This new DVD from David Gilmour, 'The Voice and Guitar of Pink Floyd', as it says on the sticker on the front, is great value for money as it includes "Over 5 hours of footage plus bonus content, including additional tracks, music videos, documentaries and photo gallery."
Disc 1 is the concert that took place at the Royal Albert Hall in May 2006 and is a full 2 ½ hours long (including an interval). The running order includes songs from David's latest solo album 'On An Island', with the expected Pink Floyd classics.
David's band is made up of Richard Wright from Pink Floyd, Phil Manzanera from Roxy Music, Jon Carin, Guy Pratt, and Steve DiStanislao. Some of the songs included some very special guests, David Crosby, Graham Nash, David Bowie and Robert Wyatt.
The running order is: Speak To Me, Breathe, Time, Breathe, Castellorizon, On An Island, The Blue, Red Sky at Night, This Heaven, Then I Close My Eyes, Smile, Take A Breath, A Pocketful of Stones, Where We Start, Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Fat Old Sun, Coming Back To Life, High Hopes, Echoes, Wish You Were Here, Find The Cost Of Freedom, Arnold Layne (with Bowie) and Comfortably Numb (with Bowie). David Bowie's performance on Comfortably Numb was outstanding and makes the song his own.
This is not a Pink Floyd show, there are no flying pigs etc. This is a much more intimate show, and all the better for it.
Disc 2 has lots of extras: 30 minutes of Albert Hall extras (Wot's Uh The Deal, Dominoes, Wearing The Inside out, Arnold Layne (with Richard Wright) and Comfortably Numb (with Richard Wright); Europe tour documentary; Dark Globe performance from the tour; acoustic studio Echoes (not listed); Astronomy Domine (Abbey Road); This Heaven (AOL sessions); BBC Mermaid Theatre concert (Castellorizon, On An Island, The Blue, Take A Breath, High Hopes); Making of On an Island documentary; West Coast tour documentary; music videos (On An Island & Smile), Island Jam 2007; a photo gallery.
The tour documentary "Breaking Bread, Drinking Wine" is a great addition. The tour took in some magnificent venues, including St Marks Square in Venice. It also includes film of David's first performance after the death of Pink Floyd founder member Syd Barrett. In it he performs one of Syd's solo songs "Dark Globe" from the album The Madcap Laughs, as a tribute. Very moving to view as David is close to tears as he talks about his friend.
I have found a couple of easter eggs. An acoustic version of "Echoes" which plays after the Dark Globe track. This only plays if "Dark Globe" is selected from the menu and will not play while using the play all and On An Island dance remix video is available on the "Royal Albert Hall" sub-menu of the DVD, which includes bonus tracks from the Albert Hall, wait about 20 seconds for a firework to play then select it. I would like to know if you find anymore.
It is well packaged in tri-fold pack, containing the two DVDs and a 20-page booklet. The booklet is a collection of photo collages including lots of band photos (taken by David's wife, who can be seen through out the documentary with camera in hand) and newspaper clippings.
Audio options are Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital Stereo.
Overall, this is a great addition to my collection by one of rock's greatest guitarists - excellent music and some great extras - I highly recommended it.
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Production Year: 1999 - Music / Performing Arts - Original Language: English - Classification: Exempt - Starring: Donny Osmond, Joan Collins, Richard Attenborough
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