Luck and Strange

Last updated

Luck and Strange
Luck and Strange.jpg
Studio album by
David Gilmour
Released6 September 2024 (2024-09-06)
Studio Medina Studio
Salvation Studios
British Grove Studios
Angel Studios
Astoria Studio
Iguana Studios
Length43:21
Label Sony
Producer
David Gilmour chronology
Live at Pompeii
(2017)		Luck and Strange
(2024)
Singles from Luck and Strange
  1. "The Piper's Call"
    Released: 25 April 2024
  2. "Between Two Points"
    Released: 17 June 2024
  3. "Dark and Velvet Nights"
    Released: 9 August 2024
  4. "Luck and Strange"
    Released: 12 September 2024
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 83/100 [1]
Review scores
SourceRating
Financial Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
The Irish Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [6]

Luck and Strange is the fifth studio album by the English guitarist and songwriter David Gilmour, released on 6 September 2024 by Sony Music. It was produced by Gilmour and Charlie Andrew. Gilmour said Andrew challenged him musically and was not intimidated by his past work with Pink Floyd.

Contents

Gilmour's wife, novelist Polly Samson, wrote most of the lyrics, which she said addressed mortality and ageing. Their children contributed additional vocals, lyrics and instrumentation. The song "Luck and Strange" features keyboards recorded in 2007 by the Pink Floyd keyboardist, Richard Wright, who died in 2008. The album also features a cover of the 1999 song "Between Two Points," originally by the British band the Montgolfier Brothers.

Luck and Strange became Gilmour's third number-one album on the UK Albums Chart. "The Piper's Call," "Between Two Points," "Dark and Velvet Nights" and "Luck and Strange" were released as singles. Gilmour toured in support of the album in late 2024.

Recording and content

During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Gilmour and his family performed music on livestreams. Gilmour said this inspired him to "discard some of the past that I'd felt bound to" and explore new musical ideas. [7] Gilmour felt Luck and Strange was his best work since the 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon by his band Pink Floyd. [8]

Luck and Strange was recorded over five months at Gilmour's Medina Studio in Hove and at Mark Knopfler's British Grove Studios in London, with the producer Charlie Andrew. [9] Gilmour said Andrew challenged him and made him approach his songs in new ways, challenging his habits. [10] He said: "He has a wonderful lack of knowledge or respect for this past of mine. He's very direct and not in any way overawed, and I love that. That is just so good for me because the last thing you want is people just deferring to you." [7] Andrew said he was not "trying to regurgitate another Pink Floyd album, or one of [Gilmour's] solo albums". [10]

The album features musicians including Guy Pratt and Tom Herbert on bass, Adam Betts, Steve Gadd and Steve DiStanislao on drums, and Rob Gentry and Roger Eno on keyboards. [7] The strings and choir were arranged by Will Gardner and recorded in Ely Cathedral, Cambridgeshire. [7] [10] Gilmour's wife, the writer Polly Samson, wrote the majority of the lyrics, which she said reflected themes of mortality and ageing. [7] She adapted the lyrics for "Dark and Velvet Nights" from a poem she composed for their wedding anniversary. [11] Their son Gabriel contributed backing vocals, and their son Charlie contributed some lyrics to "Scattered". [7]

"Luck and Strange" features keyboards recorded by the Pink Floyd keyboardist, Richard Wright, during a jam in Gilmour's barn in 2007. Wright died in 2008. [7] Gilmour built on the recording to create the final song, saying it "started developing a depth that I'd forgotten about. The playing on it is unmistakably Richard." [12] "The Piper's Call" was likened to early Pink Floyd. [13]

The album features a cover of the 1999 song "Between Two Points", originally by the British band the Montgolfier Brothers. [14] Gilmour said he had been a fan of the song since its release and was surprised that it had not been a hit. [14] His daughter, Romany, performed harp and vocals. [7] Mark Tranmer of the Montgolfier Brothers said he enjoyed Gilmour's version, saying "it diverges from the original but keeps the spirit". [14]

Release

Gilmour announced Luck and Strange on 24 April 2024. [7] It was released on 6 September, [3] and became Gilmour's third album to reach number one on the UK Albums Chart. [15] The first single, "The Piper's Call", was released on 25 April. [7] "Between Two Points", was released on 17 June. [14] "Dark and Velvet Nights" was released on 9 August. [11] The album cover was photographed and designed by Anton Corbijn. [16] The day before the album was released, Gilmour published lyrics in local newspapers, such as the Cambridge News , and encouraged fans to find them. [17]

