Showing posts with label Roger Waters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Roger Waters. Show all posts

Monday, August 4, 2025

Today in Music (1967): Pink Floyd Releases Piper at the Gates of Dawn

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Pink Floyd


Released: August 4, 1967


Peak: 131 US, 6 UK, -- CN, -- AU Click for codes to charts.


Sales (in millions): 0.5 US, 0.1 UK, 3.5 world (includes US and UK), 5.58 EAS


Genre: psychedelic rock


The original Pink Floyd: left to right – Roger Waters, Nick Mason, Syd Barrett, and Richard Wright

Tracks (UK version):

Click on a song titled for more details.
  1. Astronomy Domine [4:12]
  2. Lucifer Sam [3:07]
  3. Matilda Mother [3:08]
  4. Flaming [2:46]
  5. Pow R. Toc H. [4:26]
  6. Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk [3:05]
  7. Interstellar Overdrive [9:41]
  8. The Gnome [2:13]
  9. Chapter 24 [3:42]
  10. The Scarecrow [2:11]
  11. Bike [3:21]

Total Running Time: 41:54


Tracks (U.S. version):

Click on a song titled for more details.
  1. See Emily Play [2:53]
  2. Pow R. Toc H. [4:26]
  3. Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk [3:05]
  4. Lucifer Sam [3:07]
  5. Matilda Mother [3:08]
  6. The Scarecrow [2:11]
  7. The Gnome [2:13]
  8. Chapter 24 [3:42]
  9. Interstellar Overdrive [9:41]


40th Anniversary Bonus Disc:

Click on a song titled for more details.
  1. Arnold Layne [2:57]
  2. Candy and a Currant Bun [2:45]
  3. See Emily Play [2:53]
  4. Apples and Oranges [3:11]
  5. Paint Box [3:45]
  6. Interstellar Overdrive (take 2, French edit) [5:15]
  7. Apples and Oranges (stereo version) [3:11]
  8. Matilda Mother (alternate version) [3:09]
  9. Interstellar Overdrive (take 6) [5:03]


The Players:

  • Syd Barrett (vocals, guitar)
  • Roger Waters (bass, vocals)
  • Nick Mason (drums, percussion)
  • Richard Wright (keyboards)

Rating:

4.074 out of 5.00 (average of 25 ratings)


Quotable:

“One of the best psychedelic albums of all time.” – Steve Huey, All Music Guide

Awards:

(Click on award to learn more).

About the Album

Pink Floyd formed in London in 1965. They started out as an R&B combo, taking their name from blues musicians Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. However, by the time of their first single, 1967’s “Arnold Layne,” they were at the forefront of the new psychedelic rock movement which was marked by sonic experimentation and the influence of psychedelic drugs.

Sadly, drugs and mental illness led to one of rock’s greatest tragedies with original Pink Floyd frontman Syd Barrett. He only made it through one full album and part of the next before abandoning the band to live a reclusive life.

One of the Best Psychedelic Albums of All Time

Pink Floyd’s debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, “successfully captures both sides of psychedelic experimentation – the pleasures of expanding one’s mind and perception, and an underlying threat of mental disorder and even lunacy; this duality makes Piper all the more compelling in light of Barrett’s subsequent breakdown.” SH

It has been celebrated as “one of the seminal psychedelic rock albums of the 1960s.” WK Rolling Stone called it “the golden achievement of Syd Barrett” WK and Q magazine described it as “indispensable” and one of the “best psychedelic albums of all time.” WK

The Title

The title “is taken from a chapter in Syd Barrett’s favorite children’s book, The Wind in the Willows, and the lyrical imagery of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is indeed full of colorful, childlike, distinctly British whimsy, albeit filtered through the perceptive lens of LSD.” SH

The Music

“Barrett’s catchy, melodic acid pop songs are balanced with longer, more experimental pieces showcasing the group’s instrumental freak-outs.” SH “Even though Barrett’s lyrics and melodies are mostly playful and humorous, the band’s music doesn’t always bear out those sentiments – in addition to Rick Wright’s eerie organ work, dissonance, chromaticism, weird noises, and vocal sound effects are all employed at various instances, giving the impression of chaos and confusion lurking beneath the bright surface.” SH

Reissues

In 1973, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was paired with 1968’s A Saucerful of Secrets as A Nice Pair. In 2007, a 40th anniversary reissue of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn added a bonus disc which included some alternate takes of album cuts as well as non-album singles and B-sides from 1967. See track listing above.

