THE PROS AND CONS OF HITCH HIKING

This record has some similitudes with the Pink Floyd's "Final cut" album. It contains more mellow and delicate parts than "Final cut", so that it is much more relaxing. Instead of David Gilmour on electric and acoustic guitars, Waters goes with Eric Clapton, and let me tell you that the result is quite impressive: Clapton is intensely bluesy here, as reveal his visceral & complex solos! The keyboards are discreet: there are mainly Hammond organ and piano parts; anyway, this record does not really need elaborated keyboards. Michael Kamen still conducts some excellent & subtle background orchestration. David Sanborn plays many flashy saxophone parts. There are many Waters' outstanding female backing vocals: Doreen Chanteer, Katie Kissoon and Madeline Bell, who are omnipresent and at their best here. The rhythm is quite slow. Waters' lead vocals are, as usual, very emotional and sometimes hysterical. I like the couples of subtle orgasmic female whispers on 4:33 AM. There is an excellent European accordion melody on 4:37. Waters still employs miscellaneous sounds to enhance the refinement of this record: passing cars, clock ticks, thunder, birds sounds, car door closing, dogs barks, kids voices among others. Please, do not listen it with a cheap radio! Waters' stuff requires HI-FI equipment, as usual.

Rating: 4.5 stars