The Pink Floyd album that brings regret to David Gilmour

David Gilmour assumed internal hegemony as the main composer of the Pink Floyd from the exit of Roger Watersin 1985. Perhaps it was natural for him to praise the material released by the band since then. However, this is not what happens – at least not as a rule.

The guitarist has already shown himself critical, for example, of the album that marked the beginning of his dominance: A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987). It was the first album by Pink Floyd in such a configuration, but he admits that not everything went to his satisfaction.

In a 2019 statement to the podcast The Lost Art of Conversation (via Far Out Magazine), Gilmour says he even feels a certain regret about the album. He thinks he ended up abusing the use of synthesizers and other new technologies at the time.

The guitarist comments:

“In the 1980s, there was a mass of new technology – new keyboards, synthesizers – and we were eager to capture that era. We embraced this technology with enormous enthusiasm. But it was a fad and fads go out of style.”

According to him, A Momentary Lapse of Reason It gives it a “dated” feeling and has not proven to be “timeless” like other classics from the British group:

“Years after the album (A Momentary Lapse of Reason), there were times when I thought we hadn’t followed the timeless model that perhaps we should have followed.”

Nick Mason isn’t a big fan of Pink Floyd’s album either

The drummer Nick Mason has also spoken out about A Momentary Lapse of Reason and tends to agree with Gilmour. However, he raises another point that he considers detrimental to the album: the presence of many guest musicians from outside the group.

Mason recalls that A Momentary Lapse of Reason was based on material that was supposed to be released by Gilmour in his solo career, but ended up being used by Pink Floyd. In the wake of this, musicians such as the drummer Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, King Kobra), the bassist Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel), the saxophonist John Helliwell (Supertramp) and even the producer Bob Ezrin.

Mason commented to the German magazine Galore (via Igor Miranda website):

“In retrospect, I am very sorry that it was like that. It turns out that, in A Momentary Lapse of Reasona lot of things were touched by other people. That was a mistake, but at the time, David Gilmour had a lot on his plate.”

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