The Final Cut
A Requiem for the Post War Dream
Written by Roger Waters
Performed by Pink Floyd
This
album was released on March 1983 (UK) and 2 April 1983 (US). The
record made it to Number 1 on the UK charts, and Number 6 on the US
Chart. (Wikipedia)
The
cover (the first time for a Pink Floyd album was not a Hipgnosis
cover) was designed by Roger Waters and on the front depicts military
medals ( 1939-1945 Star, Africa Star, Defence Medal, and
Distinguished Flying Cross) whilst the back depicts a man stabbed in
the back holding a film canister. (Wikipedia)
Already
there is a theme occurring. Roger Waters. He not only wrote the
album lyrics, but most of the music, and of course he designed the
album covers. It’s widely argued that this was Roger’s first
solo album as there was very little input from the remainder of Pink
Floyd. David had four solos and singing credit on Not Now John and
Nick was replaced on Two Suns in the Sunset. It’s well publicised
that Rick had been fired during The Wall and made no appearance on
The Final Cut. Still this album is credited as a Pink Floyd album,
and scored accordingly in the Box Office. But its reign on the
charts was short lived as a lot of die hard Pink Floyd fans bypassed
even buying the album based on poor reviews.
This
is not a Pink Floyd album. It is a Roger Waters album that uses some
of the parts to achieve an aim. Water’s had wrested full control
from the rest of the band and they pampered to his whims and fancies,
just to get an album out for release as a Pink Floyd one (recording
contractual agreement with EMI) – (David Gilmour interview and
Wikipedia) The album continues on from where The Wall left off. The
bulk of the creativity is Roger Waters, and the result is a very
Roger Water’s feeling album, albeit more laid back than the full on
Wall concept. During the recording of the album, (July – December
1982 – Wikipedia) Roger initially wanted to rework songs from The
Wall movie and stage show to make this album the third The Wall LP,
however during this recording phase, his interest shifted to what
would become a strong anti war album in every sense of the word.
A
Requiem for the Post War Dream. This became the focus for
Roger, coinciding with Maggie Thatchers war with Argentina in 1982.
The springboard was set, and what followed is what I call my
favourite Pink Floyd album of them all. As addressed in other
papers, I am an avid Roger Waters fan, for a number of reasons. He
uses segue sound affects well, and he writes brilliant lyrics (none
so more profound as The Gunners Dream.). His mastery of musical
concepts as well makes for interesting sounds and songs. The onus on
the listener on this album is not directed at haunting guitar solos
or expansive keyboard sound affects, but the need to delve deep into
the real heart of the songs, the lyrics.
This
album was also their first album to utilise holophonics (a three
dimensional sound reproduction system) and when listened to on
headphones or a good sound surround system, this album is stunning.
Sure it could have had more input from David and others, but what is
laid down serves me nicely. The sound affects are given life through
this sound reproduction method, and the music has an aural quality
that would serve Roger well in his soon to be solo career.
During
the making of the album, there were three producers credited with
producing the album, Roger himself, Michael Kamen, and James Guthrie.
Other band members who played on the album were (on keyboards)
Michael Kamen and Andy Brown, (on drums) Nick Mason and Andy Newmark,
(on Saxophone) Raphael Ravenscroft and Ray Cooper (on percussion). A
line up that, of course, included Roger Waters and David Gilmour.
(From Wikipedia) There are three perceived concepts to this album.
- The state of world affairs at the time of writing the album.
- The second is the mental plight of a WWII veteran, and
- The story of a depressed man.
Most
avid listeners to the album, and reader of the lyrics, will probably
identify with this contention. I think personally, there is just one
voice through the whole album, that covers a miasma of issues in all
three areas suggested, but yes they do exist. The album has
consistent flow. Musically and lyrically, and seems to be a story of
a moment in time, recorded history, recorded perceptions, and
recorded hopes and dreams (The Gunners Dream an example).
This
album contains one song that epitomises my faith in Roger Waters.
