Remember That Night [DVD]

 

 

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Any way you look at it, this DVD package is great value for money - the sticker on the outside says it all - "Over 5 hours of footage plus bonus content, including additional tracks, music videos, documentaries and photo gallery." Given the wide variety of songs, it's difficult to characterise this DVD. I guess you could say this is a combination of the heartfelt On An Island songs, with Pink Floyd classics. A considerable amount of work went into it - there is something here for everybody.

Director David Mallet (who also did the highly acclaimed Pink Floyd Pulse DVD) has put together a great mix of shots from the many cameras in the Royal Albert Hall, and which combines a selection of clear shots of the band with the artsy/abstract ones (I especially liked the closeups of Gilmour's fingers working the guitar). This is not Pulse (an arena extravaganza show), but rather a rendering of the On An Island tour show which was geared for theatres (many lights all around the stage, lots of smoke, and some lasers during the later Floyd songs). This show is more moody and personal, with more feeling, than an in-your-face arena show. More about the people and the music - more genuine or intimate in a way (I do love arena shows too). It was filmed at the end of the tour, so the band had the songs down to perfection (and this is the best from the 3 nights of Albert Hall shows). They obviously enjoyed doing it. Amazon provides a good example of the video with their excerpt from Breathe.

David's band includes Richard Wright from Pink Floyd, Phil Manzanera from Roxy Music (an excellent addition, who also co-produced and played in the OAI CD), Jon Carin, Guy Pratt, and Steve DiStanislao. Guests include David Crosby and Graham Nash, David Bowie, and Robert Wyatt.

Disk One is all concert, and is a full 2 ˝ hours long (no filler breaks between songs, like on some DVDs - Sir Paul are you listening?!). Songs are: Speak To Me, Breathe, Time, Breathe, 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, Fat Old Sun, Coming Back To Life, High Hopes, Echoes, Wish You Were Here, Find The Cost Of Freedom, Arnold Layne (w/Bowie) and Comfortably Numb (w/Bowie). The performance of Echoes (23 minutes) is worth getting the DVD alone. The fast moving band silhouettes during the strobe sequence of Take A Breath are brilliant. Bowie makes Comfortably Numb his own.

Disk Two has lots of extras: 30 minutes of Albert Hall extras (Wot's Uh The Deal, Dominoes, Wearing The Inside out, Arnold Layne (w/Richard Wright) and Comfortably Numb (w/Richard Wright)); Europe tour documentary; Dark Globe performance from the tour; acoustic studio Echoes (not listed); Astronomy Domine (Abbey Road); This Heaven (AOL sessions); BBC Mermaid Theatre concert (Castellorizon, On An Island, The Blue, Take A Breath, High Hopes); Making of OAI documentary; West Coast tour documentary; music videos (On An Island & Smile), Island Jam 2007; a photo gallery.

There has been talk of Easter Eggs. The only "hidden" material I'm aware of are a 7-minute fun acoustical studio version of Echoes that runs right after Dark Globe on Disk Two, and that you can click Enter when the wire-man appears during the documentary for extra material (anybody find anything else?).

The package is a tri-fold digipak, containing two DVDs and a 20-page booklet. The booklet is a cool collection of photo collages, including lots of band pics, news clippings, and tour paraphernalia. Audio options are Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital Stereo. Amazon also shows a Blu-ray version of the DVD coming out later this year (the concert was filmed in high definition).

Overall, this is a generous package by one of rock's greatest guitar masters - excellent music, audio and video - highly recommended!

David Gilmour is well known for his work as a quarter of Pink Floyd during their most successful period. However, he should also be known as a great performer in his own right - particularly on the strength of this DVD. I know someone who actually attended the Albert Hall gig and was blown away by it - he has a copy of the DVD to keep reminding himself how good the night was!

The material here comprises a large chunk of Pink Floyd's better known material, along with songs from his latest solo album, On An Island. The highlights for me include "Take A Breath", "Time", and "On An Island", but the whole performance is spectaular. Gilmour's vocals have always been as inspirational to me as his guitar playing, and this still holds true. His voice is as good as it ever has been, perfectly pitched and completely clear.

The guitar playing on this album is also phenomonal. Every solo is perfect - particularly the old favourite "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". The arrangement for "Shine On..." is a little different to normal - with the first verse being Gilmour's guitar and vocals on their own, but that really shows his talents to their full - whilst the guitar in that section may not be difficult, his voice is what really carries it.

The addition of David Bowie is both a blessing and a hindrance. His vocals on "Arnold Layne" are very impressive - better by far than the original. However, his version of "Comfortably Numb" was a bit of a let down - the only part of the DVD that didn't exceed my expectations. Although I admire him for trying to do something different with the verses, I felt that the song had been changed too far beyond recognition. Thankfully, disc 2 features an alternate take of "Comfortably Numb" with Richard Wright supplying vocals - a much better performance. However, the guitar work on both versions is, as ever, exceptional. This is possibly one of the best live DVDs I've ever come across. It doesn't matter if you are a die-hard Floyd fan or not - you will love this DVD.

"The Voice And Guitar Of Pink Floyd", it proclaims on the sleeve.

It's a deeply emotive subject, Pink Floyd. Since the triumphant Live8 appearance, promoters have been waving enormous cheque books at the band, hoping to tempt the two camps into some kind of salaried, enormous tour of the worlds megastadiums for hyper profit.

