Review:
“Amused to Death is perfectly titled; it conveys its maker’s mordant humor and underlying pessimism.” AM Sonically, there is “a faint but perceptible return to the sound of his estranged former band, Pink Floyd” AM “There are moments here (What God Wants, Three Wishes) that recall…the densely textured sound of Animals and The Wall.” AM “Waters’ voice…remains the same: a weary whisper, positively dripping with contempt.” AM
“Like every studio album Roger Waters has done since [Pink Floyd’s 1973 masterpiece] The Dark Side of the Moon, Amused to Death is a concept album.” WK Waters deals with “the dangers of capitalism, the insensitivity of the human race, the ridiculousness of war, and the onslaught of mindless entertainment,” MD essentially an indictment of modern Western society. “The album was inspired by the book Amusing Ourselves to Death, a critique of television and its related culture by Neil Postman.” WK
“Fitting all these aspects into 14 songs is a task in itself, but accomplishing this task alongside music that is forceful and appealing is extremely difficult, and still Waters succeeds in doing this throughout the duration of the album.” MD It “is a solid album both conceptually and musically, showcasing Waters as an artist who, like his work with Pink Floyd, conveys his thoughts and ideals with pinpoint accuracy so that they are engraved within his audience’s mind.” MD
“The Ballad of Bill Hubbard is a moving spoken intro from Alf Razzell, a former member of Britain’s Royal Fusiliers. A stab at the false sense of security that lies within religion is dealt with on the powerful ‘What God Wants, Pt. 1,’ and the cowardice of the world’s leaders is addressed in The Bravery of Being Out of Range, one of the albums most blatant tracks.” MD
“Range” and Perfect Sense both serve as indictments of the first Gulf War. On the latter, “famed sportscaster Marv Albert narrates a war as if it were a basketball game.” WK
“Jeff Beck contributes taut, lyrical solos to a number of tracks, notably It’s a Miracle.” AM Elsewhere, Don Henley contributes vocals to Watching TV, a song which “explores the influence of mass media on the Chinese protests for democracy in Tiananmen Square.” WK
“Ending with the title track, a song that sums up the whole of the album with it’s subtle yet hard-hitting demeanor, Waters proves that he can still reveal his conceptual ideas with pristine clarity, only on Amused to Death, the music is as equally entertaining and effective.” MD
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