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Rating: As is customary with Pink Floyd and the various former members of the historic English group, there is always a search for a combination, a synergy, between the music proposed and the historical period experienced, almost as if it is not already certain that their sound visions and their grand musical approach are enough to consecrate them in history.
This time David Gilmour, for the conclusion of the tour supporting his solo album 'On an Island', chose Gdańsk. The historic Polish port on the Baltic lends itself as an incredible setting, almost like something out of an action movie, with disused steel sheds and huge shipyard cranes in the background. The reason for the location is quickly explained in a diary/documentary film about the desire to capture this place in history, as it seems it will soon be repurposed for other industrial or civil uses. This is the place where the union movement led by Lech Wałęsa was born, which, as David himself emphasizes, was one of the movements that promoted the wind of change not only in Poland but throughout the Soviet bloc. The printed product thus becomes an epoch-making document.
There are two versions available: one with two audio CDs and one with two audio CDs and two DVDs. Needless to say, listening to just the audio is limiting, as much as it might be limiting to listen to David Gilmour and Pink Floyd, of course!
In front of an oceanic, enthusiastic crowd, at times attentive and silent, at times emotionally involved, accommodating, and noisy, the historical guitarist strings together one by one, like precious pearls on a multicolored thread, all the tracks of his most recent solo album, further enhanced by the contrasting backdrop of the port area and the six huge screens placed on the front of this stage, appearing like a temple raised to the gods of music.
But above all, the proposed tracks are enriched by the Baltic Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, which places them in a new and unexpected light, probably the most fitting for songs that are nothing less than a rock opera.
This orchestral presence proves to be even more essential in the tracks taken from the Pink Floyd repertoire, especially in 'High Hopes', which thus surpasses the 'Live Pulse' version thanks to the strings that render the fusion between the orchestral themes and Gilmour's flair an exquisite amalgam. 'Echoes', performed in a complete and hypnotic version, becomes, along with the concluding and inevitable 'Comfortably Numb', an 'in memoriam' vow, where Gilmour's guitar confronts and at times merges in dialogue with Richard Wright's keyboards, becoming the focal point of the entire live performance. The long-time admirers will not be able to hold back the melancholy and at times the emotion of seeing and hearing Richard sing the first and fourth verses of this last track, one of those songs that is undoubtedly among the top ten most beautiful that Contemporary Music has offered us.
A work aimed at striking with both sound and images, different senses, becoming a must for all fans but also for those, curious, looking for the first time into one of the most influential and beloved guitarists in history. Masterpiece!
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
11 Smile (04:26)
Would this do
To make it all right
While sleep has taken you
Where I'm out of sight
I'll make my getaway
Time on my own
Search for a better way
To find my way home
To your smile
Wasting days and days
On this night
Always down and up
Half the night
Hopeless to reminisee
Through the dark hours
We'll only sacrifice
What time will allow us
You're sighing... sighing
All alone
Though you're right here
Now it's time to go
From your sad stare
Make my getaway
Time on my own
Needing a better way
To find my way home
To your smile
12 Take A Breath (06:47)
Take a breath
Take a deep breath now
Take a breath
A deep breath now
Take a breath
When you're down is where you find yourself
When you're drown there's nothing else
If you're lost you'll need to turn yourself
Then you'll find out that there's no one else
To make the moves that you can do
When you fall from grace your eyes in blue
Your every breath becomes another world
And the far horizon's living hell
Take a breath
A deep breath now
This kind of love is hard to find
I never got to you by being kind
If I'm the one to throw you overboard
At least I showed you how to swim for shore
When you're down is where you'll know yourself
Then if you're drown there's nothing else
When you're lost you need to find yourself
Then you'll find out that there's no one else
14 Where We Start (08:01)
Where we start is where we end
We step out sweetly, nothing planned
Along by the river we feed bread to the swans
And then over the footbridge to the woods beyond
We walk ourselves weary, you and I
There's just this moment
I light a campfire away from the path
We lie in the bluebells, a woodpecker laughs
Time passes slowly our hearts entwined
All of the dark times left behind
The day is done
The sun sinks low
We fold up the blanket, it's time to go
We walk ourselves weary, arm in arm
Back through the twilight
Home again
We waltz in the moonlight and the embers glow
So much behind us
Still far to go
15 Breathe (02:49)
Breathe, breathe in the air.
