Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Mar 13, 2016 19:54:23 GMT
I've had this album since it was released and just recently got a hi res version.
It's a spine chilling listen, with some very upsetting descriptions of war, such as the poor old chap who tried to rescue his friend and tried to carry him back from the front. The guy couldn't take the pain and told him to leave him there in no mans' land which he had to do. At the end of the album, the same old man describes seeing his friend's name listed on a memorial as missing in battle.
There is also a terrifying strike by a jet, which when I first heard it on some big floorstanders, I was literally close to jumping out of the window. The track starts with birds singing and a jet flies overhead. Suddenly ..... Whap!!! The effect is terrifying.
There are also samples used that are describing what he sings about and they almost seem to be holographic. At one point, a phone rings and it has me reaching for my phone automatically because it's so out of your head on a headphone.
The hi res version seems to make the samples clearer, so you can hear what is being said more distinctly, so it does seem like a real enhancement.
In any case, this is a wall pinning experience and worth a listen; especially on hi res, I think, although on first listen, I felt that the dynamic range wasn't as great as I remembered, but the samples were clearer. The original vinyl version of the explosion from the bomb that the jet drops was thunderous, whereas on the digital version, it doesn't seem quite as deep.
There's also the cynical... 'What God wants, God gets, God help us all......' Quite an ugly sentiment, but the album does keep you gripped.
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oldson
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Post by oldson on Mar 13, 2016 20:19:05 GMT
that sounds interesting Ian. where did you download the hi-res from?
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jello
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Post by jello on Mar 13, 2016 21:01:35 GMT
I'm going to give this a listen tonight. Is it a concept album or are there just recurring themes in some of the tracks? I'd actually been telling Gordon how good Roger's latest album was a few months ago. Then I realised it was actually Dave Gilmour that recorded Endless River Rattle That Lock I don't mind a bit of Pink Floyd every so often but as you can probably tell I'm not too clued up on the band members!
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Mar 13, 2016 21:30:16 GMT
It's on hd Tracks as 24 192 FLAC. I'm not sure about the bass depth in the mastering though. I listened from x5 digitally into idsd and hd650. For some time, I thought I had the hd600 on my head, not the 650.
It is a concept album Mark. It's quite bitter as a lot of his stuff is. I haven't listened to it for a while and hearing it again tonight shows just how angry Waters is with 'life'. He lost his father in the war as a kid I think and it seems to have affected him enormously.
I do like Waters albums, but they need to be listened to not too often .... They're quite depressing. This one is a sad and angry reflection on war and the way it's portrayed in the media.
His recently released recording of The Wall is quite powerful too. Recording quality not always brilliant though.
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jello
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Post by jello on Mar 13, 2016 21:57:50 GMT
I haven't heard any of his solo material but it doesn't sound like it makes for easy listening!
From what you've said it does seem like his father's death still affects him deeply and that he carries a lot of 'baggage'. Hopefully there's also some sweetness in his life to temper that bitterness and anger.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Mar 13, 2016 22:07:37 GMT
You know, I'm not so sure!!!
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jello
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Post by jello on Mar 14, 2016 11:15:28 GMT
You may be right Ian!!
I gave it a listen last night. I agree that it is well worth a listen but I certainly don't think many will find it an easy listen. I felt mentally drained afterwards and that was with a short intermission in the middle!
It's a very creative album with a lot going on in some of the tracks. Lots of layers and incidental samples so an album that demands your attention.
It can be quite bleak and morose at times but equally there are moments of real beauty too. Although quite a cynical track What God Wants really rocks out with some thumping bass and great guitar work, which lightens the mood somewhat (at least if you ignore the lyrics). The repeated mantra by the female singer is quite hypnotic too.
The spoken part by the old soldier (believe this was a genuine WW1 veteran) is very moving and rather upsetting. You never know quite what to expect next and I definitely wasn't expecting Marv Albert (an infamous US sports commentator I've heard a lot as a US sports fan) to make an appearance and give a play-by-play commentary as a war rages.
The incidental audio is something else as you say Ian. I'm sitting there minding my own business enjoying the lovely calming bird song and then that bloody great jet zooms overhead and scares the bejesus out of me! Then I hear the phone ringing and it's quite an out of head experience (and I don't get that often with headphones) - I genuinely started to reach towards our house phone before thinking "that's not our ringtone???".
I was using the DT990 and I think this album shows just what a capable headphone this really is. It handled most everything that was thrown at it with aplomb and believe me when I say this album has quite an arsenal at it's disposal! The only thing I did find lacking was that some of the background spoken word felt a tad obscured. I'm not sure if that was simply a lack of resolution on the DT990s part (may revisit with the Pandora as that gives quite an inside out view of a track) or simply that the hi-res version imparts more detail as Ian mentioned.
I'm not sure this is an album I could listen to often but I suspect it's one that will reward repeat listening. There is so much going on that each listen will reveal something you previously hadn't picked up on , whether that be sound-bites or little snippets of familiar tunes etc.
