The Final Cut [Original recording remastered]

The album's theme of anti-war protest is much more focused than the many themes of 'The Wall' album and is better for it. The album's songs remain very emotional throughout and the quality is always high, a sign of a good album surely.

There are some songs that sound like whole band compositions rather than Roger Water's solo work however, 'Not Now John' features Gilmour on vocals and stands out from the rest, however this makes it seem like the ugly duckling if you happen to enjoy the rest of the album and so damages the album as much as it helps it. 'Paranoid Eyes' is a track mainly made up sound effects and vocals and works surprisingly well, provides a pleasant break from the more emotional songs on the album, not that the track is much of a joker itself.

The sound effects throughout are superb and put some of the effects heard on 'The Wall' to shame, the clarity of the sound effects also adds greatly to the emotion of the album.

Dave Gilmour's guitar solos remain intact and while they are not to the level of 'Comofortably Numb' or 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' they do their job well as a break from water's voice while still keeping the mood. Water's vocals are the better than any Pink Floyd album and are very moving coupled with his lyrics.

If you enjoyed the lyrics on 'Animals' and 'The Wall' as much as or more than the music then this album is a very worthy purchase. However if you have never ventured inside an inlay booklet for the lyrics or have never been too inspired by water's lyrics then you may want to think twice before buying this album. Finally, if you are just starting with Pink Floyd then I suggest 'Dark Side Of The Moon' as it seems much more accessible than this album.

By the time I first purchased The Final Cut when it was first released, I already owned the entire back catalogue including all the solo stuff by all the members.
I was seventeen at the time and spent hours and hours listening to albums through my headphones. From the first time I played the album I was utterly transfixed by the compositional brilliance of all involved. Although Roger dominates every aspect of all he touches, David Gilmours contribution - brief as it is - is wonderfully judged.
The production is faultless, from the strained and bitter screams to the barely audile whispers that encircle your head to the beautifully interspersed sound effects; every moment on the album is achingly involving.
Many reviews comment on the "gloomy" and "negative" nature of the album. I've always viewed this as a work of enormous naked passion which ultimately tells of his terrible loss. As sad as it is, it is also a thing of great beauty.
One last word: there exists somewhere a video of four tracks from the album with Roger singing whilst hidden in shadow. Utterly brilliant. I only ever viewed it once but i can still remember the tingle that crept down my back. Wonderful.

With all this in mind, it was a complete miracle, that anything of quality (or anything at all) was released after the world dominating "The Wall". From the angst ridden opening of "The Post War Dream", through to the silent scream finale of " 2 Suns In The Sunset", this is most definetely a very forgotten and vastly underrated classic. The pure meloncholy of " Southampton Dock" tugs at the soul whilst, " The Gunner's Dream" is as original as it is thought provoking. However, even though Waters, Gilmour and Mason are playing on the songs, you can't help feeling that Waters couldn't care less if they were there or not, as there is absolutely no trace of any Gilmour inspired brightness or trademark virtuoso on this album (with the possible exception of the co-written "Not Now John")

On this album, we are treated to the full, unedited version of " Not Now John", which, if the "political" situation within the band at the time was different, would of been reveered as a solid stage favourite and one of those tracks that Pink Floyd dare not leave out of the setlist. It is unfortunate that this masterpiece was seen as(and in fairness, probably was) a total ego trip by Roger Waters, to the total exclusion of everyone and everything around him. You can't help feeling that if Waters had gone one step further and had released "The Final Cut" as a Roger Waters solo record, as opposed to a final offering from a very divided unit, then "The Final Cut", would have recieved the worldwide adulation, that it was sadly never given.

As a Roger Waters solo effort I would give "The Final Cut" 5 stars, however, as a Pink Floyd offering without the real creative input of Richard Wright, Dave Gilmour and Nick Mason, "The Final Cut" (regretfully) rates 4 stars.