The guitarist who “brought back something that seemed to have gone astray” to David Gilmour
David Gilmour is one of the most exciting guitarists out there, someone who has a knack for the actual art of guitar playing but then is also willing to take advantage of all of the technology available to create exciting and innovative sounds. This is clear in the music that Pink Floyd produced, which had excellent instrumentation at its heart but was also forward-thinking in how it utilised technology.
Gilmour admitted to this, saying, “I am not a technophobe, and I am using the latest technology today, some 30-odd years later, and I am really enjoying what some of the new technologies can offer.” He is also well aware of the balance between instrumentation and technology, saying, “At the same time, I am always aware that one can get bogged down in that technology and that it can become more than just a method.”
Gilmour has undoubtedly been making music long enough now that he can make a creative call when he relies too much on technology, to the point that the song he is crafting has lost all soul. However, another huge element that will play a part is Gilmour’s devotion towards guitar music, both new and old. Regardless of how far-reaching his music has been in the past, blues has always been at the heart of what Gilmour does.
“I am a lover of all sorts of music,” he said, “There’s a distinct blues influence within what I do, but at the same time, I am not frightened to step out of that. I don’t even think whether I play the blues or not, I just play whatever feels right at the moment.”
Subsequently, it’s no surprise that when Gilmour was talking about the music that means a lot to him, he reeled off a number of excellent blues musicians at the drop of a hat. “For me, it was Leadbelly through B.B. King,” he said. These kinds of musicians who played the blues and eventually branched into R&B are often called some of the best guitarists to ever take to the stage, and it’s easy to see why. They are some of the most romantic musicians out there, conveying emotion in an instrument like a storyteller does with their words.
Of course, music develops, and from R&B came rock, something which Gilmour also sees as a turning point in music and a constant influence. “Eric Clapton, Roy Buchanan, Jeff Beck, Eddie Van Halen and anyone you care to mention,” he says, paying homage to some of his favourite rock musicians. There is one, though, who particularly stands out to Gilmour, who also utilised modern technology while achieving an exciting sound in their guitar playing.
“Mark Knopfler has a lovely, refreshing guitar style. He brought back something that seemed to have gone astray in guitar playing,” said Gilmour. Knopfler is indeed a particular favourite of the musicians; in fact, as he ran through his favourite albums of all time, the band’s debut self-titled record appeared on the list.
“These days, I don’t listen to other people with the objective of trying to steal their licks,” he said when talking about the musicianship of Knopfler, “Although I’ve got no objections to stealing them if that seems like a good idea. I’m sure that I’m still influenced by Mark Knopfler.”
