Posted on 10/01/2006 9:50:09 AM PDT by Chi-townChief
Given his legacy as the key songwriter and conceptualist for Pink Floyd, one of the most theatrical bands in rock history, fans could expect that Roger Waters' show at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre on Friday would be a visual tour de force.
Considering his infamous perfectionism, it was a given, too, that the sound and musicianship would be top-notch, especially since half of the set would be devoted to the 1973 audiophile masterpiece, "The Dark Side of the Moon."
What came as a surprise was that Waters' three-hour performance in Tinley Park packed such an emotional wallop in the form of a very poignant running commentary about the tragedy of war in general and of America's involvement in Iraq in particular.
Unifies 5-decade career Reviews of earlier gigs on the tour found some critics scoffing at the politics, as if strong anti-war sentiments hadn't always been a key theme in Waters' work, from "Corporal Clegg" in 1968 through his final album with Pink Floyd, "The Final Cut," a 1983 meditation on the Falklands.
But even for hard-core fans who've followed Waters' philosophical evolution, the extent to which his set list drew together songs from throughout a five-decade career to make a unified thematic point seemed extraordinary.
The first part of the evening gave us "Fletcher Memorial Funeral Home," "Perfect Sense," the new song "Leaving Beirut" and "Sheep," a comment on a slumbering electorate illustrated with a version of Pink Floyd's inflatable pig decorated with the slogans "Impeach Bush now" and "Don't get led to the slaughter, vote Nov. 7." The second set, which included all of "Dark Side," had the anti-war anthem "Us and Them," with photos of President Bush at the now-infamous "Mission Accomplished" photo-op, and video of oil rigs pumping in time to "Money." And finally, there was the overwhelming one-two punch of "Vera" and "Bring the Boys Back Home" during a generous encore.
Basks in fan adoration Though Waters certainly made his message clear, the cumulative effect was less like preaching and more like a summation of one strain of his life's work, which has sadly become more timely than ever. And the show made the welcome point that, despite the popular perception, Pink Floyd has never just been the perfect band to fire up the bong to -- there has always been much more substance when the band was at its best. In contrast to the dour front presented on some tours, the amazingly well-preserved, 63-year-old Waters gleefully basked in the adoration of his fans, who cheered his political messages as enthusiastically as his blasts of classic-rock nostalgia.
Always the third-best singer in Pink Floyd, the bandleader did his best with the vocals he recorded on albums, leaving the rest to a crack 11-piece band that included his son Harry on Hammond organ and MVP Dave Kilminster in the role of guitarist David Gilmour.
In fact, the only way this extraordinary evening could have been better was if Waters finally buried the hatchet with Gilmour and his other former Floyd bandmates. As at Gilmour's show at the Rosemont Theatre last April, the night came close, but it still wasn't quite Pink Floyd, and you still couldn't help thinking that, as Waters sang in "In the Flesh" at the start of the show, "Pink isn't well, he stayed back at the hotel / And they sent us along as a surrogate band."
jimdero@jimdero.com
Why can't he just retire and live in Arizona?
This proves the big anti-LSD campaign in the 60's, that it does cause long term mental damage.
I wish these people would just SHUT UP AND SING!
Oh goody...another bleeding heart liberal wants Iraq returned to Saddam. How quaint.
And bloody hell...anyone "surprised" by Waters' not liking people standing up against tyrants hasn't been paying attention for the past 3 decades. For cryin' out loud, he was even against World War II. Sheesh!
Send him back to some hovel in England wher he can spend his days writing more overproduced schlock.
Thankfully Gilmour wouldn't stand for such a political stunt of a show. Waters and his geezer rock-activist-musician ilk still don't get the fact that those who attend their shows just want them to shut up and play. ...and they probably never will.
All waters did was to cause 50% of the Albums and CD's of his to be thrown in the garbage along with the ditsy chicks and tom petty.
LLS
Pink Floyder becomes Red Floyder.
Well, don't throw away any LP copies of Amused to Death.
Last I saw, you could get $200-400 on eBay.
Waters scrawled "We don't need no thought control" on the barrier at Israel's West Bank.
Yet he parades around this country in seach of "money" and "thought control".
And you thought Syd Barrett was the one who lost his mind?
Pinko Floyd.
Sweet! Thanks for the info! I've got some selling to do. :o)
LOL BTTT
Awwww ... is the swipe at Alice necessary?
Roger waters father was a die hard communist. Seriously. The apple didn't fall far from the tree. You won't see him being anti-war if a communist siezes or invades a neighbor. You will only see him anti-war if the US is involved.
I seen Waters last night in Indianapolis. He wasn't so blatant in his Bush bashing in Indy. Maybe he thought Chicago was more into his line of thinking. He did have the video going along with the songs, but he didn't add any more commentary.
The music and really the entire package are a marvel.
Now, having said that, I have observed over the years that those who hold Pink Floyd and Roger Waters in particular above any criticism seem to be a cynical lot. There's something about the message...
..."The third best singer in Pink Floyd" is really not saying much....
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