What "Remember This Night" proves is that talent cannot always be bought. Despite the lure of touring under the Floyd name (which would have been an easy cashcow) and coasting on former glories, Gilmour chose to put this venture out under his own name, which, given the intimately personal nature of the accompanying record ("On An Island"), is only appropriate. Also, the tour is accompanied with an album of new material . No nostalgia smash'n'grab from the artistically bankrupt here.

Captured over three nights in London at the conclusion of the tour, the DVD documents, as best as one can, the exact emotional temperature of those shows. Musically Gilmour and his band (comprising 71.4% of the most recent touring lineup of Pink Floyd : only a second guitarist and that all important drum stool differ) are a precise unit - the music is fluid and faithful to the spirit of the recorded versions, the band are able to improvise and follow the muse of the moment, and to all intents and purposes, this is the closest thing you will come to Pink Floyd.

The first half of the main set - aside from opening with a brief précis of part of "Dark Side Of The Moon" - comprises of the new studio record, recreated live in it's entirety (following the Floyd tradition of sets since the Seventies). In concert, the material fulfils it's potential as a cohesive unit is, frankly, far better than the recorded versions.

The second half sees Gilmour and his band offer a 90 minute set of Floyd classics. Eschewing obvious crowdpleasers such as "Money" and "Another Brick In The Wall" in favour of lesser known - but equally valid - LP tracks, the band offer the closest thing there is to Pink Floyd in the world. Note for note, you could listen to this - and there is no way you wouldn't know it isn't the Floyd themselves. Highlights include the resurrection of "Fat Old Sun", "Wots Uh The Deal?", and "Arnold Layne" (all last performed by Pink Floyd around thirty five years previously, if at all), but for me the absolute highlight is the reappearance of a definitive, transcendent "Echoes". Widely regarded as the singularly most representative Floyd track, Gilmour and his band perform an epic, compelling version of the song that may very well stand forever as the definitive live release.

For the encores, Gilmour and Co. are joined by David Bowie for renditions of "Arnold Layne" and "Comfortably Numb" to round off a two and a half hour package that is musically a treat and visually provides a solid and representative experience of the night itself : as a concert itself, "Remember That Night" is an excellent document that perfectly captures the evening itself, doing so in an unhurried, mature visual style that neatly avoids the jarring and infuriating (and rapidly-dating) jumpcut stuttering of other modern concert videos.

On the second disc, viewers are treated to a truly bloated package that is excellent value for money. 13 bonus live cuts are included - covering the first show of the tour in a tiny theatre filmed for the BBC - alongside almost every other song performed on the tour that isn't on the main disc. (In addition there is an acoustic jam on "Echoes" that is an entertaining curio). On top of this there's three documentaries which total around 70 minutes and reveal the bands working methods and personalities in a revealing manner that seems to cover most of the tour, as well as two music videos and a previously unreleased studio jam. I'm sure there's a kitchen sink in there as well.

Whilst the package is never going to satisfy everyone (primarily because it doesn't have the words P*** F**** on the cover, nor Nick Mason on the drumkit), "Remember That Night" is a excellent package that manages to comprehensively cover and capture the spirit of David Gilmour's tour in 2006, and provide a worthy addition to the Floyd legacy. If you love Pink Floyd, you need to get this

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5.0 out of 5 stars Remember that night DvD
What a dvd havent stopped playing it since i bought it. Quality footage and guitar closeups of the maestro himself. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Damo

4.0 out of 5 stars The extras are best
The concert part is not Pink Floyd but Davids versions of some the Floyds tunes. I think the reunion of the Pink Floyd, was it 2002?, were better. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Carsten Groa

5.0 out of 5 stars A GREAT CONCERT!
The choice of music could not have been better. The addition of Crosby and Nash singing harmonies is magical. The audience that night saw an amazing concert. Read more

Published 4 months ago by "B" Word Godess #2

5.0 out of 5 stars david gilmour/ remember that night dvd.
A real must for any gilmour/floyd fan, the best 'live' dvd i've seen in year's. Highly recomend even if not a fan.

Published 8 months ago by derek

3.0 out of 5 stars Sadly not impressed
I have the DVD and on upscaling, surprising looks the same as the Blu-ray. I though such a better carrier of information would have resulted in a substantially better picture - I... Read more

Published 11 months ago by W. Pollock

5.0 out of 5 stars David Gilmore at his best
For all David Gilmore fans sit back and enjoy in surround sound you are at the concert enjoying this great band.

Published 13 months ago by T. D. Austin

1.0 out of 5 stars Zone 2 discs will not play in zone 2 player!
This is a fantastic pair of discs to own if you are a Gilmour Fan - even better if you can get them to actually PLAY in your Zone 2 DVD player. Read more

Published 16 months ago by A J Day

5.0 out of 5 stars David Gilmour at his best
This has to be the best DVD ever. David Gilmour can make a guitar talk for him.
No conversation needed just his playing. Read more

Published 18 months ago by greeneyes

5.0 out of 5 stars I was there!
I was at the Albert Hall for the third night when Bowie joined the band for the encores of Arnold Layne and Comfortably Numb. It was a quite extraordinary evening. Read more

Published 18 months ago by D. J. Riggs

5.0 out of 5 stars Dave Gilmour is the biz
This is a great buy and a really enjoyable concert. If you like Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Graham Nash, David Crosby and Robert Wyatt you're in for a treat.

Published 23 months ago by Voxsmart

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