Great to find your generation rediscovering this gem. You are absolutely right. Some of the tracks were to be included in The Wall but weren't. One of the most underrated albums in the history of everything underrated
Music is always a personal experience.....personally, The Gunners Dream is one of the best songs there is....this album deserves a lot more love.✌️...Good on you for the journey your taking. (BTW, someone mentioned this in the comments, but Waters solo album Amused to Death is awesome, also Radio Kaos)
Maggie is referring to Margaret Thatcher who was the longest serving Prime Minister in the United Kingdom to today. She was a staunch conservative and also nicknamed “the Iron Lady”. So, that’s who they’re referring to when they say “Maggie”.
One thing I've noticed when listening to young reactors is they miss references to the fear of nuclear war which is in a number of songs. The possibility was a something we were always aware of during the Cold War.
"The Wall" dealt with the fictional character Pink's (based on water's experiences) feelings and paranoia from being raised during WW2 and its aftermath leaving us with a warning about engaging in wars. "The Final Cut" was done after UK waging the Falkland's War against Argentina. Maggie was Margaret Thatcher, UK's Prime Minister. -- Cattle trucks, cattle cars in US railroad jargon, were used to transport troops from the countryside to ports to ship them out to war. -- The girl's "cold eyes imploring the men in their macs for the gold in their bags" refers to the intense post-war poverty the UK suffered. Many war widows were reduced to prostitution to survive. -- The "knives in their backs" was the nation reneging on its promise to care for those who enlisted to fight with a generous pension when they returned. With its devastated post-war economy the UK could not pay what it had promised they wound up as destitute as those who stayed at home. -- "Fletcher Memorial Home" shows utter disdain for world leaders who had considered war as a useful means to gain and wield power. "Final solution" was the Nazi term for annihilating the Jews. -- "Southampton Dock" recognized the horrible losses of men UK suffered from WW2 and stood in horror as Maggie sent shipload after shipload of men off to wage the Falklands War. The lady with the "handkerchief and summer frock" is a poetic reference to Queen Elizabeth II who did the same in WW2 as well as the 1982 Falklands was. -- In "The Gunner's Dream" Rafael Ravenscroft's brilliant saxophone work at once plays the sad melody of the song and embodies the grief-stricken cries, screams, and exhausted breaths of the gunner's mother at his memorial service. -- "Not Now John" depicts the nonstop frantic work the postwar generation put in to rebuild the nation and standard of living. Changing world economy and industrial competition from all directions made for a breakneck effort from everyone only to have the weight of yet another war dumped upon their shoulders. All they could do for some small relief was hit the pubs and get sloshed. -- "Two Suns in the Sunset" describes the outbreak of nuclear will destroy everything they have worked to build an improve, including mankind itself. In this album Roger Waters is desperately asking why leaders continue resorting to war despite all th tragic results we know result from them -- now including the end of civilization. After the Gulf War Waters did yet another album on this same subject -- his magnum opus solo effort: "Amused to Death". Do give it a listen!
Roger Waters third solo album 'Amused to Death' is superb and deals with how the modern media covers war. It is Roger Waters at his lyrical and musical best.
Its nice having a reviewer say more than "wow!" Even though you did say that, its ok. But this is Floyd so of course its deep, raw, emotional, sarcastic and beautiful. I personally love this record, and whether its the Gunner's Dream, Paranoid Eyes, or the title track, sometimes, in quiet moments, I feel my face melting, and my eyes filling up with tears when I'm playing it.
Love that you're exploring The Final Cut. This was my album in the 80's right before I went active duty. I cannot tell you how many cassette tapes I wore out of this album. Yeah, that was before there were CDs. Keep exploring, but listening to your analysis of what the songs are saying, you my friend are are more advanced than you peers to an awareness of our shared history. The last song, which it looked like you may have been a bit confused about, was about nuclear war. That's how the sun can rise in the east although the day was done and turn us all into ashes and make us equal. WWII brought us nuclear weapons and the cold war and this was the arguably the conclusion as his windshield melted and his tears evaporated from the nuclear blast. So is this a song about the cold war, maybe. But even today, we have the US, Russia and China in friction. So no, this is not over....yet.
I remember buying this album. I had just got out of Basic Training for the Army. Played it and my platoon heard it and got all kinds of reactions from my fellow soldiers. It was a wild ride and we were getting ready to invade Kuwait. Great Choice, Great Reaction. Thanks for bringing back the memories.