The Songs

Here’s a breakdown of each individual song.

Astronomy Domine

Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barrett

Lead Vocals: Syd Barrett, Richard Wright


Released: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (UK version, 8/4/1967), Echoes (compilation, 11/6/2001)


Peak: 15 CL, 13 DF Click for codes to charts.


Sales (in millions): --


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 23.55 streaming

Awards:

(Click on award to learn more).

About the Song:

On Piper at the Gates of Dawn, Pink Floyd often used “space travel as metaphors for hallucinogenic experiences – Astronomy Domine is a poppier number in this vein.” SH

Lucifer Sam

Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barrett

Lead Vocals: Syd Barrett


Released: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (UK version, 8/4/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (U.S. version, 8/4/1967)


Peak: -- Click for codes to charts.


Sales (in millions): --


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 11.95 streaming

Matilda Mother

Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barrett

Lead Vocals: Syd Barrett, Richard Wright


Released: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (UK version, 8/4/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (U.S. version, 8/4/1967)


Peak: 41 CL Click for codes to charts.


Sales (in millions): --


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 8.03 streaming


About the Song:

The 40th anniversary reissue of the album in 2007 featured an alternate version of “Matilda Mother.”

Flaming

Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barrett

Lead Vocals: Syd Barrett


Released: single (11/6/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (UK version, 8/4/1967)


B-side: “The Gnome”


Peak: 48 CL Click for codes to charts.


Sales (in millions): --


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 6.19 streaming

Pow R. Toc H.

Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Richard Wright, Nick Mason

Lead Vocals: instrumental, wordless vocals by Barrett, Waters, and Wright


Released: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (UK version, 8/4/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (U.S. version, 8/4/1967)


Peak: -- Click for codes to charts.


Sales (in millions): --


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 5.18 streaming

Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk

Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Roger Waters

Lead Vocals: Roger Waters


Released: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (UK version, 8/4/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (U.S. version, 8/4/1967)


Peak: -- Click for codes to charts.


Sales (in millions): --


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 4.70 streaming

Interstellar Overdrive

Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Richard Wright, Nick Mason

Lead Vocals: instrumental


Released: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (UK version, 8/4/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (U.S. version, 8/4/1967), Relics (compilation, 5/14/1971)


Peak: 33 CL, 18 DF Click for codes to charts.


Sales (in millions): --


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 20.15 streaming

Awards:

(Click on award to learn more).

About the Song:

“The outsized instrumental Interstellar Overdrive,” BA – the “album’s most celebrated track,” BA represents one “of the earliest forays into what has been tagged space rock.” SH

The 40th anniversary reissue in 2007 featured two additional versions of “Interstellar Overdrive.”

The Gnome

Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barrett

Lead Vocals: Syd Barrett


Released: B-side of “Flaming” (11/6/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (UK version, 8/4/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (U.S. version, 8/4/1967)


Peak: -- Click for codes to charts.


Sales (in millions): --


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 5.89 streaming


About the Song:

Alongside instrumental freak-outs and space-themed psychedelia on Piper at the Gates of Dawn are “catchy-sounding, Gothic-themed pop songs such as …The Scarecrow and The Gnome.” BA

Chapter 24

Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barrett

Lead Vocals: Syd Barrett


Released: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (UK version, 8/4/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (U.S. version, 8/4/1967)


Peak: -- Click for codes to charts.


Sales (in millions): --


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 4.04 streaming

The Scarecrow

Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barrett

Lead Vocals: Syd Barrett


Released: B-side of “See Emily Play” (6/16/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (UK version, 8/4/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (U.S. version, 8/4/1967)


Peak: -- Click for codes to charts.


Sales (in millions): --


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 4.06 streaming


About the Song:

Alongside instrumental freak-outs and space-themed psychedelia on Piper at the Gates of Dawn are “catchy-sounding, Gothic-themed pop songs such as …The Scarecrow and The Gnome.” BA

Bike

Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barrett

Lead Vocals: Syd Barrett


Released: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (UK version, 8/4/1967), Relics (compilation, 5/14/1971), Echoes (compilation, 11/6/2001)


Peak: 44 CL, 10 DF Click for codes to charts.


