A David Gilmour solo album in all but name, heavily featuring the kind of atmospheric instrumental music and Gilmour guitar sound typical of the Floyd before the now-departed Roger Waters took over, but lacking Waters' unifying vision and lyrical ability. -- William Ruhlmann (allmusic.com)

After a long protracted legal battle over the rights to the Pink Floyd name, David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright released 1987's A Momentary Lapse of Reason despite Roger Waters' protests. Retaining collaborators from Floyd's past (producer Bob Ezrin), this Gilmour-led version of the band crafted a number of songs that were as cerebral and introspective as anything Floyd had done in the past. The first single, "Learning To Fly," served as the unofficial anthem for this latest chapter of Pink Floyd. The Andy McKay/Gilmour-penned "One Slip" uses the requisite bells and whistles along with Tony Levin's impressive stick solo to guarantee it a prominent place in the band's canon. "The Dogs of War" and "On The Turning Away" are perfect commentaries on the conservative mindset shaping the '80s at the time. The former is an ominous screed composed at a time when the Cold War was still a reality whereas the latter is a sad swipe against the self-absorption of the Me Decade.