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The Final Cut is a concept album written by Roger Waters and performed by Pink Floyd. It was recorded across eight studios in the UK from July to December 1982. The album was released in the March 1983 by Harvest Records in the UK and by Columbia Records in the US.

It is the last of the band's releases to feature bassist, main vocalist and primary composer Roger Waters. The Final Cut is the only Pink Floyd album on which he is credited for the writing and composition of every song. Keyboardist Richard Wright was not featured on the album, having been fired during the recording of The Wall. The majority of the lyrics are performed by Waters; David Gilmour provides vocals for only one of the album's 12 tracks.

The recording of The Final Cut was affected by tension between Waters and his bandmates, particularly in the case of David Gilmour, who has since expressed his dislike for much of the album. It has sometimes been regarded as a Roger Waters solo album, rather than a Pink Floyd album. None of the album's songs have ever been performed in concert by the band, although some have been performed by Waters during solo tours.

Background

The Final Cut was originally planned as a soundtrack album for the 1982 film, The Wall. Under the original working title Spare Bricks it would have featured songs from The Wall that had either been added completely or simply rerecorded for the film such as "When the Tigers Broke Free" and "Bring the Boys Back Home," respectively. Roger Waters also planned to record a small amount of 'new' material for inclusion on the album which would further flesh out The Wall narrative.

With the onset of the Falklands Conflict Waters changed direction and began writing new material, for what was to be the final Pink Floyd album featuring Waters and Gilmour. A socialist at heart, Waters saw Margaret Thatcher's response to the invasion of the islands as jingoistic and unnecessary, and he dedicated the new album—provisionally titled Requiem for a Post-War Dream—to his dead father. This new creative direction soon prompted arguments between Waters and Gilmour. "Your Possible Pasts", "One of the Few", "The Final Cut", and "The Hero's Return" were pieces of music from The Wall which had initially been set aside for Spare Bricks. Pink Floyd had often re-used older material in their work, but on this occasion Gilmour felt that these songs were not good enough for a new album. He wanted to write new material, but Waters was doubtful as Gilmour had contributed little to the band's lyrical repertoire over the previous few years.

I'm certainly guilty at times of being lazy, and moments have arrived when Roger might say, "Well, what have you got?" And I'd be like, "Well, I haven't got anything right now. I need a bit of time to put some ideas on tape." There are elements of all this stuff that, years later, you can look back on and say, "Well, he had a point there." But he wasn't right about wanting to put some duff tracks on The Final Cut. I said to Roger, "If these songs weren't good enough for The Wall, why are they good enough now?"

— David Gilmour,

The album's working title was changed to The Final Cut, a reference to Shakespeare's Julius Ceaser: "This was the most unkindest cut of all". "When the Tigers Broke Free" was issued as a single on 26 July 1982 with "Bring the Boys Back Home" on the B-side. The label on both sides of the single listed the tracks as taken from the forthcoming Final Cut album; however neither song ultimately ended up being included.

Concept and Storyline

The Final Cut is an anti-war concept album that also features rock opera elements. The album's concept was partly inspired by the rise of Margaret Thatcher and Britain's involvement in the Falklands Conflict. Waters' lyrics explore what he regards as the betrayal of fallen British servicemen such as his own father, who sacrificed their lives in the Second World War in the spirit of a "post-war dream" that their victory would usher in a more peaceful world, in which leaders would no longer be so prepared to resort to war. The lyrics are critical of Thatcher, whose policies and decisions Waters regarded as an example of this betrayal. She is referred to as "Maggie" throughout the album. The album is dedicated to Eric Fletcher Waters.

With the exception of the introductory track, "The Post-War Dream", the first side of the album is a short rock opera about the mental plight of a World War II veteran who becomes an abusive schoolteacher. Over the course of five consecutive tracks ("Your Possible Pasts", "One of the Few", "The Hero's Return", "The Gunner's Dream" and "Paranoid Eyes") his life in the years following the war is detailed, focusing on his depression brought about by a post-traumatic stress disorder. He feels disconnected from his wife and haunted by the memory of his dying fellow soldiers, including the last words of a gunner whose death he heard over an intercom. He takes his troubles out on schoolchildren whom he abuses in a desire for control. The same character had appeared on Pink Floyd's previous album, The Wall, in which he is described as having abused the story's protagonist as a young child in school. In The Wall's narrative, specifically the song "The Happiest Days of Our Lives", he is also believed to have a "psychopathic" wife who regularly beats him, a rumour which is touched on and explained in "the Hero's Return" as a simple sense of alienation that the veteran feels towards his wife and his surroundings. The rock opera portion of the album ends with "Paranoid Eyes", in which the veteran turns to alcohol and chooses to hide his true feelings from the rest of the world.

