David Gilmour To Appear on New CD To Benefit British UFO Hacker

Maybe he’s just curious about UFOs himself, or perhaps just doesn’t think that breaking into government computers is a serious crime, but whatever the case, Pink Floyd veteran David Gilmour is lending his talent in support of a forthcoming CD that is intended to benefit self-proclaimed British hacker Gary McKinnon.

Back in 2001, the 43-year-old unemployed systems administrator is alleged to have had his way with a number of government computer systems in the U.S. Among them were systems belonging to NASA and the Defense Department.

Needless to say, the year 2001 wasn’t the best time to pass one’s time by hacking into U.S. government computers due to increased awareness surrounding these kinds of things after the 9/11 attacks. McKinnon admits he penetrated U.S. government systems, but claims he was only seeking evidence that would reveal the real truth about UFOs.

I think there are a lot of people who could sympathize with his desire to get to the bottom of the whole UFO thing, but hacking government computers probably wasn’t the best way to go about it. He did get caught, after all.

For seven years McKinnon has been fighting extradition to the United States where he would probably face charges that could land him in prison for up to sixty years, or possibly even more.

McKinnon has been gaining more support in recent months after London’s mayor penned a newspaper editorial that appealed to U.S. President Barack Obama to halt the efforts to extradite the curious hacker, and even suggested that the whole affair was a “comment on American bullying.”

The U.S. Government says that McKinnon’s shenanigans resulted in almost a million dollars in damage to various computer systems, and was also responsible for the shutdown of several critical military computer networks shortly after the 9/11 attacks.

The new CD is set for release next month and McKinnon’s supporters hope it will help get President Obama’s attention.

So far, Gilmour is the only artist on the CD that has been identified, although there are others who have participated whose names have not yet been revealed.

One can’t help but think that there are better ways to investigate UFOs other than breaking into computer systems. As a former systems administrator himself, McKinnon had to be well aware of the risks involved in that kind of activity. He will surely have plenty of time on his hands to read all the UFO literature in existence and watch every television program ever produced on the subject of UFOs if he finds himself confined to a prison cell for sixty years or so.

Head on over to Computer World for more on this story.

Tags: CD, David Gilmour, Gary McKinnon, Government, Hacker, Systems, UFOs

David Gilmour Marks Thanksgiving With Free Video Footage

Now as far as I know, Thanksgiving is not celebrated in Great Britain, but apparently that has not stopped David Gilmour of Pink Floyd frame from offering up a Thanksgiving gift to fans that care to visit his website and view some of the video that’s been made available from the Live In Gdansk DVD.

A while back I reviewed the companion CD but did not get a chance to see the DVD, so it was kind of nice to have a look at some of it online. One thing I failed to mention during my earlier review was my appreciation for the effort put forth by the musicians to be true to the original Pink Floyd classics. I’m a stickler when it comes to performing classics, and think they should be played just the way they were originally performed.

That’s not to say a little improvisation here and there is always a bad thing, but when I sit down to listen to “Comfortably Numb,” that is what I expect to hear, and for me, the live recording from Gdansk does just that. I’m always disappointed to see a classic act with one or more members who completely transform the original part into something more to their liking or perhaps more to their abilities.

Fans who want to catch this excellent-quality video online can visit David Gilmour’s website and have the opportunity to view a collection of performances that will be changed every other day. The videos will remain available until Tuesday, December 2nd.

For those who would like to catch some of this concert on a larger screen, footage will be shown on VH1 Classic during Thanksgiving Day as part of their A Very Pink Floyd Thanksgiving. Also featured during this special day of Pink Floyd programming will be in depth presentations that examine the creation of one of the group’s most influential albums, The Dark Side of The Moon and include exclusive interviews with members of the group.

Tags: David Gilmour, Footage, Live In Gdansk, VH1 Classic. Pink Floyd Thanksgiving

David Gilmour’s Floating Studio

From what little I know of recording studios, things like acoustics and sound-proofing are primary considerations for obvious reasons. These requirements can present challenges for just about any studio, but just imagine the challenge of making something like that work on a houseboat.

Pink Floyd legend David Gilmour discovered quite by accident that recording while floating on the Thames river was an idea that might sound a bit out of the ordinary, but certainly works well for him.

The houseboat, a 100-year-old classic called the Astoria was a discovery Gilmour made while being driven by the Thames one day after having lost his license for drinking and driving. Apparently something he acknowledges as one of the events in his life that he’s not particularly proud of, referring to it as “being silly.”

While gazing out the window of the car, Gilmour noticed something in the river which prompted him to have the driver stop for a closer look. When he spied the Astoria, it obviously made an impression on him, and set in motion a series of events that led to his purchase of the boat a short time later when he saw an advertisement offering the vessel for sale while perusing magazines in a dentist’s office.

