David Gilmour
Live at Pompeii
(Columbia)

Live at Pompeii is a new live album (there’s accompanying DVD too) from former Pink Floydian David Gilmour. Gilmour brought his 2015-16 tour to this historic Italian venue where Pink Floyd actually played 45 years ago for their Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii (though for that documentary their wasn’t an audience in attendance save for the band’s film crew and roadies).

Opening with the sweet guitar bends of  “5 A.M,” into the acoustic jangle of the Parisian-tinged (complete with João Mello’s saxophone leading) “Faces Of Stone,” Gilmour starts off with stuff from his most recent studio album, Rattle That Lock.

We get the first rockin’, and the first Floyd (though a later Floyd) track, with the funky “What Do You Want From Me?” complete with high-flying female backing vocals. Then Gilmour goes even further back for “The Great Gig in the Sky.” Though it’s hard to take on this classic Floyd piece without Rick Wright around to man Gilmour’s piano any longer, Gilmour’s backing vocalists (even one male member) all step up for the iconic moaning vocals.

“Wish You Were Here” is trotted out here, and though Gilmour’s vocal still sounds perfect on this old gem, it’s the audience singing along that will give you the chills.

The newer, and one could argue, slightly obscure “High Hopes,” is allowed its full drama here. “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” occurs earlier than it used to as the ubiquitous Pink Floyd ender, and a very old Floyd country nugget, “Fat Old Sun” even gets a moment in the spotlight.

Live at Pompeii presents a well-played and sung ring-around David Gilmour’s uncatalogued in an unmatched historic venue.