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Final Cut

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The 12th studio album that was done by Pink Floyd is also the most polarizing one - it is one that is either loved or hated.

I remember when I first got into Floyd; I was absolutely mesmerized by the whole package - lyrics, sound effects, guitar solos, the whole 9 yards. Of course, I consider myself a firm Gilmour man and don't get me wrong - Dave is still my all-time favorite guitarist. However, the more I listened to the Roger dominated albums like "Animals", "The Wall", and "The Final Cut" compared to what came out after this album, it is no contest to me - Roger was TRULY Pink Floyd. Yea, Gilmour is the better musician and the better singer, but he can't write songs like Roger can and he definitely does not have the creative vision of a Waters.

People are right in that "The Final Cut" is essentially more of a solo album for Roger than an actual Floyd album but what about "A Momentary Lapse of Reason"? That album didn't even have Rick Wright or Waters and Nick Mason appears on only half that album - so, if "The Final Cut" is indeed Roger's first solo album, then AMLOR is Gilmour's 3rd solo album. The point of mentioning this is to simply say that Roger Waters is not the only person in Floyd who tried to pass off a solo album as a "Floyd album" - so it gets tiresome to read when people complain about that with "The Final Cut" but never mention the next "Floyd album".

The point is that no one truly knows what was going on with Roger at that time in his life - the dude was having some serious issues, but he was still able to put together some amazing stuff. Sure the lack of guitar solos is disappointing, but when they do appear in songs like "The Post War Dream", "The Fletcher Memorial Home", and "Not Now John", they are simply outstanding. It is like their infrequent use makes them that more powerful when they do appear. But some of the other tracks are just amazing to me, especially after repeated listens like "The Gunner's Dream", "The Final Cut", and especially "When the Tigers Broke Free" (one of the saddest Floyd songs ever).

If you enjoyed "Animals" and "The Wall" more than the other Floyd stuff, I feel that you will enjoy "The Final Cut". If "Animals" and "The Wall" were your least-favored Floyd albums, you will probably have a tough time with "The Final Cut", but just go into it with an open mind and give it a chance. If you happen to enjoy "The Final Cut", you must buy Roger's solo stuff, especially "Amused to Death" (the best solo album by any member of Floyd although Gillmour's first solo album is pretty damn good) and "The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking".

Personally, "The Final Cut" is just behind "Meddle" for me in terms of favorite Floyd albums and #6 overall - "Animals", "Dark Side of the Moon", "The Wall", "Wish You Were Here", and "Meddle" then "The Final Cut".

An album with a perhaps somewhat-undeserved reputation, Pink Floyd's "The Final Cut" is listed on the back cover as "A Requiem for the Post-War Dream by Roger Waters, performed by Pink Floyd". This is probably the most accurate way to look at the record, it is a Roger Waters album, with David Gilmour and Nick Mason part of the backing band (keyboardist Richard Wright had been ejected from the band and even Mason's contributions were limited, with a percussionist added and another drummer on the closing track).

The album, like all the Floyd records prior, follows a concept-- intermingling reflections on the then-current world political climate (notably Thatcher's attack on the Falkland Islands) with the story of a soldier coming back from war to find the world quite changed (evidentally parts of this were originally written for "The Wall" to provide backstory for the teacher, who was also a veteran like the protagonist's father). Several themes are reprised a couple times throughout the album, most notably the "what have we done" vocal, which reappears sung or hummed (per suggestion of Nick Mason) throughout the record.

The result is a dense, lyrically-driven album that, like "The Wall" before it, largely abandons the open structures found on previous Floyd records. With Waters firmly in control and pushing his lyrical message, Gilmour's guitar is largely restrained and there's little of the openness and expansive structures of the previous albums. But this isn't necessarily a criticism-- Waters delivers his lyrics with a passion and intensity he rarely reached in the past, and a number of the pieces are superb, particularly when the backgrounds are at their sparsest, letting the lyrics breathe-- "Paranoid Eyes", "Southampton Dock", "The Final Cut" and "Two Suns in the Sunset" are all quite notable. The latter in particular is one of the best lyrics Waters has ever composed.

A couple notes about the remaster-- they've finally corrected the track split between "Southampton Dock" and "The Final Cut" (the last note of the former ended up on the latter) and added to the album is "When the Tigers Broke Free". Originally recorded for "The Wall" movie, it matches the mood and intensity of the record well, Waters is filled with venom, but the orchestration sounds out of place.

