Customer Reviews

Live In Gdansk (2CD/1 DVD)

5 star:		(76)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

many of the songs from this concert are same as from the last dvd, 'remember that night'.the question then becomes - so what? As most can guess, each performance of music is always different - each time it is reinterpreted, caressed and massaged into perfection, yet unique. This is the case with Live in Gdansk, and my reaction was one of sheer aural bliss.
I thought the ending of 'take a breath' was transcendent, with Gilmours' and his friends' playing with the Baltic Philharmonic Symphony Orch. was literally stunning. Gilmour's voice is dark chocolate silk on my favorite 'pocketful of stones'. Richard Wright, his last appearance unfortunately, god bless this angel and may he rest in eternal joy, received a roar from the crowd who then broke into a chant of 'richard..richard..' . If you can stay dry eyed after that you are a stronger person then I am.
'Astronomie Dominé' and 'echoes' are simply astounding,aurally perfect.
Gilmour once again soars into comfortably numb, which has been voted the best guitar solo ever performed. These cd's and DvD's are simply something no floyd fan could possibly afford to miss.
the number of songs in this dvd + cd, with the dvd performances of the other included excerpts from concerts and the barn jams, the documentaries, make this set worth every penny it cost.
I don't know how many more concerts can be expected from Gilmour, many of us are getting a bit older, but 'pulse', 'remember' and this concert from Poland are simply gifts that i have been privileged to have experienced. thank you David.

Pink Floyd fans have been on a roller coaster of emotions in the first part of the 21st Century, and this excellent document takes us back to An Island of Pink Floyd and Gilmour/Wright magic one last time. It is the final encore for Richard Wright, one of the greatest (and humblest) musical geniuses of all time (despite being a founding member of Pink Floyd and deserving a co-billing with David Gilmour, he chose to let David Gilmour have sole billing)and the last spark of the Pink Floyd magic flame, which has sadly gone out at this time with the passing of Wright. David Gilmour still has many great albums in him, and Roger Waters is still making new music, but without Wright, there will be no more great Floyd music.
In 2005, Floyd fans got a surprise that brought our moods up and raised our hopes when the classic line up got together one last time at Live 8. Even though it was a farewell performance, there was a chance another world changing event would bring the band back together for another brief performance.
Then the first sucker punch of Syd Barrett's passing smashed away the mysterious character that we all hoped would at least come out one last time to play something before going into hiding again. That would never happen now.
Then, David Gilmour's On An Island hit the shelves. I bought it just because I am a fan of PF and wanted to see what Gilmour was up to. I expected it to be a decent album. It was not. It was an outstanding album that, despite not being called Pink Floyd, was more like pink Floyd's classic sound that anything since Wish You Were Here. It hearkened back to Pre DSOTM Floyd in a big way. It was another great peak on the roller coaster ride. There was still more to go, though, as Remember That Night came out with an excellent show and appearances, for one last time, with ALL FOUR members of classic Floyd, including a heart-warming meeting of two old friends. (You have to watch the documentaries to find them all.) This was another high point.
Then another low point; At the Syd Barrett Tribute show, Roger Waters did a solo performance and the Waters-Less Floyd did a separate performance, putting doubt into the chance of any future reunion gigs, which has now turned from doubt into an ever-resounding NO with the passing of Wright.
Finally, after another rise of the return of Waters to the stage and the possibility of a new Waters album, as well as the announcement of this very product, things were good again.
Then we were given a hard and violent kick in the gut by fate as the ever private Wright, who had kept his illness out of the public eye passed away from cancer, which he kindly kept hidden from the fans.
The release of this set is possibly the last trip up on the roller coaster, as we get a chance to see Mr. Gilmour and Mr. Wright perform their magic along with Mr. Manzanera, Mr. DiStanislao, Mr. Carin, Mr. Pratt, Mr. Parry and an orchestra one last time, as well as have a souvenir to take with us and listen to in the car or wherever we enjoy listening to CDs. This set is a bittersweet farewell to a man, a band, and "softly spoken magic spell" that cannot be spoken ever again. Thanks to all of the band, and everyone responsible for this.
The quality of the CDs and the DVDs is excellent, and you can tell a lot of work went into this, as well as a lot of love. Yes, this is a quality product, and it is a way for us to enjoy the legacy of this great act, along with Remember That Night.
We'll remember both nights for a long time to come, and the Echoes will never fade. Now I just hope I can watch and listen to the mournful masterpiece once without breaking into a fit of tears....

I just picked up this version plus bonus cd at Best Buy today.

If you are a David Gilmour fan, this is a must have item. Also,
this could be Richard Wright's last great performance with the band.
Sorry to hear that he died of cancer just one week ago. This alone
made this a must have item for me.

I have only watched the first DVD in this set and all I can say
is the video and audio are simply awesome.

Many of David's previous tunes are featured on this set accompanied
by the Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra, giving it a slightly different
sound which I really enjoyed.

