Gilmour or Waters?

I'm not familair with either artist outside of their work in Pink Floyd but I'm thinking of investing in some solo material. Roger has a greater output, but something tells me allot of it lacks a certain something. David, on the other hand has fewer solo albums (only 2?), but makes up for it with quality songs. I don't particularily care if they sound like Pink Floyd (fine if they do of course), but just good albums. Any that are essential or ones that should be avoided?

Looking for recommendations. Which member of Pink Floyd has released better solo albums?

By the way, aside from Syd, have the other members released solo albums? I'm more interested in David or Roger, but if there is something else out there worth a listen, chime in!

PS I know that since Roger left, David Gilmour has been steering the PF ship so-to-speak. I'm not looking for latter day Floyd recommendations.

Gilmour has 3 studio solo albums. All are good. I'm missing one of them on my site. BOOO!!!

Waters solo material is good too, but dodgy, depending on the album. "Music from the Body" is really trippy stuff. It can be fun, but not something anyone will listen to on a regular basis. "Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking" is a classic. If you like Pink Floyd's The Wall or Final Cut, you will probably like "Pros and Cons" as well. "Radio KAOS" is a little more pop oriented but still good. "Amused to Death" or more approprately titled "The Final Cut Part 2" as this is yet another lecture on the horrors of war. I haven't listened to this one in a while, but I remember it as being a good album that purposely moves away from the Pink Floyd sound and has legend Jeff Beck contributing some guitar work.

I am huge Waters fan but his first solo album "Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking' is really hit or miss, and frankly not a very compelling album from Waters.

"Radio KAOS' is very good album, but it is very dated due to very 80's production and more popier direction.

'Amused to Death' is an excellent album and highly recommended, and it is a concept album about a monkey watching world events on television, learning what God wants and how the human race has amused itself to death.

David Gilmour's self entitled solo album is a very good album and sounds like Pink Floyd without the heavy subject matter, but very good album and highly recommended.

'About Face' is also very good but not as good as the first album, but has lot of great songs on the disc and worth a listen.

Do not own 'Islands', at least I think that is what its called and have no opinion on that disc.

Quote :

"Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking" is a classic. If you like Pink Floyd's The Wall or Final Cut, you will probably like "Pros and Cons" as well.

Quote :

"Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking' is really hit or miss, and frankly not a very compelling album from Waters.

So which is it guys?

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Quote :

"Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking" is a classic. If you like Pink Floyd's The Wall or Final Cut, you will probably like "Pros and Cons" as well.

Quote :

"Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking' is really hit or miss, and frankly not a very compelling album from Waters.

So which is it guys?

Me of course!!!! It is funny how we listen to same music but hear things differently. 'Pros and Cons' sounds like a Pink Floyd album and the reason for this is Waters offered the band 'Pros and Cons' and "The Final Cut' to make as the next Pink Floyd album, and the band chose 'The Final Cut'. Lyrically it is interesting but I feel the songs have no spark, and the ideas are there but it feels like Waters stretched himself too thin, at least that is my opinion, and even Eric Clapton cannot raise this material above interesting but not compelling.

Nick Mason did release a solo album 'Ficitious Sports' but I never heard it and Richard Wright released two solo albums 'Wet Dream' and 'Broken China', which were both ok, at best.

Listen for yourself bro. I'm not saying that Pros & Cons will top The Wall, but it's still an interesting listen if you like that style.

ultmetal wrote:

Listen for yourself bro. I'm not saying that Pros & Cons will top The Wall, but it's still an interesting listen if you like that style.

It is funny how we both listened to the same albums ( Pros and Cons/Amused) and have such different opinions.

Like the man said MG, you have to listen to the album and make up your mind.

I'm sure that's what I'll do. I'm in no hurry to get anything be either one just yet, but I've been on a Floyd kick lately and started wondering about their solo stuff.

I've seen Gilmour's last solo album in the used bin at the local FYE since forever now but I'm sure that if I go back for it now that I want to check it out, it'll be gone. Murphy's Law or something, right?

MetalGuy71 wrote:

I'm sure that's what I'll do. I'm in no hurry to get anything be either one just yet, but I've been on a Floyd kick lately and started wondering about their solo stuff.

