THE FINAL CUT

This Pink Floyd album is definitely the most polarizing one - it is one that is either loved or hated. I must admit that I didn't hear this for many years even though it remained a part of my collection. I remember the anticipation when it came out. It was a bit of a surprise and not quite what PF fans expected.

Luckily for me, I found this album well worth revisiting and I'd recommend anyone to do the same. It is a ghostly, heartsome piece of work, written with such conviction. It is also thought-provoking and has a certain haunting beauty.

It's unfortunate that Rick Wright's touches were not included here. Gilmour's vocals are almost entirely absent too (with the lone exception, "Not Now John"), but his distinctive guitar work appears in a few songs, always outstanding, adding plenty of power and emotion to the music. The piano and organ work here is lovely, the melodies are quite stunning as well.

"The Post War Dream" brings up Britain's apathy and decay, sparking off some thought with the confronting line "What happened to the post war dream?" questioning what those great generations fought for.

"Your Possible Pasts" is a titanic blend of stadium rock and pathos resembling some parts of "The Wall". One of the most beautiful songs is "Paranoid Eyes". It was always a favourite of mine. Listen for the touching lyrics, which offer an understanding of servicemen returning into society. The cinematic background effects of men laughing in a pub add warming imagery and feeling while Waters softly sings "You can hide, hide, hide, behind paranoid eyes."

Another eye-opener is the most poignant "Gunner's Dream". It is really emotional with Waters calling out to his father's ghost. The work from the saxophone is really excellent. I also love how "The Hero's Return" views the vantage point of WWII survivors with the lines: "When I was their age, all the lights were out, there was no time to whine and mope about." The last of my favourites are "The Fletcher Memorial Home", the very personal title track and "Two Suns in the Sunset" which is a very good closer, about the futility of nuclear war.

Roger Waters did dominate this, much like "Animals" and "The wall". I do love the two albums that came out after this one but they certainly don't share the same kind of creative vision without Roger. This was a great statement for Waters to sign off on, leaving a brilliant piece of the Pink Floyd legacy. Four solid stars.