I worshipped the Wall when it came out. It's still one of my very favourite albums ever. I had such anticipation for the Final cut .... but I found it terminally boring. A massive disappointment for me. Barely played it on release.
I didn't listen to it for 35 years, then a few years ago I decided to get it on CD and see if I liked it now. Several years later and I still haven't played it all! It has been said that it was the first Roger Waters solo record (in effect) and I can agree in that I don't like any of his solo output either.
I'm just bringing it up as a few people seemed to really like it on an old Floyd thread that has resurfaced, so I was wondering if it's just me who finds it dreary and lifeless.
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ie... it's quite a self-limiting album in terms of its appeal.
And if you can't see the artistic resonance in those themes... yep, it's gonna be a pretty dreary listen.
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I had it when it came out, but thought it dated very badly in only a few years - the political references quickly became irrelevant and I lost interest in it and didn't listen to it for twenty years. Then when I did again, I found that it had regained its resonance and power, especially in the aftermath of Iraq and the realisation that the message was as important now as it's ever been.
Ironically, the track which seemed the best originally - Two Suns In The Sunset - has lost a lot of its power now that the risk of nuclear war has receded.
For what it's worth I think the CD release with When The Tigers Broke Free has it in the wrong place, which was a mistake - it should be the first track, as a sort of preface. As it should really have been for The Wall, which is when it was written - and if you don't think that's one of Waters' greatest songs you probably aren't going to really get the rest of the album either.
It's not an album for those who think Pink Floyd songs are just a background for Gilmour's guitar playing - great though he is at it. I'm not even totally sure he understood that, given that he picked The Fletcher Memorial Home for Echoes... it's a good song but it's far from the best on the album. I would agree that it's essentially a Waters solo album - but if it is, it's probably his best, although Amused To Death is a possible contender.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
I struggle to rank albums by Pink Floyd but if I had to chose The Final Cut would be up there. Can't disagree with what ICBM has said, apart from Two Suns In The Sunset still hits hard for me.
I also happen to like most of Waters solo stuff too though.
On the other hand I quite like A Momentary Lapse Of Reason..........
I didn't listen to it for years, then bought it on CD in the late 90's. I couldn't get through it once. I found it oppressive and miserable.
I finally listened to it again about a year ago. I can now appreciate it once more without it making me feel completely miserable.
It was one of my early PF purchases and played it an awful lot when I was in the Army.
Never really compared it to their other work, just put it on and listened.
Roger Walters Radio Kaos is one of my all time fave albums. Had that as a kid and played it to death.
Red meat and functional mushrooms.
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A lefty, hence a fog of permanent frustration
Not enough guitars, pedals, and cricket bats.
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"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Here's a lovely cover of The Final Cut by Draconian's Hekie Langhans.
Oddly enough i dont listen to The Wall much at all but always find myself going back for The Final Cut.. Its like an old friend.
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