Don't be afraid to care.
Leave, don't leave me.
Look around and choose your own ground.
Long you live and high you fly
smiles you'll give and tears you'll cry
all you touch and all you see
Is all your life will ever be.
Run, rabbit run.
Dig that hole, forget the sun,
And when at last the work is done
Don't sit down it's time to dig another one.
For long you live and high you fly
But only if you ride the tide
And balanced on the biggest wave
You race towards an early grave.
19 On An Island (07:26)
Remember that night...
White sails in the moonlight
They walked it too...
Through empty playground, this ghost's town
Children again on rusting swings getting higher
Sharing a dream
On an Island.... it felt right
We lay side by side,
Between the moon and the tide
Mapping the stars for a while
Let the night surround you
We're half way to the stars,
Ebb and flow
Let it grow..... feel the warmth beside you
Remember that night,
The warmth and the laughter
Candles burn...
Though the church was deserted
At dawn we went down through empty streets to the harbour
Dreamers may leave ...but we're here everafter...
Da da da da da....
Let the night surround you
We're half way to the stars,
Ebb and flow
Let it grow..... feel the warmth beside you...
22 This Heaven (04:33)
All the pieces fall into place
When we walk these fields
And I reach out to touch your face
This earthly heaven is enough for me
So break the bread and pour the wine
I need no blessings but I'm counting mine
Life is much more than money buys
When I see the faith in my children's eyes
I've felt the power in a holy place
And wished for comfort when in need
Now I'm here in a state of grace
This earthly heaven is enough for me
So break the bread and pour the wine
I need no blessings but I'm counting mine
Life is much more than money buys
When I see the faith in my children's eyes
26 High Hopes (09:57)
Beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young
In a world of magnets and miracles
Our thoughts strayed constantly and without boundary
The ringing of the division bell had begun
Along the Long Road and on down the Causeway
Do they still meet there by the Cut
There was a ragged band that followed our footsteps
Running before time took our dreams away
Leaving the myriad small creatures trying to tie us to the ground
To a life consumed by slow decay
The grass was greener
The light was brighter
With friends surrounded
The nights of wonder
Looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us
To a glimpse of how green it was on the other side
Steps taken forwards but sleepwalking back again
Dragged by force of some inner tide
At a higher altitude with flag unfurled
We reached the dizzy heights of that dreamed of world
Encumbered forever by desire and ambition
There's a hunger still unsatisfied
Though down this road we've been so many times
The grass was greener
The light was brighter
The taste was sweeter
The nights of wonder
With friends surrounded
The dawn mist growing
The water flowing
The endless river
27 Echoes (25:26)
Overhead the albatross hangs motionless upon the air
And deep beneath the rolling waves
In labyrinths of coral caves
The echo of a distant time
Comes willowing across the sand
And everything is green and submarine.
And no-one called us to the land
And no-one knows the wheres or whys
But something stirs and something tries
And starts to climb towards the light
Strangers passing in the street
By chance two separate glances meet
And I am you and what I see is me
And do I take you by the hand
And lead you through the land
And help me understand the best I can
And no-one calls us to move on
And no-one forces down our eyes
And no-one speaks and no-one tries
And no-one flies around the sun
Cloudless everyday you fall upon my waking eyes
inviting and inciting me to rise
And through the window in the wall
Come streaming in on sunlight wings
A million bright ambassadors of morning
And no-one sings me lullabies
And no-one makes me close my eyes
And so I throw the windows wide
And call to you across the sky
28 Wish You Were Here (05:15)
So, so you think you can tell
Heaven from Hell
Blue skies from pain
Can you tell a green field
from a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?
And did they get you to trade
your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
And did you exchange
a walk on part in the war
for a lead role in a cage?
How I wish, how I wish you were here.
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl
Year after year
Running over the same old ground
What have you found?
The same old fears
Wish you were here
30 Comfortably Numb (09:22)
Hello,
Is there anybody in there
Just nod if you can hear me
Is there anyone at home
Come on now
I can see you're feeling down
I can ease your pain
And get you on your feet again
Relax
I'll need some information first
Just the basic facts
Can you show me where it hurts
There is no pain, you are receding
A distant ship smoke on the horizon
You are coming through in waves
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying
When I was a child I had a fever
My hands felt just like two balloons
Now I've got that feeling once again
I can't explain, you would not understand
This is not how I am
I have become comfortably numb
O.K.
Just a little pin prick
There'll be no more aaaaaaaah!
But you may feel a little sick
Can you stand up?
I do believe it's working, good
That'll keep you going through the show
Come on it's time to go.
There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying
When I was a child, I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye
I turned to look but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown, the dream is gone
And I have become
Comfortably numb
44 Where We Start (00:00)
Where we start is where we end
We step out sweetly, nothing planned
Along by the river we feed bread to the swans
And then over the footbridge to the woods beyond
We walk ourselves weary, you and I
There's just this moment
I light a campfire away from the path
We lie in the bluebells, a woodpecker laughs
Time passes slowly our hearts entwined
All of the dark times left behind
The day is done
The sun sinks low
We fold up the blanket, it's time to go
We walk ourselves weary, arm in arm
Back through the twilight
Home again
We waltz in the moonlight and the embers glow
So much behind us
Still far to go
46 High Hopes (00:00)
Beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young
In a world of magnets and miracles
Our thoughts strayed constantly and without boundary
The ringing of the division bell had begun
Along the Long Road and on down the Causeway
Do they still meet there by the Cut
There was a ragged band that followed our footsteps
Running before time took our dreams away
Leaving the myriad small creatures trying to tie us to the ground
To a life consumed by slow decay
The grass was greener
The light was brighter
With friends surrounded
The nights of wonder
Looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us
To a glimpse of how green it was on the other side
Steps taken forwards but sleepwalking back again
Dragged by force of some inner tide
At a higher altitude with flag unfurled
We reached the dizzy heights of that dreamed of world
Encumbered forever by desire and ambition
There's a hunger still unsatisfied
Though down this road we've been so many times
The grass was greener
The light was brighter
The taste was sweeter
The nights of wonder
With friends surrounded
The dawn mist growing
The water flowing
The endless river
47 Echoes (00:00)
Overhead the albatross hangs motionless upon the air
And deep beneath the rolling waves
In labyrinths of coral caves
The echo of a distant time
Comes willowing across the sand
And everything is green and submarine.
And no-one called us to the land
And no-one knows the wheres or whys
But something stirs and something tries
And starts to climb towards the light
Strangers passing in the street
By chance two separate glances meet
And I am you and what I see is me
And do I take you by the hand
And lead you through the land
And help me understand the best I can
And no-one calls us to move on
And no-one forces down our eyes
And no-one speaks and no-one tries
And no-one flies around the sun
Cloudless everyday you fall upon my waking eyes
inviting and inciting me to rise
And through the window in the wall
Come streaming in on sunlight wings
A million bright ambassadors of morning
And no-one sings me lullabies
And no-one makes me close my eyes
And so I throw the windows wide
And call to you across the sky
49 Comfortably Numb (00:00)
Hello,
Is there anybody in there
Just nod if you can hear me
Is there anyone at home
Come on now
I can see you're feeling down
I can ease your pain
And get you on your feet again
Relax
I'll need some information first
Just the basic facts
Can you show me where it hurts
There is no pain, you are receding
A distant ship smoke on the horizon
You are coming through in waves
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying
When I was a child I had a fever
My hands felt just like two balloons
Now I've got that feeling once again
I can't explain, you would not understand
This is not how I am
I have become comfortably numb
O.K.
Just a little pin prick
There'll be no more aaaaaaaah!
But you may feel a little sick
Can you stand up?
I do believe it's working, good
That'll keep you going through the show
Come on it's time to go.
There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying
When I was a child, I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye
I turned to look but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown, the dream is gone
And I have become
Comfortably numb
51 On An Island (00:00)
Remember that night...
White sails in the moonlight
They walked it too...
