Pink Floyd - A Momentary Lapse of Reason

Mainly good as background music

Yes, yes, everyone knows this is not part of the "golden era" of Pink Floyd, which really runs from Dark Side through to The Wall. This album is a bit gimmicky and of course it only sold as well as it did because it was issued under the name Pink Floyd, rather than David Gilmour. All of this is very true.

On the other hand, the critics absolutely panned this album as being nothing more than watered-down dreck. I think this was a bit much, because this is not a "bad" album. In fact, I think it is FAR better than "The Final Cut" (that one was really a stinker).

I just listened to this today while I made dinner. It was pleasant background music, and "Learning to Fly" and "Dogs of War" do sort of rock when played loud. The rest of the album is basically one long and inoffensive, high-tech (for 1987) piece of music which is divided into approximately 5 minute tracks to create the illusion of a proper album.

However, I cannot say this is a "bad" album. It is just not one you are going to find yourself playing very often. September 7, 2008

The disc for dad

One of their worst no doubt, perhaps not as abysmal as some make it out, but does that really say anything? This late 80's backfired comeback is drenched in lifeless production, half-cooked experimentation, and exploited past glories (particularly how Gilmour tries in vain again and again to relive the heights of his "Comfortably Numb" guitar solo throughout these hollow compositions), producing their definitive over-50 album for tailgate parties. August 28, 2008

A solid imitation of Floyd's most popular period

Much as The Final Cut was largely a Roger Waters solo album with other members contributing as session members, the same can be said for Momentary Lapse and David Gilmour. Momentary Lapse does sound more like a 70s Floyd album than The Final Cut did, but this is at least partly because Gilmour and Bob Ezrin tried really hard to make it sound that way. Waters referred to it as a "pretty fair forgery" and that is not a bad description.

That said, Waters's description includes "fair" as well as "forgery". This is an enjoyable album and, aside from the abysmal "The Dogs of War", doesn't include any real duds. Historical revisionism has tended to exaggerate Waters's importance in the band's music; through 1975, he was just one of four key contributors. The two instrumentals are very good, and "Sorrow" comes pretty close to classic status. Some might be disappointed that the album isn't all doom and gloom ("On the Turning Away", "One Slip"), but before 1973 Pink Floyd covered a much wider range of emotional ground.

I wouldn't recommend getting this until you have most of Floyd's other work. It's a poor substitute for Dark Side or Wish You Were Here. The Division Bell, made by the same crew 7 years later, is a superior effort. But if you have those albums and really want something that sounds like 70s Pink Floyd under the Pink Floyd name, this album probably won't disappoint. August 3, 2008

Under appreciated

People may say I am not a true Floyd fan, but I prefer Gilmour to Waters, Gilmour has such a powerful command of melody - true he lacks Waters' lyrical genius, but this is still an excellent album that quite simply needs to be fully experienced. It is deep, hypnotic, and beautiful. June 19, 2008

Good...

I'm not going to lie and say that I like this better than Dark Side of the Moon, Wish you Were Here, Animals, The wall, or The Division Bell. This album, however, is very good. It is missing Waters as a lyrcist, which is to bad, however Gilmour and Wright do a fairly good job writing the music. This album is somewhat a precursor to the better album, Division Bell. This CD is very good. May 3, 2008

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