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Mar 14, 2016 11:44:55 GMT
The clarity of those samples is very important to the album, Mark. They are commentaries on what he's singing about and they tend to 'float' in the mix rather than feature. IE; kids listening just wouldn't get it, so they can listen on a different level. On my Senn HD650, they literally float in the air. If you listen to the lyrics of the song and then the samples, you'll hear distinct links.
It about the way that the media reports war and he associates it with sport in the USA, which is why the commentary is there, with a baying crowd. 'What God wants, God gets, God help us all'. It's showing how masses are being manipulated by the media and Waters is pretty cynical throughout the entire album. There's not really any let up. He even makes out that 'God' does it for a laugh so in effect, he's saying there isn't one. Our 'god' is the media.
It has a lot of anger and cynicism behind it and it's that edginess that makes it an uncomfortable listen. The WW1 guy is exactly that, upsetting. His description is awful and also the way that he tells it matter of factly. That's another portrayal by the media of war.
My Yellow Rose is about Tianemen Square and what I find odd is the anger about losing the girl who was a student with the music almost playing happier country and western. There's a stop in the middle where he kind of screams and he goes back to the 'watching tv' describing her as an outsider rather than as his girlfriend. Some lovely Chinese sounds also going on in the background.
In a way, I think Roger Waters has been writing 'The Wall' for all of his life. It has a lot of similarities. He was also very disturbed by the fact that his father was killed in the second world war. (The baby in the Wall is him) The Wall itself is a wall that he built around himself due to being somewhat of a disturbed child himself and playing out the character of a right wing pop star following all kinds of episodes with drugs etc.
He's definitely not easy listening and you do need to be in the mood to work out what is happening. It always gets to me as well.
With the TH900, you get a really fullsome sound and those samples jump out at you.
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jello
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Post by jello on Mar 14, 2016 12:14:34 GMT
Okay. I'll give it a go with the Pandora tonight as I suspect that'll help with the clarity of the samples. It's quite holographic at times and throws sound around very precisely so think it'll be well suited to this album. You may need to talk me down from the ledge though
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Mar 14, 2016 14:01:15 GMT
I know, it's a depressing listen. Also, the last song on the album..... 'The species has amused itself to death'. How cynical is that? You were right when you said that different things can be heard on more listens. It's very easy to just let albums wash over yu, and sometimes, getting into the lyrics and what they're actually getting at can be quite revealing. It's the relationship between the words and music that really make the album for me, plus the stupendous use of samples that are related to the following or preceding song. Don't drink too much before you listen. You might end up slitting your throat!!!!
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Post by hifidez on Mar 14, 2016 17:13:37 GMT
'The Final Cut' is a throat slitter too in my opinion. And that's more of a Waters album than Floyd?
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Mar 14, 2016 17:31:14 GMT
Oh yes. Is that the final Floyd album? I think it got some odd reviews as well.
I've just found it on my Fiio. 'Oh Maggie, what have we done?'
What an opener!
You are righ, it really does sound like a Waters album more than Pink Floyd. His stuff always makes me think of the Wall though. It seems that he's been stuck in a groove all of those years!!!
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Rabbit
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Post by Rabbit on Mar 14, 2016 17:52:51 GMT
Halfway through the album .....
Blimey, I see what you mean Derek!!! It is morbid......
Still in with his anger at the war and teachers!!!!
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Post by hifidez on Mar 14, 2016 22:44:58 GMT
Does anyone else know the DVD/SACD/CD 'In The Flesh'. A live Roger walters concert featuring a number of good artists... Andy Fairweather-Low for example who takes a mean solo spot in 'Money'. Backing singers are just perfect, along with Doyle Bramhall II, Snowy White and Jon Carin they make a great concert.
A good misture of Floyd numbers plus Waters' own compositions.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2016 19:54:29 GMT
Holy threrad resurrection Batman!
I bought Amused to Death as soon as it was released because I was/am a huge fan of Roger Waters. The original CD was mastered differently from the vinyl & employed a technology called Q Sound. The sleeve actually had set up notes saying that if the dog barking at the start didn't sound like it was coming from miles behind your loudspeakers then your speakers were too far from the rear wall. It also had advice re toe-in too.
It is bloody miserable though & in my opinion lacks the harmonies that he was better known for. There's very few genuinely beautiful tunes on the album. What God Wants & Yellow Rose being the exceptions.
For me his best album was Radio KAOS. We used to use that as a demo album back in the day and even now it still stands up to scrutiny. It also has some genuinely beautiful, foot-tapping tunes. It also has a jet.
Next up would be his first solo album, The Pro's & Cons of Hitch-Hiking. It's got far more atmosphere than any of his other works in my opinion and the title track is truly stunning. There's a track on the album that harks back to The Wall when the hooker is in his bedroom. I'll say no more. It doesn't have a jet, but it does have a truck which rumbles from left to right a la Kraftwerk.
The Final Cut should have ben his Final Cut in my opinion. Very depressing and as others have pointed out was probably the pinnacle for his recurring themes of mass acceptance of war and mass crap education. The two are inextricably linked in my opinion. Keep 'em keen, keep 'em mean. Also, it has a jet.
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