Through empty playground, this ghost's town
Children again on rusting swings getting higher
Sharing a dream
On an Island.... it felt right
We lay side by side,
Between the moon and the tide
Mapping the stars for a while
Let the night surround you
We're half way to the stars,
Ebb and flow
Let it grow..... feel the warmth beside you
Remember that night,
The warmth and the laughter
Candles burn...
Though the church was deserted
At dawn we went down through empty streets to the harbour
Dreamers may leave ...but we're here everafter...
Da da da da da....
Let the night surround you
We're half way to the stars,
Ebb and flow
Let it grow..... feel the warmth beside you...
54 This Heaven (00:00)
All the pieces fall into place
When we walk these fields
And I reach out to touch your face
This earthly heaven is enough for me
So break the bread and pour the wine
I need no blessings but I'm counting mine
Life is much more than money buys
When I see the faith in my children's eyes
I've felt the power in a holy place
And wished for comfort when in need
Now I'm here in a state of grace
This earthly heaven is enough for me
So break the bread and pour the wine
I need no blessings but I'm counting mine
Life is much more than money buys
When I see the faith in my children's eyes
56 Smile (00:00)
Would this do
To make it all right
While sleep has taken you
Where I'm out of sight
I'll make my getaway
Time on my own
Search for a better way
To find my way home
To your smile
Wasting days and days
On this night
Always down and up
Half the night
Hopeless to reminisee
Through the dark hours
We'll only sacrifice
What time will allow us
You're sighing... sighing
All alone
Though you're right here
Now it's time to go
From your sad stare
Make my getaway
Time on my own
Needing a better way
To find my way home
To your smile
57 Take A Breath (00:00)
Take a breath
Take a deep breath now
Take a breath
A deep breath now
Take a breath
When you're down is where you find yourself
When you're drown there's nothing else
If you're lost you'll need to turn yourself
Then you'll find out that there's no one else
To make the moves that you can do
When you fall from grace your eyes in blue
Your every breath becomes another world
And the far horizon's living hell
Take a breath
A deep breath now
This kind of love is hard to find
I never got to you by being kind
If I'm the one to throw you overboard
At least I showed you how to swim for shore
When you're down is where you'll know yourself
Then if you're drown there's nothing else
When you're lost you need to find yourself
Then you'll find out that there's no one else
63 On An Island (06:47)
Remember that night...
White sails in the moonlight
They walked it too...
Through empty playground, this ghost's town
Children again on rusting swings getting higher
Sharing a dream
On an Island.... it felt right
We lay side by side,
Between the moon and the tide
Mapping the stars for a while
Let the night surround you
We're half way to the stars,
Ebb and flow
Let it grow..... feel the warmth beside you
Remember that night,
The warmth and the laughter
Candles burn...
Though the church was deserted
At dawn we went down through empty streets to the harbour
Dreamers may leave ...but we're here everafter...
Da da da da da....
Let the night surround you
We're half way to the stars,
Ebb and flow
Let it grow..... feel the warmth beside you...
65 Take A Breath (05:46)
Take a breath
Take a deep breath now
Take a breath
A deep breath now
Take a breath
When you're down is where you find yourself
When you're drown there's nothing else
If you're lost you'll need to turn yourself
Then you'll find out that there's no one else
To make the moves that you can do
When you fall from grace your eyes in blue
Your every breath becomes another world
And the far horizon's living hell
Take a breath
A deep breath now
This kind of love is hard to find
I never got to you by being kind
If I'm the one to throw you overboard
At least I showed you how to swim for shore
When you're down is where you'll know yourself
Then if you're drown there's nothing else
When you're lost you need to find yourself
Then you'll find out that there's no one else
67 This Heaven (04:24)
All the pieces fall into place
When we walk these fields
And I reach out to touch your face
This earthly heaven is enough for me
So break the bread and pour the wine
I need no blessings but I'm counting mine
Life is much more than money buys
When I see the faith in my children's eyes
I've felt the power in a holy place
And wished for comfort when in need
Now I'm here in a state of grace
This earthly heaven is enough for me
So break the bread and pour the wine
I need no blessings but I'm counting mine
Life is much more than money buys
When I see the faith in my children's eyes
69 Smile (04:03)
Would this do
To make it all right
While sleep has taken you
Where I'm out of sight
I'll make my getaway
Time on my own
Search for a better way
