Poll: How do you rate Pink Floyd's "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" album?

A Momentary Lapse Of Talent.

 

I listened to Reason again this weekend, on headphones LOUD and in the dark. Still sounds cool. And I do mean COLD.
Cold, brittle, lifeless, emotionless and machine like.

Lots of good percussion, guitar and backing effects.

I listened to Division too, and though it has the better songs, it also has worse songs. These two seem like sister albums to me. They go together well and use the same makeup.

 

It doesn't really help that this album used a hybrid analog/digital recording/mixing setup. When this album was made, it was essentially a 56-track setup that had a 24-track analog tape machine for drums and bass guitar, and a 32-track Mitsubishi ProDigi X-850 digital tape machine for everything else.

 

I love it. A personal favorite. I used to be a huge Gilmour fan and this is almost as good as his first solo album, great songs, great guitar. I don't mind one bit that Floyd continued on in name without Waters at all.

Gilmour has totally lost me starting with On An Island though. His new releases bore the crap out of me, sad to say.

 

This album is in the all-time pantheon of albums to pass out stoned too (or drunk or both). It's up there with Enya albums and Echoes to drift off to lala land.

It kinda sucks. But I like it anyways. I picked the middle of the road.

 

Learning to Fly, One Slip, On the Turning Away and Yet Another Movie are all very good tunes.

Sorrow is just okay here, but stellar live.

Signs of Life and Terminal Frost are both enjoyable.

The Dogs of War has its moments, but never really comes together.

Overall, a good record. Not essential Floyd, but I like it.

 

I voted for 'A pretty solid effort - worth recommending'. While A Momentary Lapse of Reason is not a flawless album, it does have some good moments on it. Standout tracks for me are 'One Slip', 'On the Turning Away', 'Yet Another Movie', 'Terminal Frost', and 'Sorrow'. Of the other tracks there is only the, frankly awful, 'Dogs of War' which I don't particularly care for. I have always wondered how this album would be received had it been marketed as a David Gilmour solo album as opposed to Pink Floyd. AMLOR and The Division Bell are stylistically much closer to David's four solo albums than they are to the rest of the Pink Floyd catalogue, which largely contains extended suites and compositions which run for the entire length of an LP side.

I noticed a few earlier posters mentioning the rather eighties production of the album. Like other albums by similar groups released in the same period (Genesis - s/t, Invisible Touch), (Yes - 90125, Big Generator), (Camel - Stationary Traveller), (Roger Waters - Radio KAOS) it is a product of the musical fashions of the time. It was mentioned a few years ago, however, that the band were revisiting the album to try and strip away some of the more overtly eighties drum machines and synth sounds, by getting Nick Mason to overdub new drum tracks, and fly in some of Rick Wright's playing from concert recordings of the period. This I would be very interested in hearing if it ever does get released - possible content for a future box set, maybe?

 

I'm quite happy with the 80s drum sound, but if a new version came out with new drum parts, then I'd be all over it.

However, after hearing Mason's work on The Endless River, then I think a different drummer would be required.

I'm a big fan of Nick Mason, but I don't think he's up to this sort of a task anymore.

 

Listening to AMLOR on headphones again at work, prompted by this thread. Leaving aside the circumstances of its inception, the name above the title and what preceded and followed it, what remains is a pretty good album. Love the instrumental tracks, the production is very late 80s but is impressive and beautifully layered none the less.

Not everyone's cup of tea I admit, but personally I like it. As much as TBD and David's subsequent solo albums? No. But I'm glad it exists and I get to listen to to it.

 

Like this album spinning the cd now. It's aged well.

 

Will get the new reissue vinyl possibly by next week.



Momentary Lapse of Reason
LP (12" album, 33 rpm)

1. 
2. 

 

Awaiting AMLOR vinyl in mail. Can't wait to get it!!

 

Saw the tour. Liked it better than the Final Cut. Never purchased it till I picked up the Shine On Box Set and it was included.

 

It came out when I was 16 and totally into PF. Loved it then. Now, eh...it's not bad. Hardly ever listen to it these days even though it does have a few fine moments.

 

Got AMLOR vinyl reissue yesterday in mail will be cleaning it tonight. Can't wait for the spin.

 

I love it. I like it better than most of the pre-Dark Side albums.

My two cents-I think people would appreciate it more if Water's name had been on it.

As for the dated 80s production....who cares? The technology was new at the time and they wanted to progress. I don't agree with remixing the album. That's like saying they should mix out the 60s sound of the Syd Barrett stuff or tone down the 70s production on the soundtrack albums and songs like Money.

 

I love this album, I think if Waters stayed it would've been more stuff from The Wall ( I heard over the time that he still wasn't over time).

People complain that it's dated but I don't really care. It was from the 80's so I've dealt with it.

 

I really like "Sorrow".

I can take or leave the rest.

 

It always amuses me how the sound from the Eighties is automatically "dated" and the one from previous decades it's not or, at least, less dated. Everything from the past is dated. Animals is dated; Saucerful is dated. Piper is a zombie. They are all sons of their respective times.
It's fine if someone doesn't like electronic sounds or a style of production, not so much if that preferences objectified in statements to justify it. But I suppose this has been said a lot of times already; so getting back to the album...

Personally, I like every single bit of this album's sound. Always did.
And since it was the state of the art when it came out, instead of just following around like much (today forgotten) standard, average pop, I think it aged much better.

Maybe I've said it already, the pinnacle to me is the "New Machine" suite, perfectly placed in the middle of the album. I don't know how many would agree though

 

I could live without it.

 

I like the idea of a remix when it's supposed to replace sounds that were used in lack of a better alternative (like, sampled acoustic instruments for budget reasons); but it's not the case here. Drum machines and synths are part of the conscious production decisions of the the time, like using real backing singers instead of samples or synth choir. They should be left alone.

 

A Monetary Grasp Of Three Men.

 

Loved it - Still love it.. More to do I suspect with the fact it was one of those albums that came out and i couldnt stop playing and therefore became my go to PF album and an album that reflects my tastes at the time it came out.. Personally I see it on reflection as I play it as at least a band who took some of the 80s trends in electrical parts and at least got them to fit into there sound wall.

Hated the final cut (and still do) and the wall never really grabbed me other than a cpl of songs - anything before that I had not really listened to - it was probably quite a few years further down the line before I actually played and enjoyed DSOTM. From then on and as I explored the back catalogue more - yes I would agree that its a not up to spec album for them - but I still love it.

I think rather like Rush - your perception of what was a good or bad album really comes down to the album that first introduced you to the band and grabbed you.