Roger Waters - Is This The Life We

For a man who was the creative force behind Pink Floyd’s successful albums in the 1970s: Dark Side of the Moon. Wish You Were Here, Animals and The Wall- 4 of the greatest rock albums ever made–, Roger Waters solo career has been patchy and failed to match past achievements. PF’s The Final Cut – really a Waters solo record - was a below average Floyd record but is often held up as his best solo effort. 1984’s Pro & Cons of Hitchhiking, despite the stellar cast of musicians – Clapton, Kamen, Newmark & Sanborn - it lacked proper songs and to me its unlistenable. 1987’s Radio KAOS – Tommy meets Wargames meets the Miners’ Strike – is listenable, had better songs and great concept of talk radio but failed to tell its’s concept story convincingly via the songs hence resorted to sleeve notes– it just felt half-baked and incomplete and wasn’t helped by the production. 1992’s Amused to Death was better and sounded more Floydian and contained some great songs that are genuine classics like What God Wants, Perfect Sense, The Bravery of Being Out of Range and Watching TV – but equally it was too long and contained a fair dose of dross. Not surprising then that Roger lost out to his ex-colleagues in Pink Floyd who were against all odds delivering the goods – I certainly prefer the Gilmour led Pink Floyd records to much Roger Waters solo work.The good news Is this the Life we really want Waters first record since ATD 25 years ago is a return to form. Produced by Nigel Godrich producer of several Radiohead albums including OK Computer – regarded by many as a 1990s Dark Side of the Moon – and a big fan of Water’s 1970’s Pink Floyd work. Godrich has clearly managed to do at least two things 1) Bring out the best in Roger 2) Done what David Gilmour has longed claimed to have done in Floyd which was to keep the rubbish off the record. According to Wikipedia Godrich was frank with Waters, telling him he found some of his solo work "unlistenable" and encouraged Waters to make a concise record. I think this shows in just how good Is this the Life we really want is.Lyrically Roger is at the top of his game and the music sounds like Pink Floyd material being performed by Radiohead -no bad thing as its proggy and experimental but its not overblown. As many other reviewers have noted the influence of Animals is heard throughout the record, I think that that every track from that album is referenced here along with parts of Wish You Were Here and The Final Cut. Centre stage are the vocals - Roger’s vocals are rougher and have hardened with age but actually it’s a good thing since he generally avoids his primal screams and operatic interludes that were only effective in small doses which he over used in his earlier solo work. The result his vocals can hold together much better on this record and for once we don’t cry out for Gilmour (or anyone else) to lighten the vocal load and indeed on the guitar front.The songs are great too many of them instantly getting into the listener’s psyche. The voice and radio samples – another feature of Roger’s work both with Floyd and solo are again very effective. The opening piece reminds me of Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast. The soundscapes inspired by Animals are also very trippy and effective.In addition to Godrich, perhaps its Roger Waters spending much of the last two decades performing his Pink Floyd classics on tours has finally rediscovered what made him great. Roger Waters has finally made a solo record to rival his best albums with the Floyd – a bloody miracle that deserves to be acknowledged somewhere in the words of his ATD song “The Miracle” alongside A Brazilian grew a tree, a doctor in Manhattan Saved a dying man for free and a farmer in Ohio Has just repaid a loan. “Roger Waters makes a great solo album that we all really need to own, it’s a miracle”

I do have a lot of time for the underpinning sincerity of RW and the way he struggles to present it through such recordings, but this one is a bit too tiresome.Themes are the same ones that appear in previous albums and the over-orchestrated bits are there too, but the witty stuff isn't. Some Pink Floyd type riffs appear but nothing exceptional and RW's strangulated 'angry man' lyrics are not worth his shouting about.Leonard Cohen did this stuff it so much better (and quieter) and with less of the 70's 6th form songwriting angst. Overall it makes little sense and just sounds preachy, dated and boring. Oh and don't mention the f-ing war, yet again, yet again, corporal!

why is roger waters so brilliant? Why did it take me a year to get into this album? I listened once, went "meh!" and left it.when i came back to this, and really listened, i cried. i cry each time i listen to it. roger waters has a magic ability to take simple tempo/rhythm and create something awe inspiring.wake up, and smell the roseswaited 20+ years for this album. I wasnt disappointed. Hope i dont have to wait another 20 for the next one.

25 years on from "Amused To Death," and this is the best of his writing in all that time? ATD is truly superb and if it had been a Pink Floyd album, it would have been at no. 1 for weeks and in the charts for years. With Gilmour's (and Wright's) input, it would have challenged "DSOTM" in my opinion.This new album is unlistenable and it's no wonder he has become the best tribute act of Pink Floyd. He can gross £100+ million for a tour and why the hell shouldn't he, but as for new music, I think his time is done. Please prove me wrong Roger!For the best Floydian music you must have Gilmour's input, for lyrics, Waters. Those days have sadly gone.Gilmour's solo work for me is far superior than Waters' but ATD does challenge the top spot held by "On An Island."As for the holdup of the new version of "Animals," get it sorted and release it for the fans now guys!

What caught my attention about Roger Water's wok as an individual rather than "a member of", was not The Wall, but "The Final Cut". I appreciate that makes me something of a minority amongst Pink Floyd fans.This album depicts a bleak landscape, appropriate for these times, but it is also a thing of beauty. The melodies and orchestral arrangements which support his vocal style, part spoken part sung, are strong. One is reminded in places of the tone of Lennon's "Mother" album and Bowie's "5 Years".An album to be played from start to finish with the lights low, as in days of yore.