A Momentary Lapse of Reason

Released September 7, 1987, this is the first Pink Floyd album recorded without principal songwriter and founding member Roger Waters, who left the band almost two years earlier following the volatile production of The Final Cut. As a result of his departure, guitarist and co-vocalist David Gilmour took the reins of the band, leading to a lengthy trademark infringement lawsuit from Waters that ended in him only gaining the rights to The Wall and the Pink Floyd pig, with everything else going to Gilmour and drummer Nick Mason (later appearances of the pig balloon at Pink Floyd gigs added a pair of testicles to evade Waters' ownership).

With Waters out of the picture, A Momentary Lapse of Reason also sees the return of Richard Wright, who Waters fired during the making of The Wall as a result of that album’s constrained production. Wright was still not officially reinstated as a member of Pink Floyd, instead being hired as a session player, but he would accompany them during the album’s supporting tour and officially rejoin them in time for The Division Bell. The album was recorded primarily on the Astoria, a houseboat that Gilmour had purchased and converted into a recording studio.

Similarly to The Final Cut, which was regarded as a de-facto Waters solo album, A Momentary Lapse of Reason is often regarded as a functional solo album for frontman David Gilmour, who wrote and performed on every track with the aid of guest writers and session musicians. Mason and Wright’s contributions were minimal – the former felt that he’d grown rusty from the four-year hiatus, while the latter was brought on too late to provide anything other than a small bit of additional backing vocals and keyboard parts.

While the album received mixed critical reviews (and a less than favorable reaction from Waters), it outsold The Final Cut and was backed by a nearly three-year-long world tour. The latter would become the most successful concert tour of the entire 1980s, out-grossing the likes of Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, and David Bowie at the height of their fame. The album would go on to be certified quadruple-platinum in the United States and gold in the band’s native United Kingdom.