PINK FLOYD – The Final Cut 12" Vinyl LP Album

- German release with Gatefold Album Cover

Album Front Cover Photo of PINK FLOYD – The Final Cut Visit: https://vinyl-records.nl/

Pink Floyd’s “The Final Cut” isn’t just an album — it’s an emotional battlefield set to music. Crafted under Roger Waters’ intense vision, this 1983 masterpiece fuses haunting storytelling, political fury, and cinematic sound design into one of the band’s most powerful statements. You can feel every loss, every accusation, every echo of war bleeding through its grooves. David Gilmour’s guitar work slices through Waters’ laments like a cry for sanity, while the German gatefold pressing on Harvest heightens the experience — crisp, heavy, and heartbreakingly human.

Table of Contents

Album Description:

This is the German release of "Final Cut" the 1983 studio album released by the English rock band Pink Floyd. The album is essentially a Roger Waters solo project, with the other members of the band playing supporting roles. The album is known for its highly political themes, dealing with topics such as war, Thatcherism, and the loss of Waters' father during World War II.

As mentioned, "Final Cut" is highly political, with Waters using the album as a platform to express his dissatisfaction with British politics and society. Many of the songs deal with the aftermath of war and the impact it has on individuals and society as a whole. "The Gunner's Dream" is a poignant tribute to the fallen soldiers of war, while "The Fletcher Memorial Home" is a criticism of political leaders who send others to war while staying safe themselves. "Not Now John" is a scathing attack on Margaret Thatcher and her policies, and "Two Suns in the Sunset" is a meditation on the potential for nuclear apocalypse.

Musically, "Final Cut" is similar to Pink Floyd's previous albums, with its use of synthesizers and David Gilmour's guitar work. However, the album is more subdued than their earlier work, with fewer extended instrumental passages and a greater emphasis on the lyrics. The album's production is also notably different, with Waters taking a more hands-on role and producing a more polished sound than on previous Pink Floyd albums.

"Final Cut" received mixed reviews upon its release, with some critics praising the album's political themes and others criticizing it for being too bleak and lacking in variety. The album was also not as commercially successful as Pink Floyd's previous albums, with some fans finding it too different from the band's earlier work. Despite this, "Final Cut" has developed a cult following over the years, with many fans appreciating its unique sound and political commentary.

Album Key Details: Genre, Label, Format & Release Info

Music Genre:

Prog Rock / Psych / Acid

The Final Cut continues Pink Floyd’s progressive rock legacy with a darker, more cinematic tone — mixing political lyricism, orchestral elements, and minimalist soundscapes to deliver Roger Waters’ stark meditation on war and loss.

Label & Catalognr:

Harvest – Cat#: 1C 064-65 042 (65042)

Album Packaging

Gatefold/FOC (Fold Open Cover) Album Cover Design. Lyrics of all the songs performed by Pink Floyd are printed on the inside of the cover.

 

Media Format:

Record Format: 12" Vinyl LP Stereo
Total Weight: 280 gram

Year & Country:

1983 – Made in Germany

Production & Recording Information:

