Radio K.A.O.S. |
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Released: June 15, 1987 Peak: 50 US, 25 UK, -- CN, 33 AU Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.06 UK Genre: classic rock |
Tracks: Song Title [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts.
All songs written by Roger Waters. Total Running Time: 41:24 |
Rating:  3.638 out of 5.00 (average of 9 ratings)
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About the Album: When Roger Waters released his first solo album, 1984’s The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking, he was still officially a member of Pink Floyd. However, he had a very public split with the band in 1985 in which he tried to sue the rest of the band to preven them from using the name. He lost the battle in court and in public opinion as the general consensus seemed to be that Waters’ ego had gotten out of hand in his unwillingness to acknowledge the contributions David Gilmour, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright had made to Pink Floyd. Waters did beat Pink Floyd to the punch regarding album releases, putting out his second solo effort, Radio K.A.O.S., a few months before his ex-band mates released A Momentary Lapse of Reason. However, the public had made a pretty clear choice. A Momentary Lapse of Reason was a top-10 album in the United States and sold 10 million copies worldwide. Radio K.A.O.S. missed the top ten and didn’t even go gold. That isn’t to say it’s a bad album. As with previous Pink Floyd releases, Waters constructed a concept album, this time addressing issues such as “monetarism and its effect on citizens, popular culture at the time, and the events and consequences of the Cold War.” WK Like the last Pink Floyd album, 1983’s The Final Cut, this one was also critical of United Kingdom Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The story line revolves around Billy, a 23-year old Welshman confined to a wheelchair. He is viewed as mentally challenged, but is actually a genius with the superpower of hearing radio waves (Radio Waves) without any equipment. Billy has to move to Los Angeles to live with his uncle (Sunset Strip) after his brother Benny goes to prison. Billy makes a connection with a local DJ, telling him his story (Me or Him). Billy uses his genius ability to hack into a military satellite and fool the world into thinking nuclear weapons are going to be detonated around the world and simultaneously deactivates the military’s power to respond (Home and Four Minutes). When people thought they were going to die, they realized the importance of love for family and the larger community (The Tide Is Turning). The Village Voice’s Robert Christgau summed up the theme and its effectiveness, saying “Waters's wheelchair-bound version of the deaf, dumb, and blind boy [a reference to the Who’s Tommy] learns to control the world’s computers with his cordless phone, then simulates impending nuclear holocaust just to scare the shit out of the powers that be. I have serious reservations about any record that can’t be enjoyed unless you sit there reading the inner sleeve, but this is not without its aural rewards.” WK Rolling Stone’s J.D. Considine said the album was “by no means perfect” but “powerful.” WK Waters himself has said that his attempt make the record sound modern had ruined it. He also regrets trimming what was originally a double album down to a single album. |
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First posted 8/29/2021. |
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