To find my way home
To your smile
Wasting days and days
On this night
Always down and up
Half the night
Hopeless to reminisee
Through the dark hours
We'll only sacrifice
What time will allow us
You're sighing... sighing
All alone
Though you're right here
Now it's time to go
From your sad stare
Make my getaway
Time on my own
Needing a better way
To find my way home
To your smile
72 Where We Start (06:45)
Where we start is where we end
We step out sweetly, nothing planned
Along by the river we feed bread to the swans
And then over the footbridge to the woods beyond
We walk ourselves weary, you and I
There's just this moment
I light a campfire away from the path
We lie in the bluebells, a woodpecker laughs
Time passes slowly our hearts entwined
All of the dark times left behind
The day is done
The sun sinks low
We fold up the blanket, it's time to go
We walk ourselves weary, arm in arm
Back through the twilight
Home again
We waltz in the moonlight and the embers glow
So much behind us
Still far to go
73 Comfortably Numb (07:20)
Hello,
Is there anybody in there
Just nod if you can hear me
Is there anyone at home
Come on now
I can see you're feeling down
I can ease your pain
And get you on your feet again
Relax
I'll need some information first
Just the basic facts
Can you show me where it hurts
There is no pain, you are receding
A distant ship smoke on the horizon
You are coming through in waves
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying
When I was a child I had a fever
My hands felt just like two balloons
Now I've got that feeling once again
I can't explain, you would not understand
This is not how I am
I have become comfortably numb
O.K.
Just a little pin prick
There'll be no more aaaaaaaah!
But you may feel a little sick
Can you stand up?
I do believe it's working, good
That'll keep you going through the show
Come on it's time to go.
There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying
When I was a child, I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye
I turned to look but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown, the dream is gone
And I have become
Comfortably numb
74 On An Island (06:48)
Remember that night...
White sails in the moonlight
They walked it too...
Through empty playground, this ghost's town
Children again on rusting swings getting higher
Sharing a dream
On an Island.... it felt right
We lay side by side,
Between the moon and the tide
Mapping the stars for a while
Let the night surround you
We're half way to the stars,
Ebb and flow
Let it grow..... feel the warmth beside you
Remember that night,
The warmth and the laughter
Candles burn...
Though the church was deserted
At dawn we went down through empty streets to the harbour
Dreamers may leave ...but we're here everafter...
Da da da da da....
Let the night surround you
We're half way to the stars,
Ebb and flow
Let it grow..... feel the warmth beside you...
75 High Hopes (09:10)
Beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young
In a world of magnets and miracles
Our thoughts strayed constantly and without boundary
The ringing of the division bell had begun
Along the Long Road and on down the Causeway
Do they still meet there by the Cut
There was a ragged band that followed our footsteps
Running before time took our dreams away
Leaving the myriad small creatures trying to tie us to the ground
To a life consumed by slow decay
The grass was greener
The light was brighter
With friends surrounded
The nights of wonder
Looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us
To a glimpse of how green it was on the other side
Steps taken forwards but sleepwalking back again
Dragged by force of some inner tide
At a higher altitude with flag unfurled
We reached the dizzy heights of that dreamed of world
Encumbered forever by desire and ambition
There's a hunger still unsatisfied
Though down this road we've been so many times
The grass was greener
The light was brighter
The taste was sweeter
The nights of wonder
With friends surrounded
The dawn mist growing
The water flowing
The endless river
77 Take A Breath (06:20)
Take a breath
Take a deep breath now
Take a breath
A deep breath now
Take a breath
When you're down is where you find yourself
When you're drown there's nothing else
If you're lost you'll need to turn yourself
Then you'll find out that there's no one else
To make the moves that you can do
When you fall from grace your eyes in blue
Your every breath becomes another world
And the far horizon's living hell
Take a breath
A deep breath now
This kind of love is hard to find
I never got to you by being kind
If I'm the one to throw you overboard
At least I showed you how to swim for shore
When you're down is where you'll know yourself
Then if you're drown there's nothing else
When you're lost you need to find yourself
Then you'll find out that there's no one else
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