Gilmour has certainly made good use of his purchase by building a recording studio on the boat and recording some well-known Pink Floyd albums onboard, including The Division Bell and A Momentary Lapse of Reason, as well as his solo album, On An Island, which seems a fitting name considering the location where it was recorded.

For the full story, you can visit New Zealand’s 3News, which also offers video of an interview with Gilmour on the subject of the Astoria as well as some concert footage from the last show of his 2006 On An Island tour in Gdansk, Poland. The live DVD and CD sets from that performance were released yesterday.

Tags: Astoria, David Gilmour, Houseboat, Pink Floyd, Recording Studio, Thames

CD Review: David Gilmour: Live In Gdansk

A little over two years ago, on August 26, 2006, the sounds of a legendary artist filled the air at the shipyard in Gdansk, Poland,where 50,000 cheering fans joined in commemoration of the world-changing events at the shipyard where striking workers were credited with one of the first organized efforts that eventually led to the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe.

This is probably one of the best live albums I have heard. I have not seen the DVD that accompanies some versions of this release, but this album gave me more of a feeling of “being there” than other live recordings I have heard. This may be due in part to history of the venue, which was so unique, when compared to the typical concert hall or sports arena where recordings like this are usually made.

One welcome discovery while listening to this album was that the audience seemed to be there to actually listen to the music, which stands in contrast to other live recordings, where one might get the idea that a good portion of the audience purchased their tickets with the idea of spending most of the show screaming and whistling, whether the band was playing or was between songs. The crowd in Gdansk was clearly appreciative of the opportunity to attend, but was virtually dead silent when the artists were playing. Very commendable for a crowd of 50,000 or so. Bravo for that Polish audience in attendance.

The album includes some venerable Pink Floyd classics, such as “Breath (In The Air),” “Shine on You Crazy Diamond,” “Wish You Were Here” and “Comfortably Numb.” There are also a number of songs from Gilmour’s solo career that are certainly not as recognizable as the Pink Floyd material, but I found that I enjoyed those as well. It is, however,  tough to compete with the old favorites.

As is the case with all my reviews of live albums, it would not be complete without a comment or two about the sound quality. I found it difficult to find fault with the sound quality of this recording. There was an element to it that is difficult for me to describe that did hint strongly that this was recorded at an outdoor venue, but it was not something that detracted from the experience, and probably contributed much to that feeling of “being there” that I alluded to earlier.

This recording was made during the last performance of Gilmour’s On An Island tour, and was unique due to the accompaniment of the string section from the Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Zbigniew Preisner.

Another unique element to this recording is the presence of Richard Wright, whose recent and untimely passing probably makes this one of the final recordings that the sometimes-overlooked Pink Floyd keyboard player, vocalist and song writer ever appeared on.

Of all the tracks on the album, I would have to say that “The Division Bell” was my personal favorite. I’m hard pressed to think of any other “classic” group that evokes so much emotion for me than Pink Floyd — something I’ve experienced only since crossing the line into middle age. As a carefree teen or twenty-something, it was just cool music.

Track 5 on the second CD, “Echoes,” is notable in that it morphs into what might be called a “jam session” of sorts, and really showcases the musicianship of those onstage, and energizes the well-behaved crowd as well.

The music of Pink Floyd has a lot to say, and although I won’t claim that I “get it” entirely, I know it’s there just under the surface. Listening to those classics on this new live album had no less effect on me than that of their original counterparts, and it was one of those rare live recordings that genuinely made me wish I had been able to attend. It must have been quite an extraordinary event.

The DVD trailer is available online for those who would like a nice preview.

David Gilmour: Live In Gdansk will be available on September 23rd and can be ordered at Amazon.com.

Tags: David Gilmour, Live In Gdansk, On An Island Tour, Pink Floyd, Review

Pink Floyd Founding Member Richard Wright Dies

Richard Wright, who, along with Roger Waters and Nick Mason, founded the legendry group the world knew as Pink Floyd, has died after a brief battle with cancer at the age of 65.

Wright, who played keyboards with the group was also wrote some of the material for unforgettable albums like Dark Side of The Moon and Wish You Were Here.

A statement from a family spokesman read: "The family of Richard Wright, founder member of Pink Floyd, announce with great sadness, that Richard died today after a short struggle with cancer. The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this difficult time."

Wright ultimately ended up leaving Pink Floyd during the group’s recording sessions for The Wall, when he and Waters could no longer get along. Even so, Wright did take part in the group’s tours after his departure and assumed the role of a session player on the road.

As I’ve mentioned here before in the past, I remember the day my brother bought Dark Side of The Moon, and we were both blown away by it when we got it home and spun it up on the turntable. It was like nothing we had ever heard before, and that memory really stuck with me.

I still listen to Pink Floyd regularly, although I find it is best listened to after dark, when I am working alone in my home office. I suspect there might be a few other Pink Floyd fans that can relate to that.

Tags: Pink Floyd, Richard Wright