Live in Gdańsk

Live in Gdańsk is a live album by David Gilmour. It is a part of his On an Island project which includes an album, tour, DVD, and live album. It was released on 22 September 2008. A David Gilmour Signature Series Fender Stratocaster was released at the same time.

Live in Gdańsk
Live album by David Gilmour
Released	22 September 2008 Specific regions are detailed below
Recorded	26 August 2006
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	2:28:58 (2-CD version), 7:40:58 (4-disc 2-CD/2-DVD version), 8:58:24 (5-disc 3-CD/2-DVD version) 2:58:47 (iTunes version)
Label	EMI (UK) Columbia (U.S.)
Director	Gavin Elder
Producer	David Gilmour, Phil Manzanera
David Gilmour chronology
On an Island (2006) Live in Gdańsk (2008) Metallic Spheres (2010)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
BBC	(favourable)[2]
ChartAttack	[3]
The Guardian	[4]
IGN	(8.4/10)[5]
Classic Rock	[6]

Recording

It is a recording of the final show of his On an Island Tour in 2006, where he played to an audience of 50,000 at the Gdańsk Shipyard to celebrate the founding of the Solidarity trade union. The show featured the song "A Great Day for Freedom", from the Pink Floyd album The Division Bell (1994) and was the only show of the tour to feature it. It was last performed by Gilmour during his semi-acoustic shows in 2002.

Gilmour played the entire On an Island album during this concert.

It's the final Pink Floyd-related recording to feature Richard Wright, who died on 15 September 2008, one week before the album's official release. Also notably, this concert took place approximately one month following the death of Syd Barrett. Gilmour and his band were backed by the Polish Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Zbigniew Preisner. Leszek Możdżer was featured on piano as a special guest.

Editions

The six different available editions of Live in Gdańsk are:

• 2-disc edition containing the concert on CD
• 3-disc edition containing the above plus a DVD featuring 114 minutes of concert footage, plus a 36-minute documentary
• 4-disc edition containing the above plus a 5.1-surround sound mix of On an Island and 11 extra audio-visual tracks taken from various TV appearances[7]
• 5-disc deluxe edition containing the above plus an extra CD containing 12 bonus live tracks from the 2006 tour[8] as well as a wallet of memorabilia.
• 5-LP vinyl edition containing the whole Gdansk show, including "Wot's... Uh the Deal?" and a bonus LP containing 2 Barn Jams, "On the Turning Away" and 2 songs from Live at Abbey Road.
• iTunes edition containing the entire album, plus various region-dependent audio and video extras.

The DVD that comes with the 3, 4, and 5 disc sets allowed the purchaser to download 12 additional tracks free of charge via a web-pass. (As of May 2010, this content is no longer accessible.) These tracks included all 12 tracks on the bonus CD included with the 5 disc version, and the song "Wot's...Uh the Deal?" that was performed at the concert but not included on the album itself. The bonus tracks were released one per month as follows:

• September 2008: "Wot's...Uh the Deal?" (Gdańsk)
• October 2008: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" (Venice and Vienne)
• November 2008: "Dominoes" (Paris)
• December 2008: "The Blue" (Vienne)
• January 2009: "Take a Breath" (Munich)
• February 2009: "Wish You Were Here" (Glasgow)
• March 2009: "Coming Back to Life" (Florence)
• April 2009: "Find the Cost of Freedom" (Manchester)
• May 2009: "This Heaven" (Vienne)
• June 2009: "Wearing the Inside Out" (Milan)
• July 2009: "A Pocketful of Stones" (Vienne)
• August 2009: "Where We Start" (Vienne)
• September 2009: "On the Turning Away" (Venice)

Track listing

Below are the official track listings for the different editions of the album.

Standard edition

The standard two CD edition is the most basic form of the album and is simply the recording of the Gdańsk show, omitting "Wot's... Uh the Deal?":

Disc 1 "Speak to Me" – 1:23 "Breathe" – 2:49 "Time" – 5:38 "Breathe (Reprise)" – 1:32 "Castellorizon" –3:47 "On an Island" – 7:26 "The Blue" – 6:39 "Red Sky at Night" – 3:03 "This Heaven" – 4:33 "Then I Close My Eyes" – 7:42 "Smile" – 4:26 "Take a Breath" – 6:47 "A Pocketful of Stones" – 5:41 "Where We Start" – 8:01

Disc 2 "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" – 12:07 "Astronomy Domine" – 5:02 "Fat Old Sun" – 6:40 "High Hopes" – 9:57 "Echoes" – 25:26 "Wish You Were Here" – 5:15 "A Great Day for Freedom" – 5:56 "Comfortably Numb" – 9:22

Three-disc edition

This version contains the two CDs above and the following DVD:

DVD (Disc 3) 120 minute film of the Gdańsk concert. "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" "Astronomy Domine" "High Hopes" "Echoes" "A Great Day for Freedom" "Comfortably Numb" "Wot's... Uh the Deal?" (end credits) Gdańsk Diary - a 36-minute documentary. Web-pass to download 12 additional live tracks recorded during the European tour and "Wot's...Uh the Deal?" (which was omitted from the album due to lack of space).

