Customer Reviews

Roger Waters: Radio KAOS [VHS]

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(39)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

I really like this album. I've heard some bad things about it, and, although it's not on par with Roger's Pink Floyd work, or Amused To Death for that matter, it is still quite good. Maybe the reason some people don't like it is because, musically, it isn't what you would expect from Waters. It's really a period piece... it is soooooooooooooooooooooo 80's. However, Roger's instantly recognizable lyrical touch and unifying vision serve to make this album have more of a lasting appeal than it's 80's-sound and Cold War paranoia would normally allow. The vocals on this album are interesting. Everybody knows that Roger is not noted as an outstanding singer, but his vocals on this album are distinctive and inspired, quite unlike, at times, anything he has done before or since. Also, the backing vocalists are used far more effectively here than they were to be on Amused To Death. The music itself is far less guitar-oriented than his other work, it consits mainly of the aforementioned 80's style synths and sounds. Of course there is also no Eric Clapton or Jeff Beck on this album. Despite this, all the songs are interesting, some for musicality, but all for Roger's novel lyrics and dry, caustic delivery. The lyrics, focused as they are, aren't as universal as past Waters efforts, but he still hits home and his wit is ever-present. The album flows together nicely, so there aren't really any standout songs, but all of them are good. A big improvement over Pros and Cons, and a step toward his masterpiece Amused To Death, a recommended album for Waters fans.

Radio KAOS is absolutely one of the finest pieces of music ever - period! Roger Waters, the brains, heart and soul of Pink Floyd, travels musical light years in this masterpiece. His sharp wit, tasty vocals and monumental song writing skills are at their absolute peak here. The first song starts out with radio legend Jim Ladd reprising his KMET role, and then the music kicks in. From that instant until the Morse code ending of "The Tide is Turning . . ." I was absolutely mesmerized. Buy it, listen to it, feel it - this is truly immaculate music.

a few here have said it's very 80's, well thats when it was done, and dont think the theme of this album is taken very lightly, the miners strike still opens raw wounds of Thatchers Britain, I suppose you had to live through it to go through the emotions of this amazing album,I am not going to pick the album apart track by track, just surf the net get all the info about the strike (not the official stuff of the government, its lies) but the true real life stuff by real people ,then go through this albums lyrics, then it becomes something of a different animal.... and believe me the have and have nots are still here today, nothing has changed, just rubbish pop music that does not touch on real life here like this music does...... Why do you think this guy got slated so much in the press etc... coz the truth hurts and he came to close to it.

This album, though a bit dated in its sound, is good. However, like most 80s albums, it suffers from thin production. There is little bass, and everything else is just flat. If this album were remastered, or perhaps even remixed, it could reveal itself to be great. It would also be nice to have the tracks that were deleted from the album for reasons of time (LP limitations - which was really stupid in 1987, but that's the record industry for you) restored. These include Molly's Song, Going to Live in L.A., and Get Back to Radio (all of which were released as b-sides).

So how about it, Powers That Be? Bring on a remaster!

In my attempts to write reviews for Amazon, I have increasingly found myself trying to make concerted attempts to offer an opinion as unbiased as possible by my nostalgic feelings for the given album. In some cases, this is very difficult, and using this standpoint makes me wary of reviewing albums that were influential in my youth. I fear that many of my favorite albums by Rush, Yes, Tears for Fears, and Marillion may never see reviews because of my biased viewpoint. However, this afternoon I was quite randomly inspired to briefly discuss why "Radio K.A.O.S.," despite its status as a possibly flawed project, is one of my favorite Roger Waters recordings.

In short, it is the singular Roger Waters solo album that sonically distances itself from Pink Floyd's generally identifiable aesthetic. I am particularly referring to the sound that Waters refined on "The Wall." While "Radio K.A.O.S." still exhibits the conceptual rock-opera high-mindedness that exemplified his post-"Animals" work, it is indelibly marked by the recording practices of popular late `80s production. This serves to distance Waters' work on "Radio K.A.O.S." from his traditional role as an artist borne of the late `60s and early `70s, perhaps to the chagrin of his longtime fans.

In addition, it is also the only recording by Waters in which he does not try to recast the roles of his fellow musicians in Floyd with hired guns. Admittedly, Eric Clapton was great on "The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking" and Jeff Beck is incomprehensibly expressive on "Amused to Death," it seems to me that their inclusion on these recordings is a deliberate attempt to recreate Floyd (particularly Gilmour's voice) with admittedly talented but ultimately hired musicians. "Radio K.A.O.S." is conspicuously naked of such references. However, as a recording it manages to stand on its own due to the strength of Waters' vision. This aspect of "Radio K.A.O.S." is particularly compelling in light of the fact that it was released at almost the same time as Floyd's relatively successful and similarly controversial "Delicate Sound of Thunder," as if he was trying to deliberately distance himself from Gilmour's Floyd.

