Wikipedia

Is This the Life We Really Want?

Is This the Life We Really Want?is the fourth solo album by the English rock musicianRoger Waters,released on 2 June 2017 byColumbia Records.It was produced byNigel Godrich,who urged Waters to make a more concise, less theatrical album. It was Waters' first solo album sinceAmused to Death(1992), and his first studio work since the operaÇa Ira(2005).

Is This the Life We Really Want?
Studio albumby
Roger Waters
Released2 June 2017(2017-06-02)
Recorded2010–2017
StudioElectric Lady Studios(New York City, NY)
Fivestar Studio (Los Angeles, California),United Recording Studios,Wack Formula Studio
Genre
Length54:06
LabelColumbia
ProducerNigel Godrich
Roger Waterschronology
Roger Waters: The Wall
(2015) 		Is This the Life We Really Want?
(2017) 		Igor Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale
(2018)
Roger Waters studio chronology
Ça Ira
(2005) 		Is This the Life We Really Want?
(2017) 		Igor Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale
(2018)
SinglesfromIs This the Life We Really Want?
  1. "Smell the Roses"
    Released: 20 April 2017
  2. "Déjà Vu"
    Released: 8 May 2017
  3. "The Last Refugee"
    Released: 19 May 2017

The album reached number three in the UK and number 11 in the United States. It produced four singles: "Smell the Roses","Déjà Vu","The Last Refugee"and" Wait for Her ".

Recording

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Is This the Life We Really Want?was recorded in Los Angeles and London.[3]It was produced by theRadioheadproducerNigel Godrich,who met Waters when he produced the 2015 live albumRoger Waters: The Wall.[3]Though Waters had not heard Godrich's work with Radiohead, they got on well and discussed working together.[3]Godrich, a fan of Waters' work withPink Floyd,was frank with Waters, telling him he found some of his solo work "unlistenable". However, he was reassured that Waters "really still had it" after hearing his demo of "Déjà Vu".[4]

Godrich wanted to create a pared-back album to showcase Waters "the poet".[4]He felt Waters' creativity had been invigorated by theWallLivetour, and that his role as producer was "to push him a little bit".[4]He encouraged Waters to make a concise record, reminding him that Pink Floyd's 1973 albumThe Dark Side of the Moonis only 43 minutes long.[3]Unlike most of Waters' work, Waters did not co-produce the record; he said: "[Godrich] did a brilliant job... I sat on my hands with lips zipped. You've rented this dog, let it work."[5]Godrich usedtape loopsandfound soundsextensively to createseguesbetween tracks. He is also credited for arrangement, sound collages, keyboards, guitar, and mixing.[6]

Themes

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Waters initially planned to record aconcept album;[7]he conceived aradio playabout a man and his granddaughter investigating why children are being killed in other parts of the world.[7]He described the play as "part magic carpet ride, part political rant, part anguish", and said it featured about a dozen songs.[3]Godrich persuaded Waters to abandon the theatrical elements and create a "less linear" work.[7]Waters said he planned to produce the original idea in the future.[7]

Waters said of the album's themes:[7]

The concerns I have with that central question – "Why are we killing the children?" – are still there. I'm still deeply concerned that we're killing children all over the world with hardly a second thought because we've become so insensitive to the idea of every time the curtain falls on some forgotten life, it is because we stood by silent and indifferent – it's normal. I'm quoting from the record now. And unfortunately, it has become normal; we have normalized the death of the innocent.

Waters also said the album had been influenced by having fallen in love:[3]

The record is really about love – which is what all of my records have been about, in fact... It's also the question of how do we take these moments of love – if we are granted any in our lives – and allow that love to shine on the rest of existence, on others.

The album also contains lyrics criticizing then-US PresidentDonald Trumpandhis administration,as well as samples of Trump speaking.[8][9]Matilda Berke ofAtwood Magazinenoted that, "Upon closer inspection, however, it becomes clear that Waters has larger targets than a single orange-haired demagogue. [...] Apathy, it seems, is Roger Waters' primary foe."[9]

Release

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Is This the Life We Really Want?was released on 2 June 2017 byColumbia Records.[10]It was Waters' first solo album sinceAmused to Death(1992).[11]The album peaked at number 3 in the United Kingdom and number 11 in the United States before falling off the US charts in four weeks. It produced four singles: "Smell the Roses"released on 20 April,"Déjà Vu"released on 8 May," The Last Refugee "released on 19 May and" Wait for Her "released on 19 July in 2017. The album was blocked from release in Italy after the artistEmilio Isgròalleged that the cover art plagiarised his work.[12]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic72/100[13]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[14]
Consequence of SoundB[15]
Drowned in Sound8/10[16]
Exclaim!7/10[17]
The Independent[18]
The Observer[19]
Pitchfork6.9/10[20]
Rolling Stone[21]
Sputnikmusic4.1/5[22]