Songs performed at the show but are omitted from the DVD are: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" "Speak to Me"/"Breathe" "Time"/"Breathe (Reprise)" "Wot's... Uh the Deal?" "Fat Old Sun" "Wish You Were Here"

Four-disc edition

This version contains the three discs above and the following DVD:

DVD (Disc 4) The Mermaid Theatre, London, March 2006 "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" – 10:57 "Wearing the Inside Out" – 8:09 "Comfortably Numb" – 7:20 The AOL Sessions, New York, April 2006 "On an Island" – 6:48 "High Hopes" – 9:10 Live from Abbey Road, London, August 2006 "The Blue" – 6:27 "Take a Breath" – 6:20 "Echoes (Acoustic)" – 6:51

Barn Jams, Sussex, England, January 2007 "Barn Jam 166" – 4:49 "Barn Jam 192" – 2:49 "Barn Jam 121" – 7:32 A 5.1 surround sound mix of On an Island – 51:42 (audio only) "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"

Deluxe edition

This version contains the four discs above and the following CD containing the 12 live tracks that are available via the web-pass on Disc 3.

The deluxe edition is no longer in production.

Disc 5 (Bonus tracks from the "On an Island" tour, 2006) "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" – 13:09 Venice, 12 August 2006 & Vienne, 31 July 2006 "Dominoes" – 4:53 Paris, 15 March 2006 "The Blue" – 6:21 Vienne, 31 July 2006 "Take a Breath" – 6:43 Munich, 29 July 2006 "Wish You Were Here" – 5:17 Glasgow, 27 May 2006 "Coming Back to Life" – 7:10 Florence, 2 August 2006 "Find the Cost of Freedom" – 1:27 Manchester, 26 May 2006 "This Heaven" – 4:27 Vienne, 31 July 2006 "Wearing the Inside Out" – 7:32 Milan, 25 March 2006 "A Pocketful of Stones" – 6:27 Vienne, 31 July 2006 "Where We Start" – 7:37) Vienne, 31 July 2006 "On the Turning Away" – 6:06 Venice, 12 August 2006

The Deluxe Edition also contains a 20-page booklet (the other versions have a 12-page booklet) and these items of memorabilia: Reproduction postcard Ticket Backstage pass and artist's pass A large double-sided poster A guitar plectrum (a replica of the plectrums used by Gilmour on the tour) Seven photographs

Vinyl edition

The vinyl edition of the album is no longer in production.

LP 1: "Speak to Me" "Breathe" "Time" "Breathe (Reprise)" "Castellorizon" "On an Island" "The Blue" "Red Sky at Night" "This Heaven" LP 2: "Then I Close My Eyes" "Smile" "Take a Breath" "A Pocketful of Stones" "Where We Start"

LP 3: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" "Wot's... Uh the Deal?" "Astronomy Domine" "Fat Old Sun" "High Hopes" LP 4: "Echoes" "Wish You Were Here" "A Great Day for Freedom" "Comfortably Numb" LP 5: "On the Turning Away" (Venice, 12 August 2006) "The Blue" (Live from Abbey Road, August 2006) "Echoes" (Acoustic) (Live from Abbey Road, August 2006) "Barn Jam 166" "Barn Jam 121"

• Plus a 20-page booklet and a web-pass which allows a single download (mp3) version of one of the tracks from Disc 5 of the Deluxe Edition which can be downloaded to only one computer.[9]

iTunes edition

"Speak to Me" "Breathe" "Time" "Breathe (Reprise)" "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" "Astronomy Domine" "Fat Old Sun" "High Hopes" "Echoes" "Wish You Were Here" "A Great Day For Freedom" "Comfortably Numb" "Wot's... Uh the Deal?" (except US and Canada)

and the following:

• "Wearing the Inside Out" video (from the Mermaid Theatre)
• "Take a Breath" video (from Live from Abbey Road)
• "Speak to Me/Breathe/Time/Breathe (reprise)" [10:41] video (from Gdańsk) (US and Canada only)
• "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" [5:12] partial video (first verse onwards) (from Gdańsk) (US and Canada only)
• Digital booklet

Promotion

UK Television
Gilmour guested on Jools Holland's live TV show Later! Live.... with Jools Holland on BBC2 on 23 September 2008, originally to promote the new live album, performing the songs "Astronomy Domine", "The Blue" and "Fat Old Sun" but with the death of Richard Wright on 15 September he changed his set to "Remember a Day" (one of Rick Wright's contributions to the A Saucerful of Secrets album) and "The Blue" (a track from On an Island to which Wright contributed organ and vocals).

