A MOMENTARY LAPSE OF REASON

After the terrible mess that was the Final Cut, Gilmour and the gang reconvened to create A Momentary Lapse of Reason. This record is obviously missing Roger in terms of his contributions that graced their early and mid 70's albums, but Gilmour shows he can write music.

The album starts with 'Signs of Life' which sounds very similar to the beginning of Shine On You Crazy Diamond with the atmospheric soundscape and Gilmour's clean and pristine guitar tone.

'Learning to Fly' is a pretty popular song that managed to garner some radio play. It's enjoyable, if a bit poppy, but definitely shows that Gilmour is capable of songwriting.

'Dogs of War' is a rather aggressive tune unlike anything the Floyd has ever done. I find this to be a weak version of 'Welcome to the Machine,' but the guitar and sax solos are both great.

'One Slip' is ok, but has a hint of that 80's pop vibe I hate so much slipping through.

'On the Turning Away' is a rare ballad from Pink Floyd. It's very mellow and is really saved by the amazing guitar solo midway though.

'Yet Another Movie' is uninteresting musically, except for perhaps the short guitar solo. Both parts of 'A New Machine' are filler.

'Terminal Frost' is probably my favorite song on the album. It has a nice free-flowing jam feel with a strong jazz hint. The sax solo in this is great.

The album closes with the great 'Sorrow.' There are still some uninteresting parts, but as a whole it's a bit better than most of the rest of the album.

Overall, Momentary Lapse of Reason is a rather weak and inconsistent album. Even though it carries the Pink Floyd name, it's really a Gilmour solo album. But even then, it's a much better improvement over the lackluster Final Cut.

4/10