Here's the long awaited transcript of Roger's chat on MSN:
Digital Dish Diva says: Welcome to MSN Live! This afternoon we are pleased to welcome recording artist Roger Waters whose latest project is "Ca Ira" an operatic history of the French Revolution. Roger may best be known as the co-founder of the iconic band Pink Floyd.
Digital Dish Diva says: Roger, welcome to MSN Live.
Digital Dish Diva says: Roger, "Ca Ira" is French for "It will go." What does that mean to you?
Roger Waters says: Literally it's the future tense of “ca va” as in the French saying, "It will go."
eosa14 in Onstage_1 asks: What do you think about the "Wish You Were Here" cover by Limp Bizkit with some new words?
Roger Waters says: I think they did it for 9/11 but I didn't know they changed the lyrics.
NormDU4D in Onstage_1 asks: Did you cross any stumbling blocks or areas you had hard times with during the composition of your latest accomplishment Ca Ira?
Roger Waters says: Yeah, there was one or two stumbling blocks. When I had translated the French into English I felt the need to write some new scenes and enhance the narrative and I was concerned the original author wouldn't want his original work changed. He was so good about it. Etienne Roda-Gil said to me, "You know, Roger I think it's better in English anyway." (laughs) So it wasn't a stumbling block in the end.
Joaco2350 in Onstage_1 asks: Is there any artist that you would love to perform with? Or one artist in particular that you really love to jam it out with?
Roger Waters says: I always enjoy working with Eric who was in my band in 1985. I also worked with Don Henley, but these are friends of mine, and I'm trying to think of somebody. I'm a big fan of singer songwriters like Neil Young who are loners and sometimes hard to imagine working with. I find it hard to answer that question, I don't really jam with people so it doesn't enter my mind when it comes to fun. Fishing, sex, but jamming, no.
Joaco2350 in Onstage_1 asks: When do we get a chance to see and hear you live in Argentina again?
Digital Dish Diva says: Wow, I was just there in 2002! I had a great time in South America. Argentina was fantastic. Definitely not in '06 but I'm seriously looking in '07. A big tour with the Northern and Southern hemisphere.
Elilette_la_cerise in Onstage_1 asks: What about a Ca Ira presentation at "place de la Bastille" in Paris?! I live next to it! It would be awesome!
Roger Waters says: It would be great to do a production there, I am doing one in Rome Nov. 17th and 18th this year, and if I do one in Paris, a better place would be Place de Concord.
RaúlDíazPeña in Onstage_1 asks: How do you define happiness?
Roger Waters says: I think that happiness resides somewhere between the extremes of personal, religious, and political. I think happiness resides where we understand someone else's point of view and needs. Happiness resides where we are not lost in the solitary dream.
3sea in Onstage_1 asks: According to tradition operas are handwritten on music paper. In an interview a few years ago, you said you scripted Ca Ira with a computer program. Where does tradition start and where has it to stop from your point of view?
Roger Waters says: The tradition in unimportant in my point of view. It's whether the music moves you or not. It doesn't matter if it's hand written on paper or on music software. I work in a software system called Logic which is a wonderful system. I don't think the means to the end are relevant. You have to hear the music before you can write it down, whether you use a swan feather or a computer it seems irrelevant.
Elilette_la_cerise in Onstage_1 asks: What is the last book you read?
Roger Waters says: I guess the last book I read was by Ian McEwen called "Saturday."
Roger Waters says: And I've been dipping into a book by Jeffery Sacks who is a professor at Columbia who is working on world poverty and everyone should check him out and see the work he's doing.
ThereCommingToTakeMeAway in Onstage_1 asks: When did you first get into music?
Roger Waters says: When I was 14 I had an aunt who gave me a guitar and it was an acoustic, steel strung guitar and I tried to learn but it hurt my fingers too much so I gave up. Then in college I bought a classical guitar and it had better strings and I began to play then.
Roger Waters says: I was studying Architecture and I used letrocet letters to write on my guitar "I Believe to my Soul" because I loved that song by Ray Charles.
ashesndiamonds in Onstage_1 asks: congratulations on you opera, its beautiful, and moving. I’d like to know, if you could change one thing in the world, meaning absolutely anything, even about the past, future, present, humanity or yourself, what would it be?
Roger Waters says: I guess I wish the world was a kinder place. I wish we human beings had more empathy for one another. That would be a good thing.
Digital Dish Diva says: How much research into the French Revolution did you do to prepare for this album?
Roger Waters says: Well, I bought Robert Carlisle, this is a long book so I looked into something easier and I bought a pictoral history and it had letters and documents from people and I got an interesting impression of those 5 or 6 years and when I wanted more detail I would go back to Carlisle.
Digital Dish Diva says: What kind of music are you listening to these days?
Roger Waters says: Yesterday I was driving back to New York and we were listening to Ray LaMontagne, and the whole album is good but the song "Trouble" is fantastic. I have just recently discovered this guy. He's got a fantastic voice.
hossein_pf64 in Onstage_1 asks: when and how did you learn music composing?
Roger Waters says: It just sort of happened. I don't think it's something you are taught, you hear it in your mind. You either have a desire to express yourself and you do. Maybe there is something about the way the brain is constructed that lets you organize the mathematics of music so that others can understand. There are many people out there, I'm sure, that want to express something, but can't so I don't know where it comes from. Having said that, there are techniques you can learn and technical steps you can take.
Brysonom in Onstage_1 asks: What was the highlight of your career so far? Thanks, from a big fan, Matt
Roger Waters says: I don't know. In the recent past I guess the "Live 8" concert. Those few minutes were very cool to be back on stage with the band. It was a very cool moment.
Digital Dish Diva says: Roger, thank you for joining us today on MSN Live! From all of us here at MSN Live, best of luck with "Ca Ira."
Roger Waters says: Thank you very much for paying attention, now and before, and whenever. It means a lot to me to see fans that care about what I do and understand it and are interested in asking me questions. I just want to thank you all.
