Untangling decades of history associated with these songs, with this performer, is what The Luck and Strange Concerts does. David Gilmour has fronted Pink Floyd, felt the war of words with Roger Waters impact his work, and still stands tall as one of the all-time greats. The Luck and Strange Concerts is a chance to hear what Gilmour does best, not just as a stage artist, but as someone who can amplify the subtle differences from show to show. It’s crucial, and has been a constant of his live album releases. Even his contemporary material has found new life on stage just a year after release. Live in Gdansk was dependent on a live run-through of On an Island, The Luck and Strange Concerts is a neater focus on the hidden gems of Pink Floyd’s discography and contemporary material. The latter is what wins out on The Luck and Strange Concerts, a live album which features some of the best versions.
Take the version of Breathe (In the Air) featuring after a brilliant title track rendition. A monumental rediscovery of what makes The Dark Side of the Moon track an all-time great, but also a meditation on where those softer instrumental stylings can take a song when disconnected from its segue-heavy origins. Not every moment is a revolutionary listen. The Luck and Strange Concerts are dependent on the still strong-sounding Gilmour, whose vocal subtleties have barely changed, if at all. He sounds fantastic, and that’s not a given for veteran performers. Gilmour can still add worthy, new details to songs old and new. Time is a brutal listen. A heartbreaker which has those steps closer to death noted in the lyrics feels all the more real. We can only hope there are a few more releases from our favourite, long-serving songwriters, but who knows? The Luck and Strange Concerts has a tinge of that to it, a sense of seeing off the last of the greats.
Plenty of warm moments throughout The Luck and Strange Concerts is what holds it all together. An excellent Fat Old Sun holds within it such heart and exceptional instrumental work it’s hard to think of another, better live rendition of the song. The Luck and Strange Concerts go toe to toe with This is Not a Drill from Roger Waters. Never has the difference between the two been clearer. Wish You Were Here is a jealous listen. It’s a masterclass highlighting the depths of Gilmour’s talent, a rarity which will be surpassed by few. But the inspiration it can offer to that next generation is endless, and the guilt it can make someone feel for having passed on the chance to try and learn, is startling. Hopefully the latter can get a shot of that inspiration while it’s affecting their day. Any album that can inspire you to shake out the spider nestled inside of a dormant, musky-smelling Freshman guitar, is worth returning to. The Luck and Strange Concerts is an album that’ll leave you in awe, no doubt about it.
Pair that with the Romany Gilmour feature on Between Two Points, and it sounds as though Gilmour is still reaching out as an influence on new generations. An exceptional performance, one of many moments where the instrumental subtlety makes it seem simple. But Gilmour and the touring band are hauling these songs onto stage in hopes of finding new context for them. High Hopes sounds like a rallying cry for darker days ahead, while the moody, heavier sound of Sorrow shines a new light on Pulse. The Luck and Strange Concerts does what many artists are trying, and failing, to do. Gilmour succeeds because the reinvention of his solo works is as instrumentally strong and sonically interesting as his biggest hits. It becomes apparent throughout this staggering live album. A run of rarities towards the end of the album, capped off with a sensational Comfortably Numb performance, is tremendous. It’s vintage work from Gilmour, his live selections on the Luck and Strange tour are a real gift to long-time listeners.