Producers:
  • Roger Waters
    Founding member, bassist, lyricist, and conceptual force behind Pink Floyd, Roger Waters shaped the band’s artistic direction from Dark Side of the Moon through The Wall and The Final Cut, merging rock with political commentary and theatrical storytelling.
  • James Guthrie
    British producer and engineer celebrated for his work on The Wall and The Final Cut. Guthrie’s precision mixing and atmospheric production became benchmarks of Pink Floyd’s late-era sound, later earning him a Grammy for the Dark Side of the Moon 5.1 mix.
  • Michael Kamen
    Visionary composer and arranger known for blending rock and orchestral music. Kamen’s collaborations spanned artists from Eric Clapton to Metallica, and his lush orchestrations added cinematic depth to The Final Cut and other landmark recordings.
Sound & Recording Engineers:
  • James Guthrie
    Renowned audio engineer who joined Pink Floyd during The Wall sessions. His meticulous studio work helped translate Roger Waters’ vision into immersive sonic realism.
  • Andy Jackson
    Longtime Pink Floyd engineer from the early 1980s onward, Andy Jackson later became chief sound engineer for the band’s remasters and live releases, preserving the group’s legacy with technical precision.
  • Andy Canelle – Assistant Engineer
  • Mike Nocito – Assistant Engineer
    Later known as a producer and member of the pop duo Curiosity Killed the Cat, Nocito’s early engineering work contributed to high-fidelity rock productions at EMI.
  • Jules Bowen – Assistant Engineer
Recording Location:
Recorded in England at Mayfair, Olympic, Abbey Road, Eel Pie, Audio International, RAK, Hookend, and The Billiard Room between July and December 1982.
Mastering Engineer & Location:
  • Doug Sax – Mastering Engineer at The Mastering Lab
    Legendary American mastering engineer and founder of The Mastering Lab, Los Angeles. Sax’s analog expertise gave countless classic albums—including The Wall and The Final Cut—their warmth and depth.
Album Cover Design & Artwork:
  • Roger Waters – Sleeve Design
    Waters personally designed the sleeve concept as a symbolic extension of the album’s anti-war theme — the medals and ribbons on a black background representing personal loss and national sacrifice.
  • Artful Dodgers – Artwork
    British design team known for their collaborations with Pink Floyd and other major acts of the 1980s, providing understated yet poignant visual interpretations of complex musical concepts.
Photography:
  • Willie Christie
    Acclaimed British fashion and portrait photographer, and brother-in-law to Roger Waters. His stark and disciplined imagery visually anchors the album’s tone of post-war austerity.
Additional Production Notes:

Holophonics by Zuccarelli Labs Ltd.

Pink Floyd Management: Steve O'Rourke.

Special thanks to Neal Wharton.

For Eric Fletcher Waters 1913–1944.

℗ 1983 Original sound recordings made by Pink Floyd Music Ltd.
© 1983 Pink Floyd Music Ltd.

Pressed in Germany by EMI Electrola GmbH, Köln.
Printed in Germany by 4P Nicolaus GmbH, Köln.

Collector’s Note: The Curious Science of Holophonics

In the early 1980s, Argentine engineer Hugo Zuccarelli introduced Holophonics — a recording system designed to reproduce sound in three dimensions using just two stereo channels. The technique relies on the same psychoacoustic principles that allow the human brain to determine where a sound originates. By placing microphones inside a dummy human head, Holophonics captures the subtle differences in timing and frequency that reach each ear, simulating how we naturally perceive space.

The result is astonishingly realistic: footsteps appear to circle around you, a match seems to strike just behind your ear, and soundscapes unfold with uncanny depth when heard through headphones. Pink Floyd’s "The Final Cut" famously used Holophonic recording for its atmospheric effects — from helicopters to whispers — enhancing the album’s sense of intimacy and tension.

Though Zuccarelli kept the full process shrouded in secrecy, the concept is now recognized as a form of binaural recording, where phase and amplitude cues trick the listener’s brain into hearing a fully three-dimensional environment. In a way, Holophonics bridged art and science — a perfect fit for Pink Floyd’s obsession with sonic experimentation and emotional realism.

Band Members / Musicians:

