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Rating: [Jim:] "This is K.A.O.S.
You and I are listening to KAOS in Los Angeles.
Let's go to the telephones now and take a request."
[Billy:] "Hello, I'm Billy."
[Jim:] "Yes?"
[Billy:] "I hear radio waves in my head."
[Jim:] "You hear radio waves in your head?
With these words, preceded by a vague radio signal, the first solo work of Roger Waters, as the former bassist of the Floyd, opens. Radio K.A.O.S. is a perfect Watersian concept, obviously less mature than The Wall but nevertheless unique and in some parts unsettling. It tells the story of Billy, who, in a vegetative state, through mental powers, manages to pick up the radio waves of the Radio K.A.O.S. station and thus converse with the disc jockey Jim Ladd. Not content, Billy, exploiting his paranormal abilities, manages to access the state's defensive system and to plan a planetary nuclear attack in a few days. Jim Ladd and his K.A.O.S. thus become instruments through which to speak openly to the state's powerful in the hope that, worried about the imminent end threats, they would call for peace negotiations.
The idea of the blind, deaf, mute child or otherwise in a vegetative state is exploited and overexploited (while I'm writing this review I have in front of me, on the desk, the very recent DVD edition of "Tommy" by The Who), but the basic idea, that is to mix the innocence of destroyed childhood with the supreme message of peace that is revealed in the end through the story of Billy and Jim, is of an originality without precedent. The aforementioned "…They immediately agree on the uncertain future of the Radio; the DJ is worried about the increasing commercialization of satellite radio, Billy fears that multinational projects like radios and televisions will ruin mankind and tend to make earth a difficult place to live" (from Roger Waters' press release before the album's release). Both therefore want to take the freedom of the radio and more generally of everything out of the hands of the great powers of the earth: however, the one who has the power to change the situation is little Billy who, as mentioned before, somehow "blackmails" the world powers with the threat of a nuclear attack.
The album begins with "Radio Waves" where the introduction between Jim and Billy takes place, in a succession of haunting "He Feels Radio Waves", he feels the radio waves! He feels them all! He feels the radio waves! Without losing the rhythm, the song ends and, after a few quick exchanges between the two protagonists, the uncomfortable "Who needs information" starts. It continues with the intimate "Me or Him" and goes straight to the naughty "The Powers That Be", announced by the obsessive approach of the title, the power that Is:
They're the powers that be
They like a bomb proof Cadillac
Air conditioned
Gold taps
Back seat gun rack
Platinum hub caps
They pick horses for courses
They're the market forces
Billy, perhaps scared by the warning of "The Powers That Be", the scream "You Better Run"(of “wallian” memory), runs away from home while he prepares, eerily, his attack on the world. Madness takes over the population and Jim has to keep in check eccentric Californians who don't like fish and women who would like to stay home with their monkey. The following song "Home" successfully makes the listener anxious for the imminent nuclear attack with this obsessive repetition "it could be in Jerusalem, it could be in Cairo". "Home" is really a beautiful song, perhaps the best of the album, with numerous points of outburst that immediately suppress in anxiety, or at least it had that effect on me. But now the end is near. Only four minutes are left.
Four minutes reflected in the next "Four minutes". Billy immediately turns to the DJ:
[Billy:]"Four minutes and counting."
[Jim:] "Very well"
[Billy:]"They pressed the button, Jim."
[Jim:] "They pressed the button, Billy, what button?"
[Billy:]"The big red one."
[Jim:] "Billy, if you're listening, please call."
[Eccentric Californian:] "The sole has no eyes.
"The sole has no eyes.
[Billy:] "Ten, nine, eight, seven... "
[Margaret Thatcher:] "Our independent nuclear deterrent
Has helped to keep the peace."
[Billy:] "Six, five, four, three... "
[Ordinary person:] "... you had a job... "
[Billy:] "Two, one... "
[Margaret Thatcher:] "For almost forty years"
[Jim:] "Hello Billy."
[Billy:] "Goodbye."
The end comes and...
...
silence...
...
Nothing is as before: it was all an immense fiction, blackmail, a game, an innocence of a small child, but nothing is as before, something is changing, something is moving, the tide is in motion. "The Tide Is Turning", as the last song is titled, wonderfully reflects that innocence, described earlier, of Billy. This is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard, ever.
I used to think the world was flatThe adventure is over, it's just time to reflect on it. Goodnight.
Rarely threw my hat into the crowd
I felt I had used up my quota of yearning
Used to look in on the children at night
In the glow of their Donald Duck light
And frighten myself with the thought of my little ones burning
But, oh, oh, oh, the tide is turning
The tide is turning
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Radio Waves (04:58)
[Jim:] "This is K.A.O.S.
You and I are listening to KAOS in Los Angeles.
Let's go to the telephones now and take a request."
[Billy:] "Hello, I'm Billy."
[Jim:] "Yes?"
[Billy:] "I hear radio waves in my head."
[Jim:] "You hear radio waves in your head?
Ah! Is there a request that
you have tonight for KAOS?"
