David Gilmour & How he TROLLED Roger Waters in 1984 

I’m just grateful to be alive during a time where both of these talented men are making music. With the exception of Dark side of the moon Redux I’ve enjoyed all their solo albums. Richard Wrights are criminally underrated though

Never noticed the hitchhiker’s thumb! Fantastic analysis of ‘Murder’!

I love Near The End, one of Gilmour's finest songs ever in my opinion, with a mindblowing solo...The line "And you are left without a word, Only the whispers that you've overheard" seems pretty much inspired too by the other guy. So elegantly put.

I don't want this anger Burning in me It's something from which It's so hard to be free But none of the tears That we cry in sorrow or rage Can make any difference Or turn back the page... Maybe the best lyric Gilmour has ever written to date. And when you follow it with THAT guitar solo, it's just a beautifully gutting moment. I'm up and down on the rest of the record - though I do like it overall - but I absolutely love Murder...the song, that is. Good video. Cheers.

Love the Santana shirt! One of my favorite bands. They don't get enough love from RU-vid creators. Such a wealth of music to get content from.

What About David Gilmour’s first solo Album?? A 💎 So much underrated, My favorite album ❤!

Both of those solo albums are the best post-Wall stuff any of them did. LOVE these.

Everything Dave did post final cut has been trolling Roger. I still think David's first two albums are his best work since the wall. And i think David's lyrics during this time on the songs he did write were better than anything polly has written. Dave should have had more confidence in himself.

It's a great album. Although Gilmour doesn't appear to look back too fondly on this and AMLOR, to me, they're his best solo works. Yes, I consider AMLOR a solo record.

I too bought it when it came out. Its tied with his first album as my two favorite solo albums of his. Great variety and effort on this one.

Live in Gdansk Is my Favorite album, and I have bought all of Gilmour's albums as they came out and it started with this one.

Dark Side of the Moon, Wish you Were Here....just these two is enough for me to ignore any issues between the two. Thanks for the great music, gentlemen.

I absolutely love About Face, sure a few tracks might sound a little dated but i can easily listen to it from start to finish. My favourite tracks are You Know I’m Right, Let’s Get Metaphysical, Near The End and Murder. I think Blue Light might be my least favourite but only because of the horns, everything else in it sounds good to me. The acoustic/electric solo in the track Near The End is staggeringly good, so good in fact that it nearly makes me cry every time i hear it. Also Let’s Get Metaphysical sounds like Ennio Morricone meets David Gilmour, it is epic.

I love "Near the End" especially the transition from acoustic to electric in the outro. I've always felt that "High Hopes" is sort of a Part II of "Near the End" with its notes of regret and loss.

A great album indeed and so is Water's pros and cons (thanks to Clapton's guitar as well). One can't help to wonder if these two blokes had stopped arguing and continued working together through the 80s. Or perhaps it's just as well that they split, so they could channel their creativity freely somewhere else.

Already a big Gilmour fan, I picked this album up the day it dropped. I love the solo on Murder, and although you didn’t mention it, I really like Out of the Blue as well.

I love both About Face and Pro's and Cons , you've described Gilmour V Waters quite well, one of them is melodic and the other shouty but both very good. Unfortunately for us they were both very very good together.

Love this album since coming across it by accident in HMV in the late 80s. Still have that exact album on the Fame label. Always an enigma why he’s never revisited any of the material off this or from his debut album. Hoping for remaster or remix of both albums somesomeday. 🤔

Probably my favourite of all David's albums. I read an interview with Jeff Porcaro published in some drummer mag around 1990/91 in which Jeff said he considered his playing on About Face to be the best of his career. He was clearly very pleased with the choices he made during the recording..

I loved this. It was a great taster of what to expect from Momentary Lapse of Reason.

Saw Gilmour for the first time on the tour for About Face. It was awesome.

As my mother used to say to my brother and myself when we fought, 'Oh for goodness sake, grow up!'

Like you, I bought this the day it came out. It was in constant rotation for me in 1984.

Re Bob Ezrin "Too much rope" on Amused to Death has the lyric "Each man has his price Bob And yours was pretty low"

Murder is my favorite on here as well. Really a wonderful album. I still have a couple vinyl copies in my collection.