The thing I really love about that last song on The final cut album" two suns in the sunset" is the double meaning. Although it is about nuclear war and the fact that humans seem to be be on a mission to wipe ourselves out, it is also about a man losing his wife and child in a sudden tragic head on collision with a truck after the driver being blinded by the sunlight. The line " and as the windscreen melts, and their tears evaporate" has always really got to me. Brilliant songwriting, composition and execution. Pink Floyd are 100% one of a kind
Just watched this, love your reaction.. My favourite PF album... This album talks and tells you so much... And Waters brings you into the album and along with the ride.....
I got into Pink Floyd while in the military. An older friend of mine once told me that this album sounded like it should have been one of their first albums, not as good as the others before it. I bought the CD when they were first coming out, insted of cassettes. The Final Cut quickly became one of my favorites!
I adored this reaction. I'm only a third of the way through, but what a journey. What an incredible album. All the feels! Wow. I love this album soo much. Feels like we are listening to it together. That's why these reaction videos resonate with so many people. We just want to share the feeling we get from the music. It's so special. What incredible joy music brings to out lives! And it's free! What a gift.
"We live in peaceful times now" When The Final Cut was released in the early 80s, nuclear war was a real and present danger in people's minds. And now that Putin has invaded Ukraine without provocation and put his nuclear response on a high alert, the possibility of crazy people doing crazy things is back. It was fun to watch that "ah ha" moment you had when Waters sung "Ashes and diamonds, foe and friend, we were all equal in the end" and you just got it.
Thank you for reacting to this album. Most people don't even know about it. I used to play it on a loop when I was restoring my old muscle car's. It's mainly a soothing listen, and you know what it's like working on a car. Anyway, great reaction, 10 thumb's up!
your only half way thru as I write this, and i just want to say, as i grew up during the end of the Cold War when this was written, and you have made me cry several times already to re-experience my feelings the first time i listened to this album, so, I wish there we at least 15 or 20 like buttons up top as I am sure you will make me cry a few more times, not tears of pain, but tears of hope. There are not enough like buttons for the love I feel and hopes I have for your future kiddo, so TAKE HEED OF THE DREAM- then put everything you have into it. GOD-Bless!!!
It's nice to see a young person such as yourself listening to the great Pink Floyd:).....I've been listening to them since the 90's and saw them live once. They're amazing. The song The final cut makes me cry everytime. Pink Floyd gives me goose bumbs almost all the time.
Hard to pick..but it could just be my fav Floyd Album..but impossible choice really. You have to understand the world Waters was writing about to truly get the lyrics of this Album..Powerful!!!!
Probably my favorite album ever. His best lyrics imo. Awesome that you listened and liked it. I consider it the first of a trilogy that continues with Roger' s 1992 album "Amused to Death" (considered to be his best post Floyd album) that deals with Desert Storm in Iraq and concluding it with 2017's " Is this the life we really want?", That deals with Trump and the current world status. If you want to continue this journey, I recommend listening to both these albums. It's worth your time.
not to pick sides, but honestly don't know why do people consider Gilmour over Waters in terms of 'Which one is Pink?' Just listen to their solo albums for f's sake
Some people may not like A Momentary Lapse of Reason or The Division Bell cause Roger is not in those albums but I love those albums and i think you should listen to them. They have some of David's best guitar playing
@@FSMDog No soul?? Have you ever listened to The Division Bell? I agree that A momentary lapse of reason is not a great album, but sorrow and on the turning away are worth the listen in my opinion.
So great to see this vastly underrated album get a full review and appreciating the lyrics as you do this and the previous Pink Floyd albums. If you want to get more into Roger Waters' takes on the world situation, please consider reacting to his stunning album 'Amused To Death'. Cheers.
When the Tigers Broke Free: this refers to a German Panzer division (Tiger tanks). Roger Waters' dad (who was named Eric Fletcher) died in Anzio, a beach near Rome. And so that's where the title The Fletcher Memorial comes from.
the tigers are the germans tanks at the battle of Anzio when and where Roger's dad, Eric Fletcher Waters died. Which puts "The Fletcher Memorial" in context. Maggie is Margaret Thatcher, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990.
David especially disliked this album (because it's literally an album of "Wall" leftovers) - but damn did they make a powerful album out of Wall leftovers.
Dave Gilmour said in a interview about this album that nearly all the songs was rejecteds com the wall album , an said if they wasent good enough then why are they good enough now , but a lot of floyd fans feel differently an his guitar solos on this album are as good as any other work he has done with the floyd , some say that he was at his best with this one cos you can feel he emotionall anger ❤️ , Gilmour speaks with his guitar no dought about that ❤️❤️❤️
Gilmour was speaking sh*t as this was the peak of his personal feud with Waters. Those songs that were written for 'The Wall' weren't included as they didn't quite conceptually fit (plus the fact that some were new material). Yet despite his comments, he had no qualms about demanding extra royalties as a producer of this album, even though he wasn't involved in its production.