I've seen Gilmour's last solo album in the used bin at the local FYE since forever now but I'm sure that if I go back for it now that I want to check it out, it'll be gone. Murphy's Law or something, right?

I have not heard the last Gilmour album but his other two were really good, but I personally donot spin them very often, but I think if you would enjoy his work over Waters

Gilmour's first solo album "DAVID GILMOUR" is a really great record that I've owned on LP, Cassette, CD and Remastered-CD.

"About Face" is nearly as good.

"On An Island" is very mellow, nice, but kinda slight. Not bad, but a lesser effort.

I'm not really into Waters solo material (or the last couple Floyd albums when he took over complete control). He either depresses or irritates me to no end.

S.D. wrote:

Gilmour's first solo album "DAVID GILMOUR" is a really great record that I've owned on LP, Cassette, CD and Remastered-CD.

"About Face" is nearly as good.

"On An Island" is very mellow, nice, but kinda slight. Not bad, but a lesser effort.

I'm not really into Waters solo material (or the last couple Floyd albums when he took over complete control). He either depresses or irritates me to no end.

I'm with ya on that one! Though, I did like the Radio KAOS album.

chewie wrote:

S.D. wrote:

Gilmour's first solo album "DAVID GILMOUR" is a really great record that I've owned on LP, Cassette, CD and Remastered-CD.

"About Face" is nearly as good.

"On An Island" is very mellow, nice, but kinda slight. Not bad, but a lesser effort.

I'm not really into Waters solo material (or the last couple Floyd albums when he took over complete control). He either depresses or irritates me to no end.

I'm with ya on that one! Though, I did like the Radio KAOS album.

I am on the opposite side of the fence, musically Gilmour's first two solo albums are more entertaining, but lyrically I think Waters has alot more to say, he happens to be one of my favorite lyricist, I do not find him depressing at all, I think his lyrics are very deep and IMo 'Amused to Death' is the best solo album by any of the members of Pink Floyd, and liked this album better then 'A Momentary Lapse of Reason' and "Division Bell'

manny wrote:

chewie wrote:

S.D. wrote:

Gilmour's first solo album "DAVID GILMOUR" is a really great record that I've owned on LP, Cassette, CD and Remastered-CD.

"About Face" is nearly as good.

"On An Island" is very mellow, nice, but kinda slight. Not bad, but a lesser effort.

I'm not really into Waters solo material (or the last couple Floyd albums when he took over complete control). He either depresses or irritates me to no end.

I'm with ya on that one! Though, I did like the Radio KAOS album.

I am on the opposite side of the fence, musically Gilmour's first two solo albums are more entertaining, but lyrically I think Waters has alot more to say, he happens to be one of my favorite lyricist, I do not find him depressing at all, I think his lyrics are very deep and IMo 'Amused to Death' is the best solo album by any of the members of Pink Floyd, and liked this album better then 'A Momentary Lapse of Reason' and "Division Bell'

Really? Interesting......... I like both those PF albums(that Turning Away song makes me wanna punch someone, though, UGH!!!!!).

Waters and Gilmour are better "together" than separate. I'm not really into lyrics, but musically I prefer Gilmour's solo material.

S.D. wrote:

Waters and Gilmour are better "together" than separate. I'm not really into lyrics, but musically I prefer Gilmour's solo material.

Musically, at least on the first two Gilmour solo albums I agree, I listen to the lyrics to someone like Waters, and lyrically I prefer him over Gilmour.

I have all three of Gilmour's solo releases. I think the first two are just average. I hardly ever listen to them. But I do think the first one (David Gilmour) is better than the second. The second (About Face) is too 80s. "On An Island" is the most interesting, I think. But it's super mellow. Not a bad thing, except that if I'm a bit tired it might put me to sleep.

For Waters' material, I only have "The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking." I think it's pretty great actually, and I do think that Clapton has some really choice guitar work. If I recall, his solo in "Sexual Revolution" is really cool.

I also have Wright's "Broken China." I like this more than Gilmour's first two solo records. It feels a bit more Floydian as well; definitely relaxing, laid back music. But well written.