The sound is more detailed and polished than in the previous
'Remember That Night' DVD which I would also give 5 stars.

I cannot wait to hear the rest of the CD's and the other DVD in
this set!

Update: I just listened to all he CDs and I was struck by the
incredible detail and dynamic range they have. Much better range
than my 13 year old CD set of Pink Floyd's 'Pulse' concert which
certainly is no slouch.

At this point I'm not sure if these CDs are a direct clone of the
DVD or not. It doesn't appear to be, but I could be wrong.

David Gilmour not only still retains the amazing skill he has always had, he has even grown his talents, as can be witnessed here.

Even if you already own "Remember That Night" (as I do), DO NOT HESITATE purchasing this LIVE IN GDANSK set. Yes, it REALLY is worth having this set.

Here is why:

**** AMAZING PRODUCTION QUALITY, ON BOTH THE CDs AND THE DVDs

**** THE FINAL OFFICIAL RELEASE WHERE YOU ALSO GET TO SEE / HEAR PINK FLOYD KEYBOARDIST RICHARD WRIGHT

**** COMPLETE AND AMAZING 5.1 VERSION OF "ON AN ISLAND" ALBUM

**** GILMOUR, STILL AT THE VERY TOP OF HIS GAME, DEMONSTRATING NEW TALENTS, SUCH AS PLAYING THE SAXOPHONE!!

The only reason that I would hold off on buying this is if you hope that someday it will come out on BluRay (Which has not been announced to date).

Nonetheless, these standard DVDs look AMAZING on my 65" Mitsubishi HDTV.

This set, to me, really helps to bring closure to my favorite band of all time, PINK FLOYD.

P.S., somewhere out there is a nice DVD recording of a Roger Waters concert from Cork, Ireland (2006), which features Nick Mason. If you see both of these concerts, you will be a very satisfied Pink Floyd fan. :o)

One Love. Rick Wright R.I.P.

...to the most social justice oriented and noble movement in recent history - Solidarity. Big thanks for coming to Poland: David Gilmour, Richard Wright (RIP), Phill Manzanera, other musicians and to all who produced these CDs ! Off course every Pink Floyd/Gilmour fan knows the songs, but I do not care, I did not mind to get another beautiful versions performed with the help of Gdansk's The Baltic Symphony Orchestra. The best from this set? - "Echoes". David's guitar weeps like never before. Awsome !

I have been a David Gilmour fan for a long time. Got into Pink Floyd back in the late 70's not long after he put out his first solo album (which is now 30 years old as I write this). Followed him through all the years of Floyd, his solo albums, and all that. When I heard he was putting out a live album, I wasn't terribly sure I was going to get it. Live albums are a mixed bag with me. If you saw the tour a live album came from, then it's kind of a must purchase. But if you weren't, you're essentially buying the same songs again. So I kind of waffled.

Then I saw the track listing, and it was quite varied. Went into the ancient days of Pink Floyd (60's era), and hit the usual Floyd hits. It also had quite a few songs from his third solo album. If there was any disappointment for me, it was that there were not any tracks from David's first two solo albums - there's a lot of good stuff there (mostly on the second), but that wasn't a major deal. The selling point for me was Rick Wright. As one of the founders of Pink Floyd (Gilmour was not), it kind of felt more like a Floyd album with two of the guys there, so I pre-ordered it. Then Rick Wright died before it was released. It kind of turned into a tribute because of that.

The music itself was quite good. It was recorded on the final date of the tour for his On an Island album. It was in Gdansk Poland - in the shipyards made famous by Lech Walensa (sp?). The track selection was pretty good, had some stuff I was not expecting (Astronomy Domine, Echoes!), and I did enjoy hearing live version of his third solo album. So yeah, I enjoyed it. I'm not terribly sure it's for everyone though. This does have a unique feel in that there's an orchestra playing. Lots of bands do that now, but this seems to fit the music more than most bands who just go "Oh, here's an orchestra, too".

A bit of a note here. There were MANY different versions of the thing. David Gilmour's site details all of them, but I bought the 2 CD / 1 DVD version myself.

I received this CD/DVD combo just two days ago. At first glance, while the whole graphic concept is really attractive and nicely done, the package quality was below my expectations, the materials seems somehow cheap and the discs have a tendency to fell out from the envelope (something similar happened to me with the PULSE - red blinking light - CD package). But this failure can be easily overlooked because the sound and picture quality were good and this is what really matters. As for the song selection, it is easy for us, Pink Floyd fans, to expect as much as many Floyd material as possible, but, although this is a truly David Gilmour set, is a nice and pleasant one. I would prefer a less "On an Island" product, but for that case we have the two previous DVDs released by David. There are two important highlights here: the Echoes full performance in the third disc and the Barn Jam sessions in the fourth one. In my case, this two peak points justifies the whole set. Specially the Barn Jam sessions. I am a dedicated Pink Floyd fan and for me it was very sad to see Rick Wright in what may be one of the lasts recorded performances of him. It's paradoxical: in my case this collection is more about Wright than Gilmour, at least while I get used to the idea that the great keyboardist is no longer among us.

