A Momentary Lapse of Reason reconsidered
Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2011 1:43 am
I can remember clearly the weeks leading up to Monday, September 7th, 1987. I had just started my sophomore year of college, and I was anxiously awaiting new Floyd after the depressing and disappointing The Final Cut.
The campus record store opened at 10am, I blew off my classes to be there the second they opened. I had enough money to splurge and get the CD ($8.99 versus $5.99 for the LP). I sprinted the mile back to my dorm room, gathered up Rich (my roommate) and Cara (the girl I should have married), killed the lights, laid on the floor, and let the music wash over us.
I can honestly say that I've never been more satisfied with the first listen of an album before or since. But that was 1987 Cail. 2011 Cail is a far more critical and discerning listener. It's odd, but I don't think I've listened to the whole record all the way through in well over a decade. Thanks to XM, "Learning to Fly", "On the Turning Away", and (oddly) "One Slip" are frequently heard, but the album is a piece. I set out to experience it again.
Signs of Life
Let's face it, most instrumentals by rock bands suck. Floyd is one of those few bands that really nails them every time. With a guitar part similar to Yes's "Roundabout", at first it don't succeed (as it were). But the bluesy feel, along with the sound of the water makes for the perfect intro to the next song. As I listened to it again for the first time in years, I'm reminded that it's the perfect beginning to the album.
Learning to Fly
One word describes this song, and it's nearly never used with Pink Floyd songs......."Pastoral". Again, I'm struck by the bluesy feel to Dave's guitar. But more importantly, there's the imagery to the lyrics. Dave's painting a picture here, not describing one. There's a feeling, culminated when Dave sings, "suspended animation, a state of bliss", that yes indeed, this is joy, this is release, this is bliss.
The Dogs of War
Oh shit, what?
Let me just say that if there's one thing I hate in music, it's when people sing about "something" in particular. It's a rare artist on a rare song that can sing about something in particular and not have the thing sound heavy-handed. Floyd did this well on Animals and The Wall, less so on The Final Cut. It ruined Rush for me for a decade.
Oddly, this is the only song on the album that would have benefited from Roger Waters. His raspy voice would have really made this song. It is literally the only one of the new Pink Floyd songs that I say this about.
As it stands, only a typically great guitar solo saves this song.
One Slip
When this album was released, one of the common criticisms was that it was a Gilmour solo album in all but name. It's a fair criticism, since that's exactly what it was, but it's nowhere more evident than this song. That's not a bad thing in my book. It recalls "Blue Light" a little from About Face (also a good thing). It's infectious. It was awesome seeing it live. It's still a great song.
On the Turning Away
I didn't realize this song was about homeless people until a few years ago, I thought it was about unrequited love. Truly amazing guitar work, but I don't like this nearly as much as I used to. This is a song that I can say was much better in the studio than all the various live versions.
Yet Another Movie/Round and Around
In which Dave steals from himself. This is, in feel and structure, very similar to "Is Your Love Strong Enough" by Brian Ferry (which Dave collaborated on). Again, this is not a bad thing, as YAM once again has that dreamy feeling. Gilmour's writing once again is evocative, not expository. The words suggest ideas and feelings, they don't tell the listener a story. "He has laughed and he has cried, he has fought and he has died. He's just the same as all the rest, he's not the worst, and he's not the best".
With pride, I can say that I shredded three pairs of speakers with the ultra-low tone after that line.
This is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best songs the band ever recorded.
A New Machine, PT. 1
Terminal Frost
A New Machine, Pt. 2
I group these together, simply because they work together, and they played them together when I saw them on the tour.
In 24 years, I still have no clue what the lyrics are about. Doesn't really matter, as they bookend yet another amazing instrumental. I remember lying on the floor, and later gaping in amazement in a stadium as "Terminal Frost" washed over us. Blue lasers flashed waves across the ceiling of the stadium (and later, on the clouds over the football arena).
Sorrow
Prior to the release of "High Hopes" on The Division Bell, I'd tell you (quite forcefully) that this was the best song Pink Floyd had ever recorded. From the grinding guitar intro, to the freestyle outro solo, there's nothing that can be improved on this. Once again, the river is front and center in the lyrics, but it just provides a framework for Dave's painting. The song is whatever the listener wants or needs it to be, and then Dave just shreds through the outro.
I was a poor college student when AMLoR came out. I made it to two shows on the tour, and bought an overpriced T-shirt. I make no apologies for being an unrepentant David Gilmour fan, which is probably why this album resonates so much with me.
The Waters era was over, and as far as I was (and am) concerned, that was a good thing. Radio K.A.O.S. came out a few months later, and there's nothing there that comes close to painting the mental pictures that this album does. Roger explains things in his lyrics, Dave evokes images.
Unlike so many artists and albums from my youth, AMLoR stands up incredibly well, with the possible exceptions of "Dogs of War" and "On the Turning Away".