The Gunners Dream (TGD) is an anthem in itself, and I rate as my all
time favourite Pink Floyd track. So much do I like it I use (to this
day) the title as my internet logon name on most of the sites I visit
or take part in. It is also the only song in a vast ocean of sound
and song that I know I can sing Acapella. I am so enamoured with it,
I made a video for YouTube as my first attempt at creating video
sound bytes of Roger Waters’s songs. And not actually picking
worse songs than TDG, but maybe equal favourite from the album is Two
Suns in the Sunset, an apocalyptic disassociation from Pink Floyd.
I
am now going to go through each song and rate it on its merit. The
logical sequence to follow is first to last, and with that in mind,
we strike a very religious outpouring from Roger, most unusual.
The
Post War Dream
“Tell
me true, tell me why, was Jesus crucified” – Yes very unusual.
Roger doing a bit of soul searching (the only other song coming to
mind with a religious bent is Sheep) and starting an album off with
this reference. And then “is it for this why Daddy died”, more
soul searching. Then the rest of the song breaks into the requiem,
Maggie, the state of the country, the hopes and dreams of past
soldiers shattered by another war? Then ending on more imploration
for Maggie. It’s fair to say with this song Roger wasn’t happy
with the Falklands War and Maggie Thatcher in particular.
The
start sound bytes are interesting to say the least, perhaps a sense
of fear and trepidation “announced plans to build a nuclear fallout
shelter at Peterborough in Cambridgeshire….” One knows this is in
Roger’s backyard and means a lot in the sense of the album,
especially the last songs impact.
Musically
the sound is wonderful. As mentioned, the holophonics gives the
sound a real ethereal quality and is crisp and clear. The actual
impact of the separate musical elements in this and by and large all
the songs is minimal, the words carrying the weight of the songs.
Possible
Pasts
This
song is pure requiem. The reference to cattle trucks and poppies
entwined hit at the soul of the Holocaust and its role in shaping
modern society. It’s also a rather strong action song against the
role religion plays in moulding past societies, and the outcasts it
creates. But the killer line is the opener “they flutter behind
you your possible pasts”. The “what if” of society, if the
choices had indeed made for nought. It also asks the question of
modern conflict, have we learnt to think of diplomacy before war, and
is war necessary? Who really knows? I guess this song holds water
in today’s society, and probably in societies to come, what
relevance does history provide in determining if we fight or not.
Personally, I listen to this song, and I listen to George Bush in
2005, and still the troops are there. I guess that’s the same
question Roger Waters is asking through Possible Pasts of Maggie
Thatcher.
The
musical content of this song too mirror The Post War Dream, more
accompaniment for Rogers chilling vocals. There is a lengthy solo
from David’s guitar, some keyboard elements, and strong drumming
from Nick. But overall the music is just a backdrop for great lyrics
and the sultry voice of a burgeoning Roger Waters.
The
closing line “of our possible pasts lie in tatters and rags”
suggests Roger thinks the mistakes of the past have been replicated
and will be done so again (he was probably right, his thoughts echo
mine, though 20 years later).
One
of the Few
A
quirky wee piece. The lines read as if the Teacher from The Wall
jumps out at you, especially the one word line “Teach!” But
there is also a more sinister intonation, “make them laugh, make
them cry, make them lie down and die” a clear picture of a military
dictator emerges.
Musically
the song starts with a ticking clock (Time reprise perhaps) and a
plaintiff guitar plea from David, then Roger’s questioning and
sneering voice takes over. But as a short, it lacks in any great
musical endeavour, only what is required to give the piece its own
notoriety, the lyrics.
The
Hero’s Return
Once
again, Roger implores Jesus, this time the plea far stronger than in
The Post War Dream. “Jesus, Jesus, what’s it all about?” And
once again a vivid picture of the Teacher from the Wall – “trying
to clout these little ingrates into shape”. A clear segment of
writing that epitomises Rogers’ own lack of beliefs in both role
models. Which is strange coming from someone that appeared to relish
the society he grew up in.
