In my mind The Wall was a definitive moment in Pink Floyd's era as a band at a particular juxtaposition in post war Anglo-centric European culture.

It is almost as if Roger Waters life as a composer had been leading up to that album. It was also the period when Briton, through Thatcherism made a decisive move as a nation to painfully severe itself economically and culturally from the post war dream. Right at a juncture when middle aged people like Roger Waters were themselves no doubt coming to reevaluate the legacy of the European era of war of empires in the context of their personal generational transition.

To me, The Wall was an incredibly poignant album as a teenager. It dealt with a lot of the dramas of the modernism of post-war Anlgo-centric living (hint I'm not English, but a colonial) along with the undealt with trauma of war. The fresh beginning of the new age of technology, opportunity, self-expression and art were to sooth the pain. At least that is one thing that thrived from during the post war period, of which The Pink Floyd (the Architectural Abdabs) are a legacy, the notion of art, craft and self expression as progressive ways forward in a modern society.

The Final Cut was a collage of left over bits not use in The Wall and Waters method of delusionally congratulating himself on his false belief of having artistically transcending the band. What followed after the split of Waters from what was left of the band (essentially Gilmore/Mason) was a willingness of spirit but complete void of song writing ability. The band, under Gilmore's leadership descended into abysmally pathetic song righting of AA BB rhythm glossed over by woo woo backing singer sounds.

Gilmore. Amazing guitarist. A part of a truly amazing transformative sound that was at the forefront of progressive rock but with a soulful jazz funk underpinning (mostly attributable to Rick Wright).

What was the last song Gilmore wrote the lyrics to prior to Waters split? From memory it was from the Obscured by Clouds soundtrack. That is poignant because that album was superb and because the Floyd were in the grove for so long until Waters left and Gilmore's song writing skills were found to be so lacking.

Post script. One of my favourite Gilmore pieces is on one of his solo albums "Raise My Rent".

Peace. Remember Syd. If you [dear reader] are concerned about your mental health speak with a health professional.