Band Line-up (Part 1):
  • Roger Waters – Vocals, Bass Guitar
    Roger Waters Journey into the mind of Roger Waters! Explore the complexities of Pink Floyd's creative powerhouse. Uncover his profound lyrics and the stories behind his iconic albums .
  • David Gilmour – Guitar, Vocals
    David Gilmour discover the man behind the music! Explore David0s ^ captivating journey from Pink Floyd's legendary guitarist to a celebrated solo artist. Uncover the stories behind his iconic solos and timeless songs.
  • Andy Bown – Keyboards
    Andy Bown (Andrew Steven Bown) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter known for his work as a keyboardist for Status Quo and collaborations with other major artists. Before joining Status Quo, he played with The Herd and worked with Peter Frampton, gaining a reputation for melodic, versatile keyboard work.
  • Michael Kamen – Keyboards, Orchestral Arrangements
    Michael Kamen was a visionary composer, conductor, and arranger whose work spanned rock, classical, and film music. He scored blockbusters like Die Hard and Lethal Weapon, orchestrated Pink Floyd’s The Wall, and fused symphony with metal on Metallica’s S&M. His orchestral touch shaped albums by Roger Waters, and Queensrÿche. Learn more about Michael Kamen
  • Nick Mason – Drums
    Nick Mason is an English drummer and founding member of Pink Floyd, performing with the band from 1965 onward and remaining the only constant through every era. Known for his precise yet atmospheric drumming, he later led the project Saucerful of Secrets, reviving Floyd’s early psychedelic sound. Nick Mason's Story
Band Line-up (Part 2):
  • Ray Cooper – Percussion
    Ray Cooper (Raymond Cooper) is an English percussionist known for his collaborations with Elton John, George Harrison, and Eric Clapton, as well as his unique and theatrical style of percussion. His energetic live performances and inventive use of unconventional percussion instruments made him a standout figure in rock and pop music.
  • Andy Newmark – Drums
    Andy Newmark is an American session drummer famed for his precise, soulful groove. He has played with artists such as Sly & The Family Stone, Roxy Music, and John Lennon, bringing refined rhythm and feel to every project.
  • Raphael Ravenscroft – Saxophone
    Raphael Ravenscroft was a British saxophonist best known for his unforgettable solo on Gerry Rafferty’s “Baker Street.” His lyrical phrasing and tone made him one of the most sought-after session players of the late 1970s and 1980s.
  • National Philharmonic Orchestra – Conducted by Michael Kamen
    Michael Kamen was a visionary composer, conductor, and arranger whose work spanned rock, classical, and film music. He scored blockbusters like Die Hard and Lethal Weapon, orchestrated Pink Floyd’s The Wall, and fused symphony with metal on Metallica’s S&M. His orchestral touch shaped albums by Roger Waters, and Queensrÿche. Learn more about Michael Kamen

Collector’s Note: Roger Waters and Richard Wright’s Rift

During the tense sessions for The Wall in 1979, creative and personal conflicts within Pink Floyd reached breaking point. Roger Waters, asserting near-total control over the band’s direction, grew frustrated with keyboardist Richard Wright’s pace and contributions. Exploiting his position as the album’s chief conceptual and financial driver, Waters demanded Wright’s dismissal as a condition for completing the project.

Wright, under pressure and facing the risk of derailing the album’s production, agreed to leave—becoming the only member ever fired from Pink Floyd. Ironically, he later returned as a paid session musician during The Wall live tour, the only one earning a guaranteed profit while the rest lost money.

When Waters departed in the mid-1980s, David Gilmour and Nick Mason invited Wright back. Initially listed as a session player on A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987), he gradually regained full membership by The Division Bell (1994), restoring part of the band’s classic chemistry. Wright’s understated presence returned balance to Pink Floyd’s sound—proof that calm often outlasts control.

Complete Track-listing:

Tracklisting Side One:
  1. The Post War Dream
  2. Your Possible Pasts
  3. One of the Few
  4. The Hero’s Return
  5. The Gunner’s Dream
  6. Paranoid Eyes
Video: Pink Floyd - The Gunner's Dream
Tracklisting Side Two:
  1. Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert
  2. The Fletcher Memorial Home
  3. Southampton Dock
  4. The Final Cut
  5. Not Now John
  6. Two Suns in the Sunset
Video: Pink Floyd - Not Now John (Official Music Video)

Disclaimer: Track titles and sequencing verified from the 1983 German Harvest LP (1C 064-65 042). “Your Possible Pasts” title corrected from “Your Possible Paste”.

Additional Album Notes:

This edition is dedicated to Roger Waters’ father, Eric Fletcher Waters (1913–1944). The album serves as both an artistic continuation and a requiem for “The Wall”, thematically addressing loss, remembrance, and the psychological scars of war.

Album Front Cover Photo
Front cover of Pink Floyd’s 1983 album The Final Cut, German Harvest pressing. The image shows a matte black background symbolizing mourning, with a bold red poppy in the upper left corner evoking remembrance of wartime sacrifice. Along the bottom edge, four embroidered military service ribbons form a horizontal band of color—red, blue, yellow, purple, and orange—each representing honor and duty. The album title 'pink floyd the final cut' appears discreetly in lowercase white text on a small black label at the upper right corner, creating a stark visual tension between uniform precision and human loss.

The German pressing of The Final Cut by Pink Floyd presents one of the band’s most minimal yet symbolically loaded sleeve designs. Against a deep matte black background, a vivid red poppy blooms in the top left corner, its circular center echoing both a vinyl record and a military wound—an image of remembrance and fragility.

