About Face Tour, is it really that underrated?

[Floydfan2410]

Hi everybody
While watching the David Gilmour 1984 concert film I started to wonder if that tour really is so underrated and if so, why??
The more I watch it the more I like it.
Is it because it was never officially released beside the original VHS tape? Is it because Gilmour himself seems to dislike this period of his life? Or is it because people feel it's too 80s and cheesy?
Yes some of it is quite cheesy, especially the clothing and some of the songs, Blue Light in particular 😂
In fact I feel that's one of the good things about it, the cheesiness, and actually it's not really that bad compared to other acts from the same era. That was just the style back then.
But what I really want to know is how many like me who really loves this tour and the album?
Another thing about the tour is that it's more or less the only way that we can hear live versions of songs from his first two albums, and the songs are just so much better live!! I have always wondered if there is ever a chance that we will some day get to see and the complete show officially? Maybe in 2034 when the copyrights run out? Or maybe if Gilmour choses to release a great solo box set?

Anyway, I'm interested to see how many agrees 🙂

[YASHA]

Gilmore's box set, along with the new material he's currently working on, would be a smart move

[Son of Nothing]

Personally, I liked Gilmour's first solo album but never really liked anything I heard from About Face. So what I like about this tour is basically it has the only live renditions of Mihalis and Short and Sweet. This is confirmed looking back at the shows I downloaded: I generally only downloaded selected tracks and not whole shows (except for a small sample to see if I'd like the other songs).

Obviously other people's mileage may vary, but that's what you get in a thread calling for opinions, eh?

[voices2010]

the guitars and drums in out of the blue are beastly! and the bass is one of the best passages. In the video I really liked seeing the bassist's faces... the more I watched it seemed like I understood him more

[Floydfan2410]

Personally, I liked Gilmour's first solo album but never really liked anything I heard from About Face. So what I like about this tour is basically it has the only live renditions of Mihalis and Short and Sweet. This is confirmed looking back at the shows I downloaded: I generally only downloaded selected tracks and not whole shows (except for a small sample to see if I'd like the other songs).

Obviously other people's mileage may vary, but that's what you get in a thread calling for opinions, eh?

I'm perfectly fine with your opinion 🙂 and I think a lot of fans feel the same way.

[MrFender]

Personally, I liked Gilmour's first solo album but never really liked anything I heard from About Face. So what I like about this tour is basically it has the only live renditions of Mihalis and Short and Sweet. This is confirmed looking back at the shows I downloaded: I generally only downloaded selected tracks and not whole shows (except for a small sample to see if I'd like the other songs).

Obviously other people's mileage may vary, but that's what you get in a thread calling for opinions, eh?

All Lovers Are Deranged is a great track off About Face.

[Floydfan2410]

All Lovers Are Deranged is a great track off About Face.

Yes indeed! I like most of the album my favourites in no particular order are Murder, Out of the Blue, All Lovers Are Deranged, You Know I'm Right, Cruise, Let's Get Metaphysical and Near the End.... That's more or less the entire album.LOL!

[NuffM]

An insane tour for an insane record. I love both of 'em. PinkFloyd4K's version of Hammersmith is fantastic.

[mccichy]

Watched it yesterday. It's really great. The only track I didn't like was Comfortably Numb. It lacked the punch of all other versions I've heard. Though the solo was great.

[mulle]

I like both the tour and record, maybe a new mix for the album would be nice.

[Demamo]

At the time it was interesting to see Dave in a contemporary phase. Today, the nuclear songs seem very Final Cutty and boring. Near the End, All Lovers Are Deranged, Murder, and You Know I'm Right are great songs. Live was OK but I thought the sax was used to fill in the sound too often. The end of Murder on the Hammersmith Odeon show is truly amazing. It wasn't as good as the first album, but it was good at the time.

[MGoBlue1989]

I have a special place in my heart for that album and tour. It was my first PF related show and was on my birthday. I like all of it, even Blue Light. Out Of The Blue gets me every time ever since my wife told me she wanted a divorce less than a year after we had twins. It came as I'm sure you can guess... from out of the blue. 17 years later the depression and anger have left me, but the triggers are still real sometimes.

[Floydfan2410]

An insane tour for an insane record. I love both of 'em. PinkFloyd4K's version of Hammersmith is fantastic.

Yes thats the best quality I've ever seen of that concert ! And that made my hope for a new official release even stronger. I imagine they would make it look really really good with today's technology! I wonder if there are multitracks of the show?
the complete setlist is really great, they play every song from About Face and a handful from his first record plus 3 Floyd songs.

[DaveTheRave]

It sounded like David was having fun with it. He had a great band. Unfortunate that some of the lyrics on About Face are kind of weak. And then there’s Blue Light…ugh.

It’s been awhile but I think one of the best versions of Money ever is from the Bethlehem radio broadcast.

[A Prick Like You]

“I'm not very good with this funky sort of thing,
But sometimes, when the inspiration strikes, I can get down with the best of them.”

I nominate the above monologue for the absolute nadir of any Pink Floyd related release, ever. Toe-curling stuff.

Murder and Love On The Air are really good though.

[Journey Man]

Less 'underrated' more 'not rated as highly as'. The Floyd tours and his own two more recent tours have, for many, trumped the '84 shows. It's all comparative. I think at the time, and certainly I did, the tour was eagerly lapped up by fans who saw no prospect of any further Floyd shows. I saw a couple of the Hammersmith Odeon shows and really enjoyed them...but, I enjoyed the Floyd's and his 2006 shows more.