Rattle That Lock

by David Gilmour

Overview

Former Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour is not prolific. Rattle That Lock is only his fourth solo studio album (though it follows his late band's final album, The Endless River, by only ten months). Gilmour recorded some 35 songs for this set, some dating back 18 years. Trimming them to ten couldn't have been easy. Titled for John Milton's second book in Paradise Lost, Rattle That Lock is structured as an informal song cycle to reflect the sometimes random, sometimes weightier thought processes of a typical person in a single day. It begins, appropriately, with the instrumental "5 A.M.." Orchestrated by Zbigniew Preisner, Gilmour's signature slow, bluesy, Stratocaster sting enters just 30 seconds in, followed by fingerpicked acoustic guitars, gentle synths, and electric piano amid chamber strings to announce the title-track single. It's the first of five songs co-written with novelist Polly Samson, Gilmour's wife. His meaty guitar lines mirror the spirit of the lyrics, which reflect dissent and the redemption that lies in the freedom to choose. Co-producer Phil Manzanera's Hammond organ, two funky basslines, and soaring chorus vocals from Mica Paris, Louise Marshall, and the Liberty Choir provide a smooth AOR feel. "Faces of Stone" is a waltz done as a tango, colored by Floyd-esque atmospherics and an extended wailing guitar break. The ageless harmonies of Graham Nash and David Crosby grace "A Boat Lies Waiting," a moving, understated tribute to Pink Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright. Gilmour's slide hovers above Roger Eno's elegant piano, chamber strings, and the cry of gulls. Samson's lyrics are economical but mighty, capturing bittersweet nostalgia, pain, and loss in their poignancy. "In Any Tongue" chillingly examines the toll of a global war run by men with deadly joysticks (to drones) in their hands: "God help my son/What has he done?/...I hear 'Mama' sounds the same in any tongueâ?¦." In "Beauty," Eno and Gilmour trade contrasting minimal piano and blues-rock guitar lines as strings and reverb bridge them. Second single "Today" commences as a hymn, but erupts into wonky funk driven by Guy Pratt's bass. Here the silken, rockist disco of Wall-era Floyd clashes with Speaking in Tongues-era Talking Heads, and it all works -- dramatic orchestral accompaniment notwithstanding. Instrumental closer "And Thenâ?¦" features Gilmour's expressive Strat and acoustic guitars. Andy Newmark's drums and Danny Cummings' percussion frame them amid a backdrop of strings. This tune is so lyrical that Gilmour's guitar playing literally sings, making it one of his finest instrumentals. As a whole, Rattle That Lock reveals more confident and developed songwriting from Gilmour and Samson; they'll be a near-symbiotic team in the future. It is a snapshot of where Gilmour is as a musician in 2015, and not by any means a grand portrait or statement to sum up his career. ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	09/18/2015
Label:	Columbia / Sony Music / Sony Music Entertainment
UPC:	0888751232624

Tracks

1. 5 A.M.
2. Rattle That Lock
3. Faces of Stone
4. A Boat Lies Waiting
5. Dancing Right in Front of Me
6. In Any Tongue
7. Beauty
8. The Girl in the Yellow Dress
9. Today
10. And Then¿¿¿

Album Credits

Performance Credits

David Gilmour   Primary Artist,Organ (Hammond),Piano (Electric),Bass,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards,Bass Harmonica
Colin Stetson   Saxophone
David Crosby   Vocals
Rado Klose   Guitar
Guy Pratt   Bass
Damon Iddins   Calliope,Accordion,Keyboards
Danny Cummings   Percussion
Mike Rowe   Piano (Electric)
Chris Laurence   Double Bass
Yaron Stavi   Bass,Vocals,Double Bass
Jon Carin   Piano (Electric)
Phil Manzanera   Keyboards,Organ (Hammond),Guitar (Acoustic)
Robert Ziegler   Conductor
Eira Owen   French Horn
Gabriel Gilmour   Piano
Mj Paranzino   Choir Director
Alasdair Brotherston   Director
Jock Mooney   Director
Andy Newmark   Drums
Martin France   Drums
Graham Nash   Vocals
Jools Holland   Piano
Polly Samson   Vocals
Richard Wright   Keyboards
Robert Wyatt   Cornet
Roger Eno   Piano
Mica Paris   Vocals
John Parricelli   Guitar
Louise Marshall   Vocals
Aubrey Powell   Director
Gavin Elder   Director
Steve DiStanislao   Drums,Vocals,Percussion

Technical Credits

Damon Iddins   Engineer,Assistant
Youth   Mixing
Andy Jackson   Mixing,Engineer
Phil Manzanera   Producer
The Orb   Mixing
Michael Boddy   Engineer
Claire Singers   Communication
Joel Plante   Mastering
Rupert Truman   Cover Photo
Hilary Skewes   Orchestra Contractor
Phil Taylor   Technician
Richard Barnett   Producer
Dione Orrom   Producer
Dave Stansbie   Art Direction
Fiz Oliver   Producer
Laurence Anslow   Assistant
Kevin Madigan   Vocal Engineer
Alice Keegan   Design
Andres Mesa   Assistant
Ant Jumratsilpa   Design
Bartek Kaleta   Assistant
Joseph Niet   Design
Marcin Partyka   Assistant
Michael Boumendil   Composer
Mj Paranzino   Leader
The Irresistible Force   Mixing
James Guthrie   Mastering
Geoff Foster   Engineer
Polly Samson   Composer,Photography
Doug Wright   Communication
David Gilmour   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer
Zbigniew Preisner   Orchestration,Orchestral Arrangements
Aubrey Powell   Creative Director
John Prestage   Assistant
Kevin Westenberg   Photography
Rolf Wilson   Leader