On An Island -- the third David Gilmour
album and the artist's first studio recordings since Pink Floyd's 1994
multi-platinum The Division Bell -- will be in stateside stores Tuesday, March
7.
From the first moments of the sound collage that begins On An Island, you
know it's a special experience that not only bears comparison with the best of
Pink Floyd, but also confirms their lead guitarist and singer as an
outstanding solo artist. Here he reveals a personal vision and a breadth of
styles -- folk, jazz, orchestral and rock -- brought together as a unified
piece through his lyrical guitar playing and instantly recognizable voice.
With orchestrations by the renowned Polish composer Zbigniew Preisner and
a luminous production (assisted by Roxy Music's Phil Manzanera), virtuosity
abounds. On An Island Guest artists include David Crosby and Graham Nash
singing harmonies, Robert Wyatt playing the cornet, Caroline Dale on cello,
Alasdair Molloy on glass harmonica and Pink Floyd's Richard Wright guesting on
Hammond organ.
Gilmour shares writing credits with writer Polly Samson, continuing a
collaborative partnership that began with The Division Bell. The album's songs
tell of shared experiences that evoke a breadth of moods, from the hauntingly
beautiful title track 'On An Island' (with a guitar performance set to enter
the Gilmour canon of classics) to the meditative 'The Blue' and 'A Pocketful
of Stones,' as well as the heavier rock and blues numbers 'Take A Breath' and
'This Heaven.' In the spirit of intimacy, this album sees Gilmour's debut on
the saxophone, as well as contributions by contemporaries from his pre-Floyd
days.
On An Island is a collection of songs and instrumentals that had its genus
in the critically acclaimed 2002 London Festival Hall concerts. Gilmour has
stepped out of his super-group to discover he's still at his peak -- and he's
rightly pleased. "It's my best and most personal work," he says. "Making it
with my musician friends has been a positive experience on so many levels."
And touring it this spring can only take him to a new high.
The ten tracks on On An Island, which has been produced by David Gilmour,
Phil Manzanera and Chris Thomas, are:

Castellorizon
On An Island
The Blue
Take a Breath
Red Sky at Night
This Heaven
Then I Close My Eyes
Smile
A Pocketful of Stones
Where We Start

Additional performers on the album include David Crosby, Graham Nash,
Richard Wright, Robert Wyatt, Phil Manzanera, Jools Holland, Georgie Fame,
Caroline Dale, Guy Pratt, Willie Wilson, and, from Pink Floyd's earliest
incarnation, Rado 'Bob' Klose.
The ON AN ISLAND tour starts in Europe in March, goes to USA in April and
returns to the UK at the end of May, with concerts in Manchester, Glasgow and
London.