Ths is really a record that needs to be listened to for opinions-- I find it to be very rewarding in its own way. If you enjoyed "The Wall" and Waters' solo material (particularly "The Pros and Cons of Hitchiking", which is very similar to this), you should definitely check out this record.

The Final Cut is one of those works that reveals as much about the listener as the composer.

The album is first and foremost an intellectual and emotional journey full of angst, fear, sarcasm, and despair, and how one reacts to it is based more on one's internal makeup than one's musical ear.

The album's songs are intense and laconic, and framed by an elegant but sparse musical structure that relies more on subtle details than lush melodies to communicate the eccentric concept at the heart of the album - that the dreams of peace and tranquility people had after the end of WWII have been torn apart by the continuing greed, ambition and paranoia of world leaders.

Waters feels a sense of personal betrayal at the fraying of what he calls "the post-war dream" because he father died creating it by fighting in WWII, the war meant to end all wars. So this is a very intimate album in the Leonard Cohen style, and one that makes unapologetic and unnervingly frank revelations of the Waters' personal and political life.

Some people say that with the other members of Pink Floyd relegated to being sessions musicians on this album, there was no one to foil sone of Waters' more eclectic tastes when The Final Cut was recorded. But I think the absence of the others, who lack Waters' inner drive and vision, allowed Waters to create a truly distinctive work that will stand alone in the annals of rock (with perhaps only his solo album, the Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking, for company).

That Waters sewed The Final Cut together with songs left over from The Wall speaks to how creative (but troubled) he was between 1978, when he began working on The Wall and Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking, and 1983, when The Final Cut was released. For example, album was initially named The Final Cut, as in the final version of an edit, because it was meant to contain new music written by Waters for the 1982 film version of The Wall. But as the albums concept grew, Waters deftly transformed that title to refer to a failed suicide attempt by the central protagonist in his concept, as also to the idea that the 1982 Falklands war was the final cut, as in fatal stab, into the heart of the post-war dream.

The Final Cut's delicate music and literate lyrics will disappoint space rockers longing for the sonic landscapes of Wish You Were Here or the edgy menace of Animals. Waters' oblique references to people such as war poet Rupert Brooke, and some of the imagery he conjures might also be lost on more than a few listeners. For example, the touching song Southampton Dock loses much of its meaning if you don't realize that's the place from where the British navy departed to fight the Falklands war in 1982.

True, elements like that can make The Final Cut seem pompous, and at first listen the album sounds stilted and lacking in melody. But no piece of music can be everything and the genuine artist chooses his place, his style, and his message, and embraces them unapologetically. For example, an exquisite padded leather chair cannot be rustic at the same time.

The beauty of this album is that Waters doesn't try to do everything for everybody. He takes a stand. If The Final Cut sounds pompous it's because Waters feels he has a right to comment on the human condition and the price leaders make unwitting citizens pay in the pursuit of greatness and power. If the album sounds stilted it's the album's song-cycle aren't designed to give listeners a comfortable, predicable ride. Instead, the album shifts dynamics sharply between a fiery intensity and a wounded melancholy, initially alienating all but the dedicated listener. And if The Final Cut sounds unmelodic, well, melody has never been Waters' forte. But someone once said that music is the space between the notes, and the Final Cut illustrates this perfectly with its subtle musical texture that is the musical equivalent of blank verse.

Though David Gilmour said he couldn't abide the The Final Cut, probably because his own musical tastes are more conventional and the shabby way Waters treated him and the others Floyd members during the time the album was made, he did contribute some indelible guitar work to it. Gilmour's few but moving guitar solos perfectly complement the searing emotions that tumble out of Waters throughout the album. Nick Mason's under-stated behind-the-beat drumming is perfect for deliberate pace at which the Final Cut moves, and even though Rick Wright does not play on the album his absence haunts this tremulous and unsettling work (though only die-hard Floyd fans might feel that!).

Waters, and co-producers James Guthrie and Michael Kamen, who conducts the National Philharmonic Orchestra for the album and who also adds some elegant piano work to it, also extract some stellar performances from the backup musicians. The overall sound of the album, particularly on the recently issued re-master, is also superb.

