I’ve written close to 100 reviews and for the first time, I can honestly say I have no idea if it’s good or not. Roger Waters latest CD, Ca Ira, is that disc. And the reason I have no clue if it’s any good is that it’s an opera and my knowledge of opera is about as good as MTV’s knowledge about music – which is saying it’s non-existent.

So why write a review, you might ask. Simple – consider this a public service announcement warning you of Ca Ira’s all-out opera-ness. I’m not talking rock opera like Quadrophenia, Tommy or Pink Floyd’s own The Wall, I’m talking opera as in orchestra, men with booming voices and fat ladies singing, or in this case, a thin lady singing like a fat one. Waters has been working on Ca Ira forever and it has finally seen the light of day. Even though I knew it was going to be an opera, it’s still a shock to the system when you actually hear it for the first time.

Ca Ira is Waters’ English translation of a French libretto about the French Revolution written by the late Etienne and Nadine Roda-Gil. Waters penned all of the music, which considering his background is in rock music, is quite an achievement in itself. The first few instrumental selections on the first disc are actually quite good and feature some of Waters’ trademark sound effects, but once the vocals start, the music to this disc will sound foreign to Waters or Pink Floyd fans.

So if you’re interested in buying Ca Ira because you’re a Pink Floyd completist, go for it. But if you’re expecting to hear another release like The Wall or The Final Cut, stay clear because you will be disappointed. And if there’s any opera fans out there who bough this, feel free to drop me an e-mail and let me know if it’s any good – I’m really curious to know.