When he sings "as the windshield melts and my tears evaporate", he's describing a close up nuclear explosion with the heat melting everything even before you feel the blast. This album was filled with a lot of Rodger Waters personal feelings about British rule and British politics! It's kind of like their animals album when you hear it at first you're not sure about it or kind of don't like it then you hear it later in life and it grows on you. If you don't do the whole album at least do the single song "amused to death", it's an amazing song! Another One about looking at the extinction of the human race from way in the future.
So glad u checked this out in the end . Had a feeling it might be your cup of tea , u seem to like Waters style . I’ll cheekily suggest u should try two of Waters solo albums . The Pros & Cons of Hitchhiking , which he wrote at the same time as The Wall , and Amused to Death .
When i bought this album it didnt have 'when the tigers broke free' on it. That track was only in the wall movie or live album if i remember correctly. The song was added to the final cut album on a re-issue. Cracking album
You're fairly right about this almost being a follow-up to The Wall. The Teacher from The Wall is actually the character in The Hero's Return. It weaves between Waters' autobiography (which was kind of many British kids' stories at the time- his friend Syd Barrett for instance) and other characters from his songs, as well as his father.
"Two Suns in the Sunset" refers to experiencing a nuclear blast. This was during the Cold War era where the threat of a nuclear war was a real concern.
This was my first album when I was 10 or 11 years old, and I immediately got access to it. It helped me tremendously going through all those dark times in my life! Once, in primary school the teacher wanted us to bring our favorite music to play it in front of the class. Her facial expression was quite interesting. I think it was too much for her!😂
Hey friendjony This is one of my favorite albums, and this is my first watch of your channel. I'll go all the way through with you and see how it goes. I love your committed to this particular listen and I love the album so much. I'm committed to you for that reason for the same amount of time. Let's get to it. Blessings on your house and home.
@FiendJony: "Maggie" is Margaret Thatcher, Britain's Prime Minister during the Falklands War. The "cruiser she took" was the Argentinean battlecruiser General Belgrano, whose sinking she ordered .And Galtieri (who "took the Union Jack") was one of the Argentinean generals who led the military coup and headed the junta that ruled the country and ordered the invasion of the Falkland Islands.
Love you’re reactions to Floyd geeze , you go deep an don’t just listen to the tunes as the younger gent calls music nowadays 👌, keep up the good work with floyd you won’t ever be disappointed ❤️
even dave gilmour dislikes this album,and a lot of ppl do,personally i love it,am thankful to them and God,that they got it made,,i couldnt imagine their catalog or my world,without it
@@fiendjony778 I think a lot of the issues David has with the album are down to the complete and total breakdown of the band by the time of recording. Roger had fired Rick (this is the only Floyd album he's not on), and had fallen out with David, to the point that he was initially removed from the credits and left solely as producer (that was restored later). David also didn't care for the overtly political nature of the album - referring to specific wars and politicans. AAfter the album was recorded, Roger broke the band up, but David was very stubborn and carried on. THey had a long 20 year period of basically not talking to each other. The Final Cut's working title was Spare Bricks, and started with offcuts from the Wall movie, "Your Possible Pasts", "One of the Few", "The Final Cut", "The Fletcher Memorial Home", and "The Hero's Return" were all intended for the film but not used, and ended up in this.
FiendJony I have always loved this album, it takes you through a soldiers despair and trauma and to me the whole album is masterfully done and very underrated
Galtieri is the Argentinean leader; Fletcher is a reference to his father, Reagan is indeed Ronald, Brezhnev (spelling) the Russian leader, he mentions 'meat packing' - a reference to the Argentinian corned beef industry, Southampton is the port where the Navy left for the Falklands from The front cover shows medal ribbons, and the poppy - a symbol of remembrance - associated with the poppy fields of Europe
PF is indeed British, Roger Waters, Dave Gilmour, Nick Mason and Rick Wright (previously Syd Barrett) As you noticed this was a largely Roger solo effort, it started as 'offcuts' from the Wall, and got expanded - the Falklands War hit the news, so was added as a theme The Two Suns is a reference to the real sun and the 'sun' of a nuclear explosion
I think the final lines are that it doesn't matter whether you fired the nuke first or 2nd - you're both dead - so the law is utterly useless "Ashes and diamonds, Foe and Friend We were all equal in the end" gets me every time It's a tough listen to be sure, but a great album Sounds like you got most of it, but the pieces will fit together with a 2nd listen and looking up the story behind some of the info
So you're listening to the 2021 re-issue. They added "When the Tigers Broke Free" after "One of the Few". That song was originally used in the movie The Wall. It is not on the original 1983 release.
hey there, m'man... You seem like a thoughtful and socially conscious dude- which is definitely the way to be. I was going to recommend that you do "animals"... But I see you already have. Excellent. Peace be upon you, sir.
