A Momentary Lapse of Reason: Critics Called It a Hollow Imitation in 1987, but Remixes Changed the Narrative

Rolling Stone’s David Fricke gave the album three stars, calling it a “credible, often compelling” comeback that proved Gilmour could steer the ship without Waters. But NME’s writer wasn’t buying it—they dismissed the record as “a hollow imitation” marred by sterile Fairlight programming and a distinct lack of lyrical depth. The tension between “valid revival” and “expensive karaoke” defined the initial press cycle.

At the time, many critics zeroed in on the thin production and over-reliance on session musicians. The album’s commercial success (No. 3 in the US, No. 3 in the UK) softened some of the skepticism, but the consensus inside rock journalism was that Pink Floyd had lost its edge. Waters himself poured fuel on the fire, publicly calling the album “a fair forgery.”

The 2019 remix—overseen by Gilmour and produced by Bob Ezrin with Andy Jackson—changed that story. By stripping out dated digital reverb, pulling Nick Mason’s live drums forward, and restoring some of Richard Wright’s original keyboard contributions, the mix gave the songs a physicality the 1987 version lacked. “Sorrow” and “Learning to Fly” finally sounded like a band playing together, not a producer’s demo. That rehabilitation has been enough to shift the album from "