The second half of the album deals with various issues, mostly involving war. While "Southampton Dock" is a lament to returning war heroes, and those soldiers heading out to a certain death, "Not Now John" addresses the ignorance of society toward political and economical problems. "Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert" deals with Waters' feelings about war and invasion. "The Fletcher Memorial Home" reflects Waters' fantasy of gathering together political leaders such as Leonid Brezhnev, Menachem Begin, and Margaret Thatcher, and executing them all. The album's title track reflects Waters' deepest intimacies; the lyrics deal with the aftermath of a man's isolation and sexual repression, as he attempts suicide, and struggles to reconnect with the world around him. The album ends with "Two Suns in the Sunset", a song that portrays a nuclear holocaust, the final result of a world obsessed with war and control.

Recording

The album was recorded in various studios around London such as Mayfair Studios, Olympic Studios, Abbey Road Studios, Eel Pie Studios, Audio International, RAK Studios, Hookend Studios and the Billiard Room Studios.

Michael Kamen (a contributor to the orchestral sections of The Wall) mediated between Waters and Gilmour, and also performed the role traditionally occupied by the now absent Richard Wright. Kamen was a classically trained pianist, played the harmonium, and also conducted the National Philharmonic Orchestra. James Guthrie was the studio engineer, and surprisingly, Mason was helped by Ray Cooper, and replaced by Andy Newmark on "Two Suns in the Sunset" when the former was unable to perform the complex timing changes required of him. Mason was also responsible for the repeated reprises of the 'Maggie, what have we done?' chorus. Baker Street's Raphael Ravenscroft was hired to play the saxophone (most previous Floyd albums tend to make repeated use of particular musicians). Recording took place in the latter half of 1982, in an unprecedented eight studios, including Gilmour's home studio at Hookend Manor, and Waters' home studio at East Sheen.

While Waters and Gilmour initially worked together, playing Donkey Kong in their spare time, the tension within the band grew worse. Waters and Gilmour eventually chose to work separately. Andy Jackson (co-engineer) worked with Waters on the vocals, and Guthrie worked with Gilmour on the guitars. They would occasionally meet to discuss the work that had been completed so far. While this methodology was not itself unusual, Gilmour began to feel the strain, sometimes barely maintaining his composure. Kamen too felt pressurised; Waters had never been a confident vocalist, and after repeated studio takes Waters noticed him writing on a notepad. Losing his temper, he demanded to know what Kamen was doing, only to find that he had been writing "I Must Not Fuck Sheep" repeatedly.

Mason's contributions were almost entirely limited to recording sound effects for the experimental Holophonic system, an audio processing technique used to add an enhanced three-dimensional effect. The Final Cut is the second album to feature this technology. An example of this technology is featured on "Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert," in which the sound effect of an explosion was processed so that it would appear to surround the listener. The use of this technique expanded on Pink Floyd's long interest in using sound effects combined with advances and innovations in audio recording technology. Sound effects from earlier Floyd albums are also evident; the wind from Meddle is re-used, as are parts of The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Wall.

Following a final confrontation, Gilmour's name as producer was removed from the credit list, reflecting what Waters felt was his lack of song writing contributions. Waters later admitted that he was also under significant pressure, and that early in production of The Final Cut he knew he would never record with either Gilmour or Mason again. Although he issued a vague threat to release the album as a solo record, Pink Floyd were contracted to EMI, and such a move was unlikely. Mason kept himself distant, by now having marital problems of his own with wife Lindy (he would later remarry).

Packaging

Hipgnosis—designers of most of Pink Floyd's previous artwork—had by this time disbanded, but as with The Wall Thorgerson was passed over for the cover design. Waters designed the cover, with photographs taken by his brother-in-law, Willie Christie. The front cover shows a Remembrance Day poppy and four World War II medal ribbons laid out on a black fabric background. From left to right the medals are the 1939-1945 Star, the Africa Star, the Defence Medal, and the Distinguished Flying Cross. The Remembrance Day poppy is a recurring theme in the design of the album. The artwork also features various images of a lone soldier in a field. The interior gatefold featured three photographs. The first depicts a hand outstretched, holding three poppies with a soldier standing in the middle of a field far off in the background. The second photograph was identical to the cover of the Not Now John single. The third depicts a nuclear explosion—viewed from inside a car—referencing "Two Suns in the Sunset". The album lyrics are printed in full, on the gatefold. The picture labels on side one of the vinyl disc depicts a poppy field. Side two depicts a soldier stabbed in the back, lying face down on the ground near a poppy field. A dog is seen sitting beside him. The back cover features a photograph of a soldier standing upright and holding a film cannister, with a knife protruding from his back (the film cannister and knife may also reflect Waters' tumultuous relationship with Alan Parker).