As a child of the 1980's (born end of the 1960's) this album severely resonated with me. The constant dark cloud of cold-war turning into superheated nuclear war over our otherwise generally carefree youths. And many of my family members who'd witnessed WW2 still alive. Very acute! Very thought provoking.
By you’re end opinion, an you’re views about why we have wars , you are a very smart young man , you’re spot on👌👌👌 keep going dude an keep listyan taking floyd in , knowledge is power as they say .
Hey man, Holy shit I binch watched all your pi k Floyd videos today lol. I love it. BTW I would love to see u react to Tame Impala, I don't know if u heard songs from him but I've always had the samd feeling with tame impala and pink floyd. Tame Impala, for me, is really a modern pink floyd. Different of course in many ways but I think u would love it
I appreciate it that you checked out my videos and I actually did listen to Tame Impala before they inspired me to listen to Pink Floyd I listened to there currents album and their most recent album only tho. But when I first listened to Pink Floyd I saw their connection with Tame Impala the psychedelic sounds they make obviously seems like they were impacted by them.
Maggie was a reference to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. She was a conservative Prime Minister at the time of the album's release, 1983. Glad to see you enjoying some classic rock. Lots to love there.
The only thing I truely hate about the versions of this album available today on various platforms is the (2004) insertion of 'when the tigers broke free' . It wasn't in the original 1983 Final Cut, and it totally kill the spine chilling transition between One of the few and The hero's return. Don't get me wrong, 'when the tigers broke free ' is a great song, but it firmly belongs in the movie version of the wall.
A little late, but "maggie" was Margaret Thatcher, Galtieri (of Argentina) took the Union Jack (The Falklands), and thus the Falklands conflict was started.
I was in high school when this came out. Much of it refers to 50’s 60’s 70’s and early 80’s politics. We didn’t get the post war dream (peace), we got the cold war. We had the threat if nuclear war.. burning to death in a nuclear fireball. He grew up in that without his father and asking “ why did daddy die”. His teachers, who survived, were likely PTSD vets. The tigers refers to german tiger tanks at Anzio. Killing the children might refer to the IRA and English occupation of Ireland. They fought for England’s freedom and came home to be treated similar to Negro soldiers in the southern US. The Argentinian cruiser Margaret Thatcher had sunk was a US Fletcher class from WWII. Its so much a satire of the politics he lived through. RU-vid the Tsar bomb.
"Maggie" is Margaret Thatcher who was Prime Minister of England. She had declared war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands (which the Argentines had invaded and claimed as their own) at the time and this was Water's response to that situation.
What impresses me and set's you apart from other reactors is that you seem to be focusing on full albums instead of songs. When it comes to classic rock - the home of concept albums - that is the way to go. It takes more patience and time, but the payoff is bigger. You're demonstrating wisdom beyond your years.These records were created in the days before electronic devices became commonplace. Records were our devices. We sat in our rooms or the living room floor, stared at the album covers, listened to the whole record and just dreamed. We also had them as the soundtrack for board games and parties. I'm impressed that you did a reaction to "The Final Cut", which is Floyd's most underrated album. Roger originally approached the band with The Wall, The Final Cut, and The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking (Roger's first solo album), already written. They agreed to do The Wall at the time. He wrote most of Pink Floyd's lyrics. His album "Amused to Death" is by far my favorite. Like most of his work, it's a manifestation of pain from the loss of his dad in WWII, and subsequent view on war and government.
Floyd sings about the leaders fighting but look how long it took 4 Waters and Gilmore to make peace. Who knows what albums they could of come up with together
As with a number of Floyd albums there is always spill over and this album is no different. A number of songs that didn't make it on to The Wall ended up here but Gilmour objected. He wanted new material but he didn't have any. But by this time Waters had taken complete control of the band. I like the album but it does suffer from it being dated. Maggie refers to Margaret Thatcher, the prime minister of Great Britain. Galtieri was President of Argentina. Menachem Begin, prime minister of Israel. The Falkland Islands war was a British-Argentina thing. The "final solution" was Hitler's answer to the Jewish question, basically extermination. This is my one problem with Waters. In The Wall and here he let's his mind wander into territory that he should never entertain. I'll leave it at that. This last song Roger just recently performed a lockdown session and put it on YT. Give it a look. Also try The Floyd's Live 8 final performance.