For the fullest experience The Final Cut needs to be heard with full concentration, lyrics in hand. And it takes many listens to understand and appreciate the album. But if you perceive you will be rewarded with a rare nugget of music that will exhilarate and enrapture, and in the end reveal something of yourself to you.

The blockbuster success of Pink Floyd's 1979 epic "The Wall" did nothing to alleviate the internal enmity within the band; keyboardist Richard Wright had left the group officially in 1982; bassist Roger Waters had become entirely dominant, and his clashes with guitarist David Gilmour over composing and production credits left little for percussionist Nick Mason to contribute. The fans and critics were well aware of all this hostility, thus making the appearance of another Pink Floyd album quite a shock.
1983's "The Final Cut" (abtly titled, it was known as the band's final album, until a reunion in 1987, minus Waters) was a cold and rigid album, originally a vehicle for songs left off "The Wall" but soon transformed into Waters' outlet for anti-war rage and despair.
All twelve compositions are entirely Waters' composing, with Mason and Gilmour's instrumentation only appearing momentarily (or sometimes not at all) in each song, except the forceful 'Not Now John' (the album's only Top 30 single) and the closing track about a nuclear holocaust 'Two Suns in the Sunset,' in which Mason was replaced entirely. And although 'Not Now John' was a minor hit, none of the songs contained on "The Final Cut" are pop radio-friendly (then again, what Floyd songs from this era were?). There was next to no "teamwork" that went into making the album, as Waters now affirms that he wound doing most of it single handedly (with producer Michael Kamen), and Mason and Gilmour's comments about the album show that it was a miserable experience for them. But although "The Final Cut" is ultimately a Roger Waters solo album with the Pink Floyd banner, it is still poignant and emotional, lyrically poetic and musically balanced, absence of Gilmour's solos or Mason's rhythms aside. In many ways, "The Final Cut" is the quintessential Pink Floyd album--rigid and full of both stark and subtle cynycism, and grimly crafted. 'Your Possible Pasts' comes straight from the pit of Waters' stomach, 'The Gunner's Dream' is a despairing cry, and 'The Fletcher Memorial Home' is poetically and conceptually brilliant--depicting such politicians as Margaret Thatcher, Alexander Haig, and Ronald Reagan living in a symbolic home where they can boast their egos all day long. 'Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert' is a short but satisfying satire, and other tracks such as 'Two Suns in the Sunset' and 'Southampton Dock' are full of agony and subtlety.
Though it marked the peak of a bitter point in Pink Floyd's history, "The Final Cut" is an essential item of the band's repetoire.

This often brilliant but flawed album is the nearest thing to a Roger Waters solo album in the Pink Floyd catalog, much as "Momentary Lapse of Reason" would be the nearest thing to a David Gilmour solo album in said catalog. Keyboardist Rick Wright, responsible for the lush keyboard textures that helped characterize Pink Floyd's sound up to 1977's "Animals", had been forced out of the group three years earlier. Drummer Nick Mason's creative involvement had declined sharply since "Dark Side of the Moon", and guitarist David Gilmour, who had co-written such classics from the previous Pink Floyd album, "The Wall" as "Young Lust", "Run Like Hell", and "Comfortably Numb", got no writing credits in edgewise this time, was ousted from the production team, and was reduced along with Mason to the status of sideman alongside a bevy of session players, one of whom even replaced Nick Mason on drums on one of the songs.

"The Final Cut" was the culmination of a trend that started with "Dark Side of the Moon", the first Pink Floyd concept album with all lyrics by Waters, in which all tracks segued into the next and leitmotifs, especially in the form of sound effects, were used to reinforce the album "concept". Since it worked so well, it seemed the right idea to keep doing it for future albums. But with every subsequent album Waters' concepts and lyrics became more personal and he, understandably, wanted greater control over the album projects, and arguably came to see them as "his" rather than the group's.

"The Wall" however was a commercial success despite this tendency. Co-producer Bob Ezrin's imput helped make a narrative that was very personal to Roger Waters a more universal statement about authoritarianism, alienation and isolation.

