Roger Waters was the bassist for Pink
Floyd from 1965 to 1983. He released his first solo album in 1970, a movie
soundtrack titled "Music from the Body." (weird stuff!) Roger Waters
became a lead man in Pink Floyd,
especially through the mid to late 70ís when Pink
Floyd were at their prime and very popular. By the 80's Roger had all but
taken over the band and albums like the hugely successful "The Wall"
were almost completely written and sung by Roger. Their follow-up album "The
Final Cut" was more of a Roger Waters solo album than a group effort, so
Roger decided to embark out on his own. Pink
Floyd trudged on without Waters although he did attempt to sue them arguing
that the other members of Pink Floyd could not continue using the name without him in the band. Fortunately, he lost,
and both Pink Floyd and Roger Waters
have continued recording great albums through the 80's and 90's.
1. "4.30 AM (Apparently
They Were Travelling Abroad)" (3:11) |
 Pros & Cons of Hitch Hiking LP |
Roger Waters - The Pros & Cons of Hitchhiking (Columbia) 1984
This 1984 release sounds as much like Pink Floyd as any Pink Floyd album in the 80's. Iím sure had things not gone sour in the band, this could have been the follow-up to "The Final Cut." The storyline is roughly based around a series of bizarre daydreams experienced while waking up in the wee hours of the morning, thus the reason for the strange song titles. This album was successful and "5:01," better known as "The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking," was a minor radio hit. Eric Clapton contributes guitar to this project.
I remember when this came out, my friend Nick who was a huge Pink Floyd fan spent big bucks to get a copy without the black tape over the girls butt. Worth it? Not really.
Roger Waters - Radio K.A.O.S (Columbia) 1987
1. "Radiowaves"
(4:57)
2. "Who Needs Information" (5:56)
3. "Me or Him" (5:24)
4. "The Powers That Be" (4:36)
5. "Sunset Strip" (4:46)
6. "Home" (6:00)
7. "Four Minutes" (4:00)
8. "The Tide Is Turning (After Live Aid)" (5:44)
Roger Waters' second solo album after leaving Pink Floyd tells the tale of a wheelchair-bound boy who tries to halt the threat of nuclear war through his use of the HAM radio. However, I don't think the storyline is anywhere near as interesting as the music. Being that this disc is so far removed from what I usually listen to, I can only assume that nostalgia is my reason for enjoying it so much. If I am not mistaken, "Radiowaves" was a radio hit on this disc. This particular track, however, sounds the least like Roger Waters and sounds more like Peter Gabriel's late 80's sound; very popish with a slight new wave feel. The rest of the disc, however, sounds a bit more like what one would expect from Roger Waters.
Roger Waters - Amused to Death (Columbia) 1992
1. "Ballad of Bill
Hubbard" (4:20)
2. "What God Wants, Pt. 1" (6:01)
3. "Perfect Sense, Pt. 1" (4:17)
4. "Perfect Sense, Pt. 2" (2:50)
5. "Bravery of Being out of Range" (4:44)
6. "Late Home Tonight, Pt. 1" (4:00)
7. "Late Home Tonight, Pt. 2" (2:14)
8. "Too Much Rope" (5:47)
9. "What God Wants, Pt. 2" (3:42)
10. "What God Wants, Pt. 3" (4:08)
11. "Watching TV" (6:09)
12. "Three Wishes" (6:51)
13. "It's a Miracle" (8:40)
13. "Amused to Death" (9:07)
"Amused to Death" or more approprately titled "The Final Cut Part 2" as this is yet another installment in Roger Waters' lectures about the horrors of war. Still, "Amused to Death" is a good album that musically steers a bit further from the Pink Floyd formula. Jeff Beck contributes some brilliant guitar work to this project.
Roger Waters - The Wall-Live in Berlin (Mercury) 1990
| 1. "In the Flesh (performed
by Scorpions) (4:06) 2. "Thin Ice" (performed by Ute Lemper & Roger Waters) (3:09) 3. "Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 1" (performed by Roger Waters) (3:38) 4. "Happiest Days of Our Lives" ...............................(performed by Joy Chemay, John Joyce, & Stan Farber) (1:21) 5. "Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2" (performed by Cindi Lauper) (6:26) 6. "Mother" (performed by Sinead O'Connor & The Band) (6:38) 7. "Goodbye Blue Sky" (performed by Joni Mitchell) (3:56) 8. "Empty Spaces" (performed by Bryan Adams & Roger Waters) (3:47) 9. "Young Lust" (performed by Bryan Adams) (6:09) 10. "Oh My God-What a Fabulous Room" (performed by Jerry Hall) (2:45) 11. "One of My Turns" (performed by Roger Waters) (5:12) 12. "Don't Leave Me Now" (performed by Roger Waters) (3:25) 13. "Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2" (performed by Roger Waters) (1:38) 14. "Goodbye Cruel World" (performed by Roger Waters) (5:02) 15. "Hey You" (performed by Paul Carrack) (5:02) 16. "Is There Anybody Out There?" (performed by Rundfunk Orchestra & Choir ) (3:02) 17. "Nobody Home" (performed by Roger Waters) (4:46) 18. "Vera" (performed by Waters, Roger / Rundfunk Orchestra & Choir) (1:12) 19. "Bring the Boys Back Home" (performed by Rundfunk Orchestra & Choir) (2:41) 20. "Comfortably Numb" (performed by Van Morrison / Roger Waters / The Band) (8:02) 21. "In the Flesh" (performed by Roger Waters) (5:10) 22. "Run Like Hell" (performed by Roger Waters) (4:52) 23. "Stop" (performed by Roger Waters) (:23) 24. "Trial" (performed by Roger Waters) (5:52) 25. "Tide Is Turning (After Live Aid)" (7:22) |
 |
What more can you ask for than Roger Waters and a host of fabulous artists performing Pink Floyd's masterwork concept album "The Wall." What makes it even better is that I found this double disc set used for $5.99. Score!