# Favourite solo album by a Pink Floyd member **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 26, 2013, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-solo-album-by-a-pink-floyd-member/664542 "2013-07-26T01:06:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-solo-album-by-a-pink-floyd-member/664542/1 "2013-07-26T01:06:53Z")
Since there’s a couple of Floyd threads active at the moment, I thought another one would be interesting. My choice would be Richard Wright’s _Broken China_. It’s a rather dark examination of mental illness - a theme common in Floyd’s work and history, obviously - and it’s strength comes from Wright’s rather down-to-earth approach, as contrasted with Water’s histrionics or Barrett’s whimsy. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-solo-album-by-a-pink-floyd-member/664542/2 "2013-07-26T01:16:00Z")
I think I bought every single piece of solo material from Pink Floyd up until the late 1980s, from Syd Barrett to Nick Mason. Can’t get my motor to start, indeed. My favorite of all these was easily Richard Wright’s _Wet Dream_, however. What a lovely, moody, wistful little collection of music. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-solo-album-by-a-pink-floyd-member/664542/3 "2013-07-26T01:34:51Z")
Never followed their solo work, though I did enjoy **Wet Dream.** ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-solo-album-by-a-pink-floyd-member/664542/4 "2013-07-26T01:43:30Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Never followed their solo work, though I did enjoy **Wet Dream.** Did you leave out an indefinite article? ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-solo-album-by-a-pink-floyd-member/664542/5 "2013-07-26T01:55:54Z")
I’ll go with [About Face](http://www.amazon.com/About-Face-David-Gilmour/dp/B000ELJBAA/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_aud?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1374803599&sr=1-1&keywords=About+Face). There are more than a few great tracks on the album, my favorites being \*Murder \*and _Love On The Air_. I saw Dave when he toured for the album with Mick Ralphs on second guitar. It was a hoot to watch them trading licks until, at one point, Mick just threw his arms up and surrendered. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-solo-album-by-a-pink-floyd-member/664542/6 "2013-07-26T02:15:05Z")
As, IMO, the guitar hero of the band I’d too vote for David Gilmour’s _ **About Face** _. I believe a single from it, _All Lovers Are Deranged_, even charted. It also contains the song \*Cruise \*which at the time was Gilmour’s big F-U to the selfish & pretentious Roger Waters! ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-solo-album-by-a-pink-floyd-member/664542/7 "2013-07-26T09:23:00Z")
**The Madcap Laughs** , obviously. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-solo-album-by-a-pink-floyd-member/664542/8 "2013-07-26T09:43:44Z")
[QUOTE=Shakester] **The Madcap Laughs** , obviously. [/QUOTE] Obviously. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-solo-album-by-a-pink-floyd-member/664542/9 "2013-07-26T12:30:10Z")
**Amused To Death** by Roger Waters. Hell, I like it better than anything PF has done. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-solo-album-by-a-pink-floyd-member/664542/10 "2013-07-26T13:03:29Z")
_About Face_ for me too. Dave is the best musician in that band. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-solo-album-by-a-pink-floyd-member/664542/11 "2013-07-26T14:04:49Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > It also contains the song \*Cruise \*which at the time was Gilmour’s big F-U to the selfish & pretentious Roger Waters! I had read before that “Cruise” was about Thatcher and the cruise missiles and the Falklands. Think that was from the PF biography Saucerfull of Secrets. “You Know I’m Right” on the other hand… Going to agree with **Amused to Death** , assuming I can listen to it as one large batch. The individual songs don’t break out well but I like it as a whole. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Greenjeans](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.greenjeans/32/551_2.png) [@Mr.Greenjeans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Greenjeans)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-solo-album-by-a-pink-floyd-member/664542/12 "2013-07-26T17:14:15Z")
I have much love for **The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking**. (And what a concert too, with Eric Clapton doing the Gilmour parts of the Pink Floyd songs.) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2013, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-solo-album-by-a-pink-floyd-member/664542/13 "2013-07-27T07:18:34Z")
**The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking** is one of my favourite albums in general. Eric Clapton’s work on it is sublime. I was disappointed not to hear any tracks from it when I saw Roger Waters play live a few years ago. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2013, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-solo-album-by-a-pink-floyd-member/664542/14 "2013-07-27T14:41:59Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > My favorite of all these was easily Richard Wright’s _Wet Dream_, however. What a lovely, moody, wistful little collection of music. Thanks for bringing this one up - I’d never heard it, so I went to YouTube and found it (a few people have downloaded the whole album). Very nice - now to see if I can find a copy for my collection. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2013, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-solo-album-by-a-pink-floyd-member/664542/15 "2013-07-27T15:04:29Z")
I can’t choose between _About Face_ and _Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking_. I think we can all agree that _Radio KAOS_ is dreck, though, so no need anyone starting a “least favorite” version of this thread. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2013, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-solo-album-by-a-pink-floyd-member/664542/16 "2013-07-27T21:26:15Z")
**The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking** should be the answer to this question. I like it better than many Floyd albums. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-solo-album-by-a-pink-floyd-member/664542/17 "2013-07-27T21:43:25Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > **The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking** should be the answer to this question. I like it better than many Floyd albums. Ditto for me. It’s Waters being Waters, which I like. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-solo-album-by-a-pink-floyd-member/664542/18 "2013-07-28T03:54:36Z")
I’m a Roger Waters fan. Love the idea of concept albums (look up “album” kiddies…) Amused to Death works for me as a whole. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-solo-album-by-a-pink-floyd-member/664542/19 "2013-07-28T05:42:07Z")
Ya know Pink Floyd is probably the best example (short of Lennon-McCartney) of a band with two such diverse, yet integral parts. What do you get if you remove Waters? You get sweeping, hard-rockin’ guitar riffs & solos and smooth (if innocuous) vocals. If you take away Gilmore? You get artsy-fartsy, self-indulgent, avant-garde music with very emotional, freaky (and sometimes outright whiny & grating) vocals! Put them together and you get one of the greatest bands in history! As much as I think Roger Waters is kind of an asshole, and even though I like a lot of post-Waters Floyd the moment he left the group Pink Floyd became a dinosaur band. They immediately lost their innovative, driving artistic force. But Waters solo stuff couldn’t maintain it either… ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-solo-album-by-a-pink-floyd-member/664542/20 "2013-07-29T17:01:27Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > Ya know Pink Floyd is probably the best example (short of Lennon-McCartney) of a band with two such diverse, yet integral parts. What do you get if you remove Waters? You get sweeping, hard-rockin’ guitar riffs & solos and smooth (if innocuous) vocals. If you take away Gilmore? You get artsy-fartsy, self-indulgent, avant-garde music with very emotional, freaky (and sometimes outright whiny & grating) vocals! Put them together and you get one of the greatest bands in history! > > As much as I think Roger Waters is kind of an asshole, and even though I like a lot of post-Waters Floyd the moment he left the group Pink Floyd became a dinosaur band. They immediately lost their innovative, driving artistic force. But Waters solo stuff couldn’t maintain it either… Yeah, this … except that you are not giving enough credit to Richard Wright, who was considerably more important to the _Floyd_ than either George or Ringo were to _The Beatles_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-solo-album-by-a-pink-floyd-member/664542.md?page=2)