Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

David Gilmour: Rattle That Lock Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 16, 2017

In a rare example of me cutting to the chase, if you're a David Gilmour fan and don't have this release, I'd immediately click the "Buy Now" button if this release is as significantly discounted (over 50%) as it is at the time of pushing this review live. My recent David Gilmour: Live at Pompeii Blu-ray review prompted a reader to ask if I knew about this older Sony release, which I actually didn't, and I was a little gobsmacked to see how cheap it was, considering the fact that it looked from marketing descriptions to be at least in the same ballpark as some of the other Pink Floyd and Gilmour Blu-ray offerings, many of which are rather nicely packaged and come with some fun non-disc swag. That's most definitely the case with this release, which offers lossless audio of Gilmour's Rattle That Lock album, as well as both audio and audio-visual "supplements" on a Blu-ray disc, along with a CD and quite a bit of other assorted goodies.

As with at least some of both Pink Floyd and Gilmour’s solo material, there’s both text and subtext at play on the songs on Rattle That Lock, with Gilmour’s typically dense, rich imagery melding beautifully with impeccably layered instrumentals. The title song features a lyric by Gilmour’s wife Polly Samson, and its connection to John Milton’s Paradise Lost is reinforced by a miniature hardback book version of Book II of the venerable poem which is included with this release.

David Gilmour: Rattle That Lock Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

David Gilmour Rattle That Lock has video elements that are presented via an AVC encoded 1080p transfer (mostly) in 1.78:1. As the "fine print" indicates on the back of this release, the Barn Jams were sourced from standard definition, and what looks to be perhaps interlaced at that, given some recurrent combing artifacts. The fuzziness of the Barn Jams is probably the least appealing video element of this release, which otherwise offers a really sharp looking accounting of the animated music videos, as well as more current interview and/or talking head sequences.

David Gilmour: Rattle That Lock Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

David Gilmour Rattle That Lock features the complete album in both 5.1 and stereo mixes, offered via PCM 2.0, PCM 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks (all at 96/24). I noticed no substantial difference between the two surround tracks, and both offered superb accountings of Gilmour's often multilayered foundational elements. In somewhat the same way I felt about some of the Pompeii concert offerings, there's an almost ambient feeling to some of these tunes that wafts almost magically in the surround mixes. The stereo mix offers a different though enjoyable rendering, with vocals that might be slightly more forward sounding. Fidelity is superb across the board, supporting all frequency ranges effortlessly.

All of the "supplements" listed in section below feature LPCM 2.0 tracks which obviously don't offer the spaciousness of the album's surround tracks, but which sound nicely full bodied, especially in the kind of "fly on the wall" Barn Jam sequences.

David Gilmour: Rattle That Lock Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

I'm placing this data in this section since on the disc it's called "Extras", even though for some Blu-ray consumers this will probably be the main focus, aside from the high definition audio.

Extras (1080p; 1:51:09)

• Barn Jam 1
• Barn Jam 2
• Barn Jam 3
• Barn Jam 4
• The Animators - Alisdair + Jock features Gilmour talking about sampling a PSA announcement at French train stations.
• Film: Rattle That Lock is a really cool looking music video that kind of combines the styles of William Blake and Edward Gorey. See screenshots 5 and 10.
• The Animators - Danny Madden has some nice black and white footage of a Gilmour recording session.
• Film: The Girl in the Yellow Dress is another really appealing animated music video, this one with a style that reminded me somewhat of Chico & Rita. See screenshot 2.
• Polly Samson and David Gilmour at the Borris House Festival of Writing & Ideas
• The Making of Rattle that Lock has some good behind the scenes production footage.

The rest of the choices under the Extras menu are audio only and are part of the total timing above (the disc is authored with all of the "supplements" lumped together):

• Rattle That Lock Extended Mix
• The Girl in the Yellow Dress Orchestral Version
• Rattle That Lock Youth Dub (12" Extended Radio Dub)
• Rattle That Lock Radio Edit

Additionally, this release comes housed in an attractive box that is very much in line with both David Gilmour: Live at Pompeii and even Pink Floyd: The Endless River. Inside is the aforementioned Book II of Paradise Lost (with evocative Gustav Dore engravings as endpapers), and another miniature hardback book that contains lots of pictures, lyrics for the songs, and production data. Along with a CD, the package also includes a poster, postcard and custom guitar pick.

David Gilmour: Rattle That Lock Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Rattle That Lock has been a rather pleasant surprise from a musical standpoint, and this deluxe Blu-ray package is a steal in my not so humble opinion at its current price. With both non-disc and disc supplements in large supply, and sterling audio, David Gilmour Rattle That Lock comes Highly recommended.