Is This the Life We Really Want? (2017) — Roger Waters
Is This the Life We Really Want? is the fourth solo studio album by English musician Roger Waters, co‑founder and longtime creative force behind Pink Floyd. Released on 2 June 2017 through Columbia Records, it was Waters’ first solo rock album in 25 years since Amused to Death (1992), and marked his return to studio recordings with a pointed social and political message.
🎧 Album Overview
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Title: Is This the Life We Really Want?
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Artist: Roger Waters
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Released: 2 June 2017
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Recorded: 2010–2017 (Los Angeles & London)
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Length: 54:06
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Label: Columbia Records
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Producer: Nigel Godrich
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Studio: Electric Lady Studios (NYC), Fivestar, United Recording, Wack Formula
It reached #3 in the UK and #11 in the US charts, and produced four singles: Smell the Roses, Déjà Vu, The Last Refugee, and Wait for Her.
📖 Concept & Themes
Although not a strict narrative concept like some of Waters’ earlier works, this album functions as a political and emotional meditation on the state of the world — questioning war, fear, inequality, and humanity’s complicity in its own suffering. Its themes include:
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Critique of modern geopolitics and leadership, including lyrical references to then‑US President Donald Trump.
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Reflection on global crises and empathy for the displaced and marginalized.
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Exploration of love’s potential to counteract apathy and despair.
Producer Nigel Godrich advised Waters toward a less theatrical, more concise record, focusing on lyricism and mood over expansive narrative arcs.
📝 Track Listing (All songs by Roger Waters)
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When We Were Young
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Déjà Vu
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The Last Refugee
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Picture That
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Broken Bones
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Is This the Life We Really Want?
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Bird in a Gale
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The Most Beautiful Girl
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Smell the Roses
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Wait for Her
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Oceans Apart
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Part of Me Died
Together these tracks form a flowing suite of introspection, protest, and reflection on life, loss, and responsibility.
🎼 Album Credits & Personnel
Primary Musicians:
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Roger Waters – vocals, acoustic guitar, bass
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Nigel Godrich – keyboards, guitar, arrangements, sound collages, producer
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Gus Seyffert – bass, guitar, keyboards
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Jonathan Wilson – guitar, keyboards
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Joey Waronker – drums
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Roger Joseph Manning Jr. – keyboards
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Lee Pardini – keyboards
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Jessica Wolfe & Holly Laessig (Lucius) – backing vocals
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David Campbell – string arrangements
Technical & Design:
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Producer & Engineer: Nigel Godrich
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Design / Creative Direction: Sean Evans, Dan Ichimoto, Danny Kamhaji
🎨 Cover Art & Design
The album’s minimalist cover art consists of extensive text heavily redacted with black ink, leaving only the album’s title visible — a visual metaphor for censorship, controlled narratives, and selective perception in modern society.
This artwork became controversial in Italy, where artist Emilio Isgrò alleged that Waters’ design plagiarized his “erasure” artistic technique. A Milan court temporarily blocked the album’s sale there due to copyright claims.
📊 Commercial Reception & Accolades
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UK Albums Chart: #3
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US Billboard 200: #11
The record produced four singles that supported its promotional campaign and featured Waters’ social commentary. While not a mainstream blockbuster, it garnered generally favorable reviews from critics (Metacritic score ~72/100).
Several markets certified the album on sales or streaming figures, including Gold in Italy, Poland, and Switzerland, and Silver in the UK.
🔍 Analysis
Musically, the album blends Waters’ trademark acoustic and electric textures with spacious production and political dialogue — a style reminiscent of his Pink Floyd years yet filtered through his matured artistic voice. Critics describe the work as:
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A focused protest album — tackling injustices from global conflict to neoliberal apathy.
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Accessible progressiveness — more concise than Waters’ earlier solo concept works, yet politically incisive.
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A blend of melancholic beauty and urgency, making it one of his most emotionally direct records.
🤔 Fun Facts & Trivia
Did You Know?
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This was Waters’ first rock album in nearly 25 years — his previous was Amused to Death (1992).
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Producer Nigel Godrich is best known for work with Radiohead and encouraged a pared‑down approach.
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Some tracks like Déjà Vu and Broken Bones were debuted live years before official release.
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The album’s social themes reflect Waters’ longtime anti‑war and political commentary, tying back to his Pink Floyd legacy.