This
line is apocalyptical – “When I was their age all the lights went
out”. This tends to perhaps say that his upbringing may not have
been as rosy as it’s made out in both Schaffers and Masons books,
but then I suppose when you look at Animals and The Wall, Roger does
reveal a lot about himself. Or is he the consummate liar (all good
writers are good liars). Maybe we shouldn’t read too much into
Rogers lyrics, instead focus on the musical feast he’s about to
serve up.
The
track starts with what sounds like an axe splitting the air and
segues into David doing a stilted solo lead in to Rogers’s angry
voice. He really grunts out the lyrics, over the backing music, and
more hints of The Teacher echo around the speakers as he implores his
subjects.
He
changes to dream mode for the “sweetheart, sweetheart, are you fast
asleep? Good.” segment of the song. There’s a dreamy quality to
the singing and music that really builds this song up before it leads
into the cataclysm that is The Gunners Dream.
This song also anchors The Post War Dream in that it asks questions
of the past in relation to the future. It’s also regarded in some
circles that this Requiem is for Roger’s father, yet in the Hero’s
Return we find a hint that it is in fact an airman that is The Gunner
and that this album, though a requiem to all those lost in the war,
features a second world war airman (Dresden at angels one five).
The
Gunners Dream
I
suppose the best way to understand this song is to know the lyrics,
and understand the fear the writer has for society, and for himself
and his family. I have known this song by heart since I first got
the album, and classify it as the best song Roger ever wrote. There
are some that will argue with that, but as a Roger Waters fan, you
cannot simply ignore The Gunners Dream, or you do so at your peril.
What first drew me in to the song? The haunting sound of someone
sailing through the air after ejecting from a downed aircraft and the
accompanying piano (which I believe is in G). The sound of air
rushing past as he deploys his parachute, and then the soft
enveloping sound of Roger’s voice and words. I suppose the best
way to describe Roger’s voice in this song is commanding,
demanding, and reprimanding, as well as a bit of screaming.
I’ve sung this song Acapella at karaoke’s and know full well how
Roger’s voice suits this song. There are high notes, low notes,
mood notes, and just plain angsty notes and all join together with
some very good lyrics to be a total package. The words are the key.
When people hear this song, they oft times pass it off. But when you
hear the song and read the lyrics, as he (Roger) said in a song much
later, “it all makes perfect sense!”
I’d like to fully dissect this song but I’d never get the other
songs completed. I suppose the best way to depict how I see this
song is via a video I constructed for YouTube.
Musically, this songs two strong points are the piano throughout, and
the saxophone solo. I love both instruments and was well pleased
when they appeared together in such a strong song. Apart from that,
I think the musical score echoes the passiveness of the song. In
summary, The Gunners Dream is a song of loss, lost opportunities, and
loss of innocence. I guess the strongest lyrics that make the most
impression on me is “And everyone has recourse to the law, and no
one kills the children anymore” But there is so much more to like,
it’d take too long to do it. Suffice to say, and bearing in mind
repetition, this song utterly rocks my boat.
Paranoid
Eyes
This
is a continuation of The Gunners Dream, but the emphasis shifts from
the past to the nearly present. It’s a continuation of some of
the song lyrics in TGD, but it adds more by introducing a
conversational mood to the song. I do love this song too, but for
different reasons than the previous. Once again the piano plays a
quintessential part in the songs mood, but this time Roger’s voice
is more businesslike than the previous pieces so far. “Button your
lip, and don’t let the shield slip” starts the song off in a very
determined manner, and the song sets out to tell us how things have
changed (paranoia does that). Early into the piece, an organ is
introduced and both piano and organ drive the song. There is an
acoustic guitar interlude (David I’d guess).
Get
Your Filthy Hands off My Desert
The
first thing to note with this song is the Jet fighter sound byte. I
had a surround sound stereo (an early one) and used to put the track
start on the stereo when we had visitors, complete with explosion
(bomb – Wikipedia) and it would scare the devil out of folks,
including neighbours (who got used to it.) The actual song is a
protest march, a declaration of reality for 1982 or thereabouts
before. There is an unusual sound in the music though, sounds like a
cello or similar being played giving the song a waltz feel to it.
