This is the final Pink Floyd album release that is really worth paying attention to, outside of compilations and various other similar reissues under the band name Pink Floyd. Notably, this is the final recorded Pink Floyd album to feature long-term keyboardist Richard Wright, who sadly passed away in 2008. Still, there is some argument that Pink Floyd, at this point, was a name-generating cash cow in a musical sense. Indeed, that seemed to be the basis of this release as well. Still, David Gilmour without the increasingly egotistical Roger Waters, seemed like a better bet after some of the more out there politically charged lyrics and themes on later Roger Waters era Pink Floyd albums such as The Wall and The Final Cut. David Gilmour created a Pink Floyd album for the 1990s and made a pseudo-concept album about communication and themes relating to it. With collaborative efforts with longtime producer Bob Ezrin and saxophone player Dick Parry, this should be an interesting album to listen to. Let’s hear it.

Cluster One begins with a lengthy fade-in of Electronic sounds, which are different. This sounds much like a spacey version of water running through a creek. Very unique and interesting sounding. This is much better sounding than anything on A Momentary Lapse Of Reason (the previous Pink Floyd album) and has some sweet Electronic sounds and textures to match it. This is, nonetheless, excellent. The Electronic textures are eventually matched by slow piano and other reversed sounds throughout. Slide guitar is present as well. This is a really awesome and very different listening experience throughout. Sure, this is not the Dark Side Of The Moon, but this is undeniably excellent sounding. David Gilmour led Pink Floyd generated a more musical and soulful side to the band than what had been smothered by Roger Waters earlier in their career. The piano and textures are artistic and fantastic throughout, and this surely will bring a smile to one’s face. A really wonderful and excellent listening experience from start to finish, this gives a new definition to the word beautiful. Hi-hats enter towards the end of this pretty and unique piece of music, and it sounds fantastic. A unique and moving piece with some fantastic Fender Stratocaster playing, this works exceptionally well. It ends after nearly six minutes in length with a gorgeous piano figure and a fade-out conclusion.

What Do You Want From Me sounds like a retro take on the 1970s, with some wah-wah-styled grooves and playing. By this point, this is clearly a good exercise by David Gilmour in a very much solo career environment with the other two main members of Pink Floyd at the time. David Gilmour sings and plays well on his Fender Stratocaster here, and he sings about socially aware situations at hand. A really awesome listening, and again, better than anything on the previous album before it. The layers of sounds and textures throughout, although very polished, sound truly awesome. Sure, this is not the apex of Pink Floyd, but without question, this does sound really great. This is not exactly chart-topping music as it is past the prime time of Pink Floyd, but it is relatable musically and sounds fantastic in its own way. A very good song, with some fantastic Strat work, David Gilmour evokes a subtle Rock God presence with his arrangements, performances and playing throughout. Nonetheless, a good tune with some awesome female backing vocals and great production and mixing throughout. A real joy to hear, it ends after just over four minutes in length with a good conclusion and finish.

Poles Apart is a longish piece at over seven minutes in length. It begins with some awesome acoustic guitar-based sounds and launches into a spacey piece with some great playing and musicianship. David Gilmour begins singing nicely away in a Bono from U2 sort of way, which is different. This is optimistic, joyous and lovely-sounding music. It is an excellent listen and although as mentioned before, it is past Pink Floyd’s prime days, this is a really awesome and fine tune to hear. In any case, this is a fluid, majestic and fantastic listen for what it is. This is an upbeat tune that has some genuinely interesting sounds and beauty about it all and sounds like what Classical Musicians would make if they were members of Pink Floyd. Towards the middle of this is a dramatic change with string sections that sound rather dark, along with some organ. This is a very different change, and the music and playing are rather weird. It sounds like the sort of thing that is somewhat reminiscent of the Psychedelic Rock of the late 1960s. Some of the melodies throughout the midsection here are a little off, but by no means is this bad. Marching drums enter, and David Gilmour gets singing away nicely again in the second half of this tune. This is a good change if you prefer the less egotistical side of Pink Floyd that Roger Waters festered from the DSOTM onwards in his time as Pink Floyd songwriter. A more nice and pleasant listen than Coldplay ever would become as well, this is relaxing and genuinely good. Proof that David Gilmour, Richard Wright and Nick Mason (and friends) still had some brilliant creativity up their sleeve, this is fine and great. A good listening experience to sit by the fire and sip wine along with, this is fantastically great. Worth your ears all the way through. The fade-out is very nice to hear.