I would actually say this album was a desperate effort to test the waters (no pun intended) for a solo career. It didn't work and so he decided to continue with the Pink Floyd name. At this point, he felt he needed Waters and I think he was hoping to prove himself both to Waters and the world with this solo effort. He was much the junior partner.

Inspired me to re-visit the album - thank you...

Thanks for reminding us of this great album. I bought in on vinyl in 1984 when in came out, having just gotten into The Wall a year or two before. I actually covered Cruise and You Know I'm Right in my band at the time. Cheers!

Storm designed the cover and took the photo.

I bought it and still play it today.

Oh thanks for this video. I can remember when it debuted and I loved it. Sometimes it feels like those of us who do love it are cult members. I don't meet many people who are even aware of the existence of this album.

I've never heard this album, but it sounds really interesting so I'm definitely going to check it out

Very interesting! Even your point of view from those days 👌 I came a bit late, 10 years late 😊

"Murder" is also my fave song on this album. It's a masterful piece of work overall with so many differently textured songs. "Blue Light" has also remained in many of my playlists to this day

Cracking video sir, never really paid much attention to this album, will seek it out.

It's the only Gilmore solo album I like.Also had a bootleg of Pete Townsends Deep End and Gilmore plays guitar on it and plays two songs from the album.

Loved "About Face," some great tracks there. Also loved Waters' "Pros and Cons." Superb structure to it.

About Face actually charted on Billboard at 32 and went Gold and stayed on the charts for 28 weeks. Pros and Cons peaked at 31 but slid off the charts in 15 weeks in the States

I remember getting this album, loved blue light and cruise. Lent it to a hippie friend 15 years later to prove to him that gilmour played reggae. He was amazed and impressed.

With all due respect to David and his solo albums, but this is not a Pink Floyd sound. When you listen to Roger's solo albums, you immediately notice who has the Pink Floyd sound. sorry David .. but the tittle pinkfloyd is from and for Roger. his albums speak for themselves. The Pink Floyd album without Roger doesn't give me a Pink Floyd feeling, no matter how good they are.

Newer sub to this channel, but I'm extremely impressed with your deep knowledge of the greatest music ever created.....it nearly begins to approach my own!😉😶‍🌫Seriously though, I'm truly enjoying learning things from your vids that I didn't know or think about before in all things rock and roll. I appreciate your delivery as much as your knowledge, my friend. A tip of the hat for great and original content related to things I care about. Keep up the great work!

A great underrated album. By coincidence I was listening to it more or less when you were recording this video

Thanks. Ginna give it a listen. 👍

I saw both of them David & Roger on their solo tours. I will say Gilmour stood on his own music & only performing 3 pink floyd songs. Yet a great concert! Whereas Waters relied heavily on pink floyd music! The 1st half of his concert was all pink floyd & very enjoyable! Followed by an intermission then returning to perform the pros & cons of hitchhiking entirely. A screen backdrop like watching a movie along to the band's performance to which I actually fell asleep. No I didn't pass out, I was completely sober. The music was mellow & the show was boring. I have both albums & was already familiar with the music. Clapton's guitar surely helps make Roger's album enjoyable. I also enjoyed his concert because of the 1st half of the show which was entirely PF songs. He opened with set the controls & represented most PF albums thru the final cut, it was awesome! David however relied on his own songs from both his debut & about face throwing in money, comfortably numb, & run like hell for the fans. It was great too! & I have to give him credit for standing on his own solo material & nothing boring about it! Personally I prefer David's debut over about face. I never made the hitchhiker thumb connection of the cover photo before. Probably because I had about face 1st & I do believe it was released 1st also. I saw David in 84. I'm pretty sure it was 85 I saw Roger. Roger's show was complete with a program booklet I still have & very professionally done with the greatest light show & effects 👏 but David's music stood on it's own & his music & backing band made it a great concert ❤

THanks! You made me want to listen to this album which many more knowledgeable Floyd fans made me pass on

I love the album and great painting in the background btw.

