Retro Spins: Pink Floyd - A Momentary Lapse Of Reason

 

By 1987, one wouldn't have expected Pink Floyd to return with another studio album. Roger Waters had departed in 1985, launching a solo career. In turn, David Gilmour returned to his own solo career, while Nick Mason joined up with Rick Fenn of 10cc to work as a duo. Everyone, except Richard Wright seemed to have moved on at this point.

Unfortunately, for David Gilmour, this was not panning out as expected. His 1985 released About Face was not making the impact needed, and the results were shows that weren't selling well, prompting several dates to be cancelled. During this time, he'd been actively writing new material, considering it for a third studio album. However, CBS representative Stephen Ralbovsky wanted a Pink Floyd record, and when he was presented with the demos in November of 1986, bluntly informed Gilmour that the music, "doesn't sound a *bleeping* thing like Pink Floyd." By the end of the year, he opted to rework the material the label found objectional.

However, when Waters started hearing about Gilmour and Mason collaborating on new material under the name of Pink Floyd, he promptly sprang into action, filing a class action lawsuit in 1986 over the band's name and music rights. This would not turn out to be financially sound for the ex-bandmate, and he'd eventually settle with the remaining members. This not only allowed them to continue on as Pink Floyd but granted Waters to retain full conceptual rights to The Wall, exclusive rights to the original inflatable pig, and he continues to own his individual songwriting and publishing rights.

Returning to the studio, the pressure was on for Gilmour and Mason. They needed a hit record. Not only to launch their comeback, but because they knew their ex-bandmate was watching. Waters felt he was the creative driving force behind the band, and there was no way that the remaining two could pull off a successful album worthy of the Pink Floyd Banner.

Upon its release, A Momentary Lapse Of Reason would outsell its predecessor and final Waters album, The Final Cut. While as a whole, it wouldn't chart as well as the previous record, it would manage to peak higher in the USA, reaching number three (versus number six of the prior).

Gilmour would tout the album as a return to Pink Floyd's earlier work, focusing on a balance between music and lyrics. This was in contrast to the concept (and more popular) era of the band, where Waters crafted poetic lyrics which often overshadowed every other aspect. Ironically, critics took notice of this, and while they gave it favorable reviews, panned the lyrics as a step backwards. Roger too took shots, calling the lyrics poor and third-rate. He labeled the album as a whole a clever forgery. 

With opinions all over the place, what's one more?

For me, it was okay. It definitely lacks the conceptual structure of previous albums, and with Water's obvious absence, also the traditional voice behind it. It's not a bad album. If anything, it achieves what previous Pink Floyd albums didn't, that being standout singles. Whereas previous albums almost necessitated hearing the record from start to finish, here, you can pick out specific songs to play without worry.

For me, that included Learning To Fly, One Slip, and the amazing, On The Turning Away. The downside to this is that since the remaining tracks don't feel like required listening, they're fairly skippable and forgettable. While I won't say it with the vicious intent of Roger Waters, at the end of the day, A Momentary Lapse Of Reason doesn't feel like a Pink Floyd album. I appreciate the hits, but it's missing key elements. Specifically, the concept aspects, and structure that flows with that.

At the end of the day, it's great that Gilmour, Mason and Wright were able to pick up the pieces and keep the band afloat. It's also commendable that in 2013 Waters admitted that he was wrong in suing them. But, more so greater than all of that, it's just better when the four are working together. Such as the highly touted 2005 reunion at Live 8.

While fans soaked up this once in a lifetime event, behind the scenes, Gilmour and Waters continued to squabble, right down to what songs they would perform. That battle never really seemed to end, and the feud remains in full effect to this day. Despite this, the two have managed to work together a couple more times. Specifically, Waters appeared at a 2010 benefit concert at the request of Gilmour, and in turn, Gilmour promised to, and appeared at a 2011 concert with Waters. However, these appear to be nothing more than favors they did for each other, a mutual transaction so to speak.

The three-man lineup would release two additional albums, 1994's The Division Bell, and 2014's The Endless River. Sadly, the latter would only feature Wright posthumously, having passed away in 2008 from lung cancer.

Though Pink Floyd never officially retired, they haven't been active since their 2022 single, Hey Hey, Rise Up!, in support of Ukraine. Waters concluded his This Is Not A Drill farewell tour in 2023, and he too seems to have stepped away from the stage. With all three members in their 80's, perhaps its best to spend the rest of their years enjoying the fruits of their labors. One certainly can't say it's been for nothing. They remain legends of the music industry, with songs that will live on long past all of us.

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Retro Spins: Pink Floyd - The Final Cut

I toughed a little bit on the legacy band, Pink Floyd when I played through their debut album, The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn. While it wasn't my first exposure to them, it was my first, and to date, only Retro Spin on the band.

Today, I'm diving into their 80's era of music. At first glance, it may seem odd how they can produce eleven studio albums between 1967 and 1979, but only two between 1980 and 1989. However, events in play were definitely the driving force in that regard, and hopefully by the end of this post, for those of you who don't already know (I'm sure you all know), it will make sense.

