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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mastaflatch
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by mastaflatch »

i really love this album. i think it's the best thing Rog did after TFC. like some posters here, i have a hard time listening to Watching TV; Roger and Don Henley trying to harmonize their way through this is a joke. when you're in a Dylan singing phase, you don't make duets unless a spark happens (à la Emmylou Harris on Desire). other than that, WGWIII is my favourite song on the album - it holds all the best aspects of the song cycle; a Floydian atmosphere that doesn't sound forced, relatively neat vocals, nice use of metaphors - the lyrics are visually stunning (if that makes sense) and a killer Jeff Beck solo (seriously, his performances throughout the album are not praised enough - the man's a beast! and let's not forget that PF wanted to hire him to replace Syd in the first place so it's kind of interresting to hear him with Rog).
it's kinda frustrating to hear what Roger had come up with after this masterpiece. one comes to wonder where the hell his muse has gone...Hello I Love You being the nadir of his post-ATD output.
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by grelch »

It took a new war to get his creative juices flowing. He surely does love a good war. By far my favorite Waters album thematically, lyrically and musically. Even the album cover is good. The music still sounds fresh, unlike KAOS which sounds like a parody of bad 80's music. Of all of his solo albums, this one probably would have been best suited for a live show. Too bad he didn't tour it.
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princessDungan74D
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by princessDungan74D »

I love this album now more then ever with all of the issues in the world today that seem to make the news about everyday. Roger added some funny parts of in a few of the songs. Its his best solo album IMO.
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by Jacek »

First off: Hudini, did you ever finish that translation? I'd still be interested in reading your analysis.

Anyhow, back when I was first getting into Waters's solo albums, I loved Pros & Cons, what he did for When the Wind Blows, and Radio K.A.O.S, but didn't like this one very much at all, although I enjoyed some tracks (Ballad > WGW 1, Perfect Sense 2, Bravery), loved Watching TV, and, when a friend of mine purchased In the Flesh, came around on It's a Miracle and the title track. My negative impressions of the album as a whole stayed with me, however, and though I gave it another spin or two over the years, it never clicked.

I've heard so much good about it, though, and decided to give it another listen, all the way through, a few weeks ago, and I liked it - but I wish I liked it more. I was hoping to be blown away, seeing as my musical tastes have changed (and improved, I daresay) over the years, but I still don't hear the masterpiece so many claim this is. Maybe it's just a matter of giving it further listens (which I certainly will do); I hope so.

I still love the first two tracks, and though the second half of Perfect Sense 1 kinda kills it for me, the lyrics make up for it; Part 2 is awesome. The Bravery of Being Out of Range remains a favorite. Can't say I care much (yet...?) for the two Late Home Tonights and Too Much Rope; both strike me as forgettable musically (or rather, TMR is memorable for having such a weak chorus, aside from the "if you give any species..." line). The concluding parts of WGW are excellent, although I'm sad to say that I don't see the greatness of Beck's contributions on guitar... his solos seem so sparse, and when I hear them I can't help but think "ahh, what Gilmour could have done here!" I used to love Watching TV and I think it's slipped in my reckoning somewhat since, but it's still a solid song; but I do agree that the album has a strong closing trio (although I'm not sold on the Three Wishes chorus yet, either).

I do really love the lyrics, though (with only a few negligible exceptions) - definitely some of Roger's best work in that department - and the themes & message are right up my alley (and it contributes to my "Radiohead are PF's modern successors" theory because OK Computer, lyrically/thematically, takes up from a personal perspective what Amused to Death tackles on a more global scale), but I find too many songs lacking musically at the moment to give it higher than a 3. I do really hope that it'll grow on me more with some repeated listens, but for now it remains my least favorite of Roger's solo albums.

3/5
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by siveld »

Is there any difference (sound quality wise) between the original CD and the later MasterSound SBM release?
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Hudini
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by Hudini »

Jacek wrote:First off: Hudini, did you ever finish that translation? I'd still be interested in reading your analysis.
Not really. I got myself a new computer and I kind of misplaced the original text somewhere on the old one... ](*,)
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by mandraxhair »

"Meet me in the Garden of Gethsemane my dear" To me that is one of the best lines he's ever written.
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by nosaj »

siveld wrote:Is there any difference (sound quality wise) between the original CD and the later MasterSound SBM release?
I think there is. The SBM release is better, even though I seem to recall it came out within a year of the original release (i got rid of the original in favor of the SBM release, and have not looked back).
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by moom »

Revoted from 5 to 4. Actually feeling 3,5, but since there's no such option and 3 is kind of unfair in my opinion, I'm gonna get additional 0,5 stars for at least at least having an interesting concept.
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by pjrogers »

This ranks up there as one of my favourite recordings. Jeff Beck's playing is spectacular and gives the whole record a very unique sound.
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by progo »

pjrogers wrote:This ranks up there as one of my favourite recordings. Jeff Beck's playing is spectacular and gives the whole record a very unique sound.
Me too! This has so few defects I have no choice but consider this one of the perfect records. If anywhere, there's a weaker spot in Three Wishes but they come down to a matter of taste so quickly...
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KidCharlemagne1962
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by KidCharlemagne1962 »

This is my favorite solo album by Roger.
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by theEvermoreWalrus »

It's been quite a long time since I've played any Pink Floyd record at all, but lately, I've been really getting into this album. I foolishly sort of dismissed in the past as being nothing more than "OK" and I don't know what made me come back to it, but I'm glad I did: the album "clicked", as they say, and I've been listening to it non-stop for about 2-3 days.

'Perfect Sense - Part 1', 'Too Much Rope', 'Watching T.V.' and 'Three Wishes' are my big favourites.

No, I don't believe the record to be perfect and certainly not up to Wall/Cut standards, but it is - as most fans seem to agree on - the best solo Waters money can buy. And that's coming from a big Pros & Cons fan.

One thing I can't quite understand though (as mentioned previously on this thread): why does Waters' voice sound so old at times here compared to ...say, the 'In The Flesh' performance?
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nosaj
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by nosaj »

I finally voted! 5!!!
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Re: Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Post by pinkfloyd »

Best Waters Album 4/5