IS THIS THE LIFE WE REALLY WANT?

Roger Waters is still doing the things Roger Waters is known to do--and, I must admit, still doing them well. But, there is nothing here that is new, innovative, "progressive" (was there ever?), or refreshing. As a matter of fact, one might say that the stylings, sounds, and melodies present on this album sound extremely familiar. A few times I find myself even asking, "Hasn't he already done this before? (even on this very album?)" And yet I admire the fact that Roger still has creative juices flowing--that he feels he still has something to say (as well as a format in which to express his ideas). His voice is old, worn, but he can still surround himself with top notch performers, arrangers, conductors, and engineers. The strings arrangements are the highlights for me; the drums a little too intimate and "friendly" for my tastes.

Favorite songs: the Radiohead-sounding title song (despite its PF "WALL" familiarity); the Steely Danish "Smell The Roses," and; "the Stones-y Tom Waits-y "Wait For Her."

I'm not such a Waters fan as to know all of his post-Pink Floyd albums really well, but does he try to replicate The Wall with its radio/television audio samples bridging all his songs with all of his albums?

three stars; a good album; not very proggy, though, innit?