Roger Waters - Flickering Flame - The Solo Years Vol 1

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

Rate this album

5 - Best
5
17%
4
5
17%
3
10
33%
2
5
17%
1 - Worst
5
17%
 
Total votes: 30

User avatar
thehumanzoo
Blade
Blade
Posts: 198
Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2008 9:21 pm
Gender: Male
Location: on a trip to Cirrus Minor

Re: Roger Waters - Flickering Flame - The Solo Years Vol 1

Post by thehumanzoo »

A missed opportunity and pretty pointless even at the time. Possibly the reason why it was hastily deleted soon after release*.



* This may have also been because talk of a Volume 2 was not thought through properly.
User avatar
Zack
Knife
Knife
Posts: 423
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2006 6:14 am
Location: The heart of the sun

Re: Roger Waters - Flickering Flame - The Solo Years Vol 1

Post by Zack »

I just acquired this album, and have thus just heard his Knockin' On Heaven's Door, Flickering Flame, and Towers of Faith for the first time. And Each Small Candle the first time in a long time.

I'm afraid to say that in evaluating this as an overview of his solo career, Roger has just lost it since Pros and Cons, which was at least about something I can relate to, namely sex. Not that I don't care about the state of the world, but the guy has become the most colossal bore harping on about how awful everything is constantly without the relief of a decent melody anywhere. Sorry, but that's how I see it. If he released another solo album with the same old stuff, I would be tremendously disappointed. Where did his tremendous talent go? Perhaps the same place John Lennon's went when he didn't have McCartney to keep him honest any more.
User avatar
jtull
Supreme Judge!
Supreme Judge!
Posts: 3354
Joined: Fri Feb 27, 2009 7:55 pm
Gender: Male

Re: Roger Waters - Flickering Flame - The Solo Years Vol 1

Post by jtull »

Not bad, 3
User avatar
J Ed
Supreme Lord!
Supreme Lord!
Posts: 5133
Joined: Tue May 11, 2004 2:36 am
Location: in a midwestern-type autoplant town, waiting for the autopocalypse to come

Re: Roger Waters - Flickering Flame - The Solo Years Vol 1

Post by J Ed »

it is a very oddball compilation album for someone who's dealt solely in concept albums ever since Dark Side
did anybody ever buy this one first as a sampler of Rogers solo work then decide it was so good they needed to hear P&C and KAOS in full? I think the songs are less attractive when decontextualised, I dont know what a newbie would think

if its true this record was an excuse to get some new material out there, then maybe thats proof Roger no longer needs his songs to fit into some overarching concept and he should accept it and put out a full album of new, unrelated individual songs already
User avatar
danielcaux
Supreme Judge!
Supreme Judge!
Posts: 2546
Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2007 1:25 am
Location: Abya Yala

Re: Roger Waters - Flickering Flame - The Solo Years Vol 1

Post by danielcaux »

Yes, Roger should have realized by now that there's nothing wrong with full albums of unrelated individual songs, most of the times they are a lot better than concept albums held together by weak stories/concepts and tacky metaphores and allegories. I really would like to see Waters release a loose thematic album full of new songs with self-contained topics with no necessary relation to each other. Roger seems to think that since he is "Mr. Pink Floyd" he can't release a regular album with no overarching concept, that somekind it wouldn't be a legitimate Roger Waters album; f#ck that mentality man! An album full of new songs as good as Each Small Candle, Flickering Flame and the live Leaving Beirut would be great and it would still have the Waters signature all over it, no mattter if the songs are totally unrelated to each other, it would still be a coherent piece of art since is his persona and beleifs what is projected through the music and lyrics; and if he still feels the need for a concept to tie the whole thing then it could be something like "an insight into 65 years old Roger Waters' mind", and each song would deal with important issues for him, and he could just call it "The Roger Waters Album", period.
Last edited by danielcaux on Tue May 19, 2009 7:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
David Smith
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 7074
Joined: Thu Jul 11, 2002 12:54 pm
Location: Edinburgh or Aberdeen depending on the time of year

Re: Roger Waters - Flickering Flame - The Solo Years Vol 1

Post by David Smith »

Do rather like the Flickering Flame demo a lot. Makes me think i'd love to hear more stripped down Waters songs like the stuff from Dylan and Young who he seems to admire a lot. Problem is that i know when the song eventually makes it to a record he'll overkill it with production by sticking in some female backing singers, a car crash or some over the top drumming
User avatar
Hogtown
Supreme Judge!
Supreme Judge!
Posts: 3366
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 10:25 pm

Re: Roger Waters - Flickering Flame - The Solo Years Vol 1

Post by Hogtown »

I believe this album was released as something to get out there during his extended ITF tour part two...around the time there was a Roger interview where he said he would love to release some earlier stripped down demos...even some PF material...Perhaps The Pink Floyd Years Vol n.

