Poll: How do you rate David Gilmour's "On An Island" album?

"Still, marooned/Silence drifting through/Nowhere to choose/Just blue..."

The rules for this series: this poll is designed for people familiar with the album in question and with at least some familiarity with some of their other catalog (for comparison purposes). If the poll doesn't interest you, please kindly move on to a thread that does. Please simply consider how YOU would rate the album in question, in comparison with the rest of the Floyd's discography! And as always, a shout-out to member mrjinks for creating all the groundwork for this series.

Note: please use the same criteria for rating these solo albums as you would Pink Floyd as a band albums, so we can compare the results of this poll to, say, The Division Bell. A poll like this only makes sense rating the few - or only - albums of each solo member against something else - the logical choice is their works as a band. This will not change.

So, how do YOU rate this album?

Album history: "On an Island is the third solo album by Pink Floyd member David Gilmour. It was released in the UK on 6 March 2006, Gilmour's 60th birthday, and in the US the following day. It was his first solo album in twenty two years since 1984's About Face and twelve years since 1994's Pink Floyd album The Division Bell."


Tracklist:
1. Castellorizon 3:54
2. On An Island 6:47
3. The Blue 5:26
4. Take A Breath 5:46
5. Red Sky At Night 2:51
6. This Heaven 4:24
7. Then I Close My Eyes 5:26
8. Smile 4:03
9. A Pocketful Of Stones 6:17
10. Where We Start 6:45




Previous polls:
Pink Floyd (updated 10/9):
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Currently 602 people have voted, with an average of 4.26.
A Saucerful of Secrets. Currently 370 people have voted, with an average of 3.79.
More. Currently 304 people have voted, with an average of 3.37.
Ummagumma. Currently 440 people have voted, with an average of 3.09.
Atom Heart Mother. Currently 473 people have voted, with an average of 3.73.
Meddle. Currently 525 people have voted, with an average of 4.70.
Obscured by Clouds. Currently 451 people have voted, with an average of 3.86.
The Dark Side of the Moon. Currently 636 people have voted, with an average of 4.75.
Wish You Were Here. Currently 776 people have voted, with an average of 4.77.
Animals. Currently 721 people have voted, with an average of 4.62.
The Wall. Currently 849 people have voted, with an average of 4.01.
The Final Cut. Currently 590 people have voted, with an average of 3.08.
A Momentary Lapse of Reason. Currently 445 people have voted, with an average of 2.97.
Delicate Sound of Thunder. Currently 258 people have voted, with an average of 2.88.
The Division Bell. Currently 498 people have voted, with an average of 3.29.
Pulse. Currently 311 people have voted, with an average of 3.34.
Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980-81. Currently 253 people have voted, with an average of 3.67.
The Endless River. Currently 476 people have voted, with an average of 2.51.

Syd Barrett:
The Madcap Laughs. Currently 237 people have voted, with an average of 3.81.
Barrett. Currently 161 people have voted, with an average of 3.78.
Opel. Currently 89 people have voted, with an average of 3.42.

Nick Mason:
Fictitious Sports. Currently 63 people have voted, with an average of 2.65.

David Gilmour:
David Gilmour. Currently 236 people have voted, with an average of 3.84.
About Face. Currently 94 people have voted, with an average of 3.28.

Spoiler: The albums - ranked by average!

Updated 10/9
1. Wish You Were Here: 4.77
2. The Dark Side of the Moon: 4.75
3. Meddle: 4.70
4. Animals: 4.62
5. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn: 4.26
6. The Wall: 4.01
7. Obscured by Clouds: 3.86
8. Syd Barrett - The Madcap Laughs: 3.80
9. A Saucerful of Secrets: 3.79
10. Syd Barrett - Barrett: 3.77
11. Atom Heart Mother: 3.73
12. Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980-81: 3.67
13. Syd Barrett - Opel: 3.40
14. More: 3.37
15. Pulse: 3.34
16. The Division Bell: 3.29
17. Ummagumma: 3.09
18. The Final Cut: 3.08
19. A Momentary Lapse of Reason: 2.97
20. Delicate Sound of Thunder: 2.88
21. Nick Mason - Fictitious Sports: 2.61
22. The Endless River: 2.51

 

ummm.
A really "dreamy" album(pun intended?). I have it on vinyl and the sound quality is top notch really making the album come "alive" in my speakers. I heard it live at the gibson ampitheatre that year and honestly it was a bore.
Live this album doesn't come across imo. It is mostly played note for note live sort of like how dark side of the moon never really came across live either imo.

