David Gilmour feeling pretty proud of his latest solo album, Luck and Strange, which is due out September 6. In fact, the longtime Pink Floyd guitarist believes the record is his best work in more than a half century.
In a new interview with Prog magazine, as posted by GuitarWorld.com, Gilmour said he believed Luck and Strange is better than anything he’s released since one of Pink Floyd’s most acclaimed album. “It’s over 50 years now since The Dark Side of the Moon,” he noted. “My feeling is that this album is the best album I’ve made in all those years since 1973 when The Dark Side of the Moon came out.”
Luck and Strange is Gilmour’s first solo album since 2015, when he released Rattle That Lock. The 78-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer said working with a partially new team of collaborators has helped him take a fresh approach to making new music. That team includes producer Charlie Andrew, known for his work with British indie-rock act Alt-J. Andrew co-produced Luck and Strange with Gilmour.
Gilmour told Prog that one of the attributes he appreciates about Andrew is that he isn’t afraid to assert his opinion in the studio.
“When you have achieved the higher levels of success, most of the people that come into your sphere are going to look to you,” David explained. “They’re not going to be like Charlie—Charlie is the kind of refreshing thing that you want to have happen to you.”
Gilmour revealed that he already is plotting a follow-up album with the same group of musicians and studio collaborators, after he finishes touring in support of Luck and Strange.
“Our plan is just to get this one out and run it and then do another one straight away,” he told Prog. “I will be working with all these people again. I’ve had this problem in the past, of wanting to throw myself in the studio with a few people and just kick stuff around, but not knowing who those people should be.
He continued, “And that is now a pressure that’s evaporated, because I’ve got these phone numbers. It feels like a team and I love being in a team—I didn’t choose to be a solo artist.”
Gilmour’s 2024 tour in support of Luck and Strange kicks off with a six-concert engagement in Rome that runs from September 27 to October 3. He’ll play six more shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London from October 9 to October 15.
After that Gilmour will head to the U.S. He’ll play an October 25 show at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, followed by October 29, 30, and 31 concerts at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. David’s confirmed 2024 itinerary will wrap up with a five-show stand at Madison Square Garden in New York City that’s scheduled from November 4 to November 10.
Tickets for Gilmour’s concerts can be purchased now via a variety of outlets, including StubHub.