The concept behind "The Final Cut", subtitled "a requiem to the post-war dream", was not as universally accessible- since it was about the death of Waters' father in World War II and his belief that the dream of a better world, that had motivated men like his father to fight to their deaths in that war, had been betrayed, and that the final betrayal ( "the final cut") was being dealt by world leaders like Britain's own Margaret Thatcher. You have to have a certain understanding, and more than that, a certain interpretation, of history in order to appreciate the concept behind this album.

Also, the music here doesn't sound much like the "classic" Pink Floyd sound- throbbing keyboards, soaring guitars, and so on. That doesn't mean it's bad, it's just different. Some songs here have a folk-rock sound ("Your Possible Pasts", "Two Suns in the Sunset"); others have a piano and orchestra backing ("The Gunner's Dream"; "Get Your Filthy Hands off My Desert"; "Fletcher Memorial Home", "The Final Cut"); and others combine the two styles in the same song ("Paranoid Eyes", "Southampton Dock") I like both of these styles myself, although some of the bits meant to move the narrative along are a bit weak musically- including "Paranoid Eyes", which is redeemed mainly by the organ solo in the middle, and particularly "The Post War Dream" , which sounds like it could have been done a lot better, and is not helped by a disgruntled Gilmour's guitar playing- he evidently didn't care for that song at all.

For whatever reason, "The Final Cut" was a relative commercial failure- compared not only to "The Wall", but even compared to Gilmour-driven Pink Floyd releases "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" and "The Division Bell".

The closest we get to hearing "old" Pink Floyd music is when Gilmour plays one of his solos, or during "Not Now John" (a bluesy number reminiscent of "Money" and "Have a Cigar", and on which Gilmour sings all but the final verse).

The last song, "Two Suns in the Sunset" is an ostensibly jaunty tune with lyrics which deal with a sudden death on the highway due to the "second sun" being a nuclear explosion..."The Fletcher Memorial Home" (Roger's father was Eric Fletcher Waters) imagines taking world leaders who make such a holocaust more likely with their bloody military adventurism, to the "Fletcher Memorial Home", and then, after a discreet interval, applying a "final solution" to the lot of them. An understandable thought, but it grates somewhat with me, since I find the idea of "final solutions" inherently creepy, to say the last, and anyway we're all ultimately responsible for what we allow (and often encourage) these leaders to do, as Waters himself suggests when he sings that "When the fight (World War Two) was over, we spent what they had made" (we wasted their sacrifice.)

The main fault, apart from the ones I've already described, is Waters' singing, which is hard to take, especially during the title track.

Not for those who like their listening easy.

1983's "The Final Cut" remains a most controversial Pink Floyd album to this day. The follow-up release to their 1979 mega-smash, "The Wall," and representing Roger Waters' last musical statement with the band, "The Final Cut" was the album that broke up the Floyd (well, the classic line-up anyway). There's an abundance of orchestration on this album (the most orchestration on a Floyd album since 1970's "Atom Heart Mother"), keyboardist Richard Wright is absent (having been dismissed by Waters after "The Wall" tour), while guitarist David Gilmour and drummer Nick Mason are reduced to mere session players. The behind-the-scenes fighting between Waters and Gilmour during the making of this album is legendary, and it didn't sell particularly well by Floyd standards (peaking at #7). Fans were (and are) heavily divided about it, and, as the album is credited to "Roger Waters, performed by Pink Floyd," debate still rages on as to whether or not "The Final Cut" is really, truly Pink Floyd, or just a Roger Waters solo album in disguise. And the planned tour for "The Final Cut" never materialised either, which only made many Floyd fans forget about the album that much quicker.But really, let's put all of that aside. Speaking for myself, I *totally* accept "The Final Cut" as a Pink Floyd album, and it's a brilliant, beautiful Floyd album at that. Written in memory of his father who died in World War II, it's got some of the most powerful, haunting music & lyrics that Waters has ever written, not to mention his most heartfelt vocals ever recorded (and fine bass-playing too, of course). And while Gilmour and Mason weren't allowed by Waters to contribute much to "The Final Cut," when they DO appear, they're in top form, both serving up excellent guitar and drum parts, respectively. And the album really does have a marvelous atmosphere to it, with great sound effects enhanced by the use of a process called holophonics (you can especially hear the difference when you listen on headphones). Memorable songs include "Your Possible Pasts," "One Of The Few," "The Gunners Dream," "The Fletcher Memorial Home," the title song, and the awesome rock of "Not Now John" (featuring Gilmour on vocals with Waters). It's still sad that Waters quit Pink Floyd after "The Final Cut," as he & Gilmour couldn't stand each other anymore by this point. Gilmour & company soldiered on without him for two more albums, and they both sold great and the tours were also very successful, but the band just wasn't the same anymore, and the music left something to be desired---namely, Roger Waters. Even if "The Final Cut" wasn't a big seller, it is unquestionably an artistic triumph for both Waters AND Pink Floyd. Granted, there's nothing to "space out" to on "The Final Cut," so if you only like Pink Floyd for the "Far out, man" quality of their earlier music, you may be disappointed with this one. But if you also happen to like them for their phenomenal songwriting, music, and craft, then chances are you will thoroughly enjoy this buried treasure from Pink Floyd. Do give "The Final Cut" a listen.

