| The Solo Albums |
| David Gilmour - David Gilmour This album was produced while Roger Waters was still with Pink Floyd, and David felt he wanted to do some things on his own. In this album, he gets away from the traditional Pink Floyd "style" and produces a fairly mediocre album. Gilmour is a talented songwriter, but he is still a bit rusty on this album, which is a far cry from the brilliance of A Momentary Lapse of Reason or The Division Bell. Ironically, the best song on the album, "There's No Way Out of Here" is the only song he didn't write. What makes this album worth buying are the instrumentals. "Raise My Rent" is fantastic, and "Deafinitely" is of a quality closer to Gilmour's later albums with Pink Floyd. Richard Wright - Wet Dream Despite the fact that Rick Wright didn't contribute nearly as much of his own material to the band, he was an instrumental part of the Pink Floyd "sound". This is especially evident in his solo works. This album was produced around the same time as David Gilmour's, while Wright was still in the band, yet just on the verge of being kicked out. This is a solid album, without a single bad song, and several stand-outs. Of all the solo albums, Wright's seem to sound the closest to that classic, easy-paced formula that the Floyd had on their great albums such as Dark Side Of The Moon and Wish You Were Here. This album has a loose concept, and the music makes it seem as if you're sailing on a calm sea. Roger Waters - The Pros And Cons Of Hitch Hiking This is a phenomenal album. Normally, with the work of Roger Waters, you need to listen a few times to really appreciate it, but this is the exception. From the first time you hear this album, you'll be moving along with the music, wanting more. In essence, this whole album is just one long song, with a running melody going on throughout, interspersed between other great tunes. It is a concept album, because that's what Waters is good at, but the concept is quite simple. It takes a few listen-throughs to understand, but what is actually happening in the story is a man's journey from nightmare to nightmare, from "4:33AM (Apparently They Were Travelling Abroad)" to "5:11AM (The Moment of Clarity)", Roger Waters brilliantly takes you through a stream of consciousness through the eyes of a dreaming hitch-hiker. The best song on the album is "5:01AM (The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking part 10)", which is probably the catchiest tune Waters has written since "San Tropez". This album is a terrific buy if you are just getting started with the solo albums. David Gimour - About Face Gilmour's second and last solo album was made after The Final Cut, and before the later Floyd albums. It is about as good as his first album, but probably a little below. There aren't as many instrumentals, but the best one, "Let's Get Metaphysical" is outstanding. The best song on the album is "Cruise", but only because of the instrumental section near the end, where the voices of his background singers really make you feel the kind of emotion that a Pink Floyd album should produce. For both his albums, it is clear what Gilmour's flaw in solo work is: it lacks concept. Roger Waters - Radio K.A.O.S. This is also a fantastic album, even though it is probably Waters' worst work. The songs are good, but they are not top quality. The story is probably the most bizarre of any Floyd-related album. A boy named Billy who hears radio waves in his head befriends a Los Angeles radio D.J. named Jim, and he uses his powerful mind to drain the world of power before they drop the bomb. You don't have to understand it to appreciate it. The best song is "Home", which is very powerful. The last song, "The Tide is Turning (After Live Aid)" is probably the most positive song Waters has ever written. This is a concept album with a happy ending, something much different than what people are used to from Waters. This album is definitely worth getting, but not until you've decided to buy all of Water's solo works. Roger Waters - Amused To Death A masterpiece on its own. This album is Waters' best since The Final Cut, and musically, it is even stronger. It takes a few listens to really appreciate this album, but once you do, you'll be addicted to it. Almost every song is a masterpiece, and all for different reasons. "What God Wants" Parts I-III, aside from being great music, are chilling beyond belief. There are some great melodies here, most apparently "The Bravery of Being Out of Range" and "Watching T.V." which includes Don Henley as a back-up singer to Waters, and works fantastically. The final song, "Amused to Death" is arguably the most haunting song of any Floyd-related album, and possibly one of the most haunting songs of all time. The story is much more subtle than in the earlier solo albums, but the basic concept is revealed in the final song, when a group of aliens find the remains of our obliterated species, and can only conclude that we have amused ourselves to death. This album says so much, and it does so using brilliant music. If you are only going to buy one solo album, this is the one you should have. Richard Wright - Broken China Produced almost two decades after his first album, Wright's second endeavor sounds much more modern than the first, yet holds onto that same sound that made his first album so good. The music here is of a very abstract quality, with sixteen songs arranged into groups of four songs each that go together. This is the kind of album that gets better with every listen, and it's easy to appreciate the musical genius behind it. There are only a few songs that work well on their own, but this album is meant to a be one long musical piece, rather than a collection of songs. The songs that do have lyrics are absolutely haunting, and the instrumentals have that quality as well. This is a beautiful work of art from a highly underrated artist. Richard Wright knows how to make a good album. Roger Waters - In The Flesh (live double-album) You don't need to have any of Waters' solo albums to fall in love with this live collection. The vast majority is from Pink Floyd albums, and Waters has a much broader spectrum of selection than Gilmour has on PULSE. Here, you'll get the best from The Wall, and Dark Side of The Moon, as well as a great new version of "Dogs" from Animals, and a new version of "Welcome to the Machine" which is better than the studio version! In addition, you get a new version of "Set The Controls for The Heart of the Sun" which sounds incredible here. You only get one song from Pros and Cons, none from Radio K.A.O.S. and a handful from Amused to Death. The album finishes with an awesome version of "Comfortably Numb" and a bonus track called "Each Small Candle" which is breathtaking. This album is almost as good as PULSE, and any Floyd fan should have it, whether you're a Waters fan or not. |
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