Saturday, March 7, 2020

Pink Floyd - Delicate Sound of Thunder (Live) (1988) | Album Review, Fun Facts & Trivia

Pink Floyd - Delicate Sound of Thunder (Live) (1988)

Front and back image album covers of album Delicate Sound of Thunder of 1988

Pink Floyd – Delicate Sound of Thunder (Live) (1988)

The Explosive Comeback Live Album That Reclaimed the Pink Floyd Legacy

Released on November 22, 1988, Delicate Sound of Thunder is Pink Floyd’s first live album and a powerful statement of rebirth. Captured during the massive 1987–1989 world tour supporting A Momentary Lapse of Reason, the album showcased the post-Roger Waters lineup proving they could still fill stadiums worldwide.

With stunning performances of classic 1970s material alongside newer tracks, this live release reaffirmed Pink Floyd’s place among the biggest bands in rock history.

Album Overview

Artist: Pink Floyd
Album: Delicate Sound of Thunder
Release Date: November 22, 1988
Recorded: August 1988
Venue: Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York
Genre: Progressive rock, art rock
Length: 101:52 (Original double LP/CD)
Label: EMI (UK), Columbia (US)
Producer: David Gilmour

Background and Context

Following legal battles with Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason, and returning member Richard Wright launched a global tour in 1987 to support A Momentary Lapse of Reason.

The tour became one of the highest-grossing rock tours of the late 1980s, featuring:

Massive stage productions
State-of-the-art lighting and lasers
Circular projection screen (a Floyd trademark)
Elaborate inflatable props

Delicate Sound of Thunder was recorded over multiple nights at Nassau Coliseum and mixed to capture the scale and precision of the band’s live sound.

Tracklist

Disc One

Shine On You Crazy Diamond
Learning to Fly
Yet Another Movie
Round and Around
Sorrow
The Dogs of War
On the Turning Away

Disc Two

One of These Days
Time
On the Run
The Great Gig in the Sky
Wish You Were Here
Welcome to the Machine
Us and Them
Money
Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)
Comfortably Numb
Run Like Hell

(Expanded editions later included additional tracks.)

Band Lineup & Credits

Pink Floyd Members

David Gilmour – Lead vocals, guitars
Nick Mason – Drums
Richard Wright – Keyboards, backing vocals

Touring Musicians

Jon Carin – Keyboards, vocals
Tim Renwick – Guitars
Guy Pratt – Bass, vocals
Scott Page – Saxophone
Rachel Fury, Durga McBroom, Margaret Taylor – Backing vocals

Production

Producer: David Gilmour
Engineering & Mixing: James Guthrie

Notably, this album marked Richard Wright’s full return to Pink Floyd following his departure during The Wall era.

Commercial Performance (Grossing & Sales)

Delicate Sound of Thunder was a major commercial success:

US Billboard 200: #11
UK Albums Chart: #11
Certified 2× Platinum in the United States
Sold millions of copies worldwide

The 1987–1989 tour itself grossed over $135 million, making it one of the highest-grossing tours of its era.

Critical Reception & Ratings

Reception was generally positive:

Praised for technical precision
Applauded for reviving classic Floyd material
Some critics felt it lacked spontaneity compared to earlier live recordings

Retrospective Ratings:

AllMusic: 3.5/5
Frequently considered a strong live document of the Gilmour-led era

The 2019 remixed and expanded edition received even stronger praise for improved sound quality and expanded tracklist.

Musical Highlights

🔥 Standout Performances

“Comfortably Numb” – Widely regarded as one of Gilmour’s greatest live guitar solos
“Shine On You Crazy Diamond” – Powerful opener reconnecting to the band’s golden era
“Time” – A dynamic performance with impressive vocal harmonies
“Sorrow” – Enhanced with thunderous live production

The album balances newer material with 1970s classics, bridging eras seamlessly.

Fun Facts & Trivia

🎵 Did You Know?

It was the first live album released by Pink Floyd.
The tour marked the band’s return after a five-year absence.
The album was mixed digitally — relatively advanced for the late 1980s.
The concert film version was released on VHS and later remastered in 2019.
“Comfortably Numb” from this tour is often cited as one of Gilmour’s best live solos ever.
Richard Wright technically earned more from the tour than Waters, since Wright was a salaried member during The Wall but a full participant in this tour.