AtMetacritic,which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 72, based on 16 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[13]Rolling Stonesaid: "The music is quintessential post-Dark Side Of The MoonFloyd, but channeled by offspring: producer Nigel Godrich bringsprog-rockgrandeur, multi-instrumentalistJonathan Wilsonmicrodosepsychedelia,Luciusalt-R&Bbacking vocals. "[21]Drowned in Soundsaid the album is "a long, sprawling epic that stretches out for its slightly-padded running time, but one so full of ideas and intricacies that it's an easy album to get sucked into."[16]

Consequence of Soundsaid the album "is easily the most accessible of Waters' solo work—a distillation in many regards of the anti-fascist, anti-imperialist, anti-greed messages he's been broadcasting since Pink Floyd".[15]Pitchforksaid the "myriad sonic references to his work with Pink Floyd suggest that Waters is comfortable with his past. The more you accept how much his past reflects in his present, the more receptive you'll be to this album's charms."[20]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Roger Waters, except "Wait for Her", written by Waters &Mahmoud Darwish

No.TitleLength
1."When We Were Young"1:39
2."Déjà Vu"4:27
3."The Last Refugee"4:12
4."Picture That"6:47
5."Broken Bones"4:57
6."Is This the Life We Really Want?"5:55
7."Bird in a Gale"5:31
8."The Most Beautiful Girl"6:09
9."Smell the Roses"5:15
10."Wait for Her"4:56
11."Oceans Apart"1:07
12."Part of Me Died"3:14
Total length:54:06

Personnel

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Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Italy (FIMI)[58] Gold 25,000*
Poland (ZPAV)[59] Gold 10,000‡
Switzerland (IFPISwitzerland)[60] Gold 10,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[61] Silver 60,000‡

*Sales figures based on certification alone.
‡Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^"Is This the Life We Really Want?".metacritic.com.Metacritic.Archivedfrom the original on 6 July 2017.Retrieved7 September2019.
  2. ^"Review: Roger Waters Flays Modern Dystopia on First Rock LP in 24 Years".Rolling Stone.June 2017.Retrieved21 March2021.
  3. ^abcdef"Roger Waters Talks New Album, Moving Past 'Spectacle' for Tour".Rolling Stone.Archivedfrom the original on 26 April 2018.Retrieved25 April2018.
  4. ^abc"How Pink Floyd's Roger Waters refound his fire at 72".The Nation.Archived fromthe originalon 26 April 2018.Retrieved25 April2018.
  5. ^Kot, Greg (19 July 2017)."Roger Waters is, for a change, happy to be on tour".Chicago Tribune.Archivedfrom the original on 10 May 2019.Retrieved10 May2019.
  6. ^"Roger Waters Details New Album Is This the Life We Really Want?, Produced by Nigel Godrich".Spin.20 April 2017.Archivedfrom the original on 26 April 2018.Retrieved26 April2018.
  7. ^abcdeGrow, Kory (23 February 2017)."How Roger Waters will fight Trump with upcoming tour, concept album".Rolling Stone.Archivedfrom the original on 13 June 2018.Retrieved26 April2018.
  8. ^Wood, Mikael (2 June 2017)."Review: Roger Waters takes on President Trump with 'Is This the Life We Really Want?'".Los Angeles Times.Retrieved9 August2022.
  9. ^abBerke, Matilda (14 August 2017)."Roger Waters Rages Against the Machine on 'Is This the Life We Really Want?'".Atwood Magazine.Retrieved9 August2022.
  10. ^Grow, Kory (16 February 2017)."Hear Roger Waters Tease New 'Is This the Life We Really Want?' LP".Rolling Stone.Archivedfrom the original on 17 March 2017.Retrieved22 March2017.
  11. ^"Roger Waters is working with Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich".FACT Magazine: Music News, New Music.14 October 2016.Archivedfrom the original on 26 April 2018.Retrieved25 April2018.
  12. ^"Roger Waters' New Album Blocked in Italy Over Copyright Claim | Pitchfork".Pitchfork.19 June 2017.Archivedfrom the original on 9 May 2018.Retrieved8 May2018.
  13. ^ab"Reviews and Tracks for Is This The Life We Really Want? by Roger Waters".Metacritic.Archivedfrom the original on 3 June 2017.Retrieved2 June2017.
  14. ^Erlewine, Stephen Thomas."Is This the Life We Really Want? – Roger Waters: Songs, Reviews, Credits".AllMusic.Archivedfrom the original on 5 June 2017.Retrieved2 June2017.
  15. ^abTJ Kliebhan."Roger Waters – Is This The Life We Really Want?".Consequence of Sound.Archivedfrom the original on 1 June 2017.Retrieved2 June2017.
  16. ^ab"Album Review: Roger Waters – Is This the Life We Really Want?".Drowned in Sound.2 June 2017.Archivedfrom the original on 2 June 2017.Retrieved2 June2017.
  17. ^"Roger Waters Is This the Life We Really Want?".Exclaim!.Archivedfrom the original on 4 June 2017.Retrieved2 June2017.
  18. ^"Album reviews: The Beatles – Sgt Pepper's 50th Anniversary, Alt J – Relaxer, Dan Auerbach – Waiting On A Song".The Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 30 August 2017.Retrieved1 September2017.
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