I like Davids solo work better..

Just over 3 years since I posed this question and I can say wholeheartedly that Gilmour has emerged as the victor here.

All 3 of his solo works have received fairly regular spins from me whereas I haven't fully latched on to Water's Pros & Cons of Hitchhiking, nor have I bothered to investigate anything further from Roger's solo output.

Even Syd Barrett's The Madman Laughs, in all it's weirdness, tends to get more airplay than Pros & Cons.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Just over 3 years since I posed this question and I can say wholeheartedly that Gilmour has emerged as the victor here.

All 3 of his solo works have received fairly regular spins from me whereas I haven't fully latched on to Water's Pros & Cons of Hitchhiking, nor have I bothered to investigate anything further from Roger's solo output.

Even Syd Barrett's The Madman Laughs, in all it's weirdness, tends to get more airplay than Pros & Cons.

The Madcap Laughs is by far the best Pink Floyd guy solo album

Boris2008 wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Just over 3 years since I posed this question and I can say wholeheartedly that Gilmour has emerged as the victor here.

All 3 of his solo works have received fairly regular spins from me whereas I haven't fully latched on to Water's Pros & Cons of Hitchhiking, nor have I bothered to investigate anything further from Roger's solo output.

Even Syd Barrett's The Madman Laughs, in all it's weirdness, tends to get more airplay than Pros & Cons.

The Madcap Laughs is by far the best Pink Floyd guy solo album

It's not an album that I'd spin regularly on it's own, but when it's mixed into a playlist of other Floyd-related material, it blends in just fine.

Resurrecting an old thread with the news that Waters' "Amused to Death" is being re-released in the now typical CD+Blu-Ray package. Vinyl is also en route.

This album is a personal favorite, so I'm very much looking forward to hearing it with whatever audio tweaking they've applied to it.

http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/sony-to-issue-roger-waters-amused-to-death-on-cdblu-ray-and-2lp/

For me personally I prefer Gilmour over Waters because.. I like his voice, In fact I love his voice & don't care for Waters singing at all. + he is an excellent guitar player.

I know Waters was the main song writer in Floyd, But it is Gilmour who took the songs to the next level. I just wish Waters let Gilmour sing all of them.

Bowie & Ronson fall in the same category. Bowie wrote the songs but Ronson made them better, imho.

So I would buy Gilmour before Waters.. I have 3 Gilmour albums & never even considered buying anything by Waters..

Agree with S.D.  The 1st Gilmour is the one you need, A really great album.

I have to vote Waters, but I also know he's a tough pill to swallow sometimes. Yeah, he doesn't have the voice (particularly now) and he doesn't always arrange the music well left to his own devices, but my problem with Gilmour's solo material is that it always seems so... ephemeral.

There's just no substance to it. At least in the Gilmour-led Floyd albums, there's a cast of millions in the writing credits to give it heft (which says a lot that the original group of four and later Waters alone created their best known material before that), but his solo stuff just feels kind of airy and insubstantial to me. Don't get me wrong, it can be pretty as hell - downright gorgeous even. But, dig deeper and there's nothing to hold your attention.

I will confess that there are some songs on About Face I really dig which were co-writes with Pete Townshend and those make me wonder what a full album of collaboration between those two would have been like. I suspect it would have been amazing.

Oh, and for a lesser known treat: Gilmour played lead guitar on Paul McCartney's "Run Devil Run" album, which is all old rock tunes. I have a boot of them playing it basically cover to cover live at The Cavern and it's tremendous. You can tell he's having a lot of fun just being a side-man.

Runicen wrote:

Oh, and for a lesser known treat: Gilmour played lead guitar on Paul McCartney's "Run Devil Run" album, which is all old rock tunes.  I have a boot of them playing it basically cover to cover live at The Cavern and it's tremendous.  You can tell he's having a lot of fun just being a side-man.

Is that the show where ian paice played drums?

Runicen wrote:

I will confess that there are some songs on About Face I really dig which were co-writes with Pete Townshend and those make me wonder what a full album of collaboration between those two would have been like.  I suspect it would have been amazing.

Too bad that did not happen, It could have been huge.