One of the greatest anti-war statements made in the last century. That includes every piece of literature, film, theatre production and piece of art made in damnation of the practice of war and the games politicians play with human life.
Many critics and reviewers started honing in on Roger Waters 'pre-occupation' with his father's death in 1944, amidst the horrors of World War II. Using this as a weapon, critics mauled Waters comments on the basis that how can a popular artist complain about a situation that is resigned to the past, when obviously the fortunes of that artist have allowed them luxuries not given to the previous generation affected by circumstances of war. In a nutshell, what right do you have to complain when you're on top of the world. (Figuratively speaking). The word pretentious often springs to mind when I recall these reviews of The Wall and The Final Cut.
I have never been in agreeance with this view of Waters lyrical power and the focus of his artistic vision. His comments and sometimes merciless attacks on the political leaders at that time, and previous leaders, somehow leaves The Final Cut timeless. What Waters complained about then, is happening now and always will unless we change. Regardless of Thatcher, Reagan, Haig, we will always have new faces to replace them if we continue on this path where the only solutions are blood and the spilling of it.
Waters observations about complacency, the dying of empire, the vacousness of media, the unnecessary loss of life all strike their target. His words are acute and piercing, and paint a vivid portrait of working class, upper class, and political society, where names are mentioned, but it is unimportant, because the situations are the same then as they are now.
An aside to this is the personal politic happening within Pink Floyd. That Waters became so strident in his visions, that certain members (Gilmour/Mason) are left with little to do but augment. And though I may not personally agree with Waters tactics in attaining his artistic visions, and that group effort is sacrificed, the work itself and what it says makes it somehow worth it. The statements made on this album are powerful, thought provoking, and not only lyrically. The power of music as an art form is to convey musically as well as lyrically what the message of the piece means, what it is saying to the listener, and Waters does this with superb ease and focus. It should be said that though Gilmour & Mason step back quite a ways in contribution, that sacrifice is well noted and appreciated by myself as a listener.
And by far the most powerful song on this album is 'The Fletcher Memorial Home'. The album is full of mini-masterpieces, but I feel 'Fletcher' sums up so much of what we honestly, deep down inside feel about the dictators, the leaders, the politicians, who openly stab us in the back. Send them away to a nice little rest home where they can do these things to eachother, not us. Our complacency is captured in 'Paranoid Eyes'.
I cannot even begin to fully describe the power of this album in the space provided. Lyrically & musically haunting, beautiful, dark, foreboding, melancholy and even sometimes hopeful. This is the way music should be, as art with message and meaning.
One of the greatest anti-war statements made in the last century. That includes every piece of literature, film, theatre production and piece of art made in damnation of the practice of war and the games politicians play with human life. Many critics and reviewers started honing in on Roger Waters 'pre-occupation' with his father's death in 1944, amidst the horrors of World War II. Using this as a weapon, critics mauled Waters comments on the basis that how can a popular artist complain about a situation that is resigned to the past, when obviously the fortunes of that artist have allowed them luxuries not given to the previous generation affected by circumstances of war. In a nutshell, what right do you have to complain when you're on top of the world. (Figuratively speaking). The word pretentious often springs to mind when I recall these reviews of The Wall and The Final Cut. I have never been in agreeance with this view of Waters lyrical power and the focus of his artistic vision. His comments and sometimes merciless attacks on the political leaders at that time, and previous leaders, somehow leaves The Final Cut timeless. What Waters complained about then, is happening now and always will unless we change. Regardless of Thatcher, Reagan, Haig, we will always have new faces to replace them if we continue on this path where the only solutions are blood and the spilling of it. Waters observations about complacency, the dying of empire, the vacousness of media, the unnecessary loss of life all strike their target. His words are acute and piercing, and paint a vivid portrait of working class, upper class, and political society, where names are mentioned, but it is unimportant, because the situations are the same then as they are now. An aside to this is the personal politic happening within Pink Floyd. That Waters became so strident in his visions, that certain members (Gilmour/Mason) are left with little to do but augment. And though I may not personally agree with Waters tactics in attaining his artistic visions, and that group effort is sacrificed, the work itself and what it says makes it somehow worth it. The statements made on this album are powerful, thought provoking, and not only lyrically. The power of music as an art form is to convey musically as well as lyrically what the message of the piece means, what it is saying to the listener, and Waters does this with superb ease and focus. It should be said that though Gilmour & Mason step back quite a ways in contribution, that sacrifice is well noted and appreciated by myself as a listener. And by far the most powerful song on this album is 'The Fletcher Memorial Home'. The album is full of mini-masterpieces, but I feel 'Fletcher' sums up so much of what we honestly, deep down inside feel about the dictators, the leaders, the politicians, who openly stab us in the back. Send them away to a nice little rest home where they can do these things to eachother, not us. Our complacency is captured in 'Paranoid Eyes'. I cannot even begin to fully describe the power of this album in the space provided. Lyrically & musically haunting, beautiful, dark, foreboding, melancholy and even sometimes hopeful. This is the way music should be, as art with message and meaning.