Forty Year Friday (1983) – PINK FLOYD “THE FINAL CUT”
It’s Forty Year Friday again. For more information on this series, please read the opening paragraph of the first post, which featured Never Surrender by Triumph.
This one deserves an up-front disclaimer as the always-opinionated Roger Waters, the creative force behind this record, has been a controversial public figure in recent years. I try not to let an artist’s political views affect my enjoyment of their work, and that’s still the case with this record. However, at this point I wouldn’t see him in concert or listen to anything new he releases, but since Pink Floyd has probably been my second-favorite artist for nearly 45 years, I continue to enjoy their music which I’ve loved for such a long time. I request that anyone who has negative feelings about Mr. Waters to please keep your comments civil and focused on this album.
Posted on my Facebook page Feb. 20, 2013:
Thirty-Year Thursday comes a few minutes early this week, and the featured album is PINK FLOYD “THE FINAL CUT” which was released in March 1983. It continues to divide fans but I’ve loved it since the first time I heard the world premiere of the title track and “Your Possible Pasts” on the radio as I sat in the garage preparing my newspaper delivery (I have a very vivid recollection of that afternoon). It sounds even more like a Roger Waters solo project than “The Wall,” and it’s not the catchiest collection of songs (you need to be in a bleak mood for it to really hit you), but for some reason it had an immediate impact on me. I’ve listened to it at least a hundred times over the last 30 years and it never fails to amaze…yet I completely understand why a lot of people hate it. Here’s the title track, with a typically tasteful guitar solo from David Gilmour.
Credited on the back cover as “A Requiem For The Post War Dream By Roger Waters, Performed By Pink Floyd,” this was Waters taking complete control of the band (even more so than with its predecessor, 1979’s The Wall). Keyboardist & founding member Richard Wright had been let go a few years earlier, leaving the group as a trio with guitarist David Gilmour and drummer Nick Mason. Gilmour (as always) delivers some great guitar work but only sings lead on one track, and the dearth of his smooth voice leaves the focus on Waters’ more abrasive vocals. The Final Cut is an album that needs to be played from start to finish, and can take multiple listens to fully sink in, but it’s worth the time & effort. Closing track “Two Suns On The Sunset” has to be the most beautiful (and surprisingly peaceful) song about a nuclear apocalypse ever written.
39 comments on “Forty Year Friday (1983) – PINK FLOYD “THE FINAL CUT””
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KamerTunesBlog 
Love your blog, and have been subscribed for years, but this is my first post (I think!) I too remember hearing “Your Possible Pasts” quite vividly in my car while pulling into my driveway one night after coming home from my first job at a supermarket. I was mesmerized by what was coming out of the speakers. I found it very emotional (Wall-like light and shade), and ran out to get the album on cassette first chance I got. 11 years later I had more disposable income and ordered it on a then newly remastered made-in-Holland cd from Canada. It is still one of my favorite cd’s and in the top 3 of all Pink Floyd for me. “The Gunners Dream” is the highlight for me, but only by a hair. Maybe it was my dad’s WWII service that made it so accessible to me, but I know it’s not on the top of many lists. Thank you for choosing this one for this Friday and keep up the good work! Regards, NJRon
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Thanks so much, NJRon. I really appreciate you following the blog, as well as your comments on this album. Good call on the “Wall-like light & shade” of “Your Possible Pasts.” Nice to hear that it’s so high up on your list of favorite Floyd albums. I have so much trouble ranking my favorites. In fact, I love just about all of them equally for different reasons, with only Atom Heart Mother ranked a little lower…although I’ve come around to it more in recent years, since the Early Years box set came out. As for The Final Cut, “The Gunner’s Dream” is a favorite of mine as well, along with “The Fletcher Memorial Home,” “Not Now John” and the songs highlighted in this post. It’s always great to find another fan of this album. Cheers.