I’ve always been really fond of this album as well, so it’s great to hear some critical appreciation for it, especially since it’s so underrated, even by Gilmour himself.

Loved this album. Love pretty much whatever Gilmour is involved in. I never understood people’s (several of my friends) polarized view of bands breaking up. “So & so SUCKS without him”… “So & so was the real genius behind the band”… It’s not (band name) without so & so”… “All the (band name) albums are terrible after so & so left”… OFFS people…no….now you get TWICE the musical contributions. When Supertramp, Van Halen and Pink Floyd split, the haters took their unwavering sides. I however, saw it as the time of the 'divorced two Christmases’ era. We got Supertramp AND Roger Hodgeson, Van Halen AND David Lee Roth, Pink Floyd AND Roger Waters albums. And all six were great! I remember thinking Gilmour was going to be the permanent replacement guitarist for Supertramp - how great would THAT have been adding Gilmour to the song writing team with Davies…? Sadly it was just a one album stand.

I was 15, loved this album 🎉

David never got over loosing Roger from the band. Division Bell is yet another proof.

I consider this either his best or 2nd best album and definitely the best lyrics he’s written.

I got to see the About Face tour - near end of tour - mid-July '84 @ Merriweather Post Pavilion - 3rd row right in front of David - a really great show - open air venue - its normally very hot & humid that time year - but it was dry & not so hot - David even mentioned it - he was so relaxed & happy without you know who on stage - band was great - Mick Ralphs dueling with David on lead breaks - great memories ..

Storm explained, maybe mischeviously, that Gilmour had turned from the camera to say he was going for a wee. He gestured towards the toilet with his thumb. SNAP, picture captured.

It's a great record and was equally great live along with the first solo album...

I love this record, especially 'All Lovers Are Deranged'.

I'll never forget Kurt Loder's ( Rolling Stone) review of Roger's Pro's and Cons album.He stated, " Dave Gilmour's lackluster solo album takes on new luster, in comparison, to this turkey!" The previous year, Loder gave The Final Cut, a rare 5 star rating calling it Art-Rock's crowning masterpiece.I love Roger's work, but I have to agree;Pro's is almost unlistenable. I tried numerous times.😒😒😒I will try again.🤔🤔🤔I love About Face.🤗🤗🤗

If you can embrace the 80sness of it, I think it’s a great album. Lots of catchy energetic songs and stays fresh

What a awesome video have a wonderful day ❤😊

Great review and perspective. I don’t believe Gilmour agreed with Waters’ firing of Wright though.

Excellent review of an often underrated album. I wish he would perform material from this and his eponymous debut album (a personal favorite) rather than yet again endulging in material from On An Island and Rattle and Lock which both contain too many slow songs and fillers IMHO. However, in spite of the laid-back, semi-acoustic approach I like the new album which is a grower.

I was born in 1966. I have bought (or at the beginning, heard, because my older brother bought) every record of PF, RW & DG since 1974 until 2024. The first album of waters (the pros and cons of hitch hiking) is a 9/10 album, while the second album from gilmour, about face, practically published at the same time, is a 7.5/10. That's the really important thing about this two records. The story of the motivations etc that you tell, could interest some viewers, though.

Enjoyed this. The first two solo Gilmour are the best solo Gilmour for me. I always heard the digs at Rog - they seem pretty obvious. Have you done Is this the Life We Really Want? ?

What in holy heck was Waters thinking with that hitchhiker cover ? That doing something so tacky would be read as an urbane commentary on … what ? And the album title itself is an exercise in Who Cares, IMO. Isn’t this guy a writer ? I’m baffled, but then, I am just an Amurican. Nice bottom, though.

