Pink Floyd - A Momentary Lapse of Reason

A Momentary Lapse Of Reason is the thirteenth studio album by English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, originally released in September 1987 via EMI Records.

It was a time of transition for Pink Floyd, who returned after their supposed demise minus one key member. A Momentary Lapse Of Reason was important for the band, as it would make or break their future ability to tour and record without bassist Roger Waters.

Though Roger Waters had declared Pink Floyd “a spent force,” David Gilmour saw the potential in moving forward without him. With keyboardist Richard Wright and drummer Nick Mason expressing interest in new music as well, Gilmour made the decision to utilise some of his solo material for what would become A Momentary Lapse Of Reason.

The decision to move forward without him upset Waters, who took the rest of the band to court over use of the name and attempted to thwart the release of the album. The legal battle being settled after the albums release.

As for the songs, “Learning To Fly” would be the biggest hit from the record. Gilmour and Mason had both been taking flying lessons and Gilmour penned the track specifically about his feelings of the freedom that flight gave him.

“On The Turning Away” would follow as a single. The track, a more solemn piece, referenced the issues of poverty and oppression and the tendencies of people to turn away from those in need.

The third and final single from the disc would be “One Slip”, a track co-written by Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera.

“Dogs Of War” would also become a favorite live cut. The track had a trudging feel to it, buoyed by a sound that came about through a studio mishap. A slowed down recording of Gilmour’s laugh came across like a dog bark and it was decided to use it to help create the song. Lyrically, the track is about physical and political mercenaries.

In the end, A Momentary Lapse Of Reason would become one of the band’s most polarizing releases. There were standout tracks, but the disc as a whole didn’t stand up to the Pink Floyd of the past. Roger Waters, of course, would criticise the album, stating that it was not a true Pink Floyd release. Wright would later agree, explaining in the book Comfortably Numb: The Inside Story of Pink Floyd, “Roger’s criticisms are fair. It’s not a band album at all.”

However, that seemed to matter little to the fans. The disc surpassed quadruple platinum status in the U.S. It spawned the year’s biggest tour and a companion live album, The Delicate Sound Of Thunder, in 1988. Plus, the crew of the Soyuz TM-7 would take the disc on their mission, making Pink Floyd the first rock band to be played in outer space.

The album peaked at #3 on the US Billboard 200, #3 on the UK, #2 on the Australian and #1 on the New Zealand Albums charts.

Check out the tracks: “Learning To Fly”; “On The Turning Away” and "One Slip".

This 2016 remastered LP is pressed in Europe on 180 gram heavyweight vinyl is housed in a gatefold sleeve with reproduced original artwork.