Once again, not a great song, but a means to and end.
The
Fletcher Memorial Home
This
song feeds off the offerings from the previous. It’s a rant
against tyrants, dictators, and anyone that behaves in a
condescending manner to the people that put them there. There is
speculation that this song’s title is a memorial to Roger’s own
father, giving added weight to the fact that a man killed because of
a tyrant has the last laugh by having them in his own home.
The
only musical note I can add is that once again the piano takes a
strong part, and towards the end, David’s third solo transpires. I
think once again, the music is by and large a backdrop for Rogers
vocals (which one could surmise makes this a very non Pink Floyd
album).
Southampton
Dock
This
song is another acoustic guitar driven piece with a follow up of
piano again. One wonders why Roger’s best songs are piano pieces
(Nobody Home – The Wall, The Gunners Dream - The Final Cut). This
song is supposed to be a love song, in that someone is waving the
boys away again and missing her man. It’s plainly about the troops
leaving Southampton for the Falklands, revisiting WWII again, a war
dear to Roger’s heart. It almost makes it as THE anti war song of
his writing career, such is the sense of loss that it derives.
Musically
it is, as is most of the album, missing the musicality of Pink Floyd,
but in this song I sense too much would have been a killer and the
words alone act out the passion play.
The
Final Cut
The
title song, and what a song! How about the start (and now widely
quoted) “through the fish eyed lens of tear stained eyes”.
Marvellous. I always take the time to absorb those words. The song
is angst. All things that modern life has enshrouded it in to avoid
contact with each other. The shotgun blast in the middle and the
maniacal laughter of supposedly the shooter, just echo the insanity
of modern society, and I think more directed to American society
The
music features piano again, with a few moments to break the song up a
bit, but by and large Roger’s words and voice steal the show on
this one.
Not
Now John
OK,
I hate this song. Just as much as I hate Money on Dark Side of the
Moon. They are songs designed to sell as singles. To make matters
worse, on The Final Cut, this is a token Pink Floyd song, to give
David a credit, and to hopefully sell the song and the record. Most
albums have them, songs that just don’t fit. I’m glad David got
a credit for this, but that to me was just a little pampering by
Roger to fill the quota. I won’t dare listen to it for this essay,
it disappoints me that much, especially when considering the song
that follows.
Two
Suns in the Sunset
This
simply is Graeme Roger Waters last hurrah to the group known as Pink
Floyd. It’s plain and simply a last farewell to fans and band
members as he moved on and left a parting shot. “Two suns in the
sunset” to me mean there are two equal forces sharing the same
space and one has to move on or the whole explodes. Having axed
Rick, and unable to get rid of David or Nick, I think during the
making of this album his mind was made up. The first verse
highlights the good times past, the rest counts down the future, and
then the end “we are all equal in the end” meaning that as he was
ready to move he was prepared to let Pink Floyd go it’s own way.
This may not be the case, but that’s how the song stands to me.
It’s apocalyptic, inviting The Pro’s and Con’s of Hitchhiking
onto the set, in a similar vein as The Tide is Turning on Radio
K.A.O.S leads onto Amused to Death.
In
conclusion, The Final Cut is an album that caters to taste. The
greatest taste is obviously a love of Roger Waters works. The album
most definitely is not a Pink Floyd album, and it could be argued the
last true Pink Floyd album was Wish You Were Here. There is a lot of
anger with Roger Waters out there for stuffing up a perfectly good
band, but record sales for the last three albums were still well up
there.
One
has to have an acquired taste, but no one should ever stop listening
to an album that has one of the classic songs of all time and from
any genre. The Gunners Dream is superb.
Bibliography
Mason
N. Inside Out
Schaffer
N. Saucerful of Secrets – The Pink Floyd Odyssey
Wikipedia
– The Final Cut retrieved 26th September 2008
from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Final_Cut_(album)
The
David Gilmour quote – I forgot to save the url of this read, and I
can’t find it again.
Dedicated to the memory of Richard Wright – RIP.
