along nicely and containing a nice bluesy acoustic riff. "Smile", like I said, is kind of on the sugary side, but the acoustic slide guitar work, Gilmour's somewhat jazz-tinged lead vocal, and the sheer tunefulness give it much appeal.

Gilmour's previous solo album, 1984's "About Face", ends with the song "Near The End", and he ends "On An Island" with "Where We Start" which seems like a sequel to the former song. "Where We Start" is the one non-instrumental track on the album that Gilmour wrote entirely himself. Yes, the lyrics leave a little to be desired, but the song has an undeniably soothing and reflective feel, somewhat melancholy and yet with hope for what's still to come, a trademark Gilmour touch. It makes for a highly fitting finale to the album.

As for the few remaining tracks... "Castellorizon", the obligatory album-opening instrumental, starts off as a sound collage before Gilmour starts wailing away backed by a full orchestra--it's certainly more enjoyable than the somewhat similar "Let's Get Metaphysical" from his "About Face" album, but it's still pretty forgettable. Likewise, the instrumental "Then I Close My Eyes" is okayish, but pretty dull. The one track that particularly sticks out like a sore thumb and that you're better off skipping happens to be the album's hardest-rocking song--"Take A Breath" has annoying, repetitive spoken chanting, plus it's sorely lacking in terms of melody and catchiness; it considerably hurts the overall flow of the album, and it suggests that Gilmour isn't sure how to rock out effectively anymore, making it easy to see why the album is so ballad-heavy.

All in all, I can't see anyone who loves '72-'75-era Floyd or Gilmour's previous solo work not taking a strong liking to "On An Island". I'm well aware that this album is taking quite a beating from a lot of so-called professional critics, and I can't help but suspect it's partly because of the album's mellow tone and a lack of patience on their part to really *listen*. Maybe some folks were hoping Gilmour would push the envelope more, and I'll admit I do understand the feeling that if an artist just cranks out an album that sounds like a copy of earlier work, there's no point to it. That said, this is an album for diehard David Gilmour/ mid-'70s Floyd fans who have listened to those records religiously and want something familiar, yet new, and for an artist of Gilmour's age and stature, it's understandable that he'd put out a record to fit that bill, and the fact that the result sounds this fresh and effective, it not only justifies the exercise, it actually provides an additional demonstration of just how deep Gilmour's talent is. It also underlines that this is clearly the album he wanted to make, and I give him a lot of credit for following his instincts.

(P.S. My copy of "On An Island" includes a bonus disc featuring the laidback bluesy instrumental "Island Jam"--it's a nice little bonus. On the downside, the book-style packaging of the album is marred by the vulnerable foam rubber piece that's meant to hold the CD--you may very well end up needing a separate case to hold the disc itself.)

This is NOT Pink Floyd. David Gilmour doesn't want it to be Pink Floyd. But it is a fantastic album by an amazing artist. It is best appreciated listening undisturbed start to finish with headphones on. David has gone all out in many ways... his web site gave tickets to see him perform on the Jay Leno show (which I was lucky enough to be a part of), he performed the first concert promoting his new album at the Mermaid Theater for lucky fans who won tickets from his web site. Later the Mermaid show appeared on the Big Screen. This cd has been re-released with a DVD of a performance for AOL, a song from his upcoming DVD Remember That Night, as well as a track from a performance he gave at Abbey Road studios for an upcoming tv event (I bought the DVD from his web site as a limited edition stand alone DVD and it is alone worth the price of the CD, but you get both!). His web site has gone all out with a blog and constant updates. Oh yeah- this is a review of the album... the title track is excellent with classic Gilmour guitar solos. The Blue features a guitar solo that gives a whole new meaning to the idea of "bending notes". Take a Breath has an incredible guitar solo at the end (and fares even better in the two(!) live versions on the DVD- and before you ask, yes both versions are worthy of being on the same DVD). I would say the only weak track is Smile, which I didn't care for much on his Meltdown DVD either. Aside from that, this is a really great album! And the more I listen to it the more it seems to just fit like a comfortable old shoe. Terrible imagery, but you know what I'm trying to say- right?

You do not have to be a pink floyd fan to pick this album up. I have had it since the day it was first released, and have continued to enjoy it ever since. David Gilmour teams up with Rick Wright and has an album of well written and quite memorable songs. Smile is a good slower tune, along with the title track, but my favorite is "take a breath". This just has a haunting quality to it. This album at times sounds like newer pink floyd (division bell, momentary lapse), but by no ways is it meant to be a floyd album, and for the most part, is very distinct in it's own right. Sure, two of the members of floyd are playing here, but it was not labled floyd for a reason. David Gilmour's previous two solo records were good (especially the self titled one), but this by far tops his previous work. Pick this up, you will not be dissapointed.

As for the bonus edition with the bonus DVD, it is well worth it. There is almost 50 minutes of live performance here, all shot with great clarity and sound. I purchased as second copy of the album to get it, but I would have paid the price for just the dvd. 8 total tracks, 48:30 run time, great collection of songs. Check this out.

Pay no mind to the brainless idiots out there running their ignorant mouths. If any of those fools had seen the live shows on the OAI tour, they would've been put in their place and understood the beauty of this CD. The guy is 60 years old for Christ's sake. David was, is and always will be, the man! I had the extreme pleasure of seeing and taping both nights at Radio City Music Hall, back in April 2006, and it was nothing short of incredible. Two of the best shows Ive ever seen/heard in my life and Ive seen some good one's. If you can get your hands on a bootleg of the second night at RCMH, you will understand and hear just how beautiful this CD truly is. Excellent work, David, and shine on old boy, shine on!!

It's been at least ten years since David Gilmour has done a formal recording. I am not one to criticize an artist who takes their time between recordings. Lets face it; David has nothing to prove here. This album is the answer to the question "were do we go from here" Gilmour style. I am actually glad that Gilmour presented this as a solo album. I grow tired of the whole Roger Waters drama. Pink Floyd reunited for live 8, what else can you ask for or expect from them.

The music on this album is reflective, often simple, dreamy, mature and very laid back. Glamour's voice sounds as good as ever. His guitar work here glows and shimmers especially on the solos for "The Blue", "On an Island", and the tender "Were we start". Gilmour deserves more credit than just being considered a great improviser. His guitar works does more than just improvise, he also creates wonderful melodies that are as long as they are creative. He never sounds lost, or even makes the slightest mistake in his solos whether it be a note that wasn't bent quite enough, a slide that didn't land correctly, or an idea void of expression or feeling. I would have given it five stars but I do agree with some other reviews that this could be too laid back at times, and is missing that one rocked out tune with a more up beat tempo and harder driving material.

As for all of the other critics, Pink Floyd will most likely never tour or record again. So judging this album purely on that is just a mistake. Don't buy this album just because you like Pink Floyd. Buy it because you like David Gilmour, who was the musical side of Pink Floyd. Gilmour has done what great musicians do, move on, and do it his way. The sleeper has awakened after so many years, or is he still dreaming? Either way the effect is sublime.