Rich
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Saw this today from Roger Water’s Instagram account, for what it’s worth, LOL:
A note from Roger:
There is a crappy article in The New Statesman, written, if you can call it writing, by a chap called Stuart Maconie. It’s the usual, sh*t stirring, ill informed nonsense. However, there is, in the article, something upon which I need to set the record straight. When talking about a new recording I have made of DSOTM, he writes, with an unearned condescending authority, about the process of making this new recording, and I quote, “Part of this will involve him removing, as quoted in Spain’s El Pais newspaper, Gilmour’s “horrible guitar solos”. Now, I don’t know who he thinks he’s quoting when he says Gilmour’s “horrible guitar solos” but it sure as sh*t ain’t me. I was there, I love Dave’s guitar solos on DSOTM, both of them, and on WYWH and on ANIMALS and on THE WALL and on THE FINAL CUT. In my, albeit biased view, Dave’s solos on those albums, constitute a collection of some of the very best guitar solos in the history of Rock and Roll. So, Stuart Maconie, you little pr*ck, next time, please check your copy with the subjects of your grubby little piece, before you go to print.
Love R.
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I saw that yesterday. I guess the Dr. Jeckyll side of Waters’ personality finally made a rare public appearance. Haha. On a somewhat related note, I think my favorite Gilmour guitar solo is from “Time.”
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Hi Rich,
I am listening to this today and was wondering if you have ever heard it. It is a well done fan-made mix of The Wall and The Final Cut which flows amazingly well, proving the close relationship of the 2 albums. A truly amazing listen. Also includes some nice interviews. This is a bootleg of course, and uses some alternates and unreleased versions which really add to the story. High quality and Highly recommended. https://www.discogs.com/release/14373698-Pink-Floyd-The-Wall-Rebuilt-The-Final-Immersion-Of-The-Wall-Redux
Regards,
NJRon
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Hi Ron. Thanks for letting me know about this. Looks like there’s a playlist on YouTube with this track listing so I’ve added it to my Watch Later list and will definitely check it out. Sorry for the delayed response. I was in Iceland for a few days and I’m just getting back into the swing of things. Hope you’re doing well.
Rich
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Highly underrated. https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2011/01/pink-floyd-15-final-cut.html
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Great review, Ward, as usual. Glad we’re on the same page regarding The Final Cut.
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Interesting hearing about how you felt the first time you heard it. I remember buying it the day it came out, and I listened to it once all the way through (giving it that reverence as a Pink Floyd fan), but my immediate thought was “this is Roger Waters, not Pink Floyd” – so I never listened again! (did not give it the “multiple listens to sink in…” like you suggest)
I don’t know if there are Roger Waters vs. David Gilmour camps, but if there are I suppose I’ve always been in the David Gilmour camp. So maybe that is why. Even listening now (I was trying to listen to it), but I’m having a hard time making it through an entire song. Maybe I’m in the “a lot of people hate it…” group? Still you’re the second person I’ve heard recently say it’s good, and an important record to them personally. So I clearly have a mental block about it that is unfair. Several other Pink Floyd albums are my favorite albums ever
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I can totally understand your feelings about this album, Rob. Not sure it would make the same kind of impact on you now, all these years later, even if you gave it multiple listens. At the time it came out, I didn’t have a strong feeling either way about who did most of the singing or songwriting, and since The Wall was clearly a Waters-based project, this seemed like a logical continuation of that sound. In subsequent years I fell much more heavily into the Gilmour camp, so I lean more toward albums with more of his contributions…as well as favoring his solo work over Waters’ solo work. Next time we speak, let’s see if we agree on favorite Floyd albums, several of which are up there will my all-time favorites.
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I remember when the album came out in 1983 how everyone said it sucked. I didn’t think so, in fact, it was like “Animals.” More for the hard core Pink Floyd fan as opposed to the causal listener. “Not Now John” is among my all time favourite Pink Floyd songs.
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I also knew a lot of people who thought this album sucked. Nice to hear that we felt the opposite about it. I never thought about a comparison to Animals, but now that you mention it that makes sense, especially in the darkness of the lyrics and overall vibe. “Not Now John” is a cool song. I’m glad it taught me how to ask “Where’s the bar?” in several languages. Haha.
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That Roger Waters! No good SOB!