Sales (in millions): --


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 9.53 streaming

Arnold Layne

Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barett

Lead Vocals: Syd Barrett


Released: single (3/10/1967), Relics (compilation, 5/14/1971), Works (compilation, 6/18/1983), Echoes (compilation, 11/6/2001), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (bonus disc, 2007 reissue)


B-side: “Candy and a Currant Bun”


Peak: 6 CL, 20 UK, 7 DF Click for codes to charts.


Sales (in millions): --


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 19.35 streaming

Awards:

(Click on award to learn more).

Candy and a Currant Bun

Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barett

Lead Vocals: Syd Barrett


Released: B-side of “Arnold Layne” (3/10/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (bonus disc, 2007 reissue)


Peak: -- Click for codes to charts.


Sales (in millions): --


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.55 streaming

See Emily Play

Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barett

Lead Vocals: Syd Barrett


Released: single (6/16/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (U.S. version, 8/4/1967), Relics (compilation, 5/14/1971), Works (compilation, 6/18/1983), Echoes (compilation, 11/6/2001), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (bonus disc, 2007 reissue), A Foot in the Door (compilation, 11/7/2011)


B-side: “The Scarecrow”


Peak: 3 CL, 6 UK, 7 DF Click for codes to charts.


Sales (in millions): --


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 32.64 streaming

Awards:

(Click on award to learn more).

Apples and Oranges

Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Syd Barett

Lead Vocals: Syd Barrett


Released: single (11/17/1967), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (bonus disc, 2007 reissue)


B-side: “Paint Box”


Peak: 48 CL, 55 UK Click for codes to charts.


Sales (in millions): --


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 0.94 streaming


About the Song:

The 2007 reissue features two versions of the song.

Paint Box

Pink Floyd

Writer(s): Richard Wright

Lead Vocals: Richard Wright


Released: B-side of “Apples and Oranges” (11/17/1967), Relics (compilation, 5/14/1971), The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (bonus disc, 2007 reissue)


Peak: -- Click for codes to charts.


Sales (in millions): --


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 2.80 streaming

Resources/References:


Related DMDB Pages:


First posted 7/29/2011; last updated 8/22/2025.

Friday, August 1, 2025

Roger Waters: A Retrospective (1965-2025)

Roger Waters

A Retrospective, 1965-2020


Born: George Robert Waters
Date: September 6, 1943
Where: Great Bookham, Surrey, England


Significant Bands:


Overview:

Roger Waters was one of the founding members of Pink Floyd. The psychedelic, progressive-rock band formed in 1965. Waters served as the bassist, chief songwriter, and sometime vocalist. He left in 1983 for a solo career.


On the Web:

Awards

Studio Albums (with Pink Floyd)

Hover over an album cover to see its title and year of release. Click on the album cover to go to the Pink Floyd profile page and see more information about the album.


Studio Albums (Solo)


Compilations


Live Albums

Under each album snapshot, songs featured on the above anthologies and live albums are noted.

Music from The Body (soundtrack, 1970)


Released: November 28, 1970

Peak: -- US, -- UK, -- CN, -- AU


Sales (in millions): --


Genre: soundtrack


Rating:

3.434 out of 5.00 (average of 7 ratings)

Tracks:

  1. Our Song [1:24]
  2. Sea Shell and Stone [2:17]
  3. Red Stuff Writhe [1:11]
  4. A Gentle Breeze Blew Through Life [1:19]
  5. Lick Your Partners [0:35]
  6. Bridge Passage for Three Plastic Teeth [0:35]
  7. Chain of Life [3:59]
  8. The Womb Bit [2:06]
  9. Embryo Thought [0:39]
  10. March Past of the Embryos [1:08]
  11. More Than Seven Dwarfs in Penis-Land [2:03]
  12. Dance of the Red Corpuscles [2:04]
  13. Body Transport [3:16]
  14. Hand Dance – Full Evening Dress [1:01]
  15. Breathe [2:53]
  16. Old Folks Ascension [3:47]
  17. Bed-Time-Dream-Clime [2:02]
  18. Piddle in Perspex [0:57]
  19. Embryonic Womb-Walk [1:14]
  20. Mrs. Throat Goes Walking [2:05]
  21. Sea Shell and Soft Stone [2:05]
  22. Give Birth to a Smile [2:49]

About the Album:

Ron Geesin was commissioned to create music for a BBC documentary film of Anthony Smith’s book The Body, published in 1968. When director Roy Battersby said he wanted actual songs, Geesin called Roger Waters for help. That same year they worked together on Pink Floyd’s Atom Heart Mother.

