Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Discussions about Pink Floyd and Solo Official Album CDs and DVDs.

Rate this album

5 - Best
57
50%
4
29
26%
3
16
14%
2
5
4%
1 - Worst
6
5%
 
Total votes: 113

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David Smith
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by David Smith »

Out of cuirousity (and without just saying 'the songs') what do people particularly like about this album?
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Keith Jordan
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by Keith Jordan »

I like the sound of it! I think it has a great narrative to it. I could listen to it all day!
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by Hudini »

David Smith wrote:Out of cuirousity (and without just saying 'the songs') what do people particularly like about this album?
I once made a deep analysis of my view on the album. I will post it here as soon as I find the time to translate the whole thing to English.
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by David Smith »

I look forward to it. Even though i don't particularly like the album i appreciate a tonne of people here do, just i've never really seen much there to appreciate personally, but understanding the other way of thinking always interests me
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by Eclipse »

I like many things in this album:

-great music and lyrics, moving melodies and catchy ones.
-great sound.
-great concept.
-great cover.
-it's by Roger.

i like it as much as the Wall, really. I think it is even better musically. Even though i consider Broken China the best PF solo album.
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by thehumanzoo »

I agree with all of the previous comments. I fail to find any faults with it, either conceptually, musically or lyrically. Having said that, I can see why it may not appeal to all people which is perhaps its only failing: it is not as easy to associate with as, say the Wall, although I personally think that Amused to Death is slightly superior.

Also, I don't think that this album would have ever happened if Roger had been with Pink Floyd. Although it is not entirely removed from the Pink Floyd sound, and it has a strong concept in the vein of Animals or the Final Cut, it just doesn't seem like something which would have at all worked as anything but a solo project.
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by mosespa »

With the exception of a handful of songs on it, I think it's pretty brilliant. I can see it as a logical extension of Animals, The Wall, TFC, etc. etc.

I think it could have been stronger as a PF album, though.
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by Stephen »

The words of Alf Razzell in both The Ballad Of Bill Hubbard and Amused To Death can still bring a lump to my throat when I think of that poor guy having it on his conscience for 70 years, and there would be many with similar stories to tell of course. Here is an almost complete transcript of the interview for those who can't perhaps manage to catch what he says.

The Ballad Of Bill Hubbard

Alf Razzell (Royal Fusiliers):
Two things that have haunted me most are the days of (?) when I had to
collect the paybooks, and when I left Bill Hubbard in no-man's-land.

I was picked up and taken into their trench. And I'd no sooner taken
two three steps down the trench when I heard, "Ho Hello Razz, I'm glad
to see you! This is my second night here," he said "I'm feeling bad."
And it was Bill Hubbard, one of the men we'd trained in England, one of
the original battalion. I had to look at his wound, rolled him over.
I could see that it was probably a fatal wound. You could imagine what
pain he was in, he was drippin' with sweat. And after I'd gone about
three shell-holes, traversed that, had it been... had there been a path
or a road, I could have done better.

He pummelled me, "Put me down, put me down, I'd rather die, I'd rather
die, put me down."

I was hoping he would faint. He said, "I can't go any further, let me
die." I said, "If I leave you here, Bill, you won't be found. Let's
have another go." He said, "All right then."

The same thing happened. He wouldn't... he couldn't stand it any more,
and I had to leave him there. In no-man's-land.


Amused To Death

Alf Razzell:
Years later, I saw Bill Hubbard's name
on the memorial to the missing at Arras.

And I... When I saw his name, I was absolutely transfixed.
It was as though he was now a human being instead of some sort of
nightmarish memory that I'd had of leaving him all those years ago.

And I felt relieved. And ever since then I've felt... happy
about it, because always before, whenever I thought of him, I was
searching myself; "Was there something else that I could have done?"

And that always sort of worried me. But having seen him, and his
name in the register; As you know in the memorials there's a little
safe, and there's a register in there with every.. every name...
And seeing his name and his name on the memorial.. It sort of
lightened.. lightened my heart, if you like.

Woman interviewer:

When was it that you saw his name on the (? memorial ?)

Alf Razzell:
Ah, when I was eighty-seven...
Ah, that would be a year, ninety f...
Eighty-four, nineteen eighty-four.
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by moom »

Keith Jordan wrote:My favourite Waters solo album I think... gave it a 4. I think it's great! 8)
Same here, except I gave it 5 as a Roger's album.

But as a PF album, it would be great, but rather 4, indeed.
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by Hudini »

Stephen wrote:The words of Alf Razzell in both The Ballad Of Bill Hubbard and Amused To Death can still bring a lump to my throat when I think of that poor guy having it on his conscience for 70 years
The story of Alf Razzell and Bill Hubbard has always very dark and terrifying to me too. Imagine a lifetime he's been through, feeling the guilt for 70 years and carrying a memory from when he was 17 or 18 years old on his conscience because he obeyed the pleas of a dying friend...

To me, Alf Razzell's testimony plays an important role in understanding the message of the album. I will elaborate more in the analysis I've already mentioned. I started the translation, but I can't make a promise when exactly it will be done.
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danielcaux
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by danielcaux »

Just post it in your native language so we can have some fun with babelfish meanwhile ;)
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by Damn!t »

danielcaux wrote:Just post it in your native language
As far as I'm concerned... :D
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by Hogtown »

David Smith wrote:Out of cuirousity (and without just saying 'the songs') what do people particularly like about this album?
Excellent social commentary.
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by David Smith »

Oh, and another question, can someone tell me why Three Wishes is on the album? Don't get me wrong, i think it's a good song, but is the whole point of it being there to say that the modern media run world has made us all alienated and devoid of love or something like that? Because obviously the character wants the girl back but its too late because he missed his oppurtunity with his other wishes (despite that wanting them all to be happy elsewhere in the world is surely an act of love)
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by danielcaux »

Around 1990-1991 Rog was trying to get back to his early soundtracking roots as a way of fighting writers' block; it appears that "Three Wishes" was going to be the main song on the "Aladdin" Disney movie, also released in 1992, but was rejected in favor of "A Whole New World". Roger didn't want to throw away the song so he included it on "Amused To Death" with some minor changes. Rumor has it that you can still synch up the Waters' song to the end credits.