David Gilmour
released his second solo venture in 1984, following the apparent dissolution of
Pink Floyd
. He had released a record on his own in 1978, but
About Face
is much more accessible.
Gilmour
has a stellar band backing him, including
Jeff Porcaro
(drums),
Pino Palladino
(bass), and
Anne Dudley
(synthesizer). The songs on
show a pop sensibility that
rarely was concerned with achieving. Although the album didn't attract the attention of a
Floyd
release, several cuts did manage to get airplay.
"Until We Sleep"
is rife with shimmering synthesizers and cavernous drums, and
"Blue Light"
was a minor pop hit, with
's trademark delay-drenched guitar giving way to a driving, horn-laced rocker.
Pete Townshend
wrote two of the tracks:
"Love on the Air"
and the propulsive
"All Lovers Are Deranged."
Of course, there's more than enough of
's fluid guitar playing to satisfy, including the gorgeous
"Murder,"
a gentle acoustic track that explodes with some fiery organ by
Steve Winwood
and concludes with a fierce coda.
is well-honed rock album that is riveting from beginning to end. ~ Tom Demalon