In a recent interview with Uncut Magazine, David explains his motive for doing a solo album in 1978 “I don’t think it was a counteract to some sort of frustration I was feeling within Pink Floyd. If anything, I thought it would be nice to have a bunch a guys in a room, play some tunes, knock ’em down and put out record.”

This might very well be one of the reasons for doing the album, but there definitely was a lot of tension within Pink Floyd at that point – both during and after the Animals tour, which ended in July 1977. They were sick and tired of each other and from touring.

Roger, especially, went through a though time and didn’t feel comfortable with the exposure and the rabid fans. His pissy mood was a stark contrast to David, who, according to himself in later interviews, enjoyed the tour.

There might also have been a financial motive for doing a solo album. By 1978 it was evident that although Pink Floyd was one of the biggest selling bands of all time, their investments had failed and they were now also subject to massive taxation. In short – they were broke.

Both Rick and David recorded solo albums in early 1978 and they did it in France to avoid taxes. Roger started writing what eventually ended up as The Wall (and Pros of Cons of Hitch Hiking) and although having a great idea for the band’s next album album, he also knew that he needed to create a success that could save the them financially.