THE FINAL CUT

One of the most fascinating things about Pink Floyd is that even though almost all of us love them, the list of preferred albums is very different for each individual. You might even find yourself defending very contrasting views about a particular album with people that you usually share a similar taste with.

For me, that's only another indication of the diversity, uniqueness and versatility of this band. There are so many layers to be found and appreciated in their work that everyone seems to pick and discover other ones. So it's pretty safe to say that the only consensus about The Final Cut is that it's more of a Waters' solo album rather then a Pink Floyd album.

Richard Wright had left the band and his absence is clearly felt. Musically it's as if an entire dimension of the Pink Floyd sound is missing. Wright's unique taste for texture and arrangements had already been subdued on The Wall, but now there's a giant void marking his absence. Wright happens to be one of my most appreciated keyboard players so I sure do miss him here. A whole classical orchestra is brought in again to fill the gap, but it doesn't entirely succeed.

But it's not just Wright that's gone missing. Listening to this album one wonders how many percentage of the time Gilmour made his appearance in the studio. I believe he has about two or three solos and one vocal here. But when he does join for a shred, he truly shines.

Roger Waters is all over the place obviously, and thankfully he is in amazing shape. I don't think I've ever heard him perform so intensively on the vocals. He certainly hasn't ever since. I also find the song writing very solid here. The album misses the highlights of The Wall, although The Fletcher Memorial Home and Your Possible Pasts come close. But most of the album doesn't focus on songs but rather on the narrative style of music. It's that aspect which makes the album truly unique and appreciated. I also enjoy the grave mood of it, and I'm not surprised it's a favourite of the Anathema boys.

Amidst all the polemic surrounding this album, I find myself in rather neutral ground. It's just the kind of album I simply seem to forget all about. So forgetting to review it is quite symptomatic.

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