I just love this album, but it took me a while. The first time I heard it I was expecting something like... I don´t know, "The Division Bell", and it´s completely different. I like the musical diversity of it, so many great songs, ranging from pop to love ballads and a beautiful instrumental. An I just LOVE "Near the end". Every time you wonder what was going on in Gilmour´s head in those days, this song is the answer. And when you feel you're near the end Will you just turn it over and start again? Is there a stirring in your heart As the time comes when we will have to part? And when you feel you're near the end And there's a stranger where once was a friend And you are left without a word Only the whispers that you've overheard Standing in silence, holding my breath Disconnected and dry And though I'm certain that there's nothing left To hold on to, to give or to try Some things never change, no, don't ever change And I'm feeling the cold Thinking that we're getting older and wiser When we're just getting old And when you feel you're near the end And what once burned so bright is growing dim And when you see what's been achieved Is there a feeling that you've been deceived?

saw the hammersmith gig on the about face tour, worth the admission fee alone for the live version of murder still my fav track on the album

I don't remember the advertising/shop standee for this but I do remember the one for Radio K.A.O.S though I didn't have much idea who Roger Waters was at the time!

I loved About Face before I realized that there were so many lyrics throwing barbs at Waters. I still love it. Yeah, it suffers a bit from 80’s production and sound, but it still holds up. I’d love to see something legitimately released from this tour.

The guitar-playng at the start of "near the end is a clear copy of the guitarplayng at the start of "The pros and cons" album....That`s another proove. Right before Waters sings... We were moving away from the border.....

I was a little late to discover Pink Floyd. My first Experience was “A Momentary Lapse of Reason” - my fav tracks from that album is: Learning To Fly & On The Turning Away, So from that point I only knew David Gilmour, as the leadsinger, and frontman of the band. Later I did learn about the history of PF. What makes this album (About Face) particular great for me, is Jeff Porcaro’s apering on all tracks 🥁💪🏻 And it was throug a list (made on Spotify) full og tracks JP played on, I found “About Face”. Also “Mother” is a piece of art ss well, drumming wise.

Murder is absolutely incredible, one of his best songs ever

Then he met Polly Samson and the bitterness increased ten fold.

Terrific presentation of a vastly underrated album. IMO, Gilmour's 1978 solo album is THE best solo album put forth by members of Pink Floyd and once you get past the 80's sheen of the opening track and Blue Light, the rest of ABOUT FACE (e.g., Murder, Love On The Air, Out Of The Blue, All Lovers Are Deranged, You Know I'm Right, Cruise, Let's Get Metaphysical, Near The End) is a better listen than most of Roger's solo output. IMO, Water's best solo work was AMUSED TO DEATH, but sans the 3 tracks with Jeff Beck, the totality of Water's solo output is underwhelming and speaks to his limited vocal range and inability to create memorable melodies.

Trolling Roger Waters? Hell yes! I've always considered this to be the case. Also, the trolling doesn't stop here IMHO, much of the The Division Bell could be seen as trolling as well, "Lost for Words" being the most blatant.

Hasn’t Storm Thorguson said that the cover was just an outtake picture from the session where David was showing someone where something was but they liked the casual nature of the image and used it?

Love About Face. Until we Sleep, Murder, great songs. Blue Light, I always skip it, can't stand the horns. Pretty good album, great melodies, lyrics are decent. It's a shame that Gilmour dismiss this period in his concerts.

Well, for me About Face is still his best Solo-Album. Off course it has a very 80s sound - but it rellay includes the best songs he ever has written and produced - including the stuff he later wrote for "his" Pink Floyd version. And off course I have heard all the lyrical trolling to Waters, but never have understand the one on the Coverphoto until today. .-) You can get old and older but never have got it all. 🙂

There were some great tracks on this album. Murder is my favorite!

As much as I love Gilmour's guitar work on Waters-era Floyd (minus the Wall) albums, I haven't been able to get into Gilmour led Floyd or Gilmour's solo stuff. It may yet happen though!

Very interesting review. However "Near the end" could as well talk abut the end of a sentimental relationship, or a marriage, how do we know that it may refer to Waters?

I love this album.

I saw David Gilmour on this album's tour back in 84 great concert but a very low key event then saw Pink Floyd in London their last leg of Division Bell (Pulse) concerts....Its really shameful how long this ongoing Gilmour/Waters feud's been going on really has browned their legacy now 2 old men in/nearing 80s very childish.

