Amused to Death
Amused to Deathis perfectly titled; it conveys its maker's mordant humor and underlying pessimism. Roger Waters's third solo album allowed a faint but perceptible return to the sound of his estranged former band,Pink Floyd. There are moments here ("What God Wants," "Three Wishes") that recall nothing so much as the densely textured sound ofAnimalsandThe Wall. And like those works, this is a concept album--the concept (as ever with Waters) being the crappy nature of modern life. Fair enough, but as usual, his satire is blunt and the targets of his scorn obvious. Former EagleDon Henleyduets on "Watching TV," whileJeff Beckcontributes taut, lyrical solos to a number of tracks, notably "It's a Miracle." Waters's voice, however, remains the same: a weary whisper, positively dripping with contempt.--Andrew McGuire