Just kidding. Couldn’t resist. In fact, Sonny Boy and I went to see his latest tour. You can find the post on my blog if you’re so inclined. That was months ago. It went viral, and I still get comments about him that are, shall we say, unkind.
Anyway, I never really listened to this album due to its reputation. I’ll give it a spin or two.
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Haha, well-played Jim. I’m glad you understood my concerns about people’s reaction to a post about Roger Waters, since you’ve experienced the vitriol. I could say a lot of things about him as well, but I try to keep things positive here, and focused solely on the music. I was fortunate to see Waters twice, first in ’84 on the Pros And Cons… tour (with Clapton on guitar), and again in ’87 on the Radio KAOS tour. I seem to be the only person who loves that album. I played it so many times that year that I knew every word and was psyched to hear it performed in its entirety. I’m sure his concerts are still an amazing experience, but for various reasons I won’t see him anymore. Glad you & your boy had a great time. I’m pretty sure I read your post about that concert but will check it out again to make sure. I’ll be curious if The Final Cut makes any kind of impact on you if/when you check it out.
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I just finished listening to the Final Cut and while it will never replace DSOTM in my affections, yeah, it’s a pretty solid album. I’m pretty used to Waters’ angst and his strangled cry of a voice from The Wall. But like all Floyd it sets a mood and uses effects to enhance the mood. And there’s some really nice Gilmour playing on there. I think people probably wanted “Another Brick In the Wall Part 8” but that wasn’t happening. Too bad it ended in so much acrimony. But let’s face it, Waters may be bit full of himself but I believe him when he says he was the main contributor. Anyway, thanks’ for the tip. Really enjoyed it.
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I’m glad you gave it a shot, and actually liked it. I wasn’t sure how it would sound with fresh ears all these years later. Waters certainly delivered the concepts and lyrics (Gilmour has admitted that he has trouble writing lyrics), but without the other three band members I don’t think his music would have gotten any kind of mainstream attention.
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Yeah, I liked it. As mentioned, a lot of that harsh Waters singing and style was already evidenced on The Wall. I think the problem for a lot of people is that this album has less of the leavening hand of the other guys. But weirdly, I find something strangely appealing about Waters’ take-no-prisoners style. Love him or hate him he makes no bones about where he’s coming from.
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I love that phrase: “the leavening hands.” I think if Waters had continued with Pink Floyd, ruling with an iron fist, the law of diminishing returns would have kicked in. For one album, though, it worked really well.
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Yeah, the other guys would have rebelled for sure.
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I can only imagine how these guys were in & around the studio, with the whole “British stiff upper lip” thing, through all that animosity.
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BTW, I saw the Waters show back in July and it’s rarely strayed from being my most popular post. Still number one with a bullet as I write this. Go figure.
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I’m sure Waters’ controversial comments & the resulting media attention have contributed to the popularity of that post. I hope people are checking out more of your blog after that introduction.
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I have more followers and, paradoxically, fewer commenters than ever. Go figure.
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The blogging world often makes no sense. I stopped keeping track of the number of followers, likes & comments several years ago. Every once in a while I check them out of curiosity, but I no longer cared once I realized I have no control over them.
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Good point.
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Let me preface this by saying I generally love Pink Floyd. I was pretty disappointed about “The Final Cut” when it was released. I really liked “The Wall” at the time it came out, though that enthusiasm has since somewhat waned. I still believe there are some great tunes on “The Wall” like “Comfortably Numb” and “Hey You.”
By comparison, I thought “The Final Cut” didn’t any memorable tunes. I taped the album on MC at the time and listened to it a few times. I haven’t revisited the album since. Given my music taste has evolved, there is a chance I may feel different about it today. Though I can’t imagine it would reach reach my levels of excitement for Floyd albums like “Meddle”, “The Dark Side of the Moon”, “Wish You Were Here” and “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn”.
