Nick Taylor

Music 1010
5/7/2014
David Gilmour
David Gilmour is an extraordinary multi-instrumentalist who is best known for his work
with the Acid-Rock band Pink Floyd. Anybody who has experienced Pink Floyd would tell you
that Davids guitar solos are the heart of the bands most popular songs such as Comfortably
Numb, Time and On the Turning Away. He has also produced four solo albums of which he
composed almost entirely himself. The most famous of these solo albums was On an Island
which was produced in 2006 and was charted at number 6 of the US Top 40 list.
David was born in Cambridge England on March 6, 1946. His father was Douglas
Gilmour, and Sylvia Gilmour was his mother. They both greatly supported Davids interest in
music, which was shown early on in his life. David bought his first single, Bill Haleys Rock
Around the Clock. He was later influenced musically by Elvis Presley and the Everly Brothers.
He had a huge interest in learning guitar, and soon borrowed one from his neighbor. That guitar
was never returned. David promptly began teaching himself how to play the guitar by using a
book and record set by Pete Seeger.
At age 16 David had joined his first band, Jokers Wild. It was a blues-rock group that
ended up recording a one-sided album and a single. They werent very successful. He later
traveled around France with two people from Jokers Wild. They performed songs under the
name of Flowers. This was later changed to Bullitt, although their success wasnt increased by
any means.
In late December of 1967, Nick Mason (Pink Floyds current drummer) asked David if he
would mind joining the band. David accepted the offer and consequently became Pink Floyds
fifth band member. Soon after, the current lead singer and guitarist Syd Barrett took a leave
from the band due to his psychotic behaviors that some say was the result of far too much LSD
use. David took his place as lead singer and guitarist, majorly contributing to the albums The
Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here. Some of his solos recorded in these albums
have been revered as the greatest guitar solos of all time from listeners and critics alike.
However, after the release of these two albums the bassist, Roger Waters, began to take more
creative control over the band resulting in a negative atmosphere. Their last show with Roger
was in 1981 where they separated, not to regroup for a final performance until 2005.
Davids solo career took off after the separation. He had ended up taking full control
over Pink Floyd and continued to produce albums with them along with managing his own solo
scene. David released a total of four solo albums, the last of which was in 2008. On an Island is
probably the most well-known, featuring songs such as This Heaven, On an Island, and
Take a Breath.
David Gilmour was a leading aspect of the rock legend Pink Floyd. Without his creative
input, mind bending solos, and his leadership abilities, Pink Floyd may not have ended up being
the foundation for rock that it is today. Davids compositional skills have inspired many
musicians to break the barrier of conventional thinking, and expand their minds into a whole
new realm of harmony and melody.


David Gilmours Compositions
David created many of his own songs, as well as contributed greatly to most of Pink
Floyds greatest hits. Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Parts I-IX has got to be the bands best
composed, and most depressing song theyve written. Song credit has been given to David
Gilmour, Roger Waters, and Richard Wright, all of which had an important role in the making of
this incredible tribute to their lost bandmate and friend, Syd Barrett.
Although David didnt write this song completely on his own, I feel it is an excellent
composition to focus on as it encompasses the emotions felt by the band at that time so well.
After Syd left the band two years before the recording of this song, none of the current band
members had seen him since. The very day recording begins of this nine-part epic as a tribute
to Syd, he shows up at the studio unannounced. Syd had taken on a drastic change of
appearance, from a long haired, good looking hippie, to a fat, bald, awkward man. The current
band members didnt even recognize him at first. When they did, Roger Waters was reduced to
tears to see such a sharp looking friend turn into an awkward, fat man. David Gilmours
wedding reception was later that day, where Syd slipped away never to be seen again by the
band until his death. I believe this must have influenced David in some way during the
production of this song. His guitar solos seem to reflect the sadness experienced that day.
The first part of the piece relates almost directly to Syd, with lyrics saying, remember
when you were young, you shone like the sun. Shine on you crazy diamond. Now theres a look
in your eyes, like black holes in the sky. Shine on you crazy diamond. This refers to Syd when
he was a young teenager during the bands formation. He was the genius behind Pink Floyd, so
vibrant, original, and full of energy. But a few years later, the massive amount of LSD he took
wore down his mind to a psychologically disabled state. A very sad story of an incredible
musician. David Gilmour portrays this sadness inexplicably well with his minor mode solos. With
eerie bends and sad motives, David strums his way through the song, almost telling the tale of
their lost friend on his own.
Part VI of Shine On You Crazy Diamond showcases some of Davids multi-instrumental
talents. At the beginning of the song, David comes in with a light bass guitar riff. As the song
builds, he switches to a lap steel guitar on which he plays an upbeat and spirited solo. As he
repeats main sections of the solo, he raises the notes an octave giving the song more build as
they move towards the famous, yet short, vocal section of the piece which David sings backup
in. He then switches back to the electric guitar for most of the song, although he was known to
play the bass in some of the other sections as well.
Shine On You Crazy Diamond is a masterpiece about a disaster piece. The band knew
that their making wasnt possible without Syd, nor was their future possible with him. This 26
minute song was a band effort to show their love and sadness for such an incredible musician
lost to the horrors of the mind. I may be a little guitarist biased, but I think David Gilmour holds
the most important contribution to the song with his intricate and disturbing guitar solos. As
the member of the band that basically replaced Syd, David almost seemed to honor and make
peace with him at the same time with his beautiful guitar work.