“The solo in Comfortably Numb is actually a first take!”

INSIDE THE WORLD OF DAVID GILMOUR AND PINK FLOYD, BY PRODUCER BOB EZRIN

- Paul Elliott

When Pink Floyd recorded their classic double album The Wall, producer Bob Ezrin watched as David Gilmour played what is arguably his greatest solo in Comfortably Numb. It was, as he now recalls, a magical moment that still gives him chills. Ezrin made his name as a producer with a string of albums that made Alice Cooper a superstar in the early 70s. In that decade he also worked with Lou Reed and Kiss, before taking on the monumental task of co-producing The Wall in 1979. Five years later he reunited with David Gilmour for the guitarist’s second solo album About Face, and their understanding led to Ezrin co-producing all three studio albums from Pink Floyd’s post-Roger Waters era: A Momentary Lapse Of Reason (1987), The Division Bell (1994) and The Endless River (2014). More recently he has continued working with Alice Cooper and fellow rock legends Deep Purple.

Speaking to TG, he offers his insight into the making of The Wall and Gilmour’s role in it. He describes the unique atmosphere of recording Floyd on the guitarist’s houseboat Astoria. And he assesses the special qualities which, in his words, make David Gilmour the greatest guitar player of them all.

When did you first become aware of Pink Floyd?

I was introduced to Floyd by the members of the Alice Cooper band when I first worked with them in Detroit in 1971. They had two favourite bands. One was Pink Floyd and the other was T.Rex. So I really became aware of Pink Floyd through the album Atom Heart Mother, and later, like everybody else in the world, I was entranced with The