Royal albert hall and gdansk are hard for me to sit through because the whole first half might as well be a lip synched recording played on the speakers. Gilmour sticks mostly to the formula. He should have skipped some tracks and put more floyd material imo. Though at the time I admired him for having the confidence in his album to play it complete.

It is one of those albums you have to be in the mood for.For some people that mood just never arrived
His guitar work is decent but definitely not the amount of work he put into an album like the division bell which has tons of soloing.

I liked it a lot at first then after a year or two i started to find it boring then after waters took so long to release his album i started to warm up to on an island again and now i find it a dreamy close your eyes and relax album.

 

i think its his best solo album and if we re including it among the last three floyd albums, its second behind division bell.

 

I'll agree it's his best solo work, but I still don't think its a great record. It's very good, yes, and always nice to hear Rick Wright play with David. Crosby and Nash were a nice addition to the record and tour.

Someone here mentioned they saw him at the Gibson Ampitheater that year. I did too. Quite a show for me, but I was 14 at the time. Dennis Hopper was there, trying to blend in with the crowd. My dad and I got to hang out with him, somehow. Weird night.

 

Lower tier. I find it to be a tedious experience to get through. It’s just too boring.

 

I don't think he's surpassed the beauty of his first solo record. That's my favorite.

 

goes to show people's experiences vary so much from person to person. I felt like he was going through the motions. I remember the Time solo was very nice though. Great to see some people actually had a great time. I am not a big dennis hopper fan but that is great.

 

I wasn't either, but my dad is. He'd gotten me a copy of Easy Rider a few months earlier, but I hadn't watched it. Near the end of the night, I was feeling a bit "silly," so I asked him if it was a good movie. Mr. Hopper, also slightly inebriated, paused for a moment and replied, "s'Alright."


Kudos to him for honesty.

 

*
Clearly one of their best works - essential listening for Floyd fans

My fave Dave!

 

While I liked the solo's the rest was blah for me.

 

I personally really enjoy the laid-back vibe and it sounds wonderful. Not essential, though.

 

haha..
actually the movie is great. he was modest. But i didn't like him much in anything after. He is always the bad guy.

 

Ya i was at that show at gibson. And leno that afternoon and kodak the night before. An amazing 36 hrs.

 

I couldn't wait for this record to come out and I don't think I've ever gotten all the way through the whole thing. I find it supremely BORING. I got the cd and lp on the release date and I never even opened the record.
Oddly enough, I love "The Blue" and listen to it all the time, both live and studio (it must be because of Rick Wright.)

 

See i think the first one has some really great moments but on an island works start to finish. Imo.

 

Album for which I very much waited and he hasn't disappointed me. Has passed more than 10 years, but I still love him - this music creates the atmosphere, the mood.
Magnificent album!

 

I had to go with "Not Bad" on this one. The musicianship and vibe are too good to rank it any lower, but it really doesn't do much for me.

The songs don't speak to my condition and they don't open any doors to allow me to sit inside of someone else's condition either, so I can't find my in-roads via that route. Likewise, it's a very lovely, but sleepy record, so it's seldom the sort of thing I'm going to reach for. It's a record written by an old(er) man who is enjoying the autumn of his years financially comfortable, in a loving marriage, and reconnecting with his craft. It's an album that makes me happy for David, but which does very little for me as a listener.

All the same, I probably should give it another few passes to see if my appreciation for it has grown any.

 

I think it's a fantastic album, his best solo work. A very relaxed, expertly executed collection of songs. Live at Gdansk is brilliant too.

 

I went with - "A pretty solid effort - worth recommending".

It is way better than his latest studio effort - Rattle That Lock. I also agree that Live in Gdansk is his best live album.

 

Absolutely fantastic album, IMO.

 

I tried, but really dont like it. I voted for last choice.

 

I think the answer is really a hybrid between the first two options. I don't think this album is one of the best works in the Pink Floyd associated catalogue by any of the alumni, but it is a solid effort from Gilmour, which makes it essential listening for Pink Floyd fans.

 

I rated it Not bad, but couldn't get into it originally. But then again, "The Wall" was overrated for my liking, and most everything after that point!

 

It has its moments... speaking of islands, it isn't one I would take to a desert island...

 

Clearly one of their best works - essential listening for Floyd fans