Roger Waters - Is This the Life We Really Want? (New Album)

[noel411]

What if I were to tell you cunts that this is actually a really good album?

Despite Pink Floyd being far and away my favourite band, I never found any of Roger's previous solo albums very listenable. I can't even remember them because I never gave them more than a listen or 2. I know a few songs from 'Radio Kaos' cause I had them on my old ipod, and a few songs I know from live dvd's I own, but otherwise I don't even remember his other solos. Just that they weren't good.

But yo, I've been going back to this album daily, with enthusiasm, since I dl'ed it maybe a week ago. I really dig it a lot. I think it's a great album. Shame my new motherfuckin' mp3 player doesn't have gapless playback, cos a lot of tracks blend into the next on this album. Tossing up whether I try to Rockbox that fucker, but very hesitant after bricking my 9 year old 160gb ipod classic attempting the same.

Also was thinking today how every album Roger's done from DSotM onwards is a concept album. All the Floyd ones he did after that and then his 3 previous solos. Not too sure if his last one before this, 'Amused to Death' was a concept album, but I assume it was cos all his albums are. I know his first 2 solos were. Pretty fucken cool to make solely concept albums.

Anyway, check it out. Highly recommended by this listener.

[ShaDynasty]

I think the more concept based and Waters heavy Floyd albums are, the less I like them. The Final Cut stinks and even The Wall (which I know everybody jizzes themselves over) is pretentious, laughable crap to me.

Their other shit is great though, I think Waters did better collaborating than doing shit by himself.

[noel411]

Yeah I think he's often a bit much to stomach too. That's why I couldn't fux with his other solos. Especially amused to death. When he does that shit in the live DVD's I cringe and ask myself 'why'? The wall is brilliant tho. And animals is my equal favourite album along with wywh. Final cut I also used to cringe at and ask myself 'why'? But these days I enjoy it for what it is. Tho I still think he's a clown.

The new album is in a similar vein but mor subdued and much more focused on making good songs rather than just getting his veiws across. I assumed I wouldn't like it at all but I actually really dig it.

[The Hound]

WTF the concept albums in the Waters era are Pink Floyd's best work.

[ShaDynasty]

WTF the concept albums in the Waters era are Pink Floyd's best work.

Which ones? Dark Side, WYWH & Animals are fantastic and I guess they loosely fit the definition of concept albums. But Waters had a lot of help with that shit, he got the writing credit on some of the songs for words alone but many tracks came out of jam sessions. Of course Waters is great, I love to play 'Money' on guitar and I know that was his original riff which is enough to make him a legend but some stuff bugs me.

The Wall and The Final Cut were almost wholly his brainchildren and I've always found them completely overblown and self-indulgent.

[noel411]

Hound, have u heard the new record? Also what did u think of the final cut and Roger's previous solo albums?

[noel411]

One thing I will say about the final cut is that Gilmour's solos on it r the best example of less is more that I've ever heard. The not now john one is just a cool, showy sort of rock thing, but the other 3 r absolutely fucking blazing. Any intermediate guitarist could play them, but NOBODY could play them like Gilmour. Def the absolute highlights of the album, but then gilmour's solos r the top highlights of every Floyd album.

[The Hound]

Hound, have u heard the new record? Also what did u think of the final cut and Roger's previous solo albums?

I didn't know he had a new solo album until now LOL Honestly I don't fuck with Roger Waters outside of Pink Floyd LOL I'm a Dave Gilmour guy LOL I want to have sex with Beyoncé LOL

Okay I didn't realise Sha was talking about Waters solos I assumed he was talking from Meddle onwards. It's become a hipster thing to prefer the Syd Barret era. I'm not sure how The Wall is self indulgent that LP is amazing but still their 4th best for me after DSOTM, WYWH and Animals

[noel411]

Gilmour's last solo was good too. I watched a good doco about him the other day called wider horizons. Highlights were hearing part of his original demo of comfortably numb which as u prob know he originally wrote for his first solo album. He even had lyrics for it, which surprised me. Also cool hearing demos of his solo stuff where he actually vocalises sounds which his wife then pulls lyrics out of.

And my jolliest moment...when they talked about his record collection and first thing u c is a copy of Roy Buchanan - second album (greatest guitar album ever) sitting on a stool. I got a major kick out of that. I actually read that the post rogers Floyd once attended a Roy Buchanan show n ended up getting on stage and having a blues jam with him. There is nothing in this world I would rather see/hear than that.

[noel411]

Also there is no doubt gilmour contributed more to the wall than he is credited for. Waters wrote that album at the same time as the pros n cons of hitch hiking, which became his first solo. Compare the two, lolz. Nick Mason said in his autobio that it was much more a group effort than waters lets on. But again, gilmour's solos r the top highlights anyway, n roger def didn't write them. Half of the brick in the wall part 2 song is the solo anyway, which is an absolute fucking master class in lead guitar playing.