“This is the best album I’ve made since The Dark Side of the Moon”: David Gilmour says his first solo record in 9 years is good enough to rival his best Pink Floyd work – and one of the best guitar albums ever
Gilmour will release Luck and Strange later this year, and if his own words are to be believed, it could shape up to be a classic
(Image credit: Roberto Panucci/Corbis via Getty Images)
Later this year, David Gilmour will release Luck and Strange – his first solo album in nine years, which is positioned to be an especially notable release from the Pink Floyd legend.
Not only will it be his first offering of new material in almost a decade, it was constructed with the help of a new-look backroom staff, helmed by Alt-J producer Charlie Andrew, who helped Gilmour expand his musical horizons.
The result, according to Gilmour himself, is an album that could rival even his best work with Pink Floyd.
“It’s over 50 years now since The Dark Side Of The Moon,” Gilmour teases. “My feeling is that this album is the best album I’ve made in all those years since 1973 when The Dark Side Of The Moon came out.”
That alone will be enough to get Gilmour fans even more excited for the forthcoming album, which has so far been previewed by The Piper’s Call and Between Two Points.
David Gilmour - The Piper's Call (Official Music Video) - YouTube
At the time of the first single’s release, Gilmour heaped praise on his new production partner, and explained how Andrew had forced him to look at writing, recording and arranging from a completely fresh perspective.
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As such, having assembled a team of instrumentalists and collaborators who have helped bring out his best work since The Dark Side of the Moon, Gilmour is eyeing up a swift return to the recording studio following Luck and Strange’s release.
“Our plan is just to get this one out and run it and then do another one straight away,” he continues in his Prog chat. “I will be working with all these people again. I’ve had this problem in the past, of wanting to throw myself in the studio with a few people and just kick stuff around, but not knowing who those people should be.
“And that is now a pressure that’s evaporated, because I’ve got these phone numbers. It feels like a team and I love being in a team – I didn’t choose to be a solo artist.
“When you have achieved the higher levels of success, most of the people that come into your sphere are going to look to you. They’re not going to be like Charlie Andrew – Charlie is the kind of refreshing thing that you want to have happen to you.”
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
