Pink Floyd ~ Momentary Lapse of Reason

Pink Floyd ~ Momentary Lapse of Reason

Record Label: EMI (VK) Columbia (VS)
Release Date: September 8, 1987

Another Pink Floyd album. I did not want to do this so fast after the other one, but I couldn't help myself as I've read this story before. In fact one of their albums have an even more remarkable story but I decided not to shoot up all my ammunition right from the start. As usually is the case, this album, by Storm Thorgerson/Hipgnosis (an artgroup Thorgerson started), is created as "realistically" as possible. What that means you'll find out in a moment.

I vaguely recall reading something about police or traffic halts/jams regarding this album cover, but have been unable to find the information (it's been too long). If I do find the information (or you do and notify me) I'll add it as soon as possible.

The Momentary Laps of Reason cover shows Saunton Sands, a beach in the south of England, also used for parts of the live-action/animated musical film Pink Floyd - The Wall (obviously based on the album with the same titled). It is also featured in a video of the song "Angels" by Robbie Williams. This same beach is used as a military training area a few times per year (yes, I only added this because it looks cool. If I could add explosions within context, I totally would):

Hercules transport airplane landing on Saunton Sands

Alright so you're possibly thinking thinking: "Beds on a beach. Big whoop."

Well, the photo took roughly two weeks to create[1] (this reference is unverified, at least by me) and required the crew to actually, physically place 700 wrought iron hospital beds. There is a hang glider in the sky as a possible reference to the song Learning to Fly on the same album. The dogs are most likely a reference to the song Dogs of War. According to Wikipedia (album page), the river of hospital beds was inspired by a phrase from "Yet Another Movie" (another reference to a song titled the same) and

"Gilmour's vague hint of a design that included a bed in a Mediterranean house, as well as "vestiges of relationships that have evaporated, leaving only echoes."

I wonder what he's holding in his hand - not even the biggest version of the cover enlightened me, it appears to be some kind of big magnifying glass - perhaps another reference to light and their light shows? 

I have yet to see this mentioned elsewhere, but his pose makes me think it might be a reference to the song Sorrow. It is perhaps even more clear in the following version (not used for promotion or covers for as far as I know):

Hung head, bend forward, beach starting to flood

How immense the amount of beds is can be seen by watching this promotional video:

On Storm Thorgerson's website it says:

"700, yes 700, wrought iron hospital beds separately made up and positioned on the beach. Madness to do it at all, but we had in fact to do it twice cos it rained suddenly the first time, dank grey dizzle, and we couldn't see the distant half of the beds."

According to Pink Floyd Online it took the crew over three hours to bring the hospital beds from London to Devon (which is the county the beach is in). After arranging them on the beach (which probably took quite a while) and the crew realized it would take more than one day to shoot the cover, they allegedly left one bed on the beach overnight to see if the sea had any effect on it. The next day, the bed was nowhere to be found.

According to the Telegraph, which seems to have some extra information, Thorgerson recruited 30 helpers and 4 tractors to move and assemble the beds. It took them six hours to arrange and (as it started raining) the whole process had to be repeated two weeks later.

An image from the CD released of their tour at the time:

Extra's:

All artwork for the release

Because I'm a geek, and some of you might enjoy this... here is a tribute...build in Minecraft.

Minecraft tribute by nicolascage1

1. Blake, Mark (2008), Comfortably Numb—The Inside Story of Pink Floyd (Paperback ed.), Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, ISBN 0-306-81752-7

Thanks for reading,
~ jar