New Music: David Gilmour - On An Island

Its no mystery why David Gilmour keeps refusing a full tour reunion with Roger Waters. He's worked too hard on his latest release On an Island. He wants to tour with this new material. I can't blame him - the new music is pretty good.

The album contains many songs in a 3/4 time signature. Mix that with Gilmour's beautiful guitar vibrato (almost like it was a violin) and you get a relaxing waltz of music bliss.

It all starts with the instrumental mood-piece Castellorizon, full of dissonant minor chords and phrasing elongated guitar cries. And then one-two-three, two-two-three, three-two-three, the title track begins. On An Island is reminiscent of floyd during Meddle or Obscured by the Clouds. Very straight spacey vocals and a swaying sleepy waltz rhythm. This same feel continues to the next track, The Blue.

Its these three tracks back to back where I can picture myself in my bedroom during my high school years with the black light on, incense burning, and furiously scribbling poetry all through the night.

Take a Breath really changes the pace. It is the edgier more contemporary Pink Floyd sound - perhaps Division Bell and Momentary Lapse of Reason mixed. Red Sky at Night - feels much like the title. Its an instrumental with a very sexy low saxophone - and romantic chords with guitar hardly making an appearance. This is really the only "rock" beat on the album.

This Heaven is just a classic Gilmore playing the blues. Very traditional guitar blues formulation, I can see this being performed by the local cover band in a sit-down uptown club.

Then I Close My Eyes actually makes me want to close my eyes. Its an instrumental without much substance - like something you'd play over and over to helps the kids fall asleep. Perhaps this was the meaning - because the next song, Smile, is a lullaby - and by now you'd have to be asleep if you listen to this at night in the dark.

A Pocketful Of Stones is another contemporary Floyd type of song. Unresolved chords in the chorus provide a feeling of mystery and really some non-emphasized brilliant guitar soloing.

Appropriately, the album ends with yet another 3/4 time signature. Where We Start is really an interesting title for the last track I think. It captures the essence of the first three tracks.

Overall, its a pretty good album to relax with. Something to listen to at work or while reading, not recommended for driving or poker.

Score: 8 out of 10.

The "Apex" Album Syndrome vs. "You'll Never Get as High as the First Time"

Every band has one of two paths to follow...

The recent Pearl Jam and Tool records to come out have brought to my attention a thought (which I can only assume has been living in my subconscious since the beginning, and only now has it had a vehicle in which to manifest itself).

The Thought:

By in large (as there is always an exception), every band has one of two paths to follow (three albums minimum to qualify).

1) The Apex Path

A band a certain "essence" in terms of sound in the beginning and over time it develops a different "essence" (good or bad). Two completely different sounds. The album that the conversion of the "essence" takes place - is the band's best album (at least commercially). The album directly before and directly after represents the two completely different sounds - but album in question has both. This is the most common path.

Examples: Metallica (Black Album), Tool (Aenima), Soundgarden (Superunknown), Pink Floyd (DSOTM), Radiohead (OK Computer), Smashing Pumpkins (Siamese Dreams - keep in mind Pisces Iscariot was written at the same time), Incubus (Make Yourself), Marilyn Manson (Antichrist Superstar), Ministry (Filth Pig), Nirvana (Nevermind), Nine Inch Nails (The Downward Spiral),STP (Purple) I am sure I can go on and on.

2) The 'As Good As It Gets the First Time' Path

Just like it sounds. A band hits the high watermark the first time, right out of the shoot, and it never gets any better. Not to say its not good, its just that it never is AS good.

Examples: The Doors (The Doors), Pearl Jam (Ten), The Verve Pipe (Villains - their first FULL album), RATM (RATM), Silverchair (Frogstomp), Bush (Sixteen Stone), Weezer (Weezer), Van Halen (Van Halen), Deftones (Adrenaline)

I am not sure what kind of meaningful conclusion this draws other than helping yourself set expectation levels for upcoming albums.

"shaped news"

I agree with this article. Specifically two comments made me nod my head in agreement. "There is no room to pause, no room to think," Dreyfuss, who starred in films ranging from "Jaws" to "Mr Holland's Opus" told Reuters in a recent telephone interview. "We don't build into our system of thoughts the need to explain, the media doesn't build that into its transmission of knowledge and information." AND...

"Civics is no longer taught in the U.S, a sign of a neurosis that is inexplicable," he said. "Not to teach civics is suicide.

"Reason, logic, civility, dissent and debate -- five ancient words that should be taught again and better, at elementary level, so that people know the difference between news and shaped news," Dreyfuss said.