Marooned begins with some seaside noises and tranquil instrumentation. The music present is very sweet, and there is a pedal steel guitar to boot here. This is more imaginative and soundscape based than just druggy Psychedelic Rock which makes no sense. The playing, musicianship and approach to sounds and textures do sound amazing throughout this album. A really interesting and moving listen, fans of melodicism rather than shred guitar will be at home here in a musical sense. The mixture of sonic soundscapes here is amazing, although this is definitely more an album for that sort of thing as opposed to Pop/Rock anthems. This may have a lot of Fender Stratocaster noodling on it, but it sure sounds nice. Drums enter, and this piece sounds more underway than before. All in all, a really fantastic and excellent listening experience that sounds like David Gilmour, in particular, playing from the heart. This is still Pink Floyd, even if there is no Syd Barrett or Roger Waters here. The music is really quite different and fantastic and is a good blueprint for guitar-based instrumentals in the future of music. This is better than you’d think, it is a great and laidback musical statement that is completely different to the anti-Thatcherism rants of later Roger Waters era Pink Floyd. All in all, this is a real winner. Pink Floyd was still on a decent musical mission on this album, and this is one of the songs to prove the case. It ends with a gentle fade out.

A Great Day For Freedom launches straight into a piano-led song with some pleasant singing by David Gilmour. This is likely about the collapse of the Berlin Wall, and the ending of the Soviet Union as a result, which was a great event for humanity indeed. This is a better political take on realistic circumstances than any of the anti-conservative rants on The Final Cut, and instead of being outright political and taking an aggressive stance about it, David Gilmour simply states the truth. We are truly lucky to hear a better political description of life under Democracy than much of what the 1970s Pink Floyd was about. There is a very watery-sounding guitar solo in the second half of this tune, and David Gilmour makes some solid soundscapes for our ears. In fact, despite the fact this album is not a hugely memorable listen, it has a genuinely good blueprint for the future of music in its processes and structure. A very heartwarming and optimistic listen, this is far better than expected. It fades out quite nicely towards the end. Definitely worth it.

Wearing The Inside Out is another longish tune at nearly seven minutes long. It begins with some sensual saxophone playing by the awesome Dick Parry who played on earlier Pink Floyd hits. The music present is a gorgeous soundscape and keeps up the theme of the album being like an intellectual soundscape trip throughout it all. The guitars and playing are really good as well. Richard Wright sings this song, and to be honest, he doesn’t sound as great as he once did as a singer when he was younger. Still, this music is a good listen with some female gospel-styled vocals as a backup, which is a thing for Pink Floyd to do. This is a fairly straightforward tune that is soothing, yet lyrically unsettling. Nonetheless, this works very well. Towards the middle is a trumpet solo mixed with some excellent guitar work by David Gilmour. This is a slight weak point on this so far underrated album that is a good listening experience overall. Still, no need to skip ahead at this point as the music is still very good and intellectually stimulating. The guitar work in particular an inspired and interesting sonic listening experience. A good piece of music that is just like the Impressionistic and Artistic movements of the past two centuries, Pink Floyd are an artistic band, period. With no Roger Waters, David Gilmour and friends make some gorgeous music that is still relevant, to this very day. All in all, a real sonic treat throughout. A very Comfortably Numb styled solo part is in the second half here, but in any case, this sounds really wonderful. A real joy to hear, and something quite unique in the world of music. David Gilmour makes some decent tunes, with the help of some of his good friends. This finishes up just before seven minutes in length.

Take It Back begins with some more atmospheric sounds that are reversed, and has some Stratty guitar work that is very much like The Edge from U2. This is yet another gorgeous soundscape that sounds really quite beautiful. A fine and different piece of music that sounds absolutely wonderful, despite this being not exactly Top Of The Pops, yet it certainly serves a musical and artistic purpose on this song. David Gilmour sings this song in a very Bono-like way about a lover, likely his future wife Polly Samson, and David Gilmour is easy about expressing his emotions in the name of love. That takes some guts for a grown man to do, and he expresses this very well. The other members of Pink Floyd also have a great presence on this album, and the music here is futuristic, even for 1994. There is a midsection full of forward and backward guitar parts, with some other keyboards and tom-tom drums thrown in for good measure. This is better than expected, and some awesome Fender Stratocaster guitar riffs then enter. A genuinely good song and a lovely experience musically to listen to, this is a great song that is overlooked in the history books, simply for being on such an album as this. A great singalong tune with some proper artistic feel and dynamics to it. All in all, a really fine tune that deserves more credit than it would otherwise get. This ends with layers of guitars and soundscapes to conclude it. A worthy addition to the back catalogue of Pink Floyd.

Coming Back To Life continues from the last track with some of the sounds from the outro. Soon enough, keyboard-based string sounds emerge and some glistening David Gilmour Fender Stratocaster sounds emerge. This sounds really blissful and fantastic and has a gorgeous and romantic sound to it all. Sure, this is not Classic Pop/Rock styled Pink Floyd, but the textural and sonic element of this music is nonetheless fantastic. Eventually, the song begins with some interesting vocals and lyrics which deal with personal relationships. This is nonetheless a piece of fine art, it is just most people will see this as yet another Pink Floyd album to listen to that isn’t really important. David Gilmour invests his time, soul and energy into a great song to listen to. Towards the midsection, this tune launches into a more traditional Pop/Rock piece that sounds absolutely marvellous. A genuinely cool and different listening experience, this music is passionate, emotional and loveable. Although this album is very much a Psychedelic/Progressive Rock musical journey, there is no doubt that this tune is quite like a single from this album. It has a very upbeat and passionate guitar solo in the second half of this song and just sounds welcome here. Some people will not have the patience for these five-minute-long songs, but Pink Floyd were officially back, and this music will continue to live on. All in all, a powerfully unique and interesting listening experience. The guitar soloing ends this song, and it is very well played throughout. A true joy to listen to, it ends with a surprise conclusion rather than a fade out.

