An Open Letter to Roger Waters...

ModernConservative.com ^ | Christopher Cook

[connell]

This morning, I read on the Drudge Report that Roger Waters (formerly of Pink Floyd) is sounding off about our upcoming elections as a part of his current tour...

...I was a Pink Floyd fan in my youth, and as such, I feel compelled to write an open letter to Mr. Waters.

I will readily admit that the foregoing letter at times commits the logical fallacy of making ad hominem statements. So be it. Let's just say that, since I was a fan of Pink Floyd as a teenager, that I have temporarily regressed for the purposes of this letter, which reads...


Dear Roger Waters,

When I was younger, I really enjoyed Pink Floyd...a lot. There were entire albums whose every word, every note, every harmonic and string noise were...

[caver]

Yea, they'd probably toss me out if I brought my own inflatable advertising.

[rlmorel]

Believe me, I fervently wished I had a BB gun, slingshot or something. I was pretty angry. But, I tried not to let it show, because I didn't want to sour it for everyone I went with. They just are not nearly as political.

[kingu]

I'm really starting to get curious as to if it was November 2nd on the pig, and if they were just pulling out the pigs from 2004 and painting the sides.

But really, while I respect Rodger's consistency in being anti-war, ya gotta have a wicked sense of irony to paint DNC propaganda on the side of a flying pig. I mean, really, did the DNC make this decision? Because it sounds like a Howard Dean Good Idea (tm).

[rlmorel]

LOL...I like the "tm"...

Yes, it was November 2nd, and yes, I did wonder about that.

[rlmorel]

LOL...no kidding...pigs with wings...

Libs have as much capacity for humor and recognition of irony as the Islamofacists...which means none.

[kingu]

Yes, it was November 2nd, and yes, I did wonder about that.

Great. We'll have liberals around the nation suing election boards because they went to vote on Thursday, Nov 2nd, and were disenfranchised by lack of polling places.

[AbeKrieger]

I was at the Waters show in Camden, NJ Sat 9/16 and the pig he used there made no reference to Bush, no reference to "vote democrat", etc... and there was no real anti-Bush diatribe that I heard...I think after the reception they got in MSG in NY (major booing) he realized it needed to be toned down... and it was.

[drubyfive]

I go to a lot of music festivals--mainly bluegrass and related genres. As recently as last year, there would be substantial audience booing when an artist made an anti-Bush comment from the stage. This season, there have been many more such comments and no audible response from the audience.

[connell]

Glad to hear that there was booing!

[connell]

I've been seeing that "new" peace sign a lot lately. Are they just ignorant of its actual design, is it an intentional change, or is it a giant corporate conspiracy by Mercedes?

[spinestein]

"Fearless" is a fantastic song. My classic rock band covers it and we get people coming up to us after the show asking what the name of it is and who it's by because it's so rarely played on the radio.

[plan2succeed.org]

Agreed. And since you have a classic rock band, I have something to say to you.

FREEeeeeeBIiiiiiRrrrD!!!!

[spinestein]

A wise person once informed me, "They don't really want to hear 'Freebird', they're just HECKLING you."



I've been playing classic rock covers for 20 years and I refuse to EVER play "Freebird" or "Stairway to Heaven".

Never have. Never will.

[spinestein]

I see adverts for the Roger Waters concert in my current 'Illinois Entertainer' and they read "ROGER WATERS -- THE CREATIVE GENIUS BEHIND PINK FLOYD ... "


WOW! What an EGO!

I think it's safe to say that "The Pink Floyd" was no longer the same band after he left in '82, though Gilmour, Wright and Mason recorded two more albums which were decent, but for Waters to think that he's worth more than the others is astounding. His albums since leaving "the Floyd" have been nothing but stomach churning tripe.

Oh, and somebody should tell him that having too much plastic surgery will eventually catch up to a person and result in a face like Michael Jackson now wears.

[plan2succeed.org]

I read an article about this in the Wall Street Journal. About Freebird being constantly shouted out at concerts. It was within the past year. It involved some remaining Van Zandt family members. It discussed why people do it and how different bands have reacted. While I do not recall the article perfectly, I think shouting Freebird is more of a "fun" thing to do, not meant to be heckling. Like my post. I thought it was just fun. Certainly I was not heckling you. That WSJ article was actually funny. Like how one of the Van Zandt's went to some concert and people started shouting Freebird and he joined in and his wife was embarrased. Something like that. I'm not sure exactly. But it was a good read, and it might put you at ease regarding people shouting that at you. Yes! I found the WSJ article linked here: What Song Is It You Wanna Hear?.

"Rock's Oldest Joke: Yelling 'Freebird!' In a Crowded Theater" by Jason Fry, Wall Street Journal, 17 March 2005, page A1.

Search Google for more.

[connell]

I really wish I could just continue to enjoy the music, acting, and art of such people, without them reminding me of just how much they hate me, my values, and---frankly---my country.

It's getting harder and harder to separate the two.

[connell]

He is?

That is seriously lame.

[connell]

Perhaps you had more sense than I did in middle school!

:-)

[dfwgator]

His albums since leaving "the Floyd" have been nothing but stomach churning tripe.

So was "The Final Cut." I much prefer "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" and "The Division Bell" over that clanker.

[connell]

My wife was the lead guitarist for a couple of Los Angeles and Phoenix heavy metal bands back in the 90s. I suspect she might agree with you!