New Roger Waters album "Is This The Life We Really Want?" - June 2, 2017

My comparison wasn't to nitpick and to find differences, but rather to focus on the similarities - the positives as I hear them. But yes, production-wise, I do prefer Wilson over Godrich any day.

 

Sorry I was referring to how Is This The Life We Really Want ends - the final three tracks (Wait For Her, Oceans Apart, Part Of Me Died) are about the power of love, and close the album on a more upbeat note, similar to Song Of Unborn on To The Bone, which provides hope for the next generation. You are right though - Amused To Death has a powerful, yet terminal ending.

 

Actually, if we are considering Alf Razzell's last part of his monologue on Amused to Death (on the title track), his final recollection was that he was able to be at peace with himself when he saw Bill's name on a memorial in Arras (North of France). I always thought ATD has such a unique approach to its production, so detailed and "nitpicky". The inclusion of Alf Razzell's monologue split between the first and last tracks of the record was a smart thing to do. That's one thing I would always have to emphasize with ATD, so many layers of details and sounds textures, which makes this album very unique in the long run.

"The voices in Amused to Death of somebody trying to rescue a comrade are those of Alf Razzell, a WWI veteran. Here's a (small) bit of background to his stroy (apparently from the same TV special from which Waters took the sound bites):

Alf Razzell had the job of collecting the dead soldier's pocket-books, whatever they are, (some kind of ID thing I expect) and usually the corpse had to be rolled over to get it out of the top pocket. You would then see why the man had died. There were guys with empty brain cavaties, faces blown off, limbs blown off, and half the time the collector was walking through the intestines of dead men.

The Germans picked up Alf and took him to the trenches where he found Bill. The Germans would not help at all. Bill had a large hole in his back exposing his intestines and it was dirty with oil, chalk, and all kind of **** from the trenches. The Germans wanted Alf to take him back and to be quick about it, but due to the injuries, Bill couldn't stand it and with the Germans getting impatient and abusive, he decided that he would have to leave him behind. Bummer.

Its not all that gory. Alf looks in pretty good condition for a 90 odd year old. He reckons war is completely unnecessary. At the end of any war, everyone sits around a table and comes to some agreement. Why dont' they do that before the war instead?"

source: Alf Razzell

 

Is this a joke? Comparing a pop album to a masterpiece concept!

 

See The Full List Of 60th GRAMMY Nominees

PRODUCTION, NON-CLASSICAL
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
(An Engineer's Award. (Artists names appear in parentheses.))

• Every Where Is Some Where
Brent Arrowood, Miles Comaskey, JT Daly, Tommy English, Kristine Flaherty, Adam Hawkins, Chad Howat & Tony Maserati, engineers; Joe LaPorta, mastering engineer (K.Flay)

• Is This The Life We Really Want?
Nigel Godrich, Sam Petts-Davies & Darrell Thorp, engineers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Roger Waters)

• Natural Conclusion
Ryan Freeland, engineer; Joao Carvalho, mastering engineer (Rose Cousins)

• No Shape
Shawn Everett & Joseph Lorge, engineers; Patricia Sullivan, mastering engineer (Perfume Genius)

• 24K Magic
Serban Ghenea, John Hanes & Charles Moniz, engineers; Tom Coyne, mastering engineer (Bruno Mars)

 

Should have been an Album of the Year nominee...but I digress..

 

I agree. Certainly my album of the year, and many other peoples I imagine. How are the nominees decided, anyone know?

What I do find a bit ironic is the production and engineering of this album received a lot criticism on this thread and her it is, nominated for a production Grammy!!!!!!

 

It's definitely my Album Of The Year.

So I don't care what awards it wins. It's got mine.

 

I really tried to like it, but its not easy, maybe im more a Gilmour fan...

 

It was the mastering that was critisized wasn't it, rather the production or the engineering?

 

Had a rocky start with it because of the CD sound, but got used to it, play it now once the systems warm and since release it has become my album of the year too. The more you play it the more you hear little subtle stuff you didn't notice at first and more detail and more guitar.
It really is a masterpiece IMHO.
Has made me revisit PF overall too, including getting hold of the seperate Early Years boxes and the Experience editions of DSOTM, WYWH and The Wall to add to my collection.

 

When it comes to details and sound layering, I actually found that album quite raw (in its instrumentation), and lack of it. I actually do not like much most of his band mates on that record. The drum beats sound dull and dead, and the guitars are (unless you like the G C D chords a la Mother)

As for me, the new Plant's album "Carry Fire" is way more interesting sonically (thanks to his backing band "The Sensational Space Shifters", I wish they were credited on the album cover), and he still can sing surprisingly well. Probably my pick for the album of the year along with Steven Wilson To The Bone, which has a beautiful production.

 

Wow!! I like Plants new album as well.

 

Overall, an excellent album IMHO (I like his previous one too). The whole album is quite coherent. The title track is the way a title track should be, i.e., strong sonically which carries the momentum throughout the whole record.

 

Grest

Great album after a few listens it flowed smoothly. Same could be said of ITTLWRW after a few listens.

 

Had to bypass the new Plant because the CD is horribly mastered. Shame.

 

Did Nigel ruin the mastering on that one too?

 

The mastering was done by the multi-award winning Bob Ludwig, also listed among the nominees for ITTLWRW

 

I got this the day it was released on vinyl, played it several times (really liked it) and then filed it away. I just pulled it out after several months and listened to it all the way through at a good volume and can't believe how much more I like it now! Was putting together my best of 2017 list and have been going back and listening to everything I got this year recently again...

No doubt, not the easiest music to listen to, but when in the mood, this really is cool to listen to with all the layered sounds and such. If one complaint, now that I have gone back to it again is that it really needed a little more electric guitar at times, but with that said, this is one of my top 5 albums of 2017.

 

To sum it up - is vinyl really MUCH netter than CD?

 

I will tey to give it another chance to spin since its aan album of the year for some. I spinned two times to new album of Plant too, but im missing is rockin' sound of older solo albums from him

 

Yes the vinyl is worth getting above the Cd although it is cut over 4 sides which is a bit of a pain.
Defo recommend getting the vinyl.
Cheers
Gary

 

But is it different mix or only less compressed master? TBH low DR never bothered me too much. What i didin't like about this album were odd choices in the production - i think the album sounded to dark and bassy, vocals seemed to be hidden behind music in the mix. I gues just higher DR master cannot fix those things?

 

If you don’t like the mix/ production, a different master won’t fix that. But the vinyl does sound A LOT better IMO.

 

Give the Plant another chance, it took me a few spins (have the vinyl and really good sound) but I think this is one of his better solo releases, some really awesome sounds that are layered through out as well. The instrumentation is what helps define the music in a very cool way!

Back to the RW on vinyl...I agree, this sounds much better than the CD as it opens up and breathes more, allowing the listener to experience the depth of the music better. If you can get past the political nature of this album (know it can be hard) and listen to it for the over all experience, it really is a cool listen! I love good sounding CDs as well, but these days when it comes to newer releases, vinyl most always sounds better.