I’m one of those weirdos that really like the Final Cut. Arguably Waters de facto first solo album but that album would be flat without David’s guitar work. David may have been phoning it in by that time but his solos were still emotional masterpieces.

dont forget "cruise"... jackson browne anyone? check out the album cover of jackson record hold out... :D :D

I agree with your high opinion of this album-I find it much more compelling than Gilmour’s later “sleepy acoustic stuff.” And I never stopped to think about that thumb being a reference to “Pro and Cons.” Indeed, there does seem to be some trolling going on!

Ashes and diamonds for and friend ...We were even in the end... R Waters

It's 100% rooted in the 80s, but that needn't be a diss. I love this album too. And the following tour was fantastic. I know he doesn't connect with the About Face songs anymore, but I do think Near the End does fit with the general mood of the new album. Do I think this album was meant to troll Roger? I definitely think he wanted to show Roger that he was capable of releasing a successful commercial album and tour. He spent a lot of time in the mid 80s guest appearing on other "big" musicians albums of the day. I think About Face, the tour and the respect he was garnering for being the guitarist of Comfortably Numb were the impetus he needed to stand up to Roger in court, and more importantly go about making Momentary Lapse. His stature grew from '84 -'87, and he proved he was big enough to carry the mantle of the band's name. At the time I certainly didn't think he'd try to do that.

Make America and music Great Again ;)

Gilmour was definately trolling Waters before trolling was even a thing. 😆

Whenever something about Pink Floyd pops up, theres always loads of Roger v David comments, with fans very divided. I always think about Richard. Roger had sacked him, so if they had continued after the Final Cut, it would have been without Richard. To my ears, Pink Floyd without Roger is preferable to Pink Floyd without Richard. Richard is absolutely key to their sound.

The interesting thing to know would be when these songs were written and if any were offered to Waters for the Final Cut album. I know the album was recorded in 1983 (released in 1984) which was the same year as the release of The Final Cut.

I don't think it was a troll. Here's a lesser known fact - around 1986 Gilmour wrote a reconciliatory song called Peace Be Upon You (or I Wish You Peace), but immediately shelved it when Waters sued him upon his revival of Pink Floyd.

On the Delicate Sound Of Thunder Tour in Sydney, Australia (yeah, when the pig escaped and every pilot was on the look out for it...), I listened to David on the radio promoting said tour (and pig). When asked had he heard Radio Chaos, he quipped something on the lines of it sounded like a Roger Waters album... not much else. I could hear his shrug... he was very shrewed in his comments.

This is only YOUR thoughts on their rivalry with David's album, as you say it yourself on this video. The rattle's have been thrown from their respective prams many years ago, but still got back together in 2005 for live 8.

The production may be of its time, but the songs are strong. A great album.

Sounds like "Paul is dead," if you ask me. All rather far fetched.

I have a considerable preference for Hitch Hiker, Radio KAOS and Amused to Death over any of the Gilmour solo or post-Waters Floyd stuff, apart from Sorrow and High Hopes. Waters had the passion (Oh, he had the passion, Mister Horne!). Having said that, I prefer early Floyd to late Floyd, despite the fact that I have listened to all late Floyd a squillion times and acknowledge Gilmour's epic contribution. Nightwish performed High Hopes on tour during the Tarja years, although Marko did the vocals for the Floyd song. My own album, Low Hopes, is available at all bad record shops.

I remember being only vaguely familiar with the details about Pink Floyd's unwinding when it was all going down...it wasn't as easy to get information on band in feuding, production battles, details about much related to the musicians in those days...they didn't have much ability to communicate with their audience like modern artists have)....most of it blew up with the suit over rights to "Pink Floyd". I love both these guys and have all their solo albums, but none of anything either produced later can hold a candle to even less that prime Floyd, much less the more acclaimed works. Still, I'll always wish they'd find a way, maybe not for themselves...but for their fans. Too bad they allowed the pain and bad feelings to fester for so long it's probably too late.

David's pose in the cover picture, to me, is less like hithiking and more like someone saying "on yer bike" (as someone from the UK, I'm sure you know what I mean).

I always thought the cover was about “talking behind someone’s back.”

I had great tickets to see that tour. I ended up comforting an ex-girlfriend who'd been dumped and needed an abortion. Sigh.