A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987) 


 

  1. Signs of Life
  2. Learning to Fly
  3. The Dogs of War
  4. One Slip
  5. On the Turning Away
  6. Yet Another Movie/Round and Round
  7. A New Machine (Part 1)
  8. Terminal Frost
  9. A New Machine (Part 2)
  10.Sorrow

 

Just in case you missed the backstory, here’s the quick version: Roger Waters, who had gradually assumed control of the band over the course of several albums, decided he was finished with Pink Floyd. Not just his involvement—he figured the band itself should be finished. After all, in his mind, he more or less was Pink Floyd. Guitarist David Gilmour disagreed. He was soon joined by drummer Nick Mason, and even keyboardist Richard Wright—who had been fired during the making of The Wall—expressed interest in coming back. The result? A bitter legal battle, divided fans, and ultimately, a court ruling that said Pink Floyd could indeed go on without Waters.

So that was the good news. The bad news? As much of a curmudgeon as Roger Waters may have been, he had a point when it came to his creative contributions. There’s a definite void on A Momentary Lapse of Reason. This doesn’t sound like the same Pink Floyd that reigned for the better part of a decade and a half. David Gilmour is an excellent guitarist—probably a better pure musician than Waters, if we’re being honest—but this band always had a unique alchemy, and without Waters, it’s clear that a major ingredient is missing.

They try, though. Maybe too hard. The album opens with Signs of Life, a dreamy instrumental that calls back to Wish You Were Here-era Floyd. The familiar washes of synths are comforting, but you almost immediately find yourself nostalgic for those older records. And when On the Turning Away comes on, it’s impossible not to notice how closely it mirrors Comfortably Numb—right down to its pacing and emotional arc.

To be fair, all of the songs are good. But that’s the catch—they feel more like entries from a David Gilmour solo project than a genuine Pink Floyd album. Which, in many ways, is exactly what this was. Had the record been released under Gilmour’s name, it probably would have been appreciated on its own merits. But under the banner of Pink Floyd, expectations are higher—and the absence of Waters looms large. (It should be noted, Waters had just released his second solo record around the same time, and to be honest, that one wasn’t particularly great either.)

As a longtime fan, I understood Waters’ frustration—but after a while, his constant public bashing of this album got old. He famously referred to it as “a pretty fair forgery,” and as much as it pains me to admit it, he wasn’t wrong.

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