On the Turning Away

Gilmour takes flight on one of the standout guitar moments of Floyd’s first post-roger Waters era album. A stately acoustic sequence in G underpins this political anthem, shifting in time signatures between 4/4 and 6/4, giving it something of a Celtic feel. As bassist Guy Pratt explains in his book, My Bass And Other Animals: “It only has five chords in it, but they don’t necessarily show up where you think they will.” The guitar solo showcases the classic expansive Gilmour sound, with heavy delay and reverb and his distinctive approach to string bends, pinched harmonics and expressive use of the tremolo arm.