When Roger Waters began working on the tracks that would become 1983's The Final Cut, he initially conceived a soundtrack and expansion of the feature film, The Wall, based on their opus album from 1979. However, he'd quickly change course when the undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom erupted in 1982.

It would be released to mixed reviews and become Floyd's lowest selling album to date since 1971's Meddle. Despite this, it would still peak at number one in the UK, as well as four other countries. It would also land in the top five in four other countries and reach number six in the USA. All and all, that's not bad for a low selling record.

The Final Cut is fantastic from a creative perspective. It delivers that solid Pink Floyd song made iconic with Dark Side Of The Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977), and The Wall (1979), and this is certainly appealing. Ironically, the aforementioned David Gilmour led Not Now John was probably my favorite.

With that said, what you won't find here is a top ten hit, or anything that's necessarily radio friendly. Then again, their legacy was never one really built on the Billboard Hot 100, having only five songs over their storied careers to actually chart, none of which came from this album.

I also discovered in my listening session that between 1983 and 2003, any version you bought of this album would have twelve tracks, while as of 2004, it included thirteen, having added, When The Tigers Broke Free. This song was apparently initially intended for The Wall but rejected. When The Final Cut came back around for re-release, Waters and the producers felt it fit perfectly, and added it.

All tracks were credited to Roger Waters, who also provided lead vocals on all but one song, Not Now John. As a result, he looked at it more as a solo project rather than an album from the band. This perhaps only served to fuel Waters own ego, as he considered himself more and more the driving force behind the band. By 1985, intense creative friction, ideological clashes, and a struggle for artistic control were at the forefront. Believing the band was creatively spent and that the Pink Floyd brand was inherently tied to his own songwriting, he resigned hoping to dissolve the group, though the remaining members continued without him.

With his departure, David Gilmour would focus on his solo career, releasing his second studio album, and only release in the 80's, About Face (1984). Waters in turn went on to his own solo career, releasing his debut, The Pros and Cons Of Hitch Hiking (1984). Nick Mason also sought other projects, teaming up with Rick Fenn to release their duo debut, Profiles in 1985. Despite each member actively working on other projects, Pink Floyd was not done, and with its resurgence would come a continued rift between Waters and his prior bandmates, as well as a lawsuit over the name and rights of the music.

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Retro Spins: Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

 

As I continue to listen to the music of the late sixties, I can't help but think that Elvis Presley was on to something. This music is weird. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure if you're blitzed out of your mind on some form of conscious altering medicinal that the music makes perfect sense. However, for those of us not riding white dragons, it's just odd.

What I think is really interesting about this particular era of music is how influential Indian music is. You hear a lot of sitars and in general a very Hindu style intertwined with the psychedelic sounds. Pink Floyd captures this perfectly, if you could call it perfect, in their debut album, The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn.

My exposure thus far to the band has been to their album, The Wall, which I think everyone should listen to at least once, and a slight dabble in their album The Dark Side Of The Moon. Essentially, their two most popular recordings.

Though all of the members of Pink Floyd were crucial in their success, original guitarist, Syd Barrett, may have been the driving force of the band during its early years. Barrett not only developed the sound of the band, but was also the major contributing writer of all of their material. Sadly, the guitarist / vocalist had a deeper issue, one which would see the decline of his mental health over the course of 1965 - 1968. This would lead to issues with other band members, and the decision was made to let him go. Unfortunately, this also resulted in the band being fired from their label, who felt Barrett was the creative talent among them. The label retained Barrett, who sporadically continued on with a solo career until 1972. However, his declining mental health ultimately led to him stepping out of the spotlight. Despite this, the band ensured he continued to receive royalties for his work up until his death in 2006.

As for the remaining members, and the band itself, Pink Floyd is regarded as one of the most influential group of the 60's and 70's, helping to shape the era known these days as Classic Rock. In 1996, David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Rick Wright, Roger Waters and even Syd Barrett, as Pink Floyd, were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Interestingly, neither Roger Waters nor Syd Barrett attended the ceremony.

Listening to A Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, I immediately could tell this was going to be on par with the sounds of the era, odd lyrics and all, such as:

Lazing in the foggy dew
Sitting on a unicorn
No fair, you can't hear me
But I can you

Watching buttercups cup the light
Sleeping on a dandelion
Too much
I won't touch you But then I might

Yeah, true lyrics to the song, Flaming. In hindsight, it's so cliche to the 60's. It's the kind of words that would be used in a Dewy Cox song. Knowing the history of Syd Barrett, it also paints a clear picture of a man who was on the edge of a mental collapse.

The album was both intriguing and unimpressive at the same time. Some songs really sucked me in, while others I shrugged off as your typical fare of the era. I did enjoy it enough that I felt it was an album I would want to add to my collection, but not necessarily as any sort of priority. So instead, I purchased an original pressing of Culture Club's Kissing To Be Clever, to replace my remastered edition. Still, I enjoyed it enough that I wouldn't mind hearing more from the band.

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