Pink Floyd: A Momentary Lapse Of Reason - 1987

Pink Floyd's members were arguing amongst themselves in 1987, it seems. So what's new? As a confirmed non-Floyd fan, do I really care if David hated Nick or Roger hated David? Not really, but I guess it is of importance here because they all hated Roger and had duly told him to fuck off. Or had he stropped out and left them to it? Either way, Roger, the Floyder that everyone seems to love to hate was not on this album. Some of the others only made sporadic apparances too, so it was a sort of half-and-half Pink Floyd album.

As far as I can gather, long-time Floyd aficionados were not that keen on the album, something that is always a good sign as far as I'm concerned. 

It begins, on Signs Of Life, with some ambient water noises together with some similarly chilled-out neo-classical synths. Not many signs of life here, for me, I'm afraid - all a bit hippy trippy and the sort of stuff that would find an old proggy lying on his back in a darkened room in aural ecstasy. It sounds great on my system however, so that's always good. I'm a sucker for good sound. If early Roxy Music had recorded it I would have said it was fantastic.

Things pick up somewhat on the chunky, industrial, grinding riffery of Learning To Fly, a number considerably enhanced by some razor sharp guitar interjections. It's David Gilmour who plays lead guitar, isn't it? You see by my having to ask that question that I'm not a proper Floyd person and probably not qualified to review this album, but, like the other twelve (yes twelve) offerings of theirs that I have attempted to review, I'm giving it an honest go. The vocals go a bit echoey and indistinct during the second half of the track, but there is a sort of dignified grandiosity to the overall sound that I like. 

The Dogs Of War is similarly dark, brooding and clunky, but it carries a certain power. After about three minutes the drums and Gilmour's guitar really kick in and give it some big stuff, which sounds great. Some madcap saxophone then comes along, making it even better. 

An important thing, for me, on this album is the fact that there's no bloody concept. No wittering on about Roger's father, schoolchildren not eating their meat or sheep and dogs. Thank the Lord. What we get here is a collection - with a few ambient interludes - of big production, powerful and well-constructed rock numbers. The excellent, pounding One Slip is an example of that. To me, it is recognisable as Pink Floyd even though Waters isn't singing. Why, I have even found myself drumming along on this one. Heaven help us. I like the vaguely world music-sounding percusssion bits in the background and the rubbery bassline too. Good song, this one. 

The atmospheric On The Turning Away sounds very Waters to my ears and it also has a folky majesty to its vocal refrain. It has a mass chorus bit in the middle that puts me in mind of ABBA's Like Old Friends Do. We get another great guitar solo here as well - we're treated to them on this album. Yet Another Movie is another solid, muscular track, full of mystery and evocative, synthy atmosphere. Something about parts of this get me thinking of David Bowie's late seventies instrumental output - just a bit here and there. Actually, it's not from Yet Another Movie, it is from the next track, the ambient Round And Around. This then morphs into the short vocal indulgence, A New Machine Part 1. I guess Floyd had to be Floyd eventually and start messing around with short soundscapes, breaking the satisfying flow of quality rock numbers, didn't they? The leopard doesn't change all its proggy spots. The second half of the album has become a bit patchy for that reason.

That said, the lengthy, saxophone-dominated instrumental Terminal Frost is next up, and it is excellent - very early Roxy Music. It could almost be Andy Mackay on sax. I love this number, particularly when the sax really breaks out half way through. Nice one. 

The short New Machine Part 2 leads us into the eight minute plus and initially heavy and ponderous Sorrow, a track that eventually slides nicely into a slick and appealing slow rock number, thus restoring some of the quality that we found on the first six tracks. 

While the album lost its way a tad from track 7, it ended strongly and overall is an enjoyable listen - even for me. Roger who?