FROM: The Ministry of Truth
Subject: Delete, undo, expunge this album
Reason: Roger Waters influenced by Goldstein
A Review By Michael Simone of:
AMUSED TO DEATH
Roger Waters
(and the Bleeding Hearts Band)
Produced By Roger Waters and Patrick Leonard.
Featured Guests : Jeff Beck, Jeff Porcaro, Steve Lukather, Don Henley, James Johnson, Mary Albert, and Randy Jackson. With The National Philharmonic Orchestra, and The London Welsh Chorale.
The Bleeding Hearts Band: Andy Fairweather-Low, Geoff Whitehorn, Graham Broad, Patrick Leonard, Katie Kissoon, and Doreen Chanter.
Warning !!!!! Pre judge this new Pink Flo... I mean Roger Waters album at the peril of your own stupidity and narrow-mindedness. This Album must be LISTENED to at least 10 times before forming an opinion!!!!!!
Amused To Death is the concept album of concept albums, from the master of concept albums Roger Waters. I don't know about you but I like music to tell a story and have meaning, to evoke visions in my imagination. I like music that says something and doesn't end after a measly five minutes. For the same reason I like novels and dislike short stories .
From the first cricket chirps to the last with Alf Razzell's farewell words "...1984, 1984", each song progresses to the next fading into one another through interludes of an incredible use of sound affects. The sound effects actually have meaning and are part of the story.
One of the reasons I have been a Pink Floyd fan since 1968 is because of the ideals put forth in their concept albums. Concept albums exactly like this. The music is Pink Floyd at it's best. Pink Floyd as the musically creative band it was with Roger at the helm is no longer, but the ideals, sound, and creativity live on in the magical genius of Roger Waters. The King is Dead, Long Live the King !!
This new work by Roger will undergo even more intense scrutiny and criticism than any previous solo effort by him.
Because of the length of time its been since his last album Radio K.A.O.S., AMUSED TO DEATH will be critiqued and picked over with a fine tooth comb. Critics will note any perceived imperfection or defect and expound upon them. Supposed Pink Floyd fans will be especially critical. I expect an outcry as usual from the Floyd Camp, and a rash of extremely negative comments. This, of course is usual for any of Roger's solo efforts. The man who wrote most of Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals, The Wall, and The Final Cut, has been, since going solo, constantly and consistently criticized and ridiculed. Each and every offering he creates is chastised by those very same "fans" who praised and pontificated the glory and grandeur of his creations with Pink Floyd.
This album, AMUSED TO DEATH is indescribable, extraordinary, amazing, wondrous, remarkable, astounding, phenomenal, incredible. There aren't enough adjectives to describe a work of this magnitude.
If at first, listening to this album, you don't like it, try try again ! Seriously if you are like me and have such extreme expectations, and are so critical, nothing will satisfy you, then you owe it to yourself to listen to Amused To Death over and over and over again.(And I mean repeatedly.) It was during a 1975 concert in San Francisco when I first heard the Pink Floyd songs Raving and Drooling, You've Got to be Crazy, Shine on You Crazy Diamond, and Have a Cigar. I didn't know that I cared for them much, especially after hearing my favorite (and more familiar) songs from DSOTM.
When it came to my favorite group, Pink Floyd, there was always something that prevented me from immediately, enjoying, or appreciating their new music. Perhaps it was because I always expected the same sound, style, or format. Of course, I came to love Wish You Were Here shortly after it was released, and in fact it became my favorite Floyd album, as did each subsequent album, Animals and The Wall . However, there always seemed to be a reservation before hand. I didn't like Animals for near a month after I bought it. The Wall took me almost twice as long to like, listening to it time after time after time. This was mainly because in each case, with each new release Pink Floyd changed their style and sound. Each new release was a drastic departure from their previous and more familiar recordings. It took me a while to open my closed mind and really enjoy the new offerings.
The Wall became my favorite album of all time, only after months of disliking it. The Final Cut, after listening to it, I refused to even buy . Five years later after buying it and really listening to it, I loved it . Now I think it's fantastic.
The same symptoms occurred after hearing and buying Roger's The Pro's and Con's of Hitchhiking and Radio K.A.O.S.. K.A.O.S. which was more commercially and readily accessible I fell in love with only after seeing it performed live. With each successive new album I have certain expectations and tend to make comparisons with previous Waters/Floyd epics. This is unfair to both Roger Waters and to myself. How can I expect Roger to create the same music each time around? Would Roger Waters be my favorite artist and musical/political idol if he always sounded the same, or had a formula sound or style? No, unequivocally not !
Some groups that are in the business for the money instead of the art and creativity, may, after making it big with a certain sound and formula try to consistently regurgitate the same crap or bilge in order to sell albums. This is not what Pink Floyd once stood for and this certainly is not what Roger Waters stands for now. Roger Waters is an Artist, and as an artist who paints, Roger must weave a new and different tapestry of music and emotional imagery with each creation. Originate a new parable and conceptual vision painted for the mind and ears.
Well, Roger has done it again. He has created an album so completely new and different that it may take the staunch Floyd/Waters fan a while to get used to. At first listening I found myself critiquing each song instead of really listening. However, given a chance this album will satisfy and surpass any and all expectations.
