The Final Cut

The Final Cut began as a soundtrack to the 1982 film of The Wall, under the working title Spare Bricks. The Falklands War turned it into an anti-war concept album provisionally called Requiem for a Post-War Dream, dedicated to Waters's father, Eric Fletcher Waters, a second lieutenant in the 8th Royal Fusiliers who died at Aprilia, Italy, on 18 February 1944. The title refers to the most unkindest cut of all in Julius Caesar. Waters is credited with all the songwriting and sings lead on all but one track. Richard Wright had left under pressure from Waters during The Wall, so this is the only Pink Floyd album without him.

Gilmour felt that the leftover Wall songs were not good enough and wanted new material, while Waters doubted he would supply any. The two worked separately, with Andy Jackson on Waters's vocals and Guthrie on Gilmour's guitars. Gilmour had his producer credit removed but was still paid royalties. Michael Kamen co-produced and arranged the orchestra, and he and Andy Bown stood in for Wright on keyboards. Ray Cooper added percussion, Andy Newmark replaced Mason on Two Suns in the Sunset, and Raphael Ravenscroft played saxophone in place of guitar solos on two tracks. It was the second album to use the Holophonic system, heard on Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert. Waters made the cover himself from photographs by Willie Christie, showing a remembrance poppy and four Second World War medal ribbons.

Release and reception

It reached number 1 in Britain and number 6 in the United States, and was certified Platinum in May 1983 and double Platinum in 1997. It was nevertheless the lowest-selling Pink Floyd studio album worldwide since Meddle, which Gilmour took as proof that the material was weak. Not Now John reached the British Top 30 with its chorus cleaned up to Stuff all that. A short film directed by Christie came out in July 1983. When the Tigers Broke Free, a single from July 1982, was added to the album from the 2004 reissue.

Reviews were mixed. Melody Maker called it a milestone in the history of awfulness, and Kurt Loder of Rolling Stone called it essentially a Roger Waters solo album and a superlative achievement. Robert Christgau gave it a C+. Rachel Mann of The Quietus wrote that, flawed though it is, it remains a tremendous album.