THE FINAL CUT

This album is absolutely gorgeous. I think from the beginning, the voice of Roger Waters is completely captivating, drawing you right into the emotion of the music. While there are vocalists I like better that aren't on this website, I think my favorite "prog" vocalist is Roger Waters. I don't agree with the themes of this album (I think war is a sad but real necessity), and yet all of this touches me. The music rises and falls at the right time. I love the patriotic sound of "When the Tigers Broke Free," ironic though it may be. The guitar in places is so powerful, I hardly have words for it. My favorite song is "The Gunner's Dream," which starts off with gentle piano, sad singing, and then the coolest part ever, how the singing turns into a saxophone so seamlessly. There's a lot of piano throughout the album, and it's beautiful; in fact, I find all the music to be moving and calming at the same time. If I had to criticize anything, I would say that the first half "The Hero's Return" sounds too "80s." Some people complain that this is "too Roger Watersy," but who cares? It's amazing, and is without a doubt, my favorite prog album.