Really enjoyed both the CD's and DVD's. Was a little disappointed that the first four CD tracks (Speak to Me, Breathe, Time and Breathe (reprise)) were not included on the DVD. Don't really know why they weren't included since there were several "Barn Jams" that could have allowed enough space for those tracks. That said it is still a worthwhile purchase. Quality of the DVD photography was great.

40 strings + David Gilmour and company = WOW. You can soar like a bird listing to this and the heights will take your breath away. I had goose bumps all over listening to On an Island. It was ethereal bliss. And Where we Start - with 40 strings - and the passion that Gilmour expresses through his guitar is just unmatched by any artist. I love this guy.

Con mucha admiración encontré el presente disco en Amazon, la verdad desde hace tiempo quería adquirir el disco de estudio On An Island, pero al observar la presente opción, me detuve a ver el contenido del CD y veo que además de ser doble en audio, es un DVD también doble, WOW espectacular sorpresa, la tentación ya era bastante grande. Si uno está familiarizado con la música de Pink Floyd, sólo debes de revisar el contenido del CD y del DVD para ver el listado de canciones incluido en los mismos, al revisarlos y luego escucharlo, puedo expresar las siguientes opiniones que espero sean útiles mis estimados compradores de Amazon; DISC 1. En él encuentras completo el disco On An Island en su versión en vivo, desde luego, un Cd con un material bárbaro, me encantó el contenido completo del disco, Castellorizon es una canción instrumental con acorde de guitarra majestuosos, como nos tiene acostumbrados Gilmour, en Red Sky at night, observamos a Gilmour tocando el saxofón; y la otra canción instrumental Then I close my eyes, es fantástica, con el acompañamiento del piano y el toque del saxofón de Dick Parry, hacen de ella una de mis canciones instrumentales favoritas de todas las que he escuchado, el material es buenísimo. Como extras, en el inicio del disco, encontramos clásicas canciones del Dark Side of the moon, como Speak to me, breathe y time, en resumen un primer disco, maravilloso. Disco 2. Lo puedo denominar, el "de las grandes sorpresas", tres cosas me impresionaron desde que observé el listado de canciones, en primer lugar, la inclusión de Astronomy Domine, versión en vivo que únicamente recuerdo haberlo escuchado en el disco Pulse, pero que está incluida en el presente Disco, un gran acierto incluirla como un clásico del primer disco de Pink Floyd; segunda sorpresa, la canción Fat Old Sun, la cual no recuerdo se encuentre incluida en algún disco en vivo de Pink Floyd, la que pertenece al disco Atom Heart Mother, siempre versión muy fiel a su original; y la sorpresa más grande de todas y particularmente creo que es la sorpresa más grande del disco, es la versión completa de Echoes, quienes amamos la música de Pink Floyd sabemos que es una canción espectacular, con varios cambios de sonido y ritmo maravillosos, y quienes por primera vez la escucharán, es una canción que de verdad les dejará cautivados, se disfruta enormemente el toque especial de los sintetizadores de Richard Right (QEPD); y por último puedo agregar otra sorpresa, la cual no encontré viendo el listado de canciones, sino que lo descubrí al escuchar el disco y es que Shine On You Crazy Diamon, Gilmour la canta en un tono y en una versión totalmente inédita, la cual siendo honestos quedó magnífica. Con respecto a los DVD's, en el primero encontramos el concieto en GDANSK que incluye canciones de todos los Discos 1 y 2, salvo algunas que no se interpretaron dentro del concierto, pero el concierto es realmente fabuloso. En el segundo DVD, vemos presentaciones en distintos lugares de David Gilmour interpretando distintos temas, muy buen DVD, me encantó que incluyeran Wearing The Inside Out del albumb Division Bell; en conclusión, un paquete de discos espectacular, tengan en cuenta que tenemos además de dos discos de audio, dos DVD, incluyendo la intepretación completa del último disco como solista de David Gilmour. Agreguemos a ésto, que también lamentablemente para todo fan de Gilmour y Pink Floyd, adquirimos el último material en el cual el Sr Richard Right demuestra sus dotes magistralse como tecladista, es éste el aspecto sentimental del paquete de discos. Puedo decirles que éste es un disco fabuloso, el cual personas que estén o no familiarizadas con las música de Gilmour y Pink Floyd, lo van a disfrutar, porque realmente es un material muy buen, tanto en audio, como en efectos visuales en la representación del concierto, la calidad de los músicos con los que Gilmour comparte el escenario es sobresaliente, teniendo en cuenta que tanto Guy Pratt, como John Carin y Richard Right, son músicos que forman parte de Pink Floyd, Phil Manzanera trabajó en el Division Bell y Dick Parry que ha sido el saxofonista de Pink Floyd desde Dark side of the moon si mal no recuerdo, así que eso nos garantiza la calidad en cuanto a la intepretación artística.