The campus record store opened at 10am, I blew off my classes to be there the second they opened. I had enough money to splurge and get the CD ($8.99 versus $5.99 for the LP). I sprinted the mile back to my dorm room, gathered up Rich (my roommate) and Cara (the girl I should have married), killed the lights, laid on the floor, and let the music wash over us.
I can honestly say that I've never been more satisfied with the first listen of an album before or since. But that was 1987 Cail. 2011 Cail is a far more critical and discerning listener. It's odd, but I don't think I've listened to the whole record all the way through in well over a decade. Thanks to XM, "Learning to Fly", "On the Turning Away", and (oddly) "One Slip" are frequently heard, but the album is a piece. I set out to experience it again.
Signs of Life
Let's face it, most instrumentals by rock bands suck. Floyd is one of those few bands that really nails them every time. With a guitar part similar to Yes's "Roundabout", at first it don't succeed (as it were). But the bluesy feel, along with the sound of the water makes for the perfect intro to the next song. As I listened to it again for the first time in years, I'm reminded that it's the perfect beginning to the album.
Learning to Fly
One word describes this song, and it's nearly never used with Pink Floyd songs......."Pastoral". Again, I'm struck by the bluesy feel to Dave's guitar. But more importantly, there's the imagery to the lyrics. Dave's painting a picture here, not describing one. There's a feeling, culminated when Dave sings, "suspended animation, a state of bliss", that yes indeed, this is joy, this is release, this is bliss.
The Dogs of War
Oh shit, what?
Let me just say that if there's one thing I hate in music, it's when people sing about "something" in particular. It's a rare artist on a rare song that can sing about something in particular and not have the thing sound heavy-handed. Floyd did this well on Animals and The Wall, less so on The Final Cut. It ruined Rush for me for a decade.
Oddly, this is the only song on the album that would have benefited from Roger Waters. His raspy voice would have really made this song. It is literally the only one of the new Pink Floyd songs that I say this about.
As it stands, only a typically great guitar solo saves this song.
One Slip
When this album was released, one of the common criticisms was that it was a Gilmour solo album in all but name. It's a fair criticism, since that's exactly what it was, but it's nowhere more evident than this song. That's not a bad thing in my book. It recalls "Blue Light" a little from About Face (also a good thing). It's infectious. It was awesome seeing it live. It's still a great song.
On the Turning Away
I didn't realize this song was about homeless people until a few years ago, I thought it was about unrequited love. Truly amazing guitar work, but I don't like this nearly as much as I used to. This is a song that I can say was much better in the studio than all the various live versions.
Yet Another Movie/Round and Around
In which Dave steals from himself. This is, in feel and structure, very similar to "Is Your Love Strong Enough" by Brian Ferry (which Dave collaborated on). Again, this is not a bad thing, as YAM once again has that dreamy feeling. Gilmour's writing once again is evocative, not expository. The words suggest ideas and feelings, they don't tell the listener a story. "He has laughed and he has cried, he has fought and he has died. He's just the same as all the rest, he's not the worst, and he's not the best".
With pride, I can say that I shredded three pairs of speakers with the ultra-low tone after that line.
This is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best songs the band ever recorded.
A New Machine, PT. 1
Terminal Frost
A New Machine, Pt. 2
I group these together, simply because they work together, and they played them together when I saw them on the tour.
In 24 years, I still have no clue what the lyrics are about. Doesn't really matter, as they bookend yet another amazing instrumental. I remember lying on the floor, and later gaping in amazement in a stadium as "Terminal Frost" washed over us. Blue lasers flashed waves across the ceiling of the stadium (and later, on the clouds over the football arena).
Sorrow
Prior to the release of "High Hopes" on The Division Bell, I'd tell you (quite forcefully) that this was the best song Pink Floyd had ever recorded. From the grinding guitar intro, to the freestyle outro solo, there's nothing that can be improved on this. Once again, the river is front and center in the lyrics, but it just provides a framework for Dave's painting. The song is whatever the listener wants or needs it to be, and then Dave just shreds through the outro.
I was a poor college student when AMLoR came out. I made it to two shows on the tour, and bought an overpriced T-shirt. I make no apologies for being an unrepentant David Gilmour fan, which is probably why this album resonates so much with me.
The Waters era was over, and as far as I was (and am) concerned, that was a good thing. Radio K.A.O.S. came out a few months later, and there's nothing there that comes close to painting the mental pictures that this album does. Roger explains things in his lyrics, Dave evokes images.
Unlike so many artists and albums from my youth, AMLoR stands up incredibly well, with the possible exceptions of "Dogs of War" and "On the Turning Away".
Joy is in the ears that hear!
Well I did use the word "tend". DSotM is an unfair comparison here, first of all, as the Alan Parson production is impeccable and, obviously, a hallmark in recording engineering. I haven't listened to a CD on headphones in ages and have become less discriminating in my old, old age.