Roger Waters established himself as a true Rock icon after changing the history of music alongside the pink Floyd and with his legendary solo career, which continues to see the artist hit the road at the age of 80.
To become one of the greatest bassists, composers and musical personalities of all time, Waters gathered in his baggage a considerable number of musical influences that are still reflected today in his way of creating new songs.
During your participation in the program Desert Island Discs from the BBC a few years ago, Roger shared some of his favorite songs, as rescued by Far Out magazine.
Roger Waters cited Brazilian musician among his influences
Waters’ first pick served as a spoiler for the path his list would take. Quoting “Helpless” by Neil Youngthe bassist explained:
There is honesty and truth in everything he did. You feel the integrity and passion of the man. I can feel the hairs on the back of my neck standing up now remembering the purity with which he hits the first notes of this song. It is extraordinarily moving and eloquent.
Proving that his selection would form a very eclectic list of artists, Roger spoke about the work of Leonard Cohenan artist with whom he ended up meeting several times during Pink Floyd’s tours:
Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan were the two men who allowed us to believe that there was an open door between poetry and song lyrics. That song of his, ‘Bird On The Wire’, is so simple, so moving, so brilliant. I love this.
Roger Waters also mentioned the track “Georgia On My Mind” by Ray Charles, an artist he met, briefly, when he was an architecture student in London and lived in squats, just like Charles. Despite having met Ray when he was “drugged and toothless”, the bassist defined him as a “remarkable man” with an “extraordinary talent”.
The former Pink Floyd also included a Brazilian name on his list: Jacques Morelenbaumwhich appears next to Ryuichi Sakamoto It is Everton Nelson in “Endless Flight”. Check out the complete list of Roger Waters’ favorite songs below!
Roger Waters in Brazil
The influence of these Waters musical references can be seen during his shows, which are currently part of the tour This Is Not a Drillcurrently passing through Brazil.
After powerful performances in Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre and Curitiba, the musician performs this Wednesday (8) in Belo Horizonte and ends the tour in São Paulo (11 and 12 November). There are still tickets available at this link.