The album is “a strange collection of short cuts of sound effects and musique concréte with even stranger titles.” FS “Give Birth to a Smile” and “Breathe” “are practically the only two real ‘songs’ on the soundtrack.” FS The former featured uncredited performances from David Gilmour, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright – the other three members of Pink Floyd.

The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking (1984)

  1. 4:30 AM (Apparently They Were Travelling Abroad)
  2. 4:33 AM (Running Shoes)
  3. 4:37 AM (Arabs with Knives and West German Skies)
  4. 4:39 AM (For the First Time Today, Part 2)
  5. 4:41 AM (Sexual Revolution)
  6. 4:47 AM (The Remains of Our Love)
  7. 4:50 AM (Go Fishing)
  8. 4:56 AM (For the First Time Today, Part 1)
  9. 4:58 AM (Dunroamin, Duncarin, Dunlivin)
  10. 5:01 AM (The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking, Part 10)
  11. 5:06 AM (Every Stranger’s Eyes) FF
  12. 5:11 AM (The Moment of Clarity)

About the Album:

Roger Waters first solo album after leaving Pink Floyd was based on a concept Waters originally conceived in 1977 about a man facing mid-life crisis. The album takes place in real time about the man’s dream about taking a road trip through California, committing adultery with a hitchhiker he picks up, and then trying to reconcile with his wife.

Go to the DMDB page for more about this album including chart data, sales figures, awards, and information about individual songs.

When the Wind Blows (soundtrack, 1986)

  1. When the Wind Blows [3:35] (David Bowie)
  2. Facts and Figures [4:19] (Hugh Cornwell)
  3. The Brazilian [4:51] (Genesis)
  4. What Have They Done? [3:39] (Squeeze)
  5. The Shuffle [4:16] (Paul Hardcastle)

    Roger Waters:

  6. The Russian Missile [0:10]
  7. Towers of Faith [7:00] FF
  8. Hilda’s Dream [1:36]
  9. The American Bomber [0:07]
  10. The Anderson Shelter [1:13]
  11. The British Submarine [0:14]
  12. The Attack [2:53]
  13. The Fall Out [2:04]
  14. Hilda’s Hair [4:20]
  15. Folded Flags [4:51]

About the Album:

Originally David Bowie was going to contribute several songs to the soundtrack, but ended up only providing the title track, opting to focus on his Never Let Me Down album instead. Roger Waters was brought in and offered ten of the fifteen songs on the soundtrack to this animated disaster film based on Raymond Briggs’ comic book of the same name.

Radio K.A.O.S. (1987)

  1. Radio Waves [4:58] FF
  2. Who Needs Information? [5:55] FF
  3. Me or Him [5:23]
  4. The Powers That Be [4:36] TD
  5. Sunset Strip [4:45]
  6. Home [6:00]
  7. Four Minutes [4:00]
  8. The Tide Is Turning (After Live Aid) [5:43] WB, FF

About the Album:

Waters’ second studio album was another concept project, this time following a mentally and physically disabled man who has on-air conversations with a local disc jockey.

Go to the DMDB page for more about this album including chart data, sales figures, awards, and information about individual songs.

The Wall – Live in Berlin (1990)

Roger Waters with various artists

About the Album:

Waters brought together a number of guest artists to perform Pink Floyd’s The Wall in its entirety to commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall eight months earlier.

Go to the DMDB page for more about this album including chart data, sales figures, awards, and information about individual songs.

Amused to Death (1992)

  1. The Ballad of Bill Hubbard [4:21]
  2. What God Wants, Part I [6:00]
  3. Perfect Sense, Part I [4:15] IF, FF
  4. Perfect Sense, Part II [2:51] IF, FF
  5. The Bravery of Being Out of Range [4:45] IF, TD
  6. Late Home Tonight, Part I [4:01]
  7. Late Home Tonight, Part II [2:13]
  8. Too Much Rope [5:47] FF
  9. What God Wants, Part II [3:40]
  10. What God Wants, Part III [4:09]
  11. Watching TV [6:06]
  12. Three Wishes [6:52] FF
  13. It’s a Miracle [8:30] IF
  14. Amused to Death [9:07] IF

About the Album:

Waters’ third solo album was loosely organized around the idea of an ape randomly switching channels on a television. The album explored political and social themes.

Go to the DMDB page for more about this album including chart data, sales figures, awards, and information about individual songs.

In the Flesh

Roger Waters


Recorded live: June 16-27, 2000


Released: December 5, 2000

Peak: -- US, 170 UK, -- CN, 100 AU


Sales (in millions): --


Genre: classic rock


Rating:

3.055 out of 5.00 (average of 10 ratings)

Tracks, Disc 1:

(1) In the Flesh? (2) The Happiest Days of Our Lives (3) Another Brick in the Wall Part II (4) Mother (5) Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert (6) Southampton Dock (7) Pigs on the Wing, Pt. 1 (8) Dogs (9) Welcome to the Machine (10) Wish You Were Here (11) Shine on You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-VIII) (12) Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun

Tracks, Disc 2:

(1) Speak to Me/Breathe (2) Time (3) Money (4) 5:06 AM (Every Stranger’s Eyes) (5) Perfect Sense, Part I / Perfect Sense, Part II (6) The Bravery of Being Out of Range (7) It’s a Miracle (8) Amused to Death (9) Brain Damage (10) Eclipse (11) Comfortably Numb (12) Each Small Candle


Total Running Time: 147:35


About the Album:

This live album offered a snapshot of Waters’ three-year In the Flesh tour, which predominantly featured Pink Floyd songs.


Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums:

  • Each Small Candle FF

Flickering Flame

Roger Waters


Released: April 30, 2002


Covers: 1984-2001


Peak: --


Sales (in millions): --


Genre: rock


Tracks: (1) Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (2) Too Much Rope (3) The Tide Is Turning (4) Perfect Sense, Part I / Perfect Sense, Part II (live) (5) Three Wishes (6) 5:06 AM (Every Stranger’s Eyes) (7) Who Needs Information? (8) Each Small Candle (live) (9) Flickering Flame (10) Towers of Faith (11) Radio Waves (12) Lost Boys


Total Running Time: 70:23

Rating:

3.275 out of 5.00 (average of 6 ratings)

About Flickering Flame:

It’s hard to call this a “greatest hits,” first because Waters didn’t have many solo hits and second because this collection doesn’t even include all the hits he did have. “The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking,” “Sunset Strip,” and “What God Wants” were all hit songs on the album rock track chart but are not incluced here. This serves more as an archival collection, gathering some unreleased and obscure material alongside a few album cuts as well as a couple of live tracks.

It would be nice to see an updated version of this collection which would add more of Waters’ actual hits as well as post-2002 non-album cuts like the “To Kill a Child” / “Leaving Beirut” single, “Hello I Love You” from the 2007 The Last Mimzy soundtrack, and his cover of “We Shall Overcome” in 2010.


Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums:

  • Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (from The Dybbuk of the Holy Apple Field soundtrack, 1997) FF
  • Lost Boys Calling (from The Legend of 1900 soundtrack, 1998) FF
  • Flickering Flame (previously unreleased) FF

Ça Ira (opera, 2005)


Released: October 4, 2005

Peak: -- US, -- UK, -- CN, -- AU


Sales (in millions): --


Genre: opera


Rating:

2.746 out of 5.00 (average of 7 ratings)

Tracks, Disc 1:

(1) The Gathering Storm (2) Overture

Act 1 (3) Scene 1: A Garden in Vienna 1765 (4) Madame Antoine, Madame Antoine (5) Scene 2: Kings Sticks and Birds (6) Honest Bird, Simple Bird (7) I Want to Be King (8) Let Us Break All the Shields (9) Scene 3: The Grievances of the People (10) Scene 4: France in Disarray (11) To Laugh is to Know How to Live (12) Slavers, Landlords, Bigots at Your Door (13) Scene 5: The Fall of the Bastille (14) To Freeze in the Dead of Night (15) So to the Streets in the Pouring Rain

Act 2 (16) Scene 1: Dances and Marches (17) Now Hear Ye! (18) Flushed With Wine (19) Scene 2: The Letter (20) My Dear Cousin Bourbon of Spain (21) The Ship of State is All at Sea (22) Scene 3: Silver Sugar and Indigo (23) To the Windward Isles (24) Scene 4: The Papal Edict (25) In Paris There's a Rumble Under the Ground

Tracks, Disc 2:

Act 3 (1) Scene 1: The Fugitive King (2) But the Marquis of Boulli Has a Trump Card Up His Sleeve (3) To Take Your Hat Off (4) The Echoes Never Fade from That Fusillade (5) Scene 2: The Commune de Paris (6) Vive la Commune de Paris (7) The National Assembly is Confused (8) Scene 3: The Execution of Louis Capet (9) Adieu Louis for You It's Over (10) Scene 4: Marie Antoinette [The Last Night on Earth (11) Adieu My Good and Tender Sister (12) Scene 5: Liberty (13) And in the Bushes Where They Survive


About the Album:

This was an opera written by Waters. He was approached in 1987 by friends Étienne Roda-Gil and his wife Nadine Delahaye and asked to set their libretto to music. It was recorded in 1988, but none of it was heard in public until 2002. It finally received an official premerie in Rome in 2005.

Roger Waters: The Wall

Roger Waters


Recorded live: July 2011 – July 2012


Released: November 20, 2015

Peak: 134 US, 53 UK, -- CN, 46 AU


Sales (in millions): --


Genre: classic rock


Rating:

3.645 out of 5.00 (average of 8 ratings)

Tracks, Disc 1:

(1) (1) In the Flesh? (2) The Thin Ice (3) Another Brick in the Wall Part I (4) The Happiest Days of Our Lives (5) Another Brick in the Wall Part II (6) The Ballad of Jean Charles de Menezes (7) Mother (8) Goodbye Blue Sky (9) Empty Spaces (10) What Shall We Do Now? (11) Young Lust (12) One of My Turns (13) Don't Leave Me Now (14) Another Brick in the Wall Part III (15) The Last Few Bricks (16) Goodbye Cruel World

Tracks, Disc 2:

(1) Hey You (2) Is There Anybody Out There? (3) Nobody Home (4) Vera (5) Bring the Boys Back Home (6) Comfortably Numb (7) The Show Must Go On (8) In the Flesh (9) Run Like Hell (10) Waiting for the Worms (11) Stop (12) The Trial (12) Outside the Wall


Total Running Time: 102:21


About the Album:

Waters revisited Pink Floyd’s The Wall yet again offering this live recording from performances in July 2012.


Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums:

  • The Ballad of Jean Charles de Menezes RW

Is This the Life We Really Want? (2017)

  1. When We Were Young [1:39]
  2. Déjà Vu [4:27] UT, TD
  3. The Last Refugee [4:12] UT
  4. Picture That [6:47] UT
  5. Broken Bones [4:57]
  6. Is This the Life We Really Want? [5:55] TD
  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]

About the Album:

Waters finally went back to the studio for his first solo album since 1992’s Amused to Death. While four singles were released to promote the album, they didn’t achieve any commercial success. The album, however, reached the top 10 in the UK, Australia, and Canada. It hit #11 in the United States.

Go to the DMDB page for more about this album including chart data, sales figures, awards, and information about individual songs.

Igor Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale (classical, 2018)


Released: October 26, 2018

Peak: -- US, -- UK, -- CN, -- AU


Sales (in millions): --


Genre: classical


Rating:

2.475 out of 5.00 (average of 7 ratings)

Part I:

(1) The Soldier’s March (2) Slogging Homeword… (3) Airs by a Stream (4) As You Can Hear… (5) The Soldier’s March (Reprise) (6) Eventually, Joseph Reaches His Home Village... (7) Pastorale (8) The Soldier, Disconsolate… (9) Pastorale (Reprise) (10) The Soldier, Slowly Coming Back to Himself... (11) Airs by a Stream (Reprise): To Stretch Out on the Grass... (12) Hey Satan, You Bastard... (13) Airs by a Stream (2nd Reprise) (14) Naught to Be Gained Here…

