How 'Spare Bricks' Became 'The Final Cut' and What Michael Kamen Contributed

Michael Kamen had already arranged the orchestral parts for The Wall when Roger Waters brought him back for what was supposed to be a soundtrack album called Spare Bricks — a collection of unused Wall songs plus new material for the film. The project soon mutated. Waters turned it into a concept album about his father’s WWII death and his anger over the Falklands War, pushing the rest of Pink Floyd to the margins.

Kamen’s role was substantial: he orchestrated and conducted the string and brass sections across the album, and he received co-writing credits on “The Hero’s Return” and “The Final Cut” (music by Waters and Kamen; lyrics by Waters). He also played piano on a few tracks. But it was Waters who wrote nearly everything and sang lead on every song, reducing David Gilmour to a session guitarist. Gilmour later said the album felt like a Waters solo record, and that tension helped drive the band apart for nearly a decade.