Album of the Week: Pink Floyd's, A Momentary Lapse of Reason

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

A Momentary Lapse of Reason was the first Pink Floyd album recorded without 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 as a session player, after he was fired by Waters during the recording of The Wall (1979).

Unlike Pink Floyd’s five 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."