If you want to enjoy this album you must really listen to this album at least 10 times in a two to three day period. I guarantee you will not only like it more and more each time, but will be humming and singing "What God Wants, God Gets, God help us all" over and over and over. It will be going through your mind for hours on end. The same goes for many of the other songs, like "Watching T.V." for example, which I found myself humming and singing on the way to work one day. Also, upon each listening, you will hear new things, sounds, words, or meanings that you didn't hear the time before. It's really amazing how true this is. (You hear the bombing attack on Tripoli experienced by the mother with a baby in her arms before they die. etc. etc.) This Album must be judged on it's own merits as a totally new creation. Only then can one appreciate this fantastic work.
Many will criticize this album viewing it as an attempt to cash in on the Pink Floyd sound to promote album sales. In response I can only point out that ; 1. There is no sticker or wording of any kind that proclaims "The new album by Roger Waters the creative force behind Pink Floyd" or anything like that. (Which I personally think should have been publicized) And ; 2. It was Roger's creative genius who wrote most all of Pink Floyd's great masterpieces , so if this album sounds like Pink Floyd in any way it is because, creatively speaking, Roger was Pink Floyd. It is "Pink Floyd" who tries to sound like him by attempting to continue a sound he created in the first place.
Sure, Roger wants critical acclaim and huge album sales, but he wants these things on his own merits with his own name. I know eventually Roger will have his way. What Roger wants, Roger gets.
This album tells a story through words, music, and sound. A main theme weaves it's way through it's entirety, linking each song in a commonality of TV and the sound effects of modern day life and warfare.
Though I agree that this album is the most Floydian sounding album Roger has produced as a solo artist, it is also completely original and completely different from anything he has ever created.
It is however hard to resist the desire to compare this magnificent opus with past creations. There are many Pink Floyd traits and characteristics incorporated into Amused To Death. You can liken them to the many era's of writing styles that Roger has employed both as a solo artist and during his tenure with Pink Floyd.
The first song on the album "The Ballad of Bill Hubbard" begins with cricket chirps, a dog barking, and someone (presumably the gorilla) switching channels on the TV. Then begins TV dialog reminiscent of "One Of My Turns" or "Nobody Home" and a fade in of keyboards and then guitar, akin to the beginning of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond." With drums reminiscent of Peter Gabriel's "So," Alf Razzell tells the story of Bill Hubbard, channels change and a child speaks of his love of war.
"What God Wants" begins and sounds written in the style of The Final Cut or Radio KAOS, with chanting reminiscent of "Another Brick in the Wall." Jeff Beck's stupendous Gilmour-esque style guitar solo tops this song off as a Floyd, I mean Waters masterpiece. It's no wonder it was picked as the first single. Again crickets, TV dialog, and thunder begin "Perfect Sense Pt.1", with piano reminiscent of When the Wind Blows, and female vocals akin to "Molly's Song." "Perfect Sense Pt.2" includes a war-(sports)caster calling the battlefield plays and a chanting crowd singing a "world anthem" of the chorus.
"The Bravery of Being Out of Range" is an Ian Hunter style rock and roll ballad with a Pros and Cons/Obscured By Clouds era sound thrown in for good measure. The premise is similar to that of The Beatles "Bungalow Bill" but augmented to include the Reagan/Bush presidencies.
"Late Home Tonight Pt.1" begins with bird chirps and acoustic guitar ala "Grantchester Meadows." The song is reminiscent in style to When the Wind Blows . "FlightÑFlight, the beauty of military life, no questions only orders and flight" (What great lyrics). Then we hear drums and chanting similar to "Mudmen", and "Late Home Tonight Pt.2" begins with a baby crying and a bomber bombing, and is reminiscent of "When the Tigers Broke Free."
Then "What God Wants Pt. 2" begins with a TV evangelist preaching. It is almost the same as Pt.1 except for different verses. It ends with cricket chirps, a train's whistle, and a barking dog.
"What God Wants Pt.3" begins with piano pings similar to "Echoes," and keyboard and guitar ala "Welcome to the Machine." Beck's guitar treatise again is superlative. This song comes closest to being Pink Floyd without Gilmour (and he doesn't seem to be missed). The "Q" sound recording technique is fascinating. No matter how many times I hear this song, when the telephone rings I always want to pick up the receiver.
Again the sound of cricket chirps, TV dialog and channel switching segue into the next song "Watching TV." It begins with acoustic guitar chords similar to "Towers of Faith" and is reminiscent of old Floyd ala "If." This folksy ballad has a definite Bob Dylan sounding influence, and ends with TV dialog which segues into "Three Wishes".
In style, this song seems a cross between "KAOS", "Pros and Cons," and "When The Wind Blows" era's, and ends with some nice guitar work and TV dialog. "It's a Miracle" begins with piano and keyboards very much like parts of "Echoes," children are heard at play. There is a distinct bass line sound like that of "Careful With That Axe...". This song ends with a choir and monks chanting Ôit's a miracle.'
"Amused To Death" begins with birds chirping, TV dialog, and guitar like that on When the Wind Blows. This song has the feel of "Every Strangers Eyes" and is my favorite song on the album. With Beck's guitar this song sounds so much like Pink Floyd that it could have come off "The Wall" or "The Final Cut." The album ends with Alf Razzell ending his story, and crickets chirping as the title/chorus is sung over and over and the last words of Alf Razells' story repeat ..." 1984, 1984 ". Could this be a little Orwellian influence, or a form of NEWSPEAK ! All hail Big Brother!!
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH