David Gilmour belongs to the rare pantheon of Guitar Players who can make an already incredible studio solo way better in a live concert. And that fact alone makes him one of the greatest guitar players in history, period.
There are lots of great players who excel in improvising on their studio recordings, but there are very few who can match Gilmour, who makes most of his studio solos almost sound like b-side versions when performing a live rendition of that same solo. The incredible live versions of Comfortably Numb, Sorrow, Echoes among others are testaments to this fact.
And his upcoming live concert film/album David Gilmour Live at Pomepei is also guaranteed to have some phenomenal solos that easily top their studio versions. So to celebrate another incredible live offering from Gilmour, here’s a list of some of the greatest live solos he has played throughout the decades, both in and out of Pink Floyd.
While compiling this list, the main criteria was to focus on the following characteristics of a live solo--how much it adds to the studio version or the degree of improvisation, how much it lifts the essence of the original solo and lastly, the staying power or how memorable it is in the minds of the listener. And in light of those parameters, here’s seven live renditions that showcase Gilmour at his peak, in terms of soloing and live improvising.
On the Turning Away (Delicate Sound of Thunder):
This live version is a perfect example of how much Gilmour can add to his studio solos in terms of sheer musicality. The solo we heard in
A Momentary Lapse of Reason was already fantastic in it’s own right, but in this live version, Gilmour imbues so much more beauty and feel into the solo and weaves it all together with such unique and soulful phrasing, that after hearing this it’s
almost impossible to go back to the studio version.
Mother (Is There Anybody Out There-The Wall Live-1980-81):
This version showcases one of the main characteristics of a great live David Gilmour solo--his improvisations always make a solo feel like an ‘improved’
version of the studio recording, rather than something that just features a couple of extra phrases and some new licks. This is also what separates Gilmour from lots of other great players whose solos sound mostly the same as their studio counterparts but only with some added flairs.
He doesn’t just improvise on a studio solo, Gilmour takes exactly what was great about the album version and ‘builds’ on that, making it even more memorable. And this version
of ‘Mother’ is a perfect example of how well he does that.
Fat Old Sun (Live in Gdansk):
In this live version, Gilmour manages to breathe new life into a three decades old solo and makes it one of the most energetic and bright live solos in his entire
catalogue. Another classic example of his uncanny sense of melody and lucid improvisations.
Where We Start (Live in Gdansk):
The studio version of this solo was one of the most soulful playings of Gilmour, for me at least. And in this live version, he turns it into the single most
soothing and sonically alluring solo that we’ve ever heard from Gilmour. With lots of evocative bends and gorgeous phrasing, this solo feels like a poetry that’s coming out of the Guitar.
This version is also a demonstration that Gilmour can do something incredible with just a few notes that most players can’t match even with the entire fretboard.
Sorrow (19th August, 1988 Bootleg):
The outro solo of 'Sorrow' is always a staple playground for Gilmour’s improvisations and in every live rendition,
he imbues it with lots of tasteful guitar greatness and emotionally charged phrasing. Be it the version we've heard in Delicate Sound of Thunder or PULSE, the live version of this solo always sounds fresh.
But from my viewpoint (pun intended), the greatest live version of this solo is on this bootleg from back in 1988 during the Momentary Lapse tour. The solo he played in this audience recording
is not only better than all other recorded live versions (DSOT and PULSE), but it’s also the most raw, adventurous and swagger-filled version that I’ve ever heard.
But don’t just take my word for it, listen to this epic solo by yourselves and find out. It starts from the 06:30 mark.
A Great Day for Freedom (Live in Gdansk):
If there was a single live solo that can fully embody Gilmour’s great live improvisational abilities and sense of melody, it’s this
one. The studio version of this solo (heard in The Division Bell) was one of Gilmour’s less inspired solos and there were parts where it sounded like the solo has overstayed it’s welcome.
But in this version played in Gdansk, Gilmour takes this not-so-memorable solo and turns it into one of his most poetic and telling live solos, ever. Words can’t describe how incredible
this live version is compared to the studio recording and it’s literally impossible to go back and listen to the original version after hearing this. Melancholic, soaring and uplifting, this solo is simply one of the
greatest live recordings from Gilmour.
Comfortably Numb (Copenhagen bootleg):
This is kind of the obligatory David Gilmour live solo that everyone expects to see at the top of a list like this. And it’s true, but there’s
one live version of this solo that not only towers above ALL the other live recordings (PULSE, DSOT, Gdansk) but is so far beyond the other versions in terms of sheer musicality that it’s a shame it never got the proper
treatment it deserves (this solo should’ve been on the PULSE CD, instead of the one we actually got).
The live version played at Copenhagen is not just only the single greatest version of the Comfortably Numb solo, but it’s also one of the greatest live solos ever played. For me, this
solo is the highest benchmark for live improvisation. I already wrote a full-length article dedicated to this solo but honestly, no amount of words can come close to describe this, it’s just meant to be experienced.
So listen to it yourselves (starts from the 02:09:35 mark).
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