Roger Waters - the multi-instrumentalist

All discussion related specifically to Roger Waters.
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theaussiefloydian
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Re: Roger Waters - the multi-instrumentalist

Post by theaussiefloydian »

TheBassistGirl wrote: Sun Jun 06, 2021 2:27 am
Follix wrote: Tue Sep 06, 2016 5:24 pm My favorite Floyd bass lines are ''Pigs'', ''Sheep'' and ''Hey You''... Oh wait :lol:
Did you know that Roger wrote the bass line for Sheep? Yeah, actually quite fun, since you only like it because Gilmour played it.
Honestly if told otherwise I'd have assumed it was Waters playing on "Sheep" - though I always thought Waters played that line better when it was "Raving and Drooling".
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Re: Roger Waters - the multi-instrumentalist

Post by ZiggyZipgun »

Also, strangely enough, the author of the Pink Floyd Encyclopedia wrote another book focusing on The Wall, where he credits Gilmour with playing bass on a dozen tracks:

Mother
Goodbye Blue Sky
Young Lust
Don't Leave Me Now
Hey You
Nobody Home
Vera
Comfortably Numb
The Show Must Go On
Run Like Hell
Waiting for the Worms
The Trial
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theaussiefloydian
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Re: Roger Waters - the multi-instrumentalist

Post by theaussiefloydian »

Well it's no secret that he did the fretless for "Hey You", but I would be intrigued to know the source for the rest of those credits. "Young Lust" I could believe, but "Comfortably Numb" sounds like Waters to my (admittedly not expert) ear.
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Re: Roger Waters - the multi-instrumentalist

Post by ZiggyZipgun »

They're actually both credited on "Comfortably Numb", presumably due to the backing tracks that they'd each made, argued over, and ultimately combined.
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Re: Roger Waters - the multi-instrumentalist

Post by mosespa »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-gF-tmblA8

Speaking of the bass playing on "Comfortably Numb," I'd never noticed before that during the pre-chorus, when walking up to the "C," the kick drum never lands on the "B" with the bass, as pretty much any other band would have done.

Having played in bands where the drummer makes good and damned sure he kicks on the "B," I do think it makes a huge difference in the feel of the whole part.
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Re: Roger Waters - the multi-instrumentalist

Post by Kerry King »

What made the song great was the original inspiration of Waters and Gilmour. It can't be measured. Some folks wish it could be measured. It can't. Dissecting the track does not answer the question of what makes it great. Thinking otherwise is what has brought us to this point of having to suffer through so many "technicians" while we search for actual "artists".
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Re: Roger Waters - the multi-instrumentalist

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What made the song great was Bob Ezrin telling Roger to rewrite it three or four times, because the previous versions were crap.
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Re: Roger Waters - the multi-instrumentalist

Post by dj865 »

Ziggy, just curious, do you ever have anything remotely positive to say about old Rog whatsoever? Or do you take every and any opportunity to play down his importance /relevance?
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Re: Roger Waters - the multi-instrumentalist

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dj865 wrote: Fri Jun 18, 2021 1:06 pm Ziggy, just curious, do you ever have anything remotely positive to say about old Rog whatsoever?
Sure I do, but the "mastermind of The Wall" label is a real stretch when the whole thing went through a creative think tank, and the various demos show how easily it could've been as commercially underwhelming as The Final Cut or even Pros and Cons.
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Re: Roger Waters - the multi-instrumentalist

Post by Kerry King »

ZiggyZipgun wrote: Thu Jun 17, 2021 9:10 pm What made the song great was Bob Ezrin telling Roger to rewrite it three or four times, because the previous versions were crap.
Ezrin often diminishes songs with his overproduction.
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Re: Roger Waters - the multi-instrumentalist

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Kerry King wrote: Mon Jun 21, 2021 4:54 pmEzrin usually diminishes songs with his overproduction. No, he did not make CN great. The words and melody are great with or without Ezrin.
The song wouldn't have happened without Ezrin. There are several more versions that didn't even make the Immersion set, as Roger rewrote it over and over, changing the structure and the voices. Dave's parts are virtually unchanged from his original home recording, and his solos were ready to go from the first band demo. If Roger had been any more reluctant to work on it, it would've been used on Roy Harper's The Unknown Soldier, along with the five other demos Gilmour had left over when The Wall was finished.
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Re: Roger Waters - the multi-instrumentalist

Post by Kerry King »

ZiggyZipgun wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 3:58 am The song wouldn't have happened without Ezrin. There are several more versions that didn't even make the Immersion set, as Roger rewrote it over and over, changing the structure and the voices. Dave's parts are virtually unchanged from his original home recording, and his solos were ready to go from the first band demo. If Roger had been any more reluctant to work on it, it would've been used on Roy Harper's The Unknown Soldier, along with the five other demos Gilmour had left over when The Wall was finished.
Yeah, I know. See my previous post.

Ezrin is a real meddler.
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Re: Roger Waters - the multi-instrumentalist

Post by DarkSideFreak »

ZiggyZipgun wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 5:18 am Also, strangely enough, the author of the Pink Floyd Encyclopedia wrote another book focusing on The Wall, where he credits Gilmour with playing bass on a dozen tracks:

Mother
Goodbye Blue Sky
Young Lust
Don't Leave Me Now
Hey You
Nobody Home
Vera
Comfortably Numb
The Show Must Go On
Run Like Hell
Waiting for the Worms
The Trial
"Vera" and "Waiting for the Worms" both have that descendant blues scale in the bass. So that's something I would go along with as being something Gilmour could come up with. As for the rest, I'd have to relisten...