Okay..I'll admit it. I'm guilty of not giving this album a chance to burn into my mind as I should have. I listened to it way back in '83 (while "The Wall" was still echoing in my head) and wrote off Pink Floyd as a group. My mistake. 17 years later, I now realize what Waters was saying. I heard the pain in his voice as he told me how close we were to that final goodbye. Hearing the screams of children as the second sun seared them brought a tear to my eye. Putting all of the people of power into a home and keeping them away from the "button" caused a little chuckle to escape me. This is an album that must be understood to be appreciated. In '83 I didn't understand what I was hearing. I wanted "Run Like Hell" and "Comfortably Numb". I wasn't ready for Poetry To Think By. I hope that Gilmour will agree with me that, looking back, letting Waters take center-stage for his last go with the band, and getting these things off his chest, was ultimately good.

Alot of people say this is the swan song of the classic lineup, but this is not true. By this time, Richard Wright had already flown the coop, and David Gilmour and Nick Mason were not involved in the creative process. This is a Roger Waters/Michael Kamen project. It seems that Waters committed that infamous cardinal sin that Axl Rose(Guns N Roses) and Zack De La Rocha(Rage Against The Machine) are said to be guilty of: he forgot that there's a big difference between a BAND and a solo artist with a bunch of hired guns.

As always this is a concept album. Waters is venting about the death of his father in World War II("When The Tiger's Broke Free") but the central narrative here, from what I've gathered, seems to involve a WW2 veteran named John. Describing himself as "One Of The Few" to land on his feet, John returns from the war a hero("The Hero's Return"), haunted by the death of a friend who dreamed of peace("The Gunner's Dream") and having difficulty readjusting to civilian life("Paranoid Eyes"). Disheartened to see succeeding generations acting selfish and corrupt, he turns his anger on their leaders("The Fletcher Memorial Home"). John's final pleas of social responsibilty fall of deaf ears("Not Now John"), leaving him to wonder if the sacrifices made during the war were in vain.

If David Bowie were doing this, then he'd make it a point to make sure the musicianship was strong enough to match the concept. Unfortunatly, the musical foundation is perfunctory, it's as if Waters considered it to be inconsequential. Waters-minus-Floyd and Floyd-minus-Waters both had strong material after this, but that doesn't help this album. I guess everyone was having a bad day.

So you might want to listen to this one first.

"The Final Cut" is Roger Water's statement against the Falkland War. Even though this event is long past, it still applies to us today, especially with the situation in Iraq. The theme of anti-war is timeless.

Song-by-Song:

1. The Post War Dream - A heartfelt reflection on how the dreams of hope after WWII were shattered by conflicts such as Vietnam and the Falklands. There are, however, some racial slurs for the Japanese, so be warned. The song has a powerful conclusion that challenges Margaret Thatcher, asking her what she has done to England.

2. Your Possible Pasts - A song about how after WWII, veterans' lives had been irreversibly altered and they could never live a peaceful ordinary life. Musically, it is one of the best songs on the album. Thematically, it provides a bridge between politics and the backstory of the oppresive schoolteacher from "The Wall," which is coming up next.

3. One of The Few - A veteran comes back from the war. Tormented and confused, he decides to teach/torment children. This song is basically the prelude to "The Hero's Return."

Extra: When the Tigers Broke Free - This song from the film "The Wall" is included on the reissue. It is a description of the death of Eric Fletcher Waters, Roger's father. The song is heartfelt and really contributes to the album's overall themes.

