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

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by AlanDistro, Feb 16, 2017.

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  1. zinan

    zinan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Russia
    I have truly understood that it is about some surprising war where only one person - Roger's father - has died?
     
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  2. Sigma6

    Sigma6 Forum Resident

    Location:
    BNE
    I'm still waiting for Heartland.
     
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  3. Sigma6

    Sigma6 Forum Resident

    Location:
    BNE
    I love the Echoes "ping" on Amused to Death.
     
  4. mastaflatch

    mastaflatch God's Only Nose

    Is that the radio play about a NYC taxi driver?
     
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  5. fmfxray373

    fmfxray373 Capitol LPs in the 70s were pretty good.

    I think this album is sort of like parts of John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band. Of course Roger is looking out at the world and not inward at himself as much but the pain and anger is still as intense.
    I think Roger matched the music and production to the subject matter. A slick, bouncy, hook laden production would probably been incongruous. I think this and Radio KAOS are better than the other two.
    If you noticed he did the "echo" thing with certain songs where he has the final word of a stanza repeat and fade slowly into the mix. But it is the harsh voice old man not the soft, echo you hear on the earlier PF.
     
  6. Sigma6

    Sigma6 Forum Resident

    Location:
    BNE
    Yes however not sure if it was going to be a radio play, more an album proper from what I read.

    They recorded a bunch of songs with the touring band back then, I would love to hear them.
     
  7. ohnothimagen

    ohnothimagen "Live music is better!"

    Location:
    Canada
    Hey, man, people can say what they will about the theme/lyrics for "The Dogs Of War" but as far as I'm concerned Tony Levin plays some cool bass on it which is good enough for me:righton:
    I don't think there's much question that Nigel Godrich is a major Pink Floyd fanboi- I have little doubt that the myriad Floyd homages strewn throughout Is This The Life... were his idea. I could see him saying something like, for example, "We should give this song a 'Sheep' kind of feel" ("Picture That") and Waters was happy to comply.
    Well, he came close to doing that just that a few years back with The Fireman's Rushes album ("...and the fireman rushes in...")
    Plastic Ono Band of course being (not too surprisingly, perhaps) one of Roger Waters' favourite albums of all time and a big influence on his work since 1970.
     
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  8. DTK

    DTK Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    That makes sense - the brutal honesty, hard truths, cynicism but also liberation and hope of POB can be heard in Rog's work. Lennon kept it to a concise 40 minutes though ;).
     
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  9. ohnothimagen

    ohnothimagen "Live music is better!"

    Location:
    Canada
    Roger dug the minimalist, dry as bone production on Plastic Ono Band as well. One of the clashes Roger and Dave Gilmour had over Dark Side Of The Moon was how Waters wanted that similar, bone dry (as in lack of reverb, etc) POB-style sound for Dark Side whereas Gilmour wanted some reverb and whatnot- it's one of the main reasons they brought in Chris Thomas to 'mediate' over the production, and Thomas ultimately sided with Dave.
     
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  10. mando_dan

    mando_dan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Beverly, MA
    Both Roger and Lennon also started songs with "Remember when you were young..."
     
  11. magister345

    magister345 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Zurich
    I like this album much more now - I take it for what it is - it's Roger Waters and what he always did. He did not re-invent himself. There are echoes of several Pink Floyd songs on it. While I found this to be "cheap" one year ago, I'm ok with it now. In a sense this is similar to what DG did with the last Pink Floyd record (endless river). The circle is complete, somehow.
     
  12. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
    I'm not hearing any similarity. And I actually like The Dogs of War, but then I like blues rock in general, and that has one of David's best blues solos IMO.
    There were a couple of callbacks on ATD too - What God Wants Part 3 reuses the "Echoes" ping and the "Breathe" guitar chord. But it isn't central to the song, just like the various callbacks in TDB and TER are clever nods backwards but they don't ruin the music if you take them out.

    With this new record, I feel differently. As I may have said before, I was completely irritated when I heard "Deja Vu" because it really sounds like any number of acoustic songs from the 1977-1983 PF period smashed together - "Mother", "Pigs on the Wing", "Southampton Dock", "The Show Must Go On" etc. - and since this is in the composition (which had been around before Godrich even became involved), it must have been intentional.
     
