THE FINAL CUT

In a perfect world, "The Wall", "The Final Cut", and Waters' "Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking" should be mixed together, shaken well, and distilled to make one last decent album by PINK FLOYD and one interesting Waters solo album. At one point in my teenage life "The Wall" hadn't yet worn out its welcome and I was hungry for more, which was good because that's mainly what "The Final Cut" and "Pros and Cons" delivered: more of the same. More cultural criticism from the perspective of an isolated, world-weary rocker, more introspective musings steeped in neurosis, more WWII imagery and gospel-tinged rock drama. Richard Wright is sorely missed on this album, and Gilmour's efforts are even more limited than on "The Wall", but there are moments of beauty and despair that almost redeem it- the title track, for instance, is perhaps as close as Waters ever came to making an honest expression of emotion. The clarity and balance of instruments is better here than on "The Wall", with a more lush texture and more varied palette of tones, and there are no embarrasing rock-opera moments either. It beats any subsequent (i.e., non- Waters) release by the band, but it still takes last place compared to all previous PINK FLOYD albums. I would even rather listen to "Several species of small furry animals gathered together in a cave and grooving with a Pict" for 43 minutes...and that's saying something.