Tour

Gilmour began a tour for Luck and Strange on 27 September 2024, with performances in Rome, London, Los Angeles and New York City. [18] Gilmour also performed two rehearsal concerts at Brighton Centre in Brighton. [19] His touring band includes Pratt on bass, Gentry and Greg Phillinganes on keyboards, Adam Betts on drums, Ben Worsley on guitar, and backing vocals from Louis Marshall, Charley Webb, and Hattie Webb; and his daughter Romany, who sang "Between Two Points" and backing vocals. [18] [20] Gilmour said he plans to record another album with the band soon after completing the tour. [8]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Polly Samson except where noted; all music is composed by David Gilmour except where noted

Luck and Strange standard edition track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Black Cat"Instrumental 1:16
2."Luck and Strange"  6:54
3."The Piper's Call"  5:15
4."A Single Spark"  6:02
5."Vita Brevis"Instrumental 0:46
6."Between Two Points" (with Romany Gilmour) Roger Quigley Mark Tranmer 5:46
7."Dark and Velvet Nights"  4:41
8."Sings"  5:15
9."Scattered"
  • D. Gilmour
  • Charlie Gilmour
  • Samson
 7:26
Total length:43:21

Personnel

Technical

Charts

Chart performance for Luck and Strange
Chart (2024)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [21] 6
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [22] 1
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [23] 1
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [24] 2
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [25] 14
Croatian International Albums (HDU) [26] 1
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI) [27] 1
Danish Albums (Hitlisten) [28] 5
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [29] 1
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [30] 8
French Albums (SNEP) [31] 2
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [32] 1
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) [33] 5
Irish Albums (OCC) [34] 9
Italian Albums (FIMI) [35] 2
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [36] 23
Japanese Hot Albums ( Billboard Japan ) [37] 38
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [38] 10
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [39] 5
Polish Albums (ZPAV) [40] 1
Portuguese Albums (AFP) [41] 1
Scottish Albums (OCC) [42] 1
Slovak Albums (ČNS IFPI) [43] 68
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [44] 4
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [45] 8
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [46] 1
UK Albums (OCC) [47] 1
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [48] 1
US Billboard 200 [49] 10
US Top Rock & Alternative Albums ( Billboard ) [50] 4

Related Research Articles

<i>The Wall</i> 1979 studio album by Pink Floyd

The Wall is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 30 November 1979 by Harvest/EMI and Columbia/CBS Records. It is a rock opera which explores Pink, a jaded rock star, as he constructs a psychological "wall" of social isolation. The Wall topped the US charts for 15 weeks and reached number three in the UK. It initially received mixed reviews from critics, many of whom found it overblown and pretentious, but later received accolades as one of the greatest albums of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Gilmour</span> English musician, member of Pink Floyd (born 1946)

David Jon Gilmour is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter who is a member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He joined in 1967, shortly before the departure of the founder member Syd Barrett. By the early 1980s, Pink Floyd had become one of the highest-selling and most acclaimed acts in music history. Following the departure of Roger Waters in 1985, Pink Floyd continued under Gilmour's leadership and released the studio albums A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987), The Division Bell (1994) and The Endless River (2014).

<i>Wish You Were Here</i> (Pink Floyd album) 1975 studio album by Pink Floyd

Wish You Were Here is the ninth studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 12 September 1975 through Harvest Records in the UK and Columbia Records in the US, their first for the label. Based on material Pink Floyd composed while performing in Europe, Wish You Were Here was recorded over numerous sessions throughout 1975 at EMI Studios in London.

<i>A Momentary Lapse of Reason</i> 1987 studio album by Pink Floyd

A Momentary Lapse of Reason is the 13th studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released in the UK on 7 September 1987 by EMI and the following day in the US on Columbia. It was recorded primarily on the converted houseboat Astoria, belonging to the guitarist, David Gilmour.

<i>The Division Bell</i> 1994 studio album by Pink Floyd

The Division Bell is the 14th studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 28 March 1994 by EMI Records in the United Kingdom and on 5 April by Columbia Records in the United States.

<i>Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd</i> 2001 greatest hits album by Pink Floyd

Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd is the fourth compilation album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 5 November 2001 by EMI internationally and a day later by Capitol Records in the United States. It debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 album chart on 24 November 2001, with sales of 214,650 copies. It remained on the chart for 26 weeks. The album was certified gold, platinum and double platinum on 6 December 2001 in the US by the RIAA. It was certified triple platinum in the US on 8 January 2002, and quadruple platinum on 10 September 2007.

<i>Delicate Sound of Thunder</i> 1988 live album by Pink Floyd

Delicate Sound of Thunder is a live album by the English band Pink Floyd. It was recorded over five nights at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, in August 1988, during their A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour, and mixed at Abbey Road Studios in September 1988. It was released on 21 November 1988, through EMI Records in the UK and Columbia Records in the United States.