4. The Hero's Return - The story of the teacher continues. He is frusterated with the children, who have no appreciation for the hard-earned freedom he fought for. He is tormented by his experiences in the war, and his relationship with his wife is crumbling. The song ends with a bridge into the next song where he says that there is "a memory too painful to withstand the light of day."

5. The Gunner's Dream - While many of the songs feel over the top, the one hits home like no other. It is a gem that is supposedly the dying words of a soldier, who describes his own funeral, saying his goodbyes "in the corner of some foreign field." This suggests the gunner is a universal character, he could be any soldier dying abroad. The gunner describes a place to retire to, a place that is not paradise, but close enough to satisfy a veteran. The emotion overflows right up until the final line: "Take heed of the dream."

6. Paranoid Eyes - A calm number about being a soldier, hiding behind paranoid eyes. It shows great insight, and is a welcome rest after the relative intensity of "The Gunner's Dream." It is a bridge back into the political themes of the album.

7. Get Your Filthy Hands Off of My Desert - A number reminiscient of "Bring the Boys Back Home" and "The Show Must Go On" from "The Wall." It is Roger Water's description of the Falkland War, and the prelude to the next song.

8. The Fletcher Memorial Home - One of the most angry political songs of all time, this song calls for all warmongering politicians (referred to as "overgrown infants" and "colonial wasters of life and limb") to be removed from their positions and institutionalized. Many may be offended by this track; it calls for the removal of Ronald Reagan amongst others.

9. Southampton Dock - A slow, emotional number about the troops disembarking to go to The Falkland Islands. It begins by talking about the end of WWII and the vows for peace, then jumps foward in time to when these vows come crashing down. We really feel the tragedy of the fall of the Post War Dream here.

10. The Final Cut - Breaking away from politics, this track is a throwback to "The Wall." It seems that Pink (the protagonist of "The Wall") is singing, though exactly when the song takes place is unknown. He sings about his usual alienation from life and his isolation from society. The combination of the words, the tune, and the way they are sung makes this song a masterpiece. Though it really doesn't fit in with the rest of the album, it is still a great song.

11. Not Now John - In a sharp contrast with the rest of the album, this track is pure hard rock, full of aggressive guitar work. We finally get to hear David Gilmour's voice during parts of this song, which is really a breath of fresh air after 10 or 11 tracks of Roger. The lyrics discuss the dangers of international economic competition. Disclaimer: This song is Pink Floyd's heaviest in profanity.

12. Two Suns in the Sunset - The final song is a true gem. Roger Waters sings about the everpresent threat of nuclear annihilation in a very calm manner. The acoustic guitar riff and the poetic lyrics are solid genius. The song ends with a session musician's saxophone solo, reminiscient of "The Gunner's Dream."

The final word: Buy this album, but don't expect it to be typical Pink Floyd.

I somewhat agree with the critics who say the Final Cut is a Waters self indulgent LP. However, I love this album for two reasons. No 1- my grandfather was a WWII vet, and is easy for me to relate what Roger preaches about remembering and respecting the generation of simple people who saved our world from unspeakable evil and tyrany. This album also speaks to me on so many levels of depression, grief and isolation and is seemingly the soul voice of someone who has very little of a life outside of his music and his constantly thinking and racing mind like myself. Reason No 2- David Gilmour is an amazing guitarist, and the fact that his minimal ability as well as desire for musical input on this album makes his guitar work that much more astonishing. Perhaps the only album that has solos even more moving and captivating than The Wall's lead work. The solo on "The Final Cut" for me jerks even more tears than the incredible solos in "Comfortably Numb" and "Mother". Along with the orchestration of composing genius Michael Kamen, The Final Cut is a seamless fusion of sympthony, rock, blues and folk guitar, with the haunting poetics and vocals of one of the most egocentric, yet brillant lyricists and artists of our time, Roger Waters(not to mention is also an amazing bass player). If there is an irritating point of this album, it's the keyboard work, only great because of it's obvious imitation of Richard Wright. I felt it underminded his legacy with the band. Is Pink Floyd as magical today without Waters? Of course not. However I also couldn't bare the thought of Floyd without Gilmour, Wright, and Nick Mason, If you don't believe me, watch the irritable version of "The Wall, Live at Berlin" and see what I mean.