Classic Album Review: "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" by Pink Floyd

Momentary Lapse of Reason

We are now at the 25th year of this album's existence. I first received it as a Christmas gift in the early 90's or late 80's. I do not recall for sure. Then, like now, I was trying to expand my musical collection and this was one of the albums I was given. I had no idea at the time of the three phases of Pink Floyd. I only knew that my cousin loved Pink Floyd, my step-dad loved Pink Floyd, they used funny sounds on their albums, and that Pink Floyd The Wall was a creepy movie that moved me, but I didn't know how.

I originally had this album on cassette and I don't remember what happened to that cassette, but I did listen to that tape about a million times over and over. I recently purchased this album on CD finally. This time, I know that the career of Pink Floyd has spanned three major phases and that a lot of people do not particularly enjoy this album, but there is something about it that made me want to own it again, so I bought it.

Essentially on this album, Pink Floyd is comprised of two members of the band, Bob Ezrin and what seems like another four hundred additional musicians. Not that bringing in session players was out of the ordinary for the Floyd. They even brought back the same sax player who was on "Dark Side of the Moon."

The album starts out with an instrumental and then leads into "Learning To Fly." I cannot imagine how anyone could have an unkind word to say about this song. If each version of the Floyd gets a perfect song, this is the Gilmour version's perfect song. Every time I hear it, it always takes me back to what Pink Floyd is. Even though there are barely enough people involved to call this a band and especially Pink Floyd, this song always feels like they wrote a song that perfectly illustrates what Pink Floyd is and was.

From "Learning To Fly," the album segues into "Dogs of War," which is another track I love and then on into instrumentals and "A New Machine" parts 1 & 2. That was the only part of this album that ticked up my ears. That to me really felt like Gilmour was trying to tap into the mindset of "The Wall." This could just be my imagination, bu that's what hits me there.

All in all, this is a great album from front to back.

Genre: Rock (for lack of a better place for the Floyd.)
Year: 1987
Run time: 51:14 
Playlists: Rock, Arena Rock, Mellowship of the Ring


Track Listing:

1) Signs of Life
2) Learning to Fly
3) Dogs of War
4) One Slip
5) On the Turning Away
6) Yet Another Movie/Round and Around
7) A New Machine (Part 1)
8) Terminal Frost
9) A New Machine (Part 2)
10) Sorrow