AMUSED TO DEATH

If you thought the Wall was cynical, then you're surely up for a surprise with this release. Politics, religion: it's all here. Water's lyrical content is the most satirical, the most jaded he's ever written. Perhaps that last is debatable, but I'm sure many agree with me. With a staggeringly enormous line-up of musicians, included legendary Jeff Beck and bassist John Patitucci (not to be mistaken for guitarist John Petrucci), Waters supports his cynical lyrics with strong music. Good melodies throughout (usually), but particularly on It All Makes Perfect Sense (1 & 2) there is a very beautiful, very vulnerable piano line. On the aforementioned song, the lyrics are especially powerful. "And the Germans killed the Jews, And the Jews killed the Arabs, And the Arabs killed the hostages, And that is the news." But a taste of dreadfully honest, painfully sarcastic lyrics throughout the album.

The music is primarily slow rock, with a touch of psychedelic influences, along with atmospheric electric stuff. It's a tad hard to describe. The first track shows what it's all about musically, slow and soft, subtle melodies, et cetera. Though the album does rise in intensity and volume, it is always still in the general style, in the same vein. It's not Rush's dense, tight compositions, nor is it the loosey-goosey Fripp & Eno ambient ramblings, but somewhere cozily in the center. Unfortunately, without any change of atmosphere on the album, or any eye-opening musicianship, the album's main flaw is an ironic one. Ironic because of the album's title. It's extremely stale, bland, and ultimately fails to amuse for long. However, some of the melodies are so beautiful, and the lyrics are all so powerful and truthful that boredom, however truly pressing it is, can sometimes be overlooked.