EDIT: I still want some over blown production from Roger with concept!
User avatar
J Ed
Supreme Lord!
Supreme Lord!
Posts: 5133
Joined: Tue May 11, 2004 2:36 am
Location: in a midwestern-type autoplant town, waiting for the autopocalypse to come

Re: Roger Waters - Flickering Flame - The Solo Years Vol 1

Post by J Ed »

yeh sign me up for some overblown production too
people pick on Roger for not playing enough bass on his own album, but really we all know Rogers not that interested in the bass, he'd rather hire someone to do that
what Roger does do is all them sound effects and arrangements for different voices and cutting edge 3d recording imagery ... I'd be disappointed if I bought a Roger album and it didnt have all that stuff
User avatar
thehumanzoo
Blade
Blade
Posts: 198
Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2008 9:21 pm
Gender: Male
Location: on a trip to Cirrus Minor

Re: Roger Waters - Flickering Flame - The Solo Years Vol 1

Post by thehumanzoo »

Yeah, likewise. I don't think I would really want an album full of Roger wailing to his acoustic guitar, although some of the stripped down demos would be interesting, assuming these are known songs. Surprising how little auxiliary material has actually leaked from one source or another. There are only the Wall demos, plus one or two other bits (Money demo, Learning to Fly, very low quality Final cut demos) l which I am aware of.

Bring on the overblown "New York taxi driver saves his sister being captured by a sewer underworld during a nucleur attack" concept, or whatever surprises Mr. Waters has thought up to tie his songs together. In fact, in opposition to many of the views here, let's stick in too many female backing singers, babies screaming, phones ringing and bells tolling whilst we are at it.
User avatar
cskg25
Axe
Axe
Posts: 48
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2005 12:01 am

Re: Roger Waters - Flickering Flame - The Solo Years Vol 1

Post by cskg25 »

Sorry fellow Floydians, but Roger's solo stuff is complete CRAP. I think deep down, we truly know it, but are in denial.

Very few albums (even parts of them) are readily listenable, although I still find myself listening to Amused To Death and Radio Kaos occasionally. And Roger stills believes he can't sing on his own (this has ALWAYS been true, unfortunately) so he still uses those bloody back up singers. I for one am SO very sick of hearing them (no offence to the ladies). This compilation is laughable at best.

Sad to say, but "Softy" Gilmour has gotten the same way musically, although there are a few gems here & there.

As much as it hurts, we now have to admit we snap up anything they put out simply because we're Floyd addicts. I know I am, or there's "No Way" (excuse the pun) I would own ANY of Dave's or Roger's solo stuff. Not really.

And with the passing of Rick, the Pink Floyd Sound is gone forever. It hurts - real bad - but the Floyd are well & truly over. All we have left is whatever scraps they throw our way. We've lost our critical thought process. We lap it all up like hungry dogs. Pathetic, isn't it ;)
User avatar
MattAShine
Axe
Axe
Posts: 33
Joined: Sun Feb 07, 2010 9:42 am
Gender: Male

Re: Roger Waters - Flickering Flame - The Solo Years Vol 1

Post by MattAShine »

3

I bought it for Knocking on Heavens Door and for that song it was worth it. Wish it had his cover of "Across the Universe" from the 1985 John Lennon tribute on the BBC (cheesy 80's quality and all).

I agree with the consensus that it should have been more B-sides and demo's. The recorded version of Molly's Song wouldn't have been bad. Get a little Run Like Hell (Potsdamer Mix) in there... shudder.
User avatar
ddebil
Supreme Lord!
Supreme Lord!
Posts: 9075
Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:40 pm
Location: Truly gone ddebilfishing

Re: Roger Waters - Flickering Flame - The Solo Years Vol 1

Post by ddebil »

Lark's vomit. 1.
User avatar
princessDungan74D
Supreme Lord!
Supreme Lord!
Posts: 7255
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2003 9:46 pm
Gender: Female
Location: Lincoln City, Oregon

Re: Roger Waters - Flickering Flame - The Solo Years Vol 1

Post by princessDungan74D »

the songs the choose to be on the album are great. I love the added songs like Knocking On Heaven's Door and Flickering Flame. The last song on was intersting I guess. It made me smile so I give it a weak five.
pinkfloyd
Axe
Axe
Posts: 37
Joined: Sun May 09, 2004 8:46 pm
Location: Milano

Re: Roger Waters - Flickering Flame - The Solo Years Vol 1

Post by pinkfloyd »

some tracks are horrible
Morty
Axe
Axe
Posts: 55
Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2014 9:11 pm

Re: Roger Waters - Flickering Flame - The Solo Years Vol 1

Post by Morty »

This is not that great. Only got it for the new stuff, and that stuff was..well, meh. Boring. Rated it 3.