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Hey Christian. We seem to have similar experiences with The Wall. After getting into them in ’77 with Animals, The Wall was my first “new” Pink Floyd album as an existing fan, so I was obsessed with it. I also loved the movie and saw it countless times. Over the years I find that the whole thing doesn’t have the same impact on me, although I agree that many of its songs are pretty amazing (including the two you mentioned, which ironically feature some amazing singing and guitar work from Gilmour). There are memorable tunes on The Final Cut but they take a lot longer to reveal themselves.
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Good old Rog is a divisive man. I prefer this album to the wall, better songs, not so navel gazing etc. it’s the last Floyd album in my opinion although they collectively did the dirt on Rick prior so maybe it’s not a Floyd album after all. Who care it’s classic, Rog’s tour was a blast and yes they all bicker like bitter old men. Funny this and Dark Side being ten years apart, there’s a post in there somewhere.
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Hi Neil. It’s interesting that you like The Final Cut more than The Wall and think it has better songs. That is the opposite of what most fans seem to think. It certainly covers similar territory, lyrically and sonically, but I feel like the hooks take a lot longer to reveal themselves. Are you not a fan of the Gilmour-led Floyd albums? I love those records, especially the first one, but I know a lot of people never warmed to them. I like your idea about a blog post discussing the mere ten years between Dark Side and The Final Cut. Only three albums in between them yet so many changes happened in that time. I think you should tackle that subject.
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I’m not sure I could tackle that subject maybe I’ll break it up a bit.
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Great stuff Rich. It’s a masterpiece. And I love the solo followp, TP&CoHH, and also a huge fan of A Momentary Lapse…. they sound so great when played back to back.
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Interesting to think about those two albums back-to-back, as they’re pretty different, but maybe a combination of the two would make a good pseudo Pink Floyd album. I was obsessed with both A Momentary Lapse Of Reason and Waters’ Radio KAOS in ’87, and saw both tours at Madison Square Garden (in almost the same seats) about two months apart. Loved ’em both.
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Great stuff Rich. Yes me too. KAOS LP and the Floyd tour in ’88. Although dont listen to KAOS much these days. The back to back thing is exactly that, a good pseudo Pink Floyd album, you nailed it.
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I haven’t played Radio KAOS in years. I imagine it will sound VERY dated now, but I still think it’s his strongest collection of songs post-Floyd. Most people point to Amused To Death as his best but I think that one’s a little too long and not as varied as KAOS.
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I think you already know that I discovered Pink Floyd late (very late) so only starting to appreciate their back catalogue now. Won’t score on this one, as not really qualified, but just wanted to say I love hearing people’s musical memories – about how you still remember first hearing the album whilst prepping for your ‘paper round’. We can’t remember what we did last week but we remember the music that made an impact. (Talking of which I’ve just returned from a meeting at my mum’s care home – the annual review – we commented on how despite having practically no memory now, she still loves music and remembers all the words to the most obscure songs. Funny how the brain works.)
As for Roger Waters the man, this is becoming a bit of a problem, separating the artist’s views from their music. Here it is cropping up again with this generation of musician. You do well to keep the two apart. Not everyone is as capable/forgiving.
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Hi Alyson. I hope you’re happy with the care home your mum’s in. It’s amazing how hard it is to find good all-around care for the elderly. Obviously, having family nearby, and the threat of a family visit at any time, will keep the staff on their toes. Sending good wishes to her…and to you. It’s very true about how strong music is in our memories. Even in the week’s leading up to my dad’s passing last year, he would still sing (and occasionally) mumble along as we played his favorite old country songs.
As for separating the artist from their art, it’s certainly up to the individual, but that’s the way I’ve always approached it. There have certainly been artists I’ve moved away from because of certain opinions or actions on their part, but I like to keep that stuff to myself. There’s already too much negativity in the public arena.
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Yes, my mum’s care home is great. Just hope nothing changes with it as at present they can’t make ends meet. Staff costs and running costs going through the roof. Bit of a worry.
You are right, it can get very ugly out there. I’ve been lucky in my corner of the blogosphere – long may it continue.
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Yikes, I’m sorry to hear that but not surprised. Staffing anywhere these days is a challenge, but the issue is magnified in places like care homes, where it’s hard to find qualified people. Fingers tightly crossed for you.
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Thank you
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