Synth-Soaked Rhetoric
After departing from Pink Floyd sometime after the release of the band's 1983 album The Final Cut, bassist, singer and songwriter Roger Waters embarked upon a notable solo career that continues to a significant degree to this day. During the past twenty years or so since Roger initially established himself as a solo artist, he has seen three studio albums, two live sets, a film soundtrack, a compilation, and most recently a three act classical opera composition called Ça Ira, all released under his name. His 1987 rock album Radio K.A.O.S. was brought to my attention when I heard a live version of it aired on Mike Curry's "Think Pink" Floyd showcase that usually airs on Radio Hauraki (99FM) at ten o' clock on Monday nights.
The first solo work of Roger's that I have yet given a proper listen, Radio K.A.O.S. unsurprisingly appears to find no shame in sounding overbearingly eighties. Needless to say, in my books such a sound is a strong point. I have heard expressed by many people the opinion that the dated effects ruin the compositions, however, I would beg to differ. I would go as far as to say that the eighties sound actually accentuates the material contained on this album by instilling it with a great sense of period charm, so-to-speak. Radio K.A.O.S. is a concept album about -- strange though it may seem -- a wheelchair-bound young man named Billy who can hear radio waves in his head. The appropriately-named, bouncy opener Radio Waves sets this scene effectively, serving to prepare us for the journey into the eighties political climate that is to follow.
Roger uses this release as an opportunity to provide some extensive social commentary in a vein similar to that found in the 1977 Pink Floyd album Animals. The most notable difference is that his delivery is distinctly less angry and acidic. The lyrics, however, are classic Roger Waters -- the stinging, cynical sarcasm that made many of Pink Floyd's pieces such as Money and Have A Cigar such hits among the public maintains its presence in many of the tracks on Radio K.A.O.S. Some particularly memorable pieces include Who Needs Information, which could be perceived to be a comment on the questionably positive things that the media had to provide to society at the time; and The Powers That Be, the tale of Billy's brother Benny who lost his job in the mines due to the actions of "the market forces."
Probably the strongest aspect of Radio K.A.O.S. is its stark depiction of the political goings-on of the late eighties in a unique format. The tracks on the album are laid out and segued together as if they are being played on a radio station, of which the album itself is the namesake. This provides an excuse for actual dialogue to be included between the pieces, with the purpose of facilitating an increased understanding of the character Billy and his involvement with the Radio K.A.O.S. host, Jim. It not only allows for the inclusion of a great degree of humour but it also pulls the concept of Radio K.A.O.S. together and adds a substantial amount of perspective to the pieces. The primary bearers of Roger's lyrical wrath include Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, the media and the ideology of monetarism. The similarities between what was happening then and what is happening now add a great degree of weight to the album. Despite the fact that it was written eighteen years ago, Radio K.A.O.S. has not lost its relevance and is surely worth a listen.
The first solo work of Roger's that I have yet given a proper listen, Radio K.A.O.S. unsurprisingly appears to find no shame in sounding overbearingly eighties. Needless to say, in my books such a sound is a strong point. I have heard expressed by many people the opinion that the dated effects ruin the compositions, however, I would beg to differ. I would go as far as to say that the eighties sound actually accentuates the material contained on this album by instilling it with a great sense of period charm, so-to-speak. Radio K.A.O.S. is a concept album about -- strange though it may seem -- a wheelchair-bound young man named Billy who can hear radio waves in his head. The appropriately-named, bouncy opener Radio Waves sets this scene effectively, serving to prepare us for the journey into the eighties political climate that is to follow.
Roger uses this release as an opportunity to provide some extensive social commentary in a vein similar to that found in the 1977 Pink Floyd album Animals. The most notable difference is that his delivery is distinctly less angry and acidic. The lyrics, however, are classic Roger Waters -- the stinging, cynical sarcasm that made many of Pink Floyd's pieces such as Money and Have A Cigar such hits among the public maintains its presence in many of the tracks on Radio K.A.O.S. Some particularly memorable pieces include Who Needs Information, which could be perceived to be a comment on the questionably positive things that the media had to provide to society at the time; and The Powers That Be, the tale of Billy's brother Benny who lost his job in the mines due to the actions of "the market forces."
Probably the strongest aspect of Radio K.A.O.S. is its stark depiction of the political goings-on of the late eighties in a unique format. The tracks on the album are laid out and segued together as if they are being played on a radio station, of which the album itself is the namesake. This provides an excuse for actual dialogue to be included between the pieces, with the purpose of facilitating an increased understanding of the character Billy and his involvement with the Radio K.A.O.S. host, Jim. It not only allows for the inclusion of a great degree of humour but it also pulls the concept of Radio K.A.O.S. together and adds a substantial amount of perspective to the pieces. The primary bearers of Roger's lyrical wrath include Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, the media and the ideology of monetarism. The similarities between what was happening then and what is happening now add a great degree of weight to the album. Despite the fact that it was written eighteen years ago, Radio K.A.O.S. has not lost its relevance and is surely worth a listen.
posted by Gary at 12:43 pm
1 Comments:
Oh look, I have the record.
Post a Comment
<< Home