David Gilmour, the legendary guitarist of Pink Floyd, is known worldwide for his remarkable musical achievements.
He’s the mastermind behind countless iconic songs that have left an indelible mark on the music industry.
Despite this, the musician from Cambridge doesn’t shy away from acknowledging his past missteps and even admits that there’s a song he wishes he’d never written.
What sets Gilmour apart, besides his undeniable musical prowess, is his self-critical nature. He’s famously shared his critical view on Pink Floyd’s acclaimed 1973 album, ‘The Dark Side of the Moon‘.
This album was a colossal success, and yet Gilmour feels it had its shortcomings. He candidly expressed his concerns to Guitar Player, stating:
“I’ve always had an issue with ‘Dark Side’ – I’ve mentioned it before and will definitely do so again.
My main concern was that Roger’s lyrical brilliance on that album seemed to overshadow the musical components at certain times.”
Another moment in his career that Gilmour reflects on with a degree of regret involves his creation of “The Narrow Way”.
This suite is a part of Pink Floyd’s 1969 album ‘Ummagumma’. The piece stands out as Gilmour not only wrote but also performed the entire song single-handedly. Yet, he attributes its creation to “desperation”.
In a 1983 interview with Sounds Guitar Heroes magazine, Gilmour was asked about the thought process that went into his first significant composition for Pink Floyd.
He responded:
“We had committed to making the album, and we each decided to create a piece of music individually… To be honest, it was sheer desperation. I was grappling to come up with something to write for myself. I was a novice at songwriting then, so I just found myself in the studio, trying to stitch together various bits and pieces. I haven’t listened to it for ages, so I can’t really remember what it sounds like.”
However, amidst these self-critical reflections, David Gilmour also has his personal favorites within the vast Pink Floyd catalog.
One such track, which he dubs a “hidden gem”, is part of the band’s 1970 experimental album, ‘Atom Heart Mother’. You can discover more about this particular song here.
