Ten essential Roger Waters albums to explore, with a suggestion to bypass one particular recording
Roger Waters, the creative powerhouse behind Pink Floyd's most iconic albums, has had a storied career both within and outside the band. Since 1973's groundbreaking album, "The Dark Side of the Moon", Waters was the driving force behind every Pink Floyd album.
Waters' official solo career began in 1984 with the release of "The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking", followed by "Radio KAOS" in 1987. Interestingly, "The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking" was conceived at the same time as "The Wall".
Through "The Dark Side of the Moon", "Wish You Were Here", and "Animals", Waters' creative control over Pink Floyd increased, culminating in complete control by 1979's "The Wall".
In 1990, Waters staged a massive open-air production of "The Wall" in Berlin, watched by upwards of a quarter of a million people. Decades later, Waters' contribution to Pink Floyd's legacy has been given the credit it deserves, especially since he briefly reconciled with his former bandmates for Pink Floyd's reunion at 2005's Live 8.
The success of Pink Floyd's reunion tour at Live 8, despite Roger Waters touring America at the same time, was largely due to the significance of the event. Live 8 was a high-profile global charity event aimed at raising awareness and influencing the G8 summit leaders. This created a unique and compelling reason for the members—including Waters, Gilmour, Mason, and Wright—to reunite temporarily despite their tensions and prior disputes.
The rare and historic reunion, being the only time Roger Waters performed with Pink Floyd since 1981, made it a special occasion for fans and generated tremendous public interest. Despite awkward silences and infighting during rehearsals and little communication before performing, they delivered a well-received show, demonstrating good onstage chemistry despite offstage difficulties.
David Gilmour and the others appeared to want a "full stop" for Pink Floyd, making this reunion a deliberate final moment rather than the start of a new tour. After Live 8, the band declined a massive touring offer, indicating the reunion's unique and non-commercial nature.
In 2010, Waters toured "The Wall" for four years, graduating from arenas to stadiums and taking in every continent. In 2023, Waters released a completely rerecorded version of "The Dark Side of the Moon", with the contributions of his former bandmates removed.
Notable tracks on "The Dark Side of the Moon Redux" include "Money", sung in the voice of a distracted bear, and "Time", which sounds like a boulder rolled up a hill, weary and aged. "The Great Gig in the Sky" on the same album is Waters' tribute to a deceased friend, the poet Donald Hall.
Meanwhile, "In The Flesh" is a double album that reclaims Waters' Pink Floyd legacy, making up over three-quarters of the album. "The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking" features good songs like "Running Shoes" and "Sexual Revolution" and guest guitarist Eric Clapton. This album is a sexual reverie that weighs up the relative merits of monogamous family life against what Waters terms 'the call of the wild'.
In 1987, Roger Waters struggled to fill arenas while Pink Floyd, without him, were packing out stadiums. The 1987 agreement that ended the dispute between Waters and his former bandmates gave Waters all rights to "The Wall" while David Gilmour, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright gained the rights to the name Pink Floyd. "Pink Floyd - The Final Cut" is an album that most Pink Floyd fans regard as the disappointing sequel to "The Wall", but it's better to think of it as a good start to Waters' solo career.
- Roger Waters, known for his work with Pink Floyd, launched his official solo career in 1984 with the release of the album "The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking."
- Despite touring America simultaneously, the success of Pink Floyd's reunion tour at Live 8 in 2005 was largely due to the event's significance, being a high-profile global charity event aimed at influencing the G8 summit leaders.
- In 2010, Waters toured "The Wall" for four years, captivating audiences in arenas and stadiums across continents.
- The album "The Dark Side of the Moon Redux" released by Waters in 2023 features electronic variations of classic tracks like "Money" and "Time."
- The double album "In The Flesh" reaffirms Waters' contribution to Pink Floyd's legacy, with over three-quarters of the album dedicated to his compositions.
- Eric Clapton lends his guitar skills to "The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking," an album that paints a vivid picture of the allure and complexities of monogamous relationships versus the call of the wild.
- Waters' tribute to his deceased friend, the poet Donald Hall, can be found on "The Dark Side of the Moon Redux" in the form of "The Great Gig in the Sky."
- Despite a rare and historic reunion with Pink Flood at Live 8 in 2005, the band declined a massive touring offer after the event, indicating that the reunion was a unique and non-commercial moment.
- In 1987, Waters had difficulty filling arenas while Pink Floyd, without him, were selling out stadiums, foreshadowing the tense dispute between Waters and his former bandmates that was settled in 1987.