Part 2:

(1) The Soldier’s March (2nd Reprise): Down a Hot and Dusty Track... (2) He Doesn’t Even Know Himself... (3) The Soldier’s March (3rd Reprise): Will He Take the Road to Home… (4) He Doesn’t Have a Home Anymore... (5) The Royal March (6) So, All Was Arranged... (7) Later That Night… (8) The Little Concert: Light Floods the Eastern Sky... (9) The Soldier, with a Confident Air... (10) Three Dances: Tango (Part 1) (11) Three Dances: Tango (Part 2) (12) Three Dances: Waltz & Ragtime (13) So, First a Tango... (14) The Devil’s Dance (15) The Devil, Confused... (16) The Little Chorale (17) The Devil Recovers Some of His Wits… (18) The Devil’s Song: Alright! You’ll Be Safe at Home… (19) Hm, a Fair Warning... (20) Grand Chorale (Part 1) (21) Spring, Summer, Autumn... (22) Grand Chorale (Part 2) (23) Steady Now… (24) Grand Chorale (Part 3) (25) Steady, Just Smell the Flowers... (26) Grand Chorale (Part 4) (27) Now I Have Everything... (28) Grand Chorale (Part 5) (29) The Princess, All Excited... (30) Grand Chorale (Part 6) (31) And So, Off They Go... (32) Triumphal March of the Devil

About the Album:

This was Waters’ adaptation of Igor Stravinsky’s theatrical work. It was recorded in December 2014 at Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church but not released until four years later. Waters narrated the story and portrayed all the characters, recording the music with members of the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival.

Us + Them

Roger Waters


Recorded live: June 18-23, 2018


Released: October 2, 2020

Peak: -- US, 9 UK, -- CN, 35 AU


Sales (in millions): --


Genre: classic rock


Rating:

1.842 out of 5.00 (average of 5 ratings)

Tracks, Disc 1:

(1) Intro (2) Speak to Me (3) Breathe (4) One of These Days (5) Time/Breathe (Reprise) (6) The Great Gig in the Sky (7) Welcome to the Machine (8) Déjà Vu (9) The Last Refugee (10) Picture That (11) Wish You Were Here (12) The Happiest Days of Our Lives (13) Another Brick in the Wall Part II (14) Another Brick in the Wall Part III

Tracks, Disc 2:

(1) Dogs (2) Pigs (Three Different Ones) (3) Money (4) Us and Them (5) Brain Damage (6) Eclipse (7) The Last Refugee (reprise) (8) Déjà Vu (reprise)


Total Running Time: 120:21


About the Album:

This was another live album from Waters, capturing a performance from his 2017-2018 tour. Once again, the show featured predominantly Pink Floyd songs.

This Is Not a Drill: Live from Prague

Roger Waters


Recorded live: May 24-25, 2023


Released: August 1, 2025

Peak: -- US, 20 UK, -- CN, -- AU


Sales (in millions): -- US, -- UK, -- world (includes US and UK)


Genre: classic rock

Tracks, Disc 1:

(1) Introduction (2) Comfortably Numb (3) The Happiest Days of Our Lives (4) Another Brick in the Wall Part II (5) Another Brick in the Wall Part III (6) The Powers That Be (7) The Bravery of Being Out of Range (8) The Bar Part 1 (9) Have a Cigar (10) Wish You Were Here (11) Shine on You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI-IX) (12) Sheep

Tracks, Disc 1:

(1) In the Flesh (2) Run Like Hell (3) Déjà Vu (4) Is This the Life We Really Want? (5) Money (6) Us and Them (7) Any Colour You Like (8) Brain Damage (9) Eclipse (10) Two Suns in the Sunset (11) The Bar Part 2 (12) Outside the Wall


Total Running Time: 134:41


About the Album:

This is Roger Waters’ fifth live album and, like previous releases, it is dominated by Pink Floyd material. That makes sense because fans want that more than his solo work, but do fans really want FIVE live albums’ worth, especially when they repeat a lot of the same ground?


Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums:

  • The Bar Part 1 TD
  • The Bar Part 2 TD

Resources and Related Links:


Related DMDB Pages:


First posted 8/22/2021; last updated 8/25/2025.