This was the last Pink Floyd release to feature Roger Waters. In sequence it was the disc directly after The Wall. It was also the only Pink Floyd album on which every song was written by Waters. For my money, it’s not one of their better releases. Much of this feels lacking in direction and a good deal of it seems like leftovers from The Wall. The truth is, some of the music was being written for use in the movie of The Wall, so that makes sense. It’s got some good material and any Pink Floyd album is worth owning. This just isn’t up to the type of standards one usually expected from that outfit.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2010 Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.
Track by Track Review
The Post War Dream
Starting with some sounds including radio coverage, this works to a mellower, symphonic arrangement for the vocals. That carries the beginning of it. Then it powers out to a classic bombastic Pink Floyd jam from there. More sound effects end it after that section.
Your Possible Pasts This slow paced rocker is very much in keeping with the sounds of The Wall. It’s got the stripped down with bombastic bursts approach that was the order of much of that day. When it powers out into the more complete section it really feels nearly exactly like something from The Wall.
One Of The Few Coming straight out of the previous piece, this is a pretty balladic number. It’s a very short one.
The Hero's Return This doesn’t really feel like it could have come from The Wall. It’s got a sound all its own in many ways. It’s one of the most purely progressive rock oriented cuts here – at least in terms of what many think of when they hear the term. There are some intriguing changes and some Wall-like moments, but overall this is a different beast.
The Gunners Dream Starting with sound effects, this is another balladic one that’s based on piano. I like the vocal line on this track. It has a hint of the Beatles to my ear. It gets a powered up approach later, but this almost resembles an old time rock and roll number there with a saxophone wailing across the top.
Paranoid Eyes A moody, balladic cut, this one really feels like an out-take from The Wall. It’s a bit non-descript and undefined in many ways, but there are some interesting hints of Dark Side of the Moon here.
Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert Dramatic and theatric in nature, this is a mellow cut that again feels like it would have fit well on The Wall.
The Fletcher Memorial Home Although this one reminds me a lot of something from The Wall, it is really a catchy and compelling piece. It’s another mellow one (at least the first half), but it’s probably my favorite cut on show here. The vocal performance is one of the best on the disc and it’s got a killer David Gilmour guitar solo also.
Southampton Dock A bit too mellow and a bit too boring, this doesn’t really do anything much for me. The first half is an acoustic guitar based ballad and piano brings a gospel sort of texture to the second half.
The Final Cut This comes straight out of the previous one, continuing the piano ballad approach. When it powers up parts of this are very much in keeping with “Comfortably Numb” and it certainly feels again like it could have been on The Wall. Gilmour’s guitar solo on this, though, makes me think of Animals.
Not Now John Pounding in with a hard rock sound that is again reminiscent of The Wall, they take us into some different directions through this ride. This is one of the catchier and cooler cuts here. I’m not overly crazy about the female backing vocal chorus, but the cut still manages to stand tall. One needs to make a warning about the lyrics, though. Those with children might want to hit skip to pass this number up.
Two Suns In The Sunset Somehow this one seems a bit meandering and lacking in direction – and yet there are still some great moments to it. It’s one that stands out as feeling quite different from The Wall. I don’t know if it’s the best choice as a disc closer, but I do like it a lot.
