Pink Floyd
A Momentary Lapse Of Reason

"There was a group I led and did most of the work for a long time. The Floyd already lasted ten years longer than they should have, because there was the convenience of the famous name, the money flowing, the success". (Roger Waters).

A brief historical note seems necessary. After September 1986, when David Gilmour - in agreement with Nick Mason - had communicated to Roger Waters their intention to record a new album and resume touring, the bassist was adamant in expressing his denial. In fact, on October 31 of the same year, he initiated proceedings in the Supreme Court in London, aiming for the definitive dissolution of the company "Pink Floyd Music Ltd", thereby preventing the other former members from using the band's name. The Court provisionally ruled in favor of Waters in December '86, but in February of the following year, DJ Tommy Vance announced that Gilmour and Mason, winning the appeal, had obtained the right to use the name Pink Floyd for upcoming albums and shows. 

The recordings for the new album had already begun in September 1986, and Rick Wright's involvement was possible due to Waters' absence. A glance at the album cover, conceived by Storm Thorgerson who had already envisioned "Animals" in 1977, reveals that the flavor they aim to achieve smells of Pink Floyd from start to finish. For the compositional contribution, they turned to Anthony Moore (ex Slapp Happy), Phil Manzanera (Roxy Music), and among others, the capable Jon Carin (does anyone remember the smash hit "State Of The Nation" by Industry?), while for the rhythmic pairing, Tony Levin and the two drummers Jim Keltner and Carmine Appice complete the team for an exciting teamwork effort.

The opening is left to background noises reminiscent of rippling water, oars propelling a weary boat (recalling the beginnings of the recordings on the Astoria, Gilmour's boat moored on the Thames), with the sublime sound of keyboards bridging towards "Learning To Fly". The track flows seamlessly, pleasantly immersing us in a mix of sounds where the polished vocal interpretation blends with the careful and catchy instrumental arrangement, demonstrating the easy identification of a sound that has made history. The roar of "The Dogs of War" seems to reconnect — at least lyrically — to the social themes Waters was so attached to, even though the best part seems to belong to the sax, in an inspired interlude of notes that, combined with the background choruses, contribute to making it a suitable track to capture even more in a live performance. "One Slip" (complete with an initial bell) has the task of maintaining the album's quality, which, thanks to the rhythmic unease conveyed by the verse and the lively, never trite accompaniment of the classic six-string, manages to satisfy the listener.

This is an album in which Gilmour's guitar is fully recognizable and there's a single voice handling the entire work, but this is certainly not an album that can aspire to the title of a Floydian classic. The listening continues with tracks that can't be blamed for insufficient writing or unsuitable production, since even while listening to the instrumental "Terminal Frost" with its acceptable repetitiveness, or playing "Yet Another Movie", the gentle atmosphere of visionariness that has always characterized the band's sound genuinely manifests itself. The interludes named "A New Machine" (pt. 1 and 2, of course) emphasize the desire for a certain mood that finds its ideal expression in the concluding tracks (one per side, remember, we're on an LP?) "On The Turning Away" - which reproduces the allure of the best melodies of the past without necessarily involving "Comfortably Numb" -, and "Sorrow" where states of delirium and alienation are supported by a soundscape where Gilmour embodies the role of perfect director.

It's clear that "A Momentary Lapse Of Reason" draws the Pink Floydian vision from Gilmour's viewpoint, who, as the main protagonist, tries in every way (and succeeds) to produce an album with a clearly familiar sound that navigates elegantly through those atmospheres which, along with Waters, defined past masterpieces. The loss of the bassist, while marking the absence of a talent on one hand, is compensated by the remaining members' enthusiasm and drive to rediscover the spirit that has helped the positive aspects to far outweigh the negative ones. For a Roger who leaves, a Rick returns, and the entire band seems to have regained a creative streak and vibrancy, certainly leaving the trio more musically liberated, restoring the right symmetry between music and lyrics that in the previous works favored words more.

Not bad for the new Gilmour management which produces an album that has all the credentials to try, respectfully, to honor the past while respecting the present, seizing the opportunity to also attract new generations of fans, without forgetting that the original title was supposed to be "Delusion Of Maturity" and that only an infinite dose of English humour would lead the guitarist to that momentary instant of reasonableness that we can still appreciate today.