Hmm I felt that this was better than Radio Kaos, even though this was more one song that a group of songs. Some people say that David Gilmour was the musical force behind Pink Floyd, and Roger says that's completely crap. He wakes up in bed and realises that he has a great love life (with his wife) after all. His wife leaves him, and he goes hitch-hiking and gets picked up by a trucker, and he goes into a coffee shop. Did I mention Eric Clapton plays on this album? I think Roger did that to say "Ha ha, Dave, I got Eric-bloody-Clapton to play on MY album, so go screw yourself!!" When Dave put out About Face in the same year (1984), he got Pete Townsend to play and co-write one of the songs on it, probably just to spite Roger.Īnyway, back the review, this album tells a story (all in a series of dreams) about how narrarator cheats on his wife, and then he and his wife go out to the country and live there for a bit. The latter is a very nice ballad, great guitar work. "Sexual Revolution", "The Pros and Cons of Hitch-Hiking" and "Every Strangers Eyes". There are really only a few actual 'songs' here. Oh and there's a ticking clock linking a bunch of the songs. The main (musical) theme sounds alot like the acoustic guitar riff of "Working Class Hero" by John Lennon. The music leaves something to be desired (okay, a LOT to be desired), but the lyrics are quite good. Roger presented a demo of this album and The Wall to the rest of the band (Pink Floyd) back in 1978. But, having said all of this, it IS strangely captivating - akin to watching a state funeral - 'Another Brick In The Wall' or 'Arnold Layne' now seemed a million miles away, though.įirst, though, a little bit of information. As for 'The Pros And Cons Of Hitch-Hiking'? Well, it may as well have been a play or something, rather than an album by a rock artist. A few variations in feel, mood and emotion. It's hard to say that anything isn't effective actually - because bar the lyrics moving the story forwards, every track here swims into the next. I like 'Running Shoes', by the way and I like 'Sexual Revolution', both are very effective tracks. The vocals take away from the lyrics - because the way he's alternately soft and then loudly anguished often obliterates the lyrics. Matched to the music that's contained here, one takes away from the other. He could have read them out at some kind of poetry or prose reading and brought the house down. The lyrics are eloquent and expertly put together, by the way. bascially - either Roger yelling and wailing whilst the sax wails along with him or alternately, Roger speaking, whispering, semi-singing if you like. Only two vocals tones or styles throughout. We've got guitar, occasional very effective saxophone. What's the music here like? Well, pretty bare. 'The Pros And Cons Of Hitch-Hiking' is apparently a series of dreams with the times listed in the track-listing referring to the different times the dreams were experienced? Wait a minute, that doesn't make any sense whatsoever! So, what's missing? A sense of humour? Roger could quite clearly now do what the hell he liked and be as morose as he liked - without worrying about sales or the music business machinery, as much as he had to during PF days. What I mean by that is that you can hear it in this album, you can hear vague similarities. In other places you can close you eyes and with a stretch of the imagination - understand that yeah, Roger Waters played a part in creating 'Dark Side Of The Moon'. You know, in places, this sounds like 'The Final Cut'. That's no surprise from the pen of Mr Waters. Overly serious? Well, it is serious and it's a concept album too. I don't know why, just that the unremitting bleakness of tone combined with the rather desperate Waters vocals, ensues that 'The Pros And Cons Of Hitch-Hiking' is clearly meant to be very serious. You could be forgiven when listening to this album for thinking that Roger Waters is completely insane. 5.06 Am (Every Strangers Eyes) / 5.11 Am (The Moment of Clarity) 1) / 4.58 Am (Dunroamin, Duncarin, Dunlivin) / 5.01 Am (The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking. 2) / 4.41 Am (Sexual Revolution) / 4.47 Am (The Remains of Our Love) / 4.50 Am (Go Fishing) / 4.56 Am (For the First Time Today, Pt. 4.33 Am (Running Shoes) / 4.37 Am (Arabs With Knives and West German / 4.39 Am (For the First Time Today, Pt. The Pros And Cons Of Hitch-Hiking 6½ ( 1984 )Ĥ.30 Am (Apparently They Were Travelling.
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