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About Face

by David Gilmour

Released: March 05, 1984

Progressive rock, new wave, soft rock, hard rock

musicOnOff editorial

Why This Album Matters

This album matters because its strongest editorial story is: Chart Success.

The Album

"About Face" is the second solo studio album by the English musician, David Gilmour, best known for his work with the rock band Pink Floyd. Despite this departure, the album did manage to produce two hit singles, "Blue Light" and "Love on the Air". The record was later remastered for CD in 2006 with updated artwork.

Inside the Recording

Released on 27 March 1984, this album was co-produced by Bob Ezrin and David Gilmour. The album was recorded at a time when the rift between Gilmour and Waters was growing, and the lyrical themes are demonstrative of Gilmour's differing political and philosophical beliefs. Bob Ezrin, a producer who had previously collaborated with Pink Floyd on "The Wall", had a significant influence on the sound of "About Face", utilizing a more modern 1980s style.

Stories and details

Interesting Facts

The songs and lyrics of "About Face" reflect…

The songs and lyrics of "About Face" reflect Gilmour's feelings on a range of topics, from the murder of John Lennon to his relationship with his former bandmate Roger Waters.

Musically, the album departs from the classic Pink…

Musically, the album departs from the classic Pink Floyd style that Gilmour had contributed much to and introduces a more contemporary 1980s pop sound.

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Essential Tracks

Murder

The songs and lyrics of "About Face" reflect Gilmour's feelings on a range of topics, from the murder of John Lennon to his relationship with his former bandmate Roger Waters.

Love On The Air

Despite this departure, the album did manage to produce two hit singles, "Blue Light" and "Love on the Air".

Blue Light

Despite this departure, the album did manage to produce two hit singles, "Blue Light" and "Love on the Air".

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David Gilmour - About Face

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Then

Reception

"About Face" met with mixed reviews, but it peaked at #21 on the UK Albums Chart and #32 on the US Billboard 200. Although initially not as commercially successful as his work with Pink Floyd, it’s since gained more appreciation from fans and remains an important part of David Gilmour's discography.

Full background

The Complete Album Story

"About Face" is the second solo studio album by the English musician, David Gilmour, best known for his work with the rock band Pink Floyd. Released on 27 March 1984, this album was co-produced by Bob Ezrin and David Gilmour. Bob Ezrin, a producer who had previously collaborated with Pink Floyd on "The Wall", had a significant influence on the sound of "About Face", utilizing a more modern 1980s style.

The songs and lyrics of "About Face" reflect Gilmour's feelings on a range of topics, from the murder of John Lennon to his relationship with his former bandmate Roger Waters. The album was recorded at a time when the rift between Gilmour and Waters was growing, and the lyrical themes are demonstrative of Gilmour's differing political and philosophical beliefs.

Musically, the album departs from the classic Pink Floyd style that Gilmour had contributed much to and introduces a more contemporary 1980s pop sound. Despite this departure, the album did manage to produce two hit singles, "Blue Light" and "Love on the Air".

"About Face" met with mixed reviews, but it peaked at #21 on the UK Albums Chart and #32 on the US Billboard 200. The record was later remastered for CD in 2006 with updated artwork. Although initially not as commercially successful as his work with Pink Floyd, it’s since gained more appreciation from fans and remains an important part of David Gilmour's discography.