David Gilmour's 1978 Solo Debut: Floyd Cameos and Mixed Reviews

Recorded during a Pink Floyd hiatus that followed the Animals tour and preceded the tension of The Wall, David Gilmour’s first solo album came out in May 1978. Two other Floyd members showed up: Rick Wright played piano and organ on “There’s No Way Out of Here” and “So Far Away”, and Nick Mason drummed on the bluesy “I Can’t Breathe Anymore” – the only track he plays on. Roger Waters had no involvement, and the album was produced by Gilmour himself.

Critical reception was lukewarm. Rolling Stone called it “a quiet, unassuming record that never quite catches fire”, while NME dismissed it as “a pleasant but inconsequential doodle”. Fans and some reviewers noted the LP lacked the conceptual ambition of Pink Floyd and sounded more like a laid-back guitar showcase. Still, it reached No. 17 in the UK and No. 29 in the US, and has since been re-evaluated as a warm, understated collection that shows Gilmour’s songwriting away from the Floyd machine.