Nevertheless, "Radio K.A.O.S." is, as previously stated, indelibly marked by the concerns that pervaded the music of classic progressive musicians in the `80s. Both production and commercial issues saturate this recording, and these problems justify the negative arguments by the people who cannot identify with this era. But, as a marginally countercultural person from this timeframe, I recognized Roger's voice within these issues and appreciated hearing his experienced voice within them.

Despite my admittedly nostalgic feelings, I think that Waters really exhibits a lot of musical strength on "Radio K.A.O.S." It seemed like, for a fleeting second, he might have found his voice outside of the soundscape of Pink Floyd. However, his other works indicate that "Radio K.A.O.S," is not a characteristic example of his overall vision. Without an understanding of the political climate during what Americans now call the "Regan-era,' the contemporary consumer may not fully appreciate the statement that Waters was trying to make.

The Lowdown: There is a possibility that the present-day Waters fan may find "Radio K.A.O.S." relevant on a conceptual level, but Waters' desire to fit in the soundscape of the late `80's is both a boon and a bane. One of his newer fans may not understand it, but to those of us that were there and understand its context, it has significant depth.

Billy's story is a masterpiece. For anyone to tell you otherwise would be absurd. Roger Waters at his creative best- after Amused to Death, this album is a must have for college, and beyond. Listen with an open mind, and have your hair blown back... its amazing. Also, read Radio Waves, by Jim Ladd, a tale of the FM beginnings. He is the DJ in the album, and originator of K.A.O.S.

Roger Waters is synonomys with concept albums. This one differs very much from any of his concept albums with the mighty Floyd as this actually has a narrative. The songs help tell a story, songs are woven by little segues and, behold, there is a story in the liner notes. The concept works. It's intriguing - as it tells the story of Billy who is in a seemingly vegetative state, but is able to communicate to a radio disk jockey via, well, radio waves. The songs are good - especially the Powers that Be, Home, and the Tide is Turning.

There are two underlying problems with the album, however. One is that production is clearly trapped in 1987. This is one of the most dated recordings from a very gifted songwriter. Given that it is a science fiction piece, that's almost forgivable. However good some of these songs are, some are a little hard on the ears in 2007. Notably, the "single" Radio Waves is a silly, repetitive introduction. The other problem, as one reviewer has noted, is inherent to concept albums of this nature. The songs don't sit well on their own. When I was much younger, I would listen to this album as a whole, and it sounded great - and for the most part, it still does. But songs like "Four Minutes," a great melancholic track about regret, do not stand well by themselves, as they are designed to tightly fit the concept. Clearly a case of the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

This is a good album, despite its shortcomings. If you can withstand the clearly dated production, you'll enjoy it.

Before you jump to any conclusions...Yes, the album can sound dated. Many albums from the 80's can and do. There's also the classic concept album motif that Roger always employs on his albums. He enjoys telling stories through the music to make you at the very least think. This is a man with a message. You may not always agree, but he does make it interesting. Remember also the 80's was all about The Cold War, Nukes, Reagan, SALT, etc...Rocks songs about Geo-Politics don't usually fall into the genre of pop. Roger Waters does NOT write pop songs. Thankfully the man has something more important to say than Britney Spears. They say the man is bitter, but he's also devilishly clever and an extremely talented song writer and lyricist. If you love Floyd, then KAOS will not be a problem. The songs are there, even if the technology has aged. The story may get a bit confusing, but the album wraps up nice with "The Tide is Turning". It's worth the listen.

Some reviewers picked apart this excellent work of Roger Waters below. What they fail to realize is that this was written for a live concert which I saw back in 1987, and yes, it has an 80's sound to it, but do not let that distract you from its impressive work. Being a story concept, each song is linked together with a concept which can be followed on the inside jacket cover of the CD.
One of the worst concept alblums of all time? The KISS "Elder" alblum from 1983. Another intersting concept alblum was the rush disk about the kid who finds a guitar in the future when music is outlawed.
As far as concept alblums go, I saw definatly plop down your 18 bucks and go with this one. Its deep. Listen to it several times and you will keep hearing new things. Great disk to pop on when you have a couple of buddies over and you are shooting pool. GREAT CD to pop in and listen to while you are on a road trip driving at night.
Happy Listening. The Intellegence that Roger Waters utilized in crafting this masterpiece is amazing.

Don't know what all the negativity is about. I have owned the cassette of this release from Waters since it came out and have just LOVED it! "Tide is Turning" is a classic, "Radio Waves", one of his best EVER, and "Me or Him" has a cool ambiance that is captivating. What's not to like? If you are a Floyd or Roger Waters fan....BUY IT!