IN THE FLESH - LIVE

Playing before 90,000 people ain't no easy thing to do. But Roger is quite acquainted with that experience, and "In the Flesh" is the perfect excuse to do so. There's something about this live album I cannot completely get, I perceive a lack of strength and variation or maybe it's just me being obtuse and shortsighted about the mere intention contained in this 2 CD set album. I just cannot put my finger off the fact WATERS could've managed to depurate the classic themes like "Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2" and "Wish You Were Here" and the fact he also could've used extensively the skills of such great musicians at its best and exploited the resources of playing live. I was simply amazed with the arrangements done to "Dogs" (with Jon CARIN on keyboards, acoustic guitar and vocals) and "Comfortably Numb" (taken all the way by Doyle BRAMHALL II and the exquisite guitar performing by Snowy WHITE), which to my concern, this last song taken from "The Wall", is the best prolonged piece in this live recording. The female backing vocals this time were superbly entwined than in other productions of the past, and they give that enticing touch the album claims for.

The structure of both CD's is somewhat inconsistent and incomplete. Roger tried to add up the "detailed touch" within this James GUTHRIE production by inserting a half CD with his own solo songs and that sort of interfered with the continuity the album carries on with the "Dark Side of The Moon" reprise.

An overrated album by a humongous musician: absolutely beautiful in passages such as the live version of "Shine on you crazy Diamond" and absurdly presented with only one new song; "Each Small Candle" (nothing new under the sun, but yet convincing piece). To sum it up, I believe it is pointless to release a tour album right before releasing another compilation CD, "Flickering Flame"; and expect an absolute response right away. Good, but not that good.