The Final Cut

A couple days ago I hesitantly bought Pink Floyd's The Final Cut. In thepast, I had read some pretty negative reviews of the album that characterized it as a disappointment for the band. It has been called essentially a solo project of Roger Waters and totally out of the style of Pink Floyd. Yet, the CD was on sale at the store, and after some deliberation I decided to buy it (along with CCR's greatest hits collection, which is very good). When I listened to it, this was proved true - much to my delight. It is indeed unlike other Floyd albums and features Roger Waters heavily, while lacking the rest of the band in many sections.

This is indeed one of the most bleak, if not the bleakest album I have ever listened to. Yet, for some strange reason I have listened to it over and over again since my purchase and it has grown immensely on me. The lyrics are incredible and are sung magnificently by Roger Waters. Water's singing on this album is incredibly powerful and emotional - ranging from pained shouts to soft strained whispers.. The songs are generally much softer and more somber than past Pink Floyd and give of a distinct sense of emotion and longing that is entirely appropriate for the words and message that accompany it. The orchestral elements of the music are incredibly well integrated and fit the songs perfectly. This is really a very well produced album.

On the reverse of the album it says that it is "A requiem for the post-war dream, by Roger Waters. Performed by Pink Floyd". Like Animals or The Wall, this is a concept album that revolves around this certain idea. The excellent lyrical content is very emotional and moving in many cases. The depressing nature of the songs might turn many listeners off of it, but I find it to be beautiful regardless of its bleak dark nature. To get an idea of what this album is like take The Wall, slow it down and make it more depressing. It is not like older Pink Floyd in many ways except for the few sections featuring David Gilmour's powerful guitar solos and in the excellent track - Not Now John

The whole album is a highlight, but highlight songs include The Gunner's Dream, Not Now John and Two Suns In The Sunset. Not Now John is the only real fast and heavy song on the album and thus stands out. It in a way reminds me of the satirical sarcastic lyrics of songs like Have A Cigar or Run Like Hell. In this case, the satire comes from the excessive use of profanity and backup singers.

This music has a point to it, a bleak one, and that is likely why hardly anyone has heard it before, and quite a few who have rate it lowly. Despite the negative lyrics such as in Two Suns In The Sunset, which deals with nuclear winter, this album is a forgotten masterpiece among Pink Floyd fans. It is very different and does not feature the rest of the band to a very large extent, but regardless, it is still an amazing album on it's own terms. This was the last real Pink Floyd album. Not to take anything away from Gilmour and the others, but after Waters left and the band continued to record, they lost a great deal of what made Pink Floyd what they were. Taking this into consideration The Final Cut is a very appropriate and somber final act for a band of such high calibre and influence.

Edit: I edited this entry after numerous mistakes were reported to me. Thanks go to my friends Dave and The Valrus for keeping me on my toes.