A Momentary Lapse of Reason

For the TVB drama, see Momentary Lapse of Reason (TV series).

A Momentary Lapse of Reason
A line of hospital beds stretch into the distance on an overcast beach. A man sits on one bed holding a mirror. The sky is slightly purple.
Original cover[nb 1]
Studio album by
Pink Floyd
Released7 September 1987 (1987-09-07)
RecordedNovember 1986 – March 1987
Studio
GenreProgressive rock
Length51:09
Label
Producer
Pink Floyd chronology
Works
(1983) 		A Momentary Lapse of Reason
(1987) 		Delicate Sound of Thunder
(1988)
Singles from A Momentary Lapse of Reason
  1. "Learning to Fly"
    Released: 7 September 1987[1]
  2. "On the Turning Away"
    Released: 7 December 1987[2]
  3. "One Slip"
    Released: 13 June 1988

A Momentary Lapse of Reason is the 13th studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released in the UK on 7 September 1987 by EMI and the following day in the US on Columbia. It was recorded primarily on the converted houseboat Astoria, belonging to the guitarist, David Gilmour.

A Momentary Lapse of Reason was the first Pink Floyd album recorded without the founding member Roger Waters, who departed in 1985. The production was marred by legal fights over the rights to the Pink Floyd name, which were not resolved until several months after release. It also saw the return of the keyboardist and founding member Richard Wright, who was fired by Waters during the recording of The Wall (1979). Wright returned as a session player.[3]

Unlike most of Pink Floyd's preceding studio records, A Momentary Lapse of Reason is not a concept album. It includes writing contributions from outside songwriters, following Gilmour's decision to include material once intended for his third solo album. The album was promoted with three singles: the double A-side "Learning to Fly" / "Terminal Frost", "On the Turning Away", and "One Slip".

A Momentary Lapse of Reason received mixed reviews; some critics praised the production and instrumentation but criticised Gilmour's songwriting, and it was derided by Waters. It reached number three in the UK and US, and outsold Pink Floyd's previous album, The Final Cut (1983). It was supported by a successful world tour between 1987 and 1989, including a free performance on a barge floating on the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy.


Cite error: There are <ref group=nb> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=nb}} template (see the help page).

  1. ^ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 35.
  2. ^ "UK promo disc with release date".
  3. ^ Jon Pareles (15 September 2008). "Richard Wright, Member of Pink Floyd, Dies at 65". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.