Release

The Final Cut was released in the UK on 21 March 1983, and reached No.1 in the UK album charts, something that both The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall had failed to do. It was less successful upon its 2 April release in the US, peaking at No.6 on the Billboard album charts. "Not Now John" was released as a single and reached the UK Top 30, with its chorus of "Fuck all that" bowdlerised to "Stuff all that". Despite its success, the album again received mixed reviews. Melody Maker declared it to be "… a milestone in the history of awfulness …", but Rolling Stone's Kurt Loder viewed it as "… essentially a Roger Waters solo album … a superlative achievement on several levels. …".

is very good, but it's not personally how I would see a Pink Floyd record going.

— David Gilmour,

It went Gold and Platinum in the US in May 1983 with a million copies in sales and then Double Platinum on 31 January 1997. The Final Cut was however the lowest-selling Pink Floyd studio album since 1971's Meddle in both the US and worldwide. Gilmour later claimed that this relative commercial "failure" evidenced his assertion that much of the material on the album was "weak".

Reissues

In 1983 the album was released on Compact Disc. In 2004 a remastered and repackaged CD was released in by EMI in Europe and on Capitol Records in the U.S. "When the Tigers Broke Free" was added to the album. A remastered version was made available in 2007 as part of the Oh, by the Way boxed set. It was packaged in a mini-replica of the original gatefold LP sleeve. "When the Tigers Broke Free" was also added to this version.

Film

A short film based on a selection of the album's songs was released in 1983, produced by Waters and directed by his brother-in-law Willie Christie. It features four of the tracks from the album, "The Gunner's Dream", "The Final Cut", "The Fletcher Memorial Home", and "Not Now John". Waters is shown revealing his innermost secrets to a psychiatrist named A. Parker-Marshall. Alex McAvoy stars in the film, reprising his role as the abusive schoolteacher from The Wall. However, unlike in both The Wall and the Final Cut album, the schoolteacher is shown in a contemporary 1983 setting, as his son is shown to be fighting in the Falklands Conflict.

Legacy

Following the release of The Final Cut, each member of the band turned separate solo projects. Gilmour recorded About Face in 1984, using it to express his feelings about a range of topics, from the murder of John Lennon, to his relationship with Waters, who began touring his new solo album, The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking. Richard Wright meanwhile formed Zee with Dave Harris. They recorded Identity, which went almost unnoticed upon its release. Wright was also in the midst of a difficult divorce, and has since admitted that it was "… made at a time in my life when I was lost." Mason released his second solo album Profiles in August 1985.

Waters eventually announced that he had left the band, and that he believed that Pink Floyd was a "spent force". He also contacted O'Rourke with a view to settling future royalty payments. O'Rourke felt obliged to inform Mason and Gilmour, and as a result Waters tried to dismiss him. Waters then went to the High Court in an attempt to prevent the Pink Floyd name from ever being used again. His lawyers discovered that the partnership had never been formally confirmed, and Waters returned to the High Court in an attempt to gain a veto over further use of the band's name. Gilmour's team responded by issuing a courteous press release affirming that Pink Floyd would continue to exist, however he later told a Sunday Times reporter that "Roger is a dog in the manger and I'm going to fight him …".

Waters wrote to EMI and Columbia declaring his intention to leave the group, asking them to release him from his contractual obligations. With a legal case pending, Waters dispensed with O'Rourke, and employed Peter Rudge to manage his affairs. He went on to contribute to the soundtrack for When the Wind Blows, and then his second solo album, Radio K.A.O.S..

The album is sometimes viewed as a de facto Waters solo record due to the combination of Pink Floyd's partial breakup and Waters' lyrical dominance on the project. The personal quality assigned to the lyrics are related to Waters' struggle to reconcile his despair at the changing social face of Britain, and the loss of his father in World War II. Despite this however, Gilmour's guitar solos on "Your Possible Pasts" and "The Fletcher Memorial Home" are sometimes considered equal to his best work on The Wall.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Roger Waters

Personnel

Pink Floyd

• Roger Waters – lead vocals, bass guitar, synthesiser, sound effects, acoustic guitar, artwork
• David Gilmour – guitars, lead vocals on "Not Now John"
• Nick Mason – drum, percussion, sound effects (with holophonics)

