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About Face | 
| Artist: David Gilmour
Label: EMI
Category: Music
List Price: £15.99
Buy New: £5.97
You Save: £10.02 (63%)
New (45) Used (7) from £4.12
Rating:  6 reviews
Sales Rank: 2428
Format: Original Recording Remastered
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
UPC: 094637084229
EAN: 0094637084229
ASIN: B000GFLEWW
Release Date: August 14, 2006
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Tracks:
| • | Until We Sleep | | • | Murder | | • | Love On The Air | | • | Blue Light | | • | Out Of The Blue | | • | All Lovers Are Deranged | | • | You Know I'm Right | | • | Cruise | | • | Let's Get Metaphysical | | • | Near The End |
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1 more reviews...
 Careful with that 80's production, Gilmour... September 12, 2008
David Gilmour's second solo effort from 1984 see's him deliberately getting away from the distinctive, timeless sound of Pink Floyd. In doing so, About Face today sounds very much 'of its time' - drenched in mid-eighties synth, drums and an awful 'Phil Collins-esque' horn section.
Thats not so say there aren't redeeming factors here. Gilmour's solo's - when allowed to break through the horrid 80's gloss - are great, and there are some decent songs (Murder, Out Of The Blue, Near The End) but there is a lot that is instantly forgettable.
If you want Gilmour on top solo form get his 2006 'On An Island' album, or check out his amazing live DVD's.
It's fairly mediocre. Gilmour aficionados only. September 4, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
If you love "A Momentary Lapse of Reason", or MOR 80's rock, this should be a good buy. I bought both this LP and "AMLOR" in the late 80's on vinyl and though they sounded OK at the time neither have aged well (at least the latter is saved by "Learning to Fly"). Sadly there's no comparison here with Gilmour's best non-Waters work, such as the 1978 first album or "The Division Bell".
The obligatory instrumental, "Let's Get Metaphysical" works well, though it's no "Marooned". "Until we Sleep" moves along nicely but ultimately fails to engage much interest. "Murder" is the best track, with an ability to surprise sadly missing elsewhere and a killer ending. "All Lovers are Deranged" is a predictable by-the-numbers rocker but the low point must be "Blue Light" featuring nasty Phil Collins-style horns and the whiff of ill-judged commercialism. "Love on the Air" benefits from reasonable lyrics courtesy of Pete Townshend but on most other numbers the quality of writing doesn't bear comparison to Waters-era PF. Overall even the guitar work seems fuzzy and shrouded in then-trendy reverb.
Get this out from your local library before buying, or go to Amazon US and listen to some song samples. If you think Roger was over-rated, and Gilmour is a great singer however, this album is worth getting as it's certainly no clunker and does grow on you if you persevere.
 Blows huge chunks July 23, 2008
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
This album is awful. I've been a Floyd fan since the early days, and Floyd without Waters is as bad as Waters without Floyd. Gilmour without Floyd is even worse.
Two particularly awful tracks leap out and ram themselves down your throat: Blue Light and Cruise.
Don't buy this thinking you will be getting a bit more Floyd. The closest to a bit more Floyd is Roger Water's "Amused To Death". This one stinks big time.
 Nearly, but not quite. December 8, 2007
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
After the disappointing album by Pink Floyd, 'The Final Cut', in 1983, 1984 was set to improve with the latest Gilmour solo effort. Gilmour was not happy with 'The Final Cut'. There was a definite lack of guitar on the album, and Gilmour eventually asked for his name to be removed from the production credits. Waters now had complete control, but it destroyed the band. Therefore Gilmour needed this album to release the anger within. In many respects, this is an angry album, but some of his sublime guitar work is allowed to dominate also. 'About Face' is not as good as Gilmour's other solo efforts, 'David Gilmour' and 'On An Island', and is very much an album of the 1980's. But the trademark Gilmour sound is still there, and he is still head and shoulders above the rest, without being flash and full of gimmicks. Gilmour plays from the heart. Unfortunately there is not enough David Gilmour solo material out there. C'mon David, let's have a couple more, before you go to Guitar Hero Heaven!!.
MOR but top quality MOR October 7, 2007
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
Originally released in March 1984 About Face is the second solo LP from the Pink Floyd guitarist /vocalist and was recorded at a time when the future of Pink Floyd was still shrouded in uncertainty. Not that any of that percolates into the music as it's a supremely confident mix of typically guitar led rockier songs with some plangent ballads thrown in for variety . Contributors include Steve Winwood , Pete Townsend who shares co-writing credits on "Love On The Air" and "All Lovers Are Deranged" Jon Lord of Deep Purple, and orchestral arrangers Michael Kamen and Bob Ezrin.
It's production by Gilmour and Ezrin is characteristically eighties not helped by eighties favourites like Pino Pallidono,s fretless bass flanging spongily on the song "Murder" or the way the keyboards seem to have been beamed in from outer space. So this is an album far more of it's time than just about anything Pink Floyd have ever done but it still works because for the main part the songs are terrific.
The single "Blue Light" will have come as an almighty shock to most Floyd fans with its effusive horn backing and almost disco spangled guitars. The signature guitar solo at the songs fade out marks it out as definitive Gilmour , and his voice of course but little else does with this song and a big hooray to him for that. "Out Of The Blue " is a string led MOR ballad that you wouldn't put past Michael Bolton though he would obviously annihilate it with his vocal caterwauling , but somehow here it works.
Mind you it does highlight Gilmour's sometimes clumsy lyrical proclivity .There is none of Waters sardonic intelligence or clever word play here but there are moments of genuine dexterity amidst the odd wince inducing moments. The change of key at the chorus in "You Know I'm Right" makes you wince as well but again it's a fine song and there are a couple of sonic diversions- the fluxing banked keyboards and amorphous guitars in "Until We Sleep" and the carousing scabrous fretwork on "All Lovers Are Deranged". The instrumental "Lets get Metaphysical " sounds like a soundtrack out take while "Cruise" is a bit too pretty and frankly slightly embarrassing lyrically . "Near The End" has a real lone troubadour quality to it , at least till the spiralling solo kicks in.
The re-mastered version has extended fade outs on a couple of songs -"Until We Sleep " and "Near The End" . Its a very good album. It will alienate many , as its far nearer the dreaded middle of the road than even Pink Floyd are perceived by many to be but I personally like to wander down the middle of the road from time to time. About Face is melodious , enjoyable and doesn't pall or become repetitive and in that context is far more interesting to listen to than a lot of what is considered cool. In fact I would rather listen to this than any Artic Monkeys album and its certainly the best solo album by any Pink Floyd member and I include the much eulogised Syd Barrett in that as well.
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