Roger waters masterpiece and its commercial failure book. He, along with syd barrett, nick mason, and richard wright, formed the band in 1965 and released their first album, the piper at the gates of dawn in 1967. It was several years before the album was released and it is unknown how much the material was changed in the interim. Amused to death, an album by roger waters on spotify. In addition to jeff beck playing guitar on half the tracks.
George roger waters note born 6 september 1943 is the former bassist, singersongwriter and second leader after syd barrett of pink floyd. This species has amused itself to death amused itself to death amused itself to death we watched the tragedy unfold we did as we were told we bought and sold it was the greatest show on earth but then it was over we oohed and aahed we drove our racing cars we ate our last few jars of caviar and somewhere out there in the stars a keeneyed lookout. Roger waters amused to death opinions on 2015 remix discussion in music corner started by matze s. Countless articles on roger waters amused to death mention neil postmans book amusing ourselves to death. Roger waters amused to death by roger waters goodreads. Produced by waters and patrick leonard, it is mixed in qsound to enhance its spatial feel. Amused to death is the third studio album by english musician roger waters, released 7 september 1992 on columbia. Waters left the band in 1985 see more on the pink floyd page, but his solo career started earlier though he understandably is most famous for his work with pink floyd, he has had respectable success as a solo artist. The album features jeff beck on lead guitar on several tracks. The albums title was inspired by neil postmans book amusing ourselves to death. Shop and buy roger waters amused to death sheet music.
When amused to death came out 1992, i found it a little bit disturbing. Roger waters amused to death concept album pink floyd sociopolitical. Amused to death vocals roger waters, rita coolidge, alf razzell royal fusiliers keyboards patrick leonard. Amused to death roger waters discography pink floyd. Please act responsibly when commenting and know that this page is open to people of all ages. Roger waters was the main lyricist for the classic british rock band pink floyd. While the title, taken from neil postmans book, amusing ourselves to death. Roger waters used all of his star power and musical acumen to pull together an impressive list of contributors for amused to death. This message clearly resonated with roger waters, since ultimately postmans book would inform recurring themes on the album, even to the point of borrowing the title amused to death. Roger waters has wondered of the huge success of the dark side of the moon although of the naivety of its lyrics that he penned down then. On one track, in fact, waters shows an actual sense of humor for once in his life.
Produced by joyride media and hosted by floydian slips craig bailey, this 60minute syndicated radio special coincided with the rerelease of roger waters 1992 album amused to death in 2015 the program transcript that follows is a transcript of the entire hourlong program that began airing on select radio stations july 17. Neil is big on how technology negatively affects the human race and especially public discourse. With this album, waters touches heavily on the dangers of capitalism, the insensitivity of the human race, the ridiculousness of war, and the onslaught of. Amused to death paperback december 31, 1998 by roger waters author 4. Roger waters has formally announced a newly remastered version of his 1992 solo album amused to death. It has amused itself to death amused itself to death verse 5 we watched the tragedy unfold we did as we were told, bought and sold. Of course, the idea expressed in this title was not entirely new. War is roger waters great muse, the impetus for so much of his work, including the semiautobiographical 1979 opus the wall. Roger waters has 41 books on goodreads with 1473 ratings. Roger waters amused to death by roger waters softcover.
Amused to death the whole album actually relates to neil postmans book amusing ourselves to death. The book is now 20 years old, it applies just as well or better today then when it. An unblinking look at an entertainmentobsessed society, amused to death addresses issues that have only grown in complexity and urgency over the past two decades. Amused to death was a triumph back in 1992, and it still is. Roger waters 1992 album amused to death is titled after postmans book, and is in part inspired by and deals with some of the same subject. Roger waters amused to death 200g 45rpm 4lp box set. Originally released in 1992 a concept album andthe third studio solo release by the former pink floyd bassist with guest apperances from jeff beck rita. An often and unfairly overlooked gem, which deserved a decent polishing and the chance to have a second go. Roger waters amused to death audiogon discussion forum. Talk to the average roger waters fan, and theyll probably tell you that this is their favourite solo album of his. Twentythree years later, amused to death speaks to our present moment in ways that could. But for all of the pomposity, hamfisted philosophizing, and songs needlessly listed in multiple parts, waters amused to death is still a pretty good album.
Part of the systematische musikwissenschaft book series symu. Roger waters will reissue his 1992 lp, amused to death, on july 24th, and rolling stone has the exclusive on the updated music video for the remastered albums what. The final cut, his last album with pink floyd, functioned as an explicit sequel to the wall, but 1992s amused to death acts as something of a coda, a work where waters revisits his obsessions both musical and lyrical and ties them together with the masterful. Amused to death columbia records 2nd issue record company. While a wholehearted pink floydroger waters fan, there were philosophical elements of the lyrics that made me uncomfortable. Roger waters tabs, chords, guitar, bass, ukulele chords, power tabs and guitar pro tabs including 430 am apparently they were travelling abroad, amused to death, 501 am the pros and cons of. A remastered remix by waters and james guthrie was released in. Roger waters what god wants, part iii lyrics genius lyrics. With amused to death, roger waters sounded the alarm about a society increasingly and unthinkingly in thrall to its television screens. About this chapter title the monkey is amused to death. Remastered audio completed by longtime roger waterspink floyd collaborator and coproducer james guthrie for his third solo album and last for 25 years, amused to death 1992, roger waters takes listeners on a journey through his mind as he examines how human society has been affected through mass media and particularly television. Neil postman, inspired waters the founding member of pink floyd to make the cd. Itll be available in a variety of formats including cd, bluray, sacd, hires digital.
Vocal roger waters piano, synthesizers patrick leonard guitar jeff beck bass roger waters, james johnson drums jeff porcaro background vocals jon joyce, stan laurel, jim haas london welsh chorale conducted by kenneth bowen. Amused to death is the third studio album by english musician roger waters, released 7. The monkey in the corner wrote the figures in his book crazed, the checkout ladys fingers flash across the till. Public discourse in the age of show business 1985 is a book. What did roger waters try to say in the album amused to. The final track on roger waters 1992 album amused to. I am not aware of any such reference coming from waters himself. Roger waters announces newly remixed version of amused to. Roger waters amused to death a friend of mine is lamenting missing waters rendition of the wall. In this tune from the album roger sums up all the rest. Roger waters amused to death radio special syndicated. Amused to death pop culture wiki fandom powered by wikia. Roger waterss third solo album allowed a faint but perceptible return to the sound of his estranged former band, pink floyd. His book, amusing ourselves to death, inspired the excellent album, amused to death, by roger waters.
The album title was attached to material that waters began working on during the radio k. Roger waterss most popular book is the wall pink floyd. For what turned out to be his final solo studio album to date, 20 years and counting, roger waters composed a complex and often confused concept album called amused to death. Roger waters amused to death cd columbia records 2nd issue. George roger waters born 6 september 1943 in great bookham, surrey, united kingdom is an english musician, singersongwriter and composer. Amused to death talks about how every aspect of our lives are controlled and manipulated by the mass media and how the controllers of the mass media are supposed god and how they impose their world views upon us and how an alien species would vi. Amused to death is a concept album, and the third studio album by former pink floyd bassist and songwriter roger waters. His book, amusing ourselves to death, inspired the excellent. It was a little fun rubbing in the fact that i got to see roger waters perform the wall in seattle a few years back. The title came from a book by author neil postman, which explored the history of the media and the concept although cloudy is of aliens arriving after the extinction of humans and finding all our skeletons sitting.