Additional musicians

• Andy Bown – Hammond organ
• Ray Cooper – percussion
• Michael Kamen – piano harmonium, conducting and arranging of the National Philharmonic Orchestra
• National Philharmonic Orchestra
• Andy Newmark – drums on "Two Suns in the Sunset"
• Raphael Ravenscroft – tenor saxophone

Production

• Willie Christie – photography
• James Guthrie – remastering producer, engineering, remastering on 2004 re-issue
• Andrew Jackson – engineering
• Doug Sax – mastering, remastering on 1994 and 1997 re-issues

Notes

1. UK EMI Harvest HAR 5222 seven inch single), US Columbia AS 1541 (promotional 12 inch single, US Columbia X18-03142 (seven inch single)
2. UK EMI Harvest SHPF 1983 (Vinyl Album)
3. US Columbia QC 38243 (Vinyl Album)
4. Harvest 7243 576734 2 6 (EMI) / EAN 0724357673426, UK EMI Harvest 576 7342
5. UK: Video Music Collection PM0010 (VHS PAL Video EP)

References

Footnotes

1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas, The Final Cut - Overview, allmusic.com, retrieved 2009-09-22
2. Twist, Carlo, The Final Cut, blender.com, retrieved 2009-09-22
3. Christgau, Robert (1983), Consumer Guide Album, robertchristgau.com, retrieved 2009-09-22
4. Ott, Chris (2004-06-03), Pink Floyd - The Final Cut, pitchforkmedia.com, retrieved 2009-09-22
5. Q: 275, 1995 {{citation}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
6. ^ Loder, Kurt (1983-04-14), Pink Floyd — The Final Cut, rollingstone.com, retrieved 2009-09-04
7. Uncut: 112, 2004, 4 stars out of 5 - Waters is uncompromisingly, grimly realistic as he rages at the causes and effects of war. {{citation}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
8. ^ Blake 2008, pp. 294–295
9. ^ Mason 2005, p. 264
10. Grein, Paul (1982-09-18), Pink Floyd's Next Album Will Have 'Wall' Tie-In, Billboard, p. 11, 44, retrieved 2009-09-22 {{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
11. Blake 2008, p. 295
12. Schaffner 1991, p. 238
13. ^ Povey 2007, p. N/A
14. ^ Blake 2008, p. 299
15. DeGagne, Mike, Not Now John - Song Review, allmusic.com, retrieved 2009-09-22
16. ^ Schaffner 1991, p. 242
17. Povey 2007, p. 1985
18. Schaffner 1991, p. 239
19. Schaffner 1991, p. 240
20. ^ Blake 2008, pp. 296–298
21. Mason 2005, p. 268
22. Mabbett, Andy (1994), Chris Charlesworth (ed.), Pink Floyd: The Visual Documentary, Omnibus Press, ISBN 0-7119-4109-2 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
23. Schaffner 1991, p. 241
24. ^ Mason 2005, p. 273
25. Chart Stats - Pink Floyd, chartstats.com, retrieved 2009-07-02
26. ^ Blake 2008, p. 300
27. US Certifications database, riaa.com, retrieved 2009-03-28
28. Povey 2007, p. 1976
29. Pink Floyd - The Final Cut (album), ultratop.be, retrieved 2009-09-25
30. Schaffner 1991, p. 244
31. Blake 2008, pp. 302–309
32. Blake 2008, pp. 309–311
33. ^ Blake 2008, pp. 311–313
34. Schaffner 1991, pp. 262–263
35. Jones, Peter (1986-11-22), It's the Final Cut: Pink Floyd to Split Officially, Billboard, p. 70, retrieved 2009-09-22 {{citation}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
36. Schaffner 1991, p. 271
37. Schaffner 1991, p. 263
38. Schaffner 1991, pp. 264–266
39. Schaffner 1991, pp. 238–239

Bibliography

• Blake, Mark (2008), Comfortably Numb — The Inside Story of Pink Floyd, Da Capo Press, ISBN 0306817527
• Mason, Nick (2005), Philip Dodd (ed.), Inside Out - A Personal History of Pink Floyd (Paperback ed.), Phoenix, ISBN 0753819066
• Povey, Glenn (2007), Echoes, Mind Head Publishing, ISBN 0955462401
• Schaffner, Nicholas (1991), Saucerful of Secrets (1 ed.), London : Sidgwick & Jackson, ISBN 0283061278

External links

• Album's official web site

• Pages with empty short description
• 1983 albums
• Albums produced by James Guthrie
• Albums produced by Roger Waters
• Capitol Records albums
• Columbia Records albums
• Concept albums
• EMI Records albums
• English-language albums
• Harvest Records albums
• Pink Floyd albums