Amused to Death is a solid album both conceptually and musically, showcasing
Waters as an artist who, like his work with
Pink Floyd, conveys his thoughts and ideals with pinpoint accuracy so that they are engraved within his audience's mind. With this album,
Waters touches heavily on the dangers of capitalism, the insensitivity of the human race, the ridiculousness of war, and the onslaught of mindless entertainment that encroaches on mankind on a day-to-day basis. Fitting all these aspects into 14 songs is a task in itself, but accomplishing this task alongside music that is forceful and appealing is extremely difficult, and still
Waters succeeds in doing this throughout the duration of the album. "The Ballad of Bill Hubbard" is a moving spoken intro from Alf Razzell, a former member of Britain's Royal Fusiliers. A stab at the false sense of security that lies within religion is dealt with on the powerful "What God Wants, Pt. 1," and the cowardice of the world's leaders is addressed in "The Bravery of Being Out of Range," one of the albums most blatant tracks. Guest guitarist
Jeff Beck rises to the occasion on a number of songs here, and both
Rita Coolidge and
Don Henley fill in behind and beside
Waters on a couple of the longer tunes. Ending with the title track, a song that sums up the whole of the album with it's subtle yet hard-hitting demeanor,
Waters proves that he can still reveal his conceptual ideas with pristine clarity, only on
Amused to Death, the music is as equally entertaining and effective. [
Amused to Death was re-released on CD in 2015.] ~ Mike DeGagne