Good post, Shaners. We need more of this sort of stuff.
I liked the blurb's excuse for Rick's departure as well; very tactful in a corporate sort of way.
TFC was, for me, a grave disappointment, especially after the modern thrill of The Wall and seeing it performed Live. OK, not as disappointing as ACoGDS, but that one's more of a poorly devised money-spinning compilation so it doesn't really count.