Amused To Death

Roger Waters' latter day Pink Floyd or his solo career has never been an "Easy Listen" like "Dark Side" or "Wish You Were Here" were, primarily because the lyrics are altogether more ambitious, frankly bitter and not soothed too much by harmonious passages as those albums were. The main point of Roger Waters from 1977 through 1992 is in the lyrics and although the music accompanying these "heavy" lyrics has often been uplifting, I think it is true to say that if you don't give a s*** about lyrics, then then each album from "Animals" (1977) through this album from 1992 might be a little difficult to digest. But herein lies the point: Roger Waters was and is the ONLY capable lyricist from the Floyd since the days of Syd Barrett. This album is indeed the culmination of Roger Waters' ENTIRE cannon. He said as much in an interview at the time of its release.
The album is a major return to form following the (if we're totallly honest) rather disappointing "Pros & Cons" (1984) and "Radio Kaos (1987). Here we have what I believe is the perfect fourth segment in Waters' Lyrical Masterpieces, namely "Animals" (1977), "The Wall" (1979), "The Final Cut" (1983) and THIS album: "Amused To Death" (1992). Not to say that the first two solo albums didn't have their moments, they DID, but this album achieves an overall excellence worthy of "Wall" and "Final Cut". From the mesmerising first cut "What God Wants....God Gets God Help Us All" it is awe-inspiring stuff. The stadium of football supporters chanting "It All Makes Perfect Sense...Expressed in Dollars And Cents" is about the most incisive lyric Roger has EVER written. But it's not all cynicism. The "Bravery Of Being Out Of Range" is a brave and heartfelt attack on the stupidity of war seemingly measured on the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of Scud Missiles rather than any clearly thought out objective. "Late Home Tonight" is similarly captivating and when Roger sings his tear jerking lament to the girl "who died on TV" during Tianoman Square we are left practically speechless. But as Roger said in the DVD commentary to The Wall DVD "humour has always been a big part of my life" and it is evident frequently through this album whose underlying message is undeniably SERIOUS. Check out out the Big Game commentator who commentates on the "Perfect Sense" anthem and most memorably when Lloyd Webber's ****ing fingers are miraculously broken by a freak earthquake hitting the theatre at which he is performing his "awful stuff for years and years and years". About time a major artist declared publicly just what **** Lloyd Webber's stuff is....at least since he worked with Tim Rice. The final song in which Roger states that this race has "amused itself to death" likens mankind, somehwat aptly to a race of monkeys who are too busy "piling the dishes and answering the phone" to care about anything important. And the lyric from earlier in the album: "give any species enough rope and they'll **** it up" is timeless. And quite possibly True.
This album is a Major Statement from a Major Artist. Too bad he hasn't seen fit to follow it up. But then again, maybe this album says it all.

I consider myself a Pink Floyd fan and was disappointed at their demise. But this album and the Division Bell shows who drove what aspects of Floyds works.
Whereas Division Bell sounds like a shallow echo of former Floyd mastery, Amused To Death is deep and huge.
Roger Waters is again condeming war, the war mongers and the shallow artifice we live in but in monumental fashion. With an even keener sense of irony than usual this album is emotive, poignant and stunning. Once on, I can't stop or pause this album. You get on for the whole ride.
Beginning and ending with the recounted tale of eighty years of pain and remorse at having to abandon a comrade (Bill Hubbard) in the WWI trenches, this album moves coherently through the contemporary attitudes to modern warfare, the spin and news coverage of it and the casual acceptance, even excitement, by the populace of such wars to the comfy, complacent western lifestyle to the ironic analysis of humanities demise.

There are some great humourous lines tucked in like Andrew Lloyd Webber breaking his fingers and the reference to the old joke about Jesus being able to see Peters house from the crucifix.

I have often wondered what Lloyd Webber would think of this album because I think it could easily translate into a West End show. A large West End production might do it better justice than a Floyd-type stage show (however impressive that would be).

Is Roger Waters morbid? Maybe. Has he produced a masterpiece? Definitely. This should be in everyones collection. If you haven't got it yet, you're missing out. Get it.

Although Syd Barrett made two great albums in the form of The Madcap Laughs and Barrett,and David Gilmour's recent LP On An Island was justly praised,Amused To Death is,in my not-so-humble opinion,the best solo album any Floyd member past or present has made.Granted,as the amazon review points out,the targets of Waters'scorn-primarily war,television,fast food and politicians-are hardly unique,What God Wants,Pefect Sense,The Bravery Of Being Out Of Range and the title track in particular are among the very best things he has ever written.