<i>A Collection of Great Dance Songs</i> 1981 greatest hits album by Pink Floyd

A Collection of Great Dance Songs is a compilation album by the English rock band Pink Floyd. It was released on 23 November 1981 in the United Kingdom by Harvest Records and in the United States by Columbia Records.

<i>Pulse</i> (Pink Floyd album) 1995 live album by Pink Floyd

Pulse is the third live album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 29 May 1995 by EMI in the United Kingdom and on 6 June 1995 by Columbia in the United States. It was recorded during the European leg of Pink Floyd's Division Bell Tour in 1994.

<i>Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980–81</i> 2000 live album by Pink Floyd

Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980–81 is a live album released by Pink Floyd in 2000. It is a live rendition of The Wall, produced and engineered by James Guthrie, with tracks selected from the August 1980 and June 1981 performances at Earls Court in London. The album was first released in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2000, and a US/Canadian release by Columbia Records on 18 April.

<i>David Gilmour</i> (album) 1978 studio album by David Gilmour

David Gilmour is the debut solo studio album by Pink Floyd guitarist and co-lead vocalist David Gilmour, released on 26 May 1978. The album reached number 17 in the UK and number 29 on the Billboard US album charts; it was certified Gold in the US by the RIAA. The album was produced by Gilmour, and consists mostly of blues and guitar-oriented rock songs, except for the piano-dominated ballad "So Far Away".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polly Samson</span> English writer

Polly Samson is an English novelist, lyricist and journalist. She is married to the musician David Gilmour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arnold Layne</span> 1967 single by Pink Floyd

"Arnold Layne" is a song by English rock band Pink Floyd. Released on 10 March 1967, it was the band's first single and was written by Syd Barrett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Learning to Fly (Pink Floyd song)</span> 1987 single by Pink Floyd

"Learning to Fly" is a song by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, written by David Gilmour, Anthony Moore, Bob Ezrin, and Jon Carin. It was the first single from the band's thirteenth studio album A Momentary Lapse of Reason. It reached number 70 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 1 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart in September 1987, remaining three consecutive weeks at the top position in the autumn of the same year. Meanwhile, the song failed to chart on the official U.K. top 40 singles charts. On the other hand, in Spain, the song peaked at number 1 on the Los 40 Principales chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take It Back</span> 1994 single by Pink Floyd

"Take It Back" is a song by the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released as the seventh track on their 1994 album The Division Bell. It was also released as a single on 16 May 1994, the first from the album, and Pink Floyd's first for seven years. The single peaked at number 23 on the UK Singles Chart, the fourth highest in the band's history, below 1979 number 1 hit "Another Brick In The Wall" and 1967 top 20 hits "See Emily Play" and "Arnold Layne." The music for the song was written by guitarist David Gilmour and album co-producer Bob Ezrin, with lyrics by Gilmour, his wife Polly Samson and Nick Laird-Clowes.

"What Do You Want from Me" is a song by Pink Floyd featured on their 1994 album, The Division Bell. Richard Wright and David Gilmour composed the music, with Gilmour and his wife Polly Samson supplying the lyrics. A live version from Pulse was released as a single in Canada, reaching number 28 in the Canadian Top Singles charts.

<i>The Endless River</i> 2014 studio album by Pink Floyd

The Endless River is the fifteenth and final studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released in November 2014 by Parlophone Records in Europe and Columbia Records in the rest of the world. It was the third Pink Floyd album recorded under the leadership of the guitarist, David Gilmour, after the departure of the bassist, Roger Waters, and the first following the death of the keyboardist, Richard Wright, in 2008, who appears posthumously.

<i>Rattle That Lock</i> 2015 studio album by David Gilmour

Rattle That Lock is the fourth solo studio album by English musician David Gilmour. It was released on 18 September 2015 via Columbia Records. The artwork for the album was created by Dave Stansbie from The Creative Corporation under the direction of Aubrey Powell, who has worked with Gilmour and Pink Floyd since the late 1960s.

<i>The Early Years 1965–1972</i> 2016 box set by Pink Floyd

The Early Years 1965–1972 is a box set that compiles the early work of the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 11 November 2016. It was released by Pink Floyd Records with distribution held by Warner Music for the UK and Europe and Sony Music for the rest of the world.

The Luck and Strange tour was a concert tour by English musician David Gilmour to support his fifth solo album, Luck and Strange (2024). The tour was Gilmour's shortest solo tour, at only 21 concerts, held in Rome, London, Los Angeles, and New York.