  13. Baidur

    Baidur Forum Resident

    That's why it's called " Deja Vu ".;)
     
  14. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
    Well, the original title was "If I Had Been God". And the "deja vu" part really sounds out of place... like it was intended for some other song. IMO.
     
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  15. Deek57

    Deek57 Forum Resident

    I was surprised to see the Green vinyl edition still available on amazon uk yesterday for £17.99 shipped so I ordered a copy. It arrived half an hour ago, I gave the very green sides a quick look over then placed the LP's in poly lined sleeves. I'll wet clean them in a while, when they are dry I'll give them a spin. The number on the sleeve is 09734.
     
  16. KDubATX

    KDubATX A Darby Man Never Says When

    Location:
    Austin
    This is closing in on 2 years old already? Wow. I probably haven't played it in about a year and a half at this point then.
    Would have told you it came out last year if it came up in conversation.
     
  17. honestabe316

    honestabe316 Analog Rebel

    I've seen roger once during pros and cons, twice during KAOS tour, in 2008 when he toured DSOTM and 2012 in Hartford CT. When he toured the wall....I have Pro's and Con's, Kaos and Amused to death on both CD and vinyl and was in a record store the day each was released...and Iown every floyd album in multiple vinyl pressings from the U.S., UK, Germany, Japan, Holland, etc.............I do not own his newest.....Iistened to it on line and found none of the "Magic" that made me admire everythig that Roger Waters has done......I find it very hard to believe that he was acting actively working on this album for a few years.....I'm thinking that in between his political rants and raves, he spent a few minutes on the album.....his albums have always seemed as though they came from his soul.....I'm actually sorry that he is in such an uncreative place in his life....not much time left to put out one more great album..... seems like hes done with creating stuff that can give you "Goosebumps" when listening to it....sad day
     
  18. rontoon

    rontoon Animaniac

    Location:
    Highland Park, USA
    While I agree with most of this I can't think of one artist or band that peaked in the 70's who puts out new music that gives me Goosebumps (aside from a couple of tracks off Gilmour's last album).
     
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  19. Hymie the Robot

    Hymie the Robot Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Still digging this great album. Glad he pisses people off! The verse of deja vu, "if I were a drone" gives me goosebumps.
     
  20. LarsO

    LarsO Forum Resident

    I might not use the same words to describe it but I understand what you mean. If you include The Final Cut in his canon (at the same time I consider it a Pink Floyd album) I would rank that and Amused To Death on top, Pros And Cons + the latest one at the bottom with KAOS in between.
     
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  21. brownsound2112

    brownsound2112 Forum Resident

    I thinks this is the best thing he’s put his name to since The Wall...
     
  22. honestabe316

    honestabe316 Analog Rebel

    Ha, I was listening to the final cut as I went on my rant so there were other factors at play. :)... When you've been exposed to the final cut, the pros and cons and amused to death, all within a 9 year period, you begin to expect highly, emotional driven music...
    This isnt to say that from meddle through the wall the music wasnt emotionally powerful at times (because it was) but with roger having FULL creative control after the final cut or The Wall, everything he might have been holding back in the name of compromise began exit his soul in the form of music. I guess I just found it lackluster when compared to earlier solo efforts.

    I admire this guy like no other musician as a creative genius....others have had great works that were hugely popular..... but not with the consistency Roger had...this is not a poop on Roger post....its more like when your grandfather, who was always your favorite because he told the best stories and taught you how to be a man, starts to lose his sharpness and personality....its not as exciting to see Gramps anymore...you have given up on hearing Tales and stories about the good old days that transport you through a plethora of exciting ideas
    and emotions.....now he just sits in his recliner either snoozing or watching "Face the Nation", farting occasionally, and asking you to go get him a strawberry ensure......sad
     
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  23. Sytze

    Sytze Senior Member

    Goosebumps are still there AFAIC. Completely absent when listening to Gilmour's latest offerings.
     
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  24. floyd

    floyd Senior Member

    Location:
    Spring Green, WI
    I have fond that many of my favorite albums have taken some time for me to get. The first listen I may have even not cared for them at all but I would go back after some time often it would take several visits.
    “Is this the Life...” has a bit of that for me. I didn’t hate it by any means but I wasn’t knocked out by it. It eventually clicked for me and I like it a lot.
     
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  25. Billy Infinity

    Billy Infinity Beloved aunt

    Location:
    US
    That was Blackstar for me.
     
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