I’ve had this album for over two months and, I must admit, it is a hard album to digest.  Not because it isn’t good, not because it is hard to fathom . . . it’s because it is so immediate and so . . . reminiscent.  This all makes it a much more powerful album and, by the same token, overwhelming (despite it’s quite average length).  Many reviewers, I believe, get it right (on the large part) when they call this the most “Floyd-like” album by Waters. If, however, you are looking for that “space cadet glow” you will find yourself quite disappointed.

What made Pink Floyd great was the marriage of the lyrics with rather expansive music.  This came to an end when Roger Waters decided he didn’t want to be a part of it. From The Wall onward, Waters seemed to have put the lyrics over the music.  This is not to say the music was bad (in fact it was quite good),  he just seemed to kind of drown it in lyrics (The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking especially).  The albums were great as they were but what gave his lyrics the emotional tie was the music in between.  The music had to breathe more.  In steps Nigel Godrich . . . .

It is obvious that Mr. Godrich is a fan.  It is also obvious that he knows how to bring the right people in.  The album is sprinkled with Pink Floyd from Dark Side of the Moon to The Final Cut (Variety magazine is going to have blatantly tell me where the Meddle reference is and don’t tell me it’s the dogs barking in the background of “Smell the Roses!”).  In fact, the album seems to borrow heavily from Wish You Were Here and Animals (most often, “Have a Cigar,” “Welcome to the Machine,” and “Sheep”).  This sometimes gets so heavy that Nigel Godrich could be accused of doing a timestretch version of “Have a Cigar!”  But we won’t do that since we are such nice people here.  To say his participation was essential would be an understatement.  Roger Waters himself said to Rolling Stone, “It’s his album.  I just sang and played on it.”  One knows this isn’t entirely true (he wrote the lyrics! lol).  Godrich made good choices but you can bet good ‘ol Rog had a say.  For this album, however, he decided to consciously loosen the reigns and give over most of the control to someone else.

From the heartbeat bass at the beginning to the cash register loop on “Bird in a Gale” and the homage to “Sheep” and “Welcome to the Machine” on “Picture That,” the references run deep without being a direct quote.  “Smell the Roses” is as close to a full quote of “Have a Cigar” as the album gets.  The genius of the song is that it’s downright funky!  The Funk, however, is interrupted in the middle by an industrial-like electronic gloom complete with sound effects before resuming.  This is another old Floyd trick that Godrich dusted off with magnificent results!  Godrich even mimics Rick Wright’s choice of pianos and synths (it’s almost “what would Rick do?”).  This album works better listening to it from end to end without concentrating on the lyrics specifically at first, leave that to the second listen.  And, good reader, you must be asking the question, “What about the lyrics?” (perhaps not . . . .).

According to Pitchfork, two years ago Waters said that his new material was giving humanity a report card with a mediocre grade.  Contrary to some reviewers, this is not his first non-concept album since Meddle (Obscured by Clouds is a concept album, I suppose?).  Maybe we have different definitions of a concept album.  To me, a concept album has a storyline, perhaps a narrative,  illustrating some point or points.  A thematic album runs together with a certain theme (or common themes) throughout.  Some would say both are concept albums.  If that is so, then this is, in fact a concept album.  The main theme is stated in the title.  This is what we have and we have to ask ourselves, “Is this the life we really want?”  Actually, this is a question people should be asking no matter what time period they are in.  People commonly go along for the ride, however.  Questioning is only a sign of weakness in their eyes, especially nowadays.  This album is an attack on the mentality of “my side is right, always.”  The idea of questioning your leaders is seen as being unpatriotic.  We still trade heroes for ghosts but the ghosts are not people or ideas past but spectre of the comfort that comes from clinging to one’s prejudice.  “As long as it’s not in my backyard, it doesn’t affect me” seems to be the ruling ideal for many.  The trouble is twofold (actually threefold).

1.)  The world is much smaller because of technology, the potential destruction is way larger and the environmental damage we do is more widespread.

2.) Many are told that the only problems in our backyards are direct threats and nothing is long-term.  They believe this.  There are many to blame and the only solution that is offered to just get rid of whomever and whatever is troubling you.  Make anyone that even remotely gives us problems go away, by any means possible.  It doesn’t matter if it’s necessary.  Don’t address problems sidestep them, pretend they don’t exist or just hack and slash anything seems be even remotely relevant.

3.) Prejudice, simplicity and fear are being clung to as if they were a lifeline.

It’s all more complex than this but those are the basics.

“Oh, Lady Liberty! How we have abandoned thee.”  The concept of surrendering of your civil rights for security is no security.  Roger Waters lyrics speak for themselves.  One reviewers says that ITTLWRW makes The Wall seem like Rebecca on Sunnybrook Farm in comparison.  I disagree, but perhaps the reason for this opinion is that the reviewer feels the immediacy is much more dour.  This theme is not the specific mental state of an individual, it is more of a collective nature.

Roger Waters does do the uncharacteristic thing of leaving us with not one “look on the Brightside” song but three.  Well, as close as he can get . . . .  Roger likes to ends his albums with some hopeful song but to end it with this trio (“Wait for Her,” “Oceans Apart,” and “Part of Me Died”) is interesting.  Part hopeful, part lecture, part poetry.  Basic message: where there’s love, there’s hope and where there’s love (real love) there’s engagement.  People become human instead of things you see on T.V. and read about on the internet.  Distance creates passiveness and fear, engagement and communication can negate them.  Everyone wants to be heard and everyone wants to be loved.  Or, as Roger Waters said on another album, “Everybody’s got somebody they call home.”