Along the bottom runs a precise horizontal band of embroidered military ribbons, each strip of color representing bravery, campaign service, and silent grief. The upper right corner carries a small square label reading pink floyd the final cut in minimalist white lowercase type, printed on a glossy black field that contrasts the textured cloth imagery below.

The design’s visual austerity mirrors the album’s themes—mourning, sacrifice, and disillusionment in post-war Britain. The combination of red, purple, gold, and blue in the ribbons suggests both personal loss and collective memory, while the black expanse evokes the void left by those who never returned. This German edition faithfully preserves Roger Waters’ original sleeve concept, balancing military precision with emotional devastation.

Album Back Cover Photo
Back cover of Pink Floyd’s 1983 album The Final Cut, German Harvest pressing. The design maintains a stark black field with white sans-serif text listing the complete track titles, production credits, and recording details. At the lower right corner is a small, solemn photograph of a soldier in brown uniform standing among red poppies under a grey-blue sky, echoing the album’s themes of remembrance and post-war grief. The top right shows the Harvest catalog number ‘1C 064-65 042’. The text includes dedications, studio names such as Abbey Road and Olympic, and mentions Holophonics by Zuccarelli Labs Ltd., reflecting meticulous technical production and emotional resonance.

The back cover of Pink Floyd’s The Final Cut continues the album’s theme of austerity and remembrance. The surface is matte black with neatly aligned white type centered on the left half, listing track titles for both sides and full production credits, including producers Roger Waters, James Guthrie, and Michael Kamen.

The recording studios—Mayfair, Olympic, Abbey Road, Eel Pie, and others—are noted, alongside assistant engineers, mastering by Doug Sax, and sleeve design credits to Roger Waters and Artful Dodgers. The text concludes with dedications to Eric Fletcher Waters (1913–1944), emphasizing the personal loss at the heart of the project.

In the lower right corner sits a small color photograph framed by the surrounding black: a lone British soldier in full uniform stands among scarlet poppies, gazing toward the horizon beneath a muted sky. The image captures the album’s duality—honor and futility, duty and mourning—encapsulating Roger Waters’ vision of war’s lingering emotional wreckage. The EMI and Harvest logos confirm this as the German Electrola pressing from 1983.

First Photo of Inside Gatefold / Inner Sleeve
Inside left gatefold of Pink Floyd’s 1983 album The Final Cut, German Harvest pressing. The layout combines full lyrics with symbolic photographs underlining the album’s anti-war and reflective tone. The left image shows a rural landscape with a child walking in a sunlit field beneath a large tree, while in the foreground, a hand extends three red poppies — an image of innocence, remembrance, and fragility. To the right, a close-up shot of sparks flying against darkness evokes both factory work and explosions of war. The bottom section contains song lyrics printed in white, arranged in dense, evenly spaced columns across the page, aligning with Pink Floyd’s meticulous visual storytelling and emotional weight.

The left inside gatefold of The Final Cut deepens the album’s visual narrative through a haunting blend of imagery and text. The dominant photo shows a pastoral English scene: a sunlit wheat field framed by the dark silhouette of an oak tree, a child wandering into the distance, and in the foreground, a hand tenderly holding three red poppies — the universal flowers of remembrance and loss.

To the right, the scene shifts to a striking burst of industrial light — sparks from welding or gunfire — casting a vivid reminder of humanity’s dual nature: creation and destruction. The juxtaposition of peaceful countryside and man-made fire mirrors the album’s tension between nostalgia and trauma.

Below the imagery, all lyrics for the album’s first half are neatly printed in white against a black background, arranged in three dense columns. The typographic precision echoes the regimented order of military documentation, while the content — Roger Waters’ mournful and poetic verses — exposes the emotional fallout of conflict. This German gatefold design balances visual beauty with the quiet agony of reflection.

