THE PROS AND CONS OF HITCH HIKING

It is unusual for a PINK FLOYD fan to avoid a ROGER WATERS solo album, but being that I'm more a DAVID GILMOUR man, decided to leave The Pros & Cons of Hitchhiking resting in the store shelves. Luckily about two weeks ago, a Punk listener friend sold me several albums I didn't had (Well, the albums his wife left after divorce), and here it was Roger's release shinning at the top, so before. After reading the contradictory reviews, decided to give the album a chance, and my feelings are very positive.

I like the music, even when it sounds like a mixture of The Wall and The Final Cut, so it didn't surprised me that some songs sounded so familiar, especially 4.47 Am (The Remains of Our Love) that for some moments was almost a copy of Mother, but I like his music and that unique mixture of whispers and screams so usual in ROGER WATER'S compositions.

Amazingly, I managed to listen the whole album without wanting to press the skip button in any moment because that rare brand of Prog Blues and whining always attracted me, and despite the poor concept that I'm sure FLOYD would never had accepted, the music itself narrates a story that sounds better and more coherent if you avoid paying attention to the lyrics and just concentrate in the melody and the voice just as another instrument that blends perfectly.

Of course, it's necessary to mention the amazing work of Eric Clapton in the lead guitar, Andy Brown in the Hammond and 12 string guitar without whom, the album would had lost a lot, but mainly David Sanborn and his wizardry with the Sax that adds that sound no PINK FLOYD related album should lack off.

Not a masterpiece, but surely a great addition to any Prog collection, so I will go with 4 solid stars with a special mention to 5.01 Am (The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking part 10), one of Roger's best song ever, with the addition of a Clapton that really rocks and solid Hammond passages.