On Friday 26 September 2008, BBC Four held a David Gilmour Night, showing part of the Gdańsk concert and "Gdańsk Diary" documentary.

US Television
VH1 Classic ran parts of the Gdańsk concert on several nights in late October. The programme includes songs omitted from the DVD: "Speak to Me" / "Breathe", "Time", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", and "Wish You Were Here".

US Cinemas
Selected US cinemas gave showings of the "Gdańsk" concert during release week. This showing also included songs omitted from the DVD: "Speak to Me" / "Breathe", "Time", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", and "Wish You Were Here", though the theaters' did not show "Echoes".

US Radio
Westwood One aired a world première of the "Gdańsk" concert the weekend before release and included new interviews with David Gilmour.

DavidGilmour.com
Since the announcement of the sets release, Gilmour has had certain songs up on his site that vary, including "Fat Old Sun" and "Wot's... Uh the Deal?" in low quality.

Personnel

Tour Personnel

Musicians David Gilmour – guitars, lead and backing vocals, console steel guitar, acoustic lap steel guitar, alto saxophone on "Red Sky at Night" Richard Wright – piano, Hammond organ, Farfisa organ, lead and backing vocals Jon Carin – keyboards, synthesiser, backing vocals, lap steel guitar, programming Guy Pratt – bass guitars, backing vocals, double bass, guitar on "Then I Close My Eyes", glass harmonica on "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" Phil Manzanera – guitars, backing vocals, glass harmonica on "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" Dick Parry – tenor and baritone saxophones, electronic organ, glass harmonica on "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" Steve DiStanislao – drums, percussion, backing vocals Zbigniew Preisner – conductor Leszek Możdżer – piano Polish Baltic Philharmonic orchestra – "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", "High Hopes*", "A Great Day for Freedom*" and "Comfortably Numb*" (Orchestrations by Zbigniew Preisner except "Comfortably Numb" by Michael Kamen.) Igor Sklyarov – glass harmonica on "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" (Venice performance only) David Crosby and Graham Nash - vocals on "Find the Cost of Freedom"

Other Polly Samson – tour photographer Anna Wloch – tour photographer Steve Knee – package design & artwork Andy Jackson, Devin Workman, Damon Iddins – audio mix Peter Robson "FEd" – davidgilmour.com Marc Brickman – visual design David McIlwaine – wire-man sculpture Piotr Skonieczny – backstage pass & artist's pass designs and poster design (found in Deluxe Edition)

Barn Jam Personnel

• David Gilmour – guitar, console steel guitar, drums on "192"
• Richard Wright – keyboards
• Guy Pratt – bass, guitar on "192"
• Steve DiStanislao – drums, double bass on "192"

Charts

The album debuted at number 10 on the UK Album chart[10] and debuted at number 26 on the US Billboard album chart.

Year	Chart	Position[11]
2008	Argentina	4
2008	Poland	5
2008	Portugal	5
2008	Belgium (Wallonia)	5
2008	Italy	7
2008	UK	10
2008	Germany	12
2008	The Netherlands	14
2008	Switzerland	14
2008	France	15
2008	Canada	19
2008	New Zealand	20
2008	Ireland	22
2008	Belgium (Flanders)	22
2008	Sweden	24
2008	USA	26
2008	Austria	28
2008	Czech Republic	29
2008	Hungary	29
2008	Australia	30
2008	Norway	34
2008	Denmark	38

Release schedule

The release dates for the album are as follows:

• Europe, Brazil, Israel, New Zealand - 22 September 2008[9][12]
• North America, Argentina, Chile - 23 September 2008[9]
• Australia - 27 September 2008[13]
• Japan - 8 October 2008[13]

References

1. Allmusic review
2. BBC review
3. ChartAttack review Archived 10 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine
4. The Guardian review
5. IGN review Archived 8 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine
6. Clerk, Carol (September 2008), David Gilmour - Live in Gdansk, Classic Rock
7. On an Island blog page at David Gilmour website Archived 11 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine
8. Page about the bonus tracks at David Gilmour website Archived 14 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine
9. Gdansk album page at David Gilmour website
10. "David Gilmour | Artist". Official Charts. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
11. "Live In Gdansk - chart positions". swisscharts.com. 3 October 2008. Retrieved 3 October 2008.
12. web pass blog page at David Gilmour website Archived 20 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine
13. Blog page at David Gilmour website Archived 22 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine

External links

• Live In Gdańsk at davidgilmour.com