A Momentary Lapse of Reason was released

A Momentary Lapse of Reason was released in September 1987. Thorgerson, whose creative input was absent from The Wall and The Final Cut , designed the album cover. To emphasise that Waters had left the band, they included a group photograph on the inside cover—the first since Meddle —featuring only Gilmour and Mason. The album reached number three in the UK and the US. Waters said: “I think it’s facile, but a quite clever forgery … The songs are poor in general … [and] Gilmour’s lyrics are third-rate.” Although Gilmour initially viewed the album as a return to the band’s top form, Wright disagreed, saying: “Roger’s criticisms are fair. It’s not a band album at all.” Q described it as essentially a Gilmour solo album.