Radio waves
Radio waves
Radio waves
He hears radio waves
Radio waves
The atmosphere is thin and cold
The yellow sun is getting old
The ozone overflows with radio waves
AM, FM, weather and news
Our leaders had a frank exchange of views
Are you confused, radio waves
Radio waves
Radio waves
AM radio waves
FM radio waves
Radio waves
Mind-numbing radio waves
Fish-stunning radio waves
Radio waves
Magic Billy in his wheel chair
Is picking up all this stuff in the air
Billy is face to face with outer space
Messages from distant stars
The local police calling all cars
Radio waves
Hear them radio waves
Radio waves
Jesus saves radio
Radio waves
Radio waves
AM radio waves
FM radio waves
All them radio waves
Radio waves
Radio waves
He hears radio waves
Radio waves
Radio waves
Hopeful radio waves
Dopeful radio waves
Radio waves
Russian radio waves
Prussian radio waves
Eastern radio waves
Western radio waves
Testing radio waves
One two
One two
Radio waves
Getting through to you
More code radio waves
Tobacco road radio waves
South to Paloma radio waves
Oklahoma City radio waves
Sitting pretty radio waves
Nitty-gritty radio waves
Radio waves
[Jim:] "Alright, that's a song called Radio Waves.
You are listening to KAOS
In Los Angeles and we've got Billy on the line."
[Billy:] "I'm from the valleys."
04 The Powers That Be (04:36)
The powers that be
They like a tough game
No rules
Some you win
Some you lose
Competition's good for you
They're dying to be free
They're the powers that be
They like a bomb proof cadillac
Air conditioned
Gold taps
Back seat gun rack
Platinum hub caps
They pick horses for courses
They're the market forces
(background : Nice car Jack)
They like order
Make-up
Lime light power
Game shows
Rodeos
Star wars
TV
They're the powers that be
If you see them come
You better run
Run
You better run on home
Sisters of mercy better join your brothers
Put a stop to the soap opera right now
They say the toothless get ruthless
You better run on home
You better run
Run
You better run on home
The powers that be
They like treats
Tricks
Carrots
And sticks
They like fear and loathing
They like sheep's clothing
And blacked-out vans
Blacked-out vans
Contingency plans
They like death or glory
They love a good story
They love a good story
Sisters of mercy better join with your brothers
Put a stop to the soap opera state
They say the toothless get ruthless
Run home before its too late
You better run
Run
You better run on home
You better run
[Billy:] "Goodnight, Jim."
[Jim:] "Goodnight, Billy."
[Uncle David's Great Dane:] "Woof, woof, woof!"
[Paraquat Kelly:] "Bull heads, three red snapper, one pink snapper
And your Pacific coastal trench hosemonster fish."
[Cynthia Fox:] "Ohhh!
At Sky David's juke joint of joy reports
Forty under the console giggle stick ling cod
Twenty-three purple perches
Four sledgehammerhead sharks
And what a surprise
Eightyfour crabs, and no red snappers."
[Paraquat Kelly:] "Hey, and that'll do for the triumphant return
Of the fish report with a beat."
[Jim:] "We think of it as mainstreet
But to the rest of the country
It's Sunset Strip
You're listening to KAOS in Los Angeles."
05 Sunset Strip (04:45)
I like staying with my Uncle Dave
And I like playing with his great dane
But I don't fit
I feel alien and strange
Kinda outa range
I like riding in my Uncle's car
Down to the beach where the pretty girls all parade
And movie stars and paparazzi play
The Charles Atlas kicking sand in the face game
And I sit in the canyon with my back to the sea
There's a blood red dragon on a field of green
Calling me back
Back to the Black Hills again
Ooh, ooh
Billy come home
Billy is searching for his native land
Flicking through the stations with the dial in his head
Picking up (background: static)
And a male voice choir on the short wave band
Billy taps out Jim's number on the phone
Sits shaking as he waits for Jim's answering tone
Come on my friend
Speak to me please
The land of my fathers is calling to me
And I sit in the canyon with my back to the sea
There's a blood red dragon on a field of green
Calling me back
Back to the Black Hills again
Ooh, ooh
Billy come home
Come on home
He sits in the canyon with his back to the sea
Sees a blood red dragon on a field of green
He hears a male voice choir singing
Billy come home
Billy, Billy, come home
Come on home
[Californian Weirdo:] "I don't like fish."
[Jim:] "You are listening to KAOS here in Los Angeles."
[Californian Weirdo:] "I don't like fish."
[Jim:] "Yes, we've established that.
Ah! Do you have a request?"
[Californian Weirdo:] "Shell fish
Guppy
Salmon
Shrimp
And crab
And lobster
Flounder
I hate fish
But I think most of all
I hate fresh fish
Like trout
I hate fresh trout
My least-hated, favourite fish would be sole
That way you don't have to see the eyes
Sole has no eyes."
[Jim:] "Oh no!"
[Woman:] "I'd like to be home with my monkey and my dog."
[Jim:] "Thankyou."
[Woman:] "I'd like to be home with my monkey and my dog
I'd like to be home with my monkey and my dog
I'd like to be home with my monkey and my dog
I'd like to be home with my monkey..."
[Jim:] "I don't care
Shut up
Play the record."
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Other reviews
By Shine
Radio Kaos represents a musical turning point, yet isolated, in Waters' career.
The album oscillates between decent and interesting outcomes, reaching Pink Floyd-like heights only a couple of times.
By valeriozappa
I made a crappy album.
In the end, a track like 'The Tide Is Turning' compensates for the other seven previous pieces.
By orange77
Radio Kaos is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful, perfect, and rich albums of the whole decade.
If you move away for about forty minutes from the Floyd discography and listen to it without preconceptions, you'll discover a very pleasant, focused, and balanced album.