References

  1. ↑ "Luck and Strange by David Gilmour Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  2. ↑ Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (5 September 2024). "David Gilmour: Luck and Strange — age and mortality on rare album from Pink Floyd guitarist". Financial Times . Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  3. 1 2 Brown, Helen (6 September 2024). "David Gilmour review, Luck and Strange: Graceful ruminations on love and mortality". The Independent. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  4. ↑ Clayton-Lea, Tony (5 September 2024). "David Gilmour: Luck and Strange – Pink Floyd guitarist's fifth solo album is his best yet". The Irish Times . Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  5. ↑ Doyle, Tom (2 September 2024). "David Gilmour Luck And Strange Review: Pink Floyd guitarist scales new musical peaks". Mojo . Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  6. ↑ Grow, Kory (5 September 2024). "David Gilmour's 'Luck and Strange' Is a Sometimes Beautiful, Sometimes Chilly Dark Night of the Soul". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Grow, Kory (24 April 2024). "David Gilmour to release new album, Luck and Strange, this fall". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  8. 1 2 Singh, Surej (6 August 2024). "David Gilmour says new solo album is the 'best' music he's made since The Dark Side of the Moon". NME . Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  9. ↑ Gatti, Nino (27 August 2024). ""Luck and strange", Gilmour tra passato e futuro". Rockol (in Italian). Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  10. 1 2 3 Paphides, Pete (7 May 2024). "David Gilmour interviewed: 'There was no pious false respect'". Uncut . Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  11. 1 2 Ahmed, Aneesa (9 August 2024). "David Gilmour releases new track 'Dark And Velvet Nights'". NME . Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  12. ↑ Greene, Andy (26 August 2024). "David Gilmour on His New LP 'Luck and Strange,' and Plans for Upcoming Tour". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  13. ↑ With Luck and Strange, David Gilmour pays his dues to Pink Floyd’s imperial past. The Telegraph. 6 September 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Martoccio, Angie (17 June 2024). "David Gilmour taps his daughter Romany for 'Between Two Points'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  15. ↑ Brannigan, Paul (13 September 2024). "'I'd like to thank everyone who's bought my new album and helped make it number 1.' David Gilmour celebrates his third solo UK number one album with Luck and Strange". Classic Rock . Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  16. ↑ "The new album Luck and Strange out 6th September". davidgilmour.com. 24 April 2024. Archived from the original on 24 April 2024. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  17. ↑ "Cambridge paper holds Gilmour's lyrics in its folds". BBC News . 6 September 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  18. 1 2 Grow, Kory (13 May 2024). "David Gilmour sets first US tour dates in eight years". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  19. ↑ Fu, Eddie (23 September 2024). "David Gilmour previews solo tour with dress rehearsal shows in Brighton". Consequence . Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  20. ↑ Greene, Andy (26 August 2024). "David Gilmour on his new LP Luck and Strange, and plans for upcoming tour". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  21. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – David Gilmour – Luck and Strange". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  22. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – David Gilmour – Luck and Strange" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  23. ↑ "Ultratop.be – David Gilmour – Luck and Strange" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  24. ↑ "Ultratop.be – David Gilmour – Luck and Strange" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  25. ↑ "David Gilmour Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  26. ↑ "Lista prodaje 38. tjedan 2024" (in Croatian). HDU. 25 September 2024. Archived from the original on 25 September 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  27. ↑ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 37.Týden 2024 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  28. ↑ "Danishcharts.dk – David Gilmour – Luck and Strange". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  29. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – David Gilmour – Luck and Strange" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  30. ↑ "David Gilmour: Luck and Strange" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  31. ↑ "Top Albums (Week 37, 2024)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  32. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – David Gilmour – Luck and Strange" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  33. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2024. 37. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  34. ↑ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  35. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – David Gilmour – Luck and Strange". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  36. ↑ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2024-09-16/p/3" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  37. ↑ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of September 11, 2024". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  38. ↑ "Charts.nz – David Gilmour – Luck and Strange". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  39. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – David Gilmour – Luck and Strange". Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  40. ↑ "OLiS - oficjalna lista sprzedaży - albumy" (in Polish). OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Note: Change the date to 06.09.2024–12.09.2024 under "zmień zakres od–do:". Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  41. ↑ "Portuguesecharts.com – David Gilmour – Luck and Strange". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  42. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  43. ↑ "Top 100 Slovak Albums". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  44. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – David Gilmour – Luck and Strange". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  45. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – David Gilmour – Luck and Strange". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  46. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – David Gilmour – Luck and Strange". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  47. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  48. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  49. ↑ "David Gilmour Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  50. ↑ "David Gilmour Chart History: Top Rock & Alternative Albums". Billboard . Retrieved 17 September 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.