What was the final Pink Floyd album to feature Roger Waters?…. Read more
Waters had taken a dominant role in Pink Floyd during the 1970s, especially after the departure of founding member Syd Barrett. By the time of *The Final Cut*, Waters’ influence was so strong that many considered it more of a solo project with contributions from the other band members rather than a collaborative effort. The album was a tribute to Waters’ father, who had died in World War II, and it reflected his deep disillusionment with post-war British politics, particularly Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s handling of the Falklands War.
The tensions within the band were evident during the recording of *The Final Cut*. Waters and guitarist David Gilmour had been clashing creatively for years, with Waters’ increasingly authoritarian grip on the band’s direction causing friction. Gilmour reportedly felt disconnected from the project, contributing only a few guitar solos, while keyboardist Richard Wright had already been dismissed from the band during *The Wall* sessions.
Musically, *The Final Cut* is more of a narrative-driven album, with Waters delivering spoken-word passages and melancholic lyrics over somber orchestration. It lacks the more collaborative, psychedelic sound that had defined Pink Floyd’s earlier albums like *Dark Side of the Moon* and *Wish You Were Here*. As a result, it divided critics and fans alike, with some praising its emotional depth and others lamenting the lack of input from the rest of the band.
Following *The Final Cut*, Roger Waters left Pink Floyd, officially departing in 1985 after a legal battle over the rights to the band’s name and music. The rest of the band continued without him, releasing *A Momentary Lapse of Reason* in 1987.
One half of Pink Floyd left and they were never the same. RW is irreplaceable. Amazing artist and man.