Keep Talking begins with some interesting electronic sounds and some violining on electric guitar. This is another artistic and unusual approach to this album. Hi-hats enter, and a good groove is set by this point. The combination of subtle percussion, electronic sounds and delayed violining guitar work really does sound great here. Soon enough, a very cool guitar riff enters and some robotic Stephen Hawking-styled speech enters. This does really sound quite nice, and soon enough, David Gilmour gets singing away nicely on this song. This is a tune about communication and isolation throughout. Some awesome female gospel backing vocals are present on this tune, and this is a song about social isolation and discontent in a public situation. All in all, this is a really excellent listen. The Stephen Hawking voice returns briefly, again, before a searing guitar solo enters. This is a fantastic guitar solo that is definitely worth hearing and showcases another side to David Gilmour’s musicality and musicianship. This is followed by a 1970s-styled keyboard solo by Richard Wright, which adds some flavour to the mix. The singing returns and this tune progresses along nicely, and this is quickly followed by a really weird vocoder part. David Gilmour sounds like he is in full control of his artistic destiny here, and this song is no doubt a good expression of what was repressed for so long under Roger Waters era Pink Floyd. A great effort, even for a song that isn’t peak Pink Floyd. It fades out gently at the end.

Lost For Words begins with some rattling in the background, followed by hi-hats and warm electronic textures as well. If there is a flaw at all in this album, it is that the length is a bit draining, especially towards the end of this album. Despite that, this is another magical song with some pleasant acoustic guitar riffs in it, and it sounds very pretty, lovely and different. Some unique slide guitar is here as well on the acoustic guitar, and this sounds really awesome. David Gilmour launches into a great song that sounds upbeat, charming and romantic, this is a hidden gem of Pink Floyd that is worth hearing from this album. A joyous ballad that sounds like the best side of David Gilmour-led Pink Floyd. There is an interesting midsection present which sounds like a sonic montage of some sounds collected before this track moves on with some interesting singing and musicianship. A great listening experience throughout, it seems that Pink Floyd had turned a corner musically by this point. This has a long section to conclude with where David Gilmour plays acoustic slide guitar. A very nice listening experience indeed. Worth your ears throughout, this is a good highlight of this album. It fades out nicely at the end.

High Hopes is the last song on this album and is eight minutes long. It has some church bells in the intro, along with birds chirping. This sounds unusual and great. A singular chiming bell then enters, along with some different sounding piano playing by Richard Wright. This is rather suspenseful and a bit emotional to hear. Soon enough, David Gilmour sings nicely and delivers an iconic statement of this album. “The ringing of the division bell had begun…” indeed. This is a moody, melodramatic and epic feel to this song, and it makes great sense to conclude this album with such a powerful and moving statement. This is a really great piece of music to listen to, and the sounds and playing are really fantastic. This is a truly majestic and moving listen and is a grand musical statement that deserves more mention in the musical history books. Some crisp acoustic guitars and marching drums emerge towards the middle of this song, and this sounds quite like a symphony. In any case, this sounds quite like a song for a film/movie and has many layers of sonic wonder to it. Soon into it, the piano and bells return, and we are moved by such a fantastic piece of music. This is definitely an underrated David Gilmour-based tune from Pink Floyd and sounds more like a symphony than a Pop/Rock based tune. This being the second last album of Pink Floyd and the last for over 20 years, it is a moving and welcome conclusive statement to a very underrated album. The slide guitar present is very good, and this music is a great listen, no matter the length of it. A very moving and enjoyable song, and definitely worth your ears to listen to. The slide guitar work present, along with the symphonic production, is fantastic. This fades out early, just leaving the chime of The Division Bell echoing throughout our ears. A good finish to an underrated album. There is some background chatter at the end before this album finally finishes.

This album is certainly underrated and is a marked improvement from the previous Pink Floyd album before it. The only real flaw of this album is that it is noticeably long, running for over an hour and most of the tracks exceed five minutes in length. Still, this is a fine, artistic and refreshing listening experience that is underrated, as opposed to being overrated. The artistic expression throughout this entire album is consistently pure and is like a Monet painting from hundreds of years ago, very stunning. Should you listen to this album? Pink Floyd fans will love this, but impatient listeners may find this album difficult to get through.

Fine and fantastic, just like a good bottle of wine.

8/10