Second Photo of Inside Gatefold / Inner Sleeve
Inside right gatefold of Pink Floyd’s 1983 album The Final Cut, German Harvest pressing. The left side of the composition shows an explosion of sparks, glowing orange and white against a dark industrial backdrop, evoking both metalwork and warfare. To the right, a cinematic image seen through a car windshield captures a fiery explosion illuminating red poppies placed on the dashboard—a chilling juxtaposition of beauty and destruction. Beneath these images, the complete lyrics for Side Two are printed in neat white text columns, including songs such as Not Now John, The Final Cut, and Two Suns in the Sunset. The visual tone is somber, technical, and deliberate, merging industrial realism with the album’s anti-war narrative.

The right inside gatefold of The Final Cut continues Pink Floyd’s fusion of lyrical precision and visual symbolism. On the left, sparks erupt in a shower of light — the aftermath of welding or shellfire — creating a dynamic contrast between heat, motion, and shadow. The sparks resemble both the construction of machinery and the chaos of battle, encapsulating the dual nature of progress and destruction.

To the right, a haunting photograph looks through a car windshield as a massive fireball engulfs the horizon, illuminating a small bouquet of red poppies resting on the dashboard. The poppies — delicate emblems of remembrance — glow briefly before the consuming flame, symbolizing the human cost of war and the futility of violence.

Beneath the photographs, lyrics for Side Two are printed in small, white sans-serif text: “The Final Cut,” “Not Now John,” and “Two Suns in the Sunset.” Their stark arrangement, spread across the black background, mirrors the album’s cold, reflective tone. This German edition’s subdued color grading and precise typography exemplify the aesthetic consistency of early 1980s EMI pressings, where clarity and restraint amplify emotional impact.

Close-up of the record label for Pink Floyd’s 1983 album The Final Cut, German Harvest pressing. The label features a serene photographic design showing a field of golden wheat dotted with vivid red poppies beneath a pale grey sky — a visual continuation of the album’s war remembrance motif. The upper right includes the Harvest logo, catalog number ‘1C 064-65 042 R’, GEMA rights box, and LC 1305 label code. Track titles for Side 1, such as The Post War Dream and The Gunner’s Dream, are printed in lowercase black type on the left, while the album title ‘pink floyd the final cut’ is elegantly stacked on the right. The text below notes production credits for Roger Waters, James Guthrie, and Michael Kamen, and specifies 33⅓ RPM stereo format with copyright lines for 1983 Pink Floyd Music Ltd.

This close-up of the Side One record label from Pink Floyd’s The Final Cut captures the balance between pastoral imagery and technical precision. The label background depicts a wheat field punctuated by red poppies — a direct symbol of remembrance and sacrifice — under a subdued, overcast sky. The visual softness contrasts the cold black vinyl edge surrounding it.

Printed on the right side in lowercase sans-serif type is the album’s title, pink floyd the final cut, with the Harvest logo and German catalog number 1C 064-65 042 R clearly displayed above. The left side lists the six tracks of Side One, including The Post War Dream and The Gunner’s Dream, along with production credits for Roger Waters, James Guthrie, and Michael Kamen.

The fine text at the bottom edge specifies stereo playback at 33⅓ RPM and carries the 1983 copyright notice for Pink Floyd Music Ltd. The combination of earthy photography and minimalist typography epitomizes the album’s message — beauty, loss, and reflection woven into a design of restrained elegance, typical of early 1980s EMI Electrola craftsmanship.

Note: The images on this page are photos of the actual German LP release. Slight variations in color may occur due to lighting and camera settings. Zoom in on mobile devices using pinch gestures to explore label and sleeve details closely.

Index of PINK FLOYD Final Cut Vinyl Album Discography and Album Cover Gallery

PINK FLOYD - Final Cut (France) album front cover
PINK FLOYD - Final Cut (French Releas)

This is the French release of "Final Cut" the 1983 studio album released by the English rock band Pink Floyd. The album is essentially a Roger Waters solo project, with the other members of the band playing supporting roles. The album is known for its highly political themes, dealing with topics such as war, Thatcherism, and the loss of Waters' father during World War II.

PINK FLOYD - Final Cut (Germany) album front cover
PINK FLOYD - Final Cut (German Release)

This is the German release of "Final Cut" the 1983 studio album released by the English rock band Pink Floyd. The album is essentially a Roger Waters solo project, with the other members of the band playing supporting roles. The album is known for its highly political themes, dealing with topics such as war, Thatcherism, and the loss of Waters' father during World War II.

PINK FLOYD Main Index