Is This the Life We Really Want
Released: June 2017
StevieG rating:
7.8/10
Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich came in to produce this album, and had a very strong influence on its sound. His aim was to create a pared-back album, focussing on Roger's lyrics. In that part, he succeeded. I must admit, I like Roger's theatrical style, but I also agree that it is good to change it up a bit. Another
Wall or
Final Cut probably wouldn't work this far down the track.
The theme of the album is explained by Waters:
The concerns I have with that central question - "Why are we killing the children?" - are still there. I'm still deeply concerned that we're killing children all over the world with hardly a second thought because we've become so insensitive to the idea of every time the curtain falls on some forgotten life, it is because we stood by silent and indifferent - it's normal. I'm quoting from the record now. And unfortunately, it has become normal; we have normalized the death of the innocent.
The album definitely does feel stripped back a bit. There are no "feature" musicians - they're all in there doing their thing. And it works. As I said, I prefer is over-blown theatrical stuff traditionally, but this album hits the spot, mostly! It's certainly not my favourite, but it is a good album.
When We Were Young
StevieG rating: 5/10
Not the strongest opening. Sounds like a bunch of muffled rambling, poetic as it is. The best part of it is the transition into the next song.
Deja Vu
StevieG rating: 10/10
I love this song. You could call it "vintage" Waters. I have the live
Us and Them show, and this song absolutely hits the mark. The reaction of the crowd is heartfelt. I'll link it if it is available online.
Roger muses about whether he would have done a better job if he were God. Classic!
If I had been God
I would have rearranged the veins in the face to make them more resistant to alcohol, and less prone to aging
The Last Refugee
StevieG rating: 7/10
The recurring British sound effects are in full force here - the weather, and the time! This is the second "type" of song on this album. The first is the traditional-style Waters like
Deja Vu, and the second is this slightly less appealing style of melody. It works as a contrast to the first style but is less enjoyable to listen to - for me.
Picture That
StevieG rating: 7/10
The words are deliciously CUTTING
Sounds a bit like
Welcome to the Machine Part 2 in parts. This has the slightly less appealing style of music - for me - but still a well constructed track.
Broken Bones
StevieG rating: 9/10
Back to "Vintage" Waters
This has the familiar "clearing of throat" like
Wish You Were Here, and moves into great song. Roger's voice has "gravellised" (my new word) and sounds great for the song. The lyrics for the whole song are really strong
And oh, mistress liberty, how we abandoned thee.
I have to admit, I also love the lyric:
We cannot turn back the clock, cannot go back in time, but we can say "fuck you" we will not listen to your bullshit and lies.
Is This The Life We Really Want?
StevieG rating: 8/10
The goose has gotten fat! Roger's voice has deepened over the years - he's generally singing within his range now, which is great. Lyrics are fantastic again:
Is this the life, the holy grail?
It's not enough that we succeed
We still need others to fail
He goes on to list atrocity after atrocity and the fact that we all stand by, silent and indifferent. It's an awesome list, and he goes off on a tangent about ants - I love it! The ending lets it down for me. It's a strange way to end a great song.
Bird in a Gale
StevieG rating: 5/10
This is my least favourite track on the album. It just grates. It can't say it's a bad song, I just find it a bit overwhelming. The start of it is ok - when the singing comes in, it goes down a peg, and the middle filler is just a bit annoying. Not my favourite.
The Most Beautiful Girl
StevieG rating: 7/10
This is where I really notice the "pared back" nature of this album. The drumming is very concise and contained. There are very few flourishes in this whole album, and this song sums it up. It's a sad lament:
She may well have been
The most beautiful girl in the world
Her life snuffed out
Like a bulldozer crushing a pearl
I've heard the term "crackpot of ages" - is it from another Floyd song or somewhere else? I can't think of it right now.
Smell the Roses
StevieG rating: 6/10
This is the last of that second type of song on the album. It has a nice groove to it. It's put together skilfully and has a reasonable flow - it's just not one I like to listen to much. Actually, the main reason I
do listen to this one is for the next song.
Wait for Her / Oceans Apart / Part of Me Died
Wait For Her - music video
StevieG rating: 10/10
It's a relief to come back to vintage Waters. This song is part of the final three songs that blend into each other. This has its own music video which is extremely emotional. The lyrics are poetic in the extreme. It has a familiar Waters progression. I love this song.
Oceans Apart
StevieG rating: 10/10
I can't really fault this song, although it pretty much acts as a bridge between
Wait for Her and
Part of Me Died. It's very short, but I can see why it is a separate song. The transition between the previous and next song is perfect.
She was always here in my heart
Always the love of my life
We were strangers, oceans apart
But when I laid eyes on her a part of me died
Part of Me Died
StevieG rating: 9/10
List it, Roger!
Roger lists all the parts of him that died when he met the love of his life. I'll list it, because it's impressive:
The part that is envious, cold hearted and devious
Greedy, mischievous, global, colonial
Bloodthirsty, blind, mindless and cheap
Focused on borders and slaughter and sheep
Burning of books, bulldozing of homes
Given to targeted killing with drones
Lethal injections, arrest without trial
Monocular vision, gangrene and slime
Unction, sarcasm, common assault
Self-satisfied heroic killers
Lifted on high
Piracy adverts, acid attacks
On women by bullies and perverts and hacks
The rigging of ballots and the buying of power
Lies from the pulpit
Rape in the shower
Mute, indifferent
Feeling no shame
Portly, important
Leering, deranged
Sat in the corner watching TV
Deaf to the cries of children in pain
Dead to the world
Just watching the game
Watching endless repeats out of sight, out of mind
Silence, indifference
The ultimate crime
But when I met you, that part of me died
Bring me a bowl to bathe her feet in
Bring me my final cigarette
It would be better by far to die in her arms than to linger
In a lifetime of regret
It's a great ending to the album. It loses one point for the musical ending, which just ends. It feels like it needs a more satisfying ending. I guess that's part of this album and the theme of stripping it back.