THE PROS AND CONS OF HITCH HIKING

I remember reading somewhere that Roger Waters began writing this album after the completion of Animals and even proposed the concept to the rest of the band. A concept album that took place in real time during a sleep was not the idea that the band had in mind by that point of their career, but at least Waters still got his own with his other concept album proposal.

It certainly didn't take Waters much time to materialize his concept and only a year after the release of The Final Cut came The Pros And Cons Of Hitch Hiking. Being a huge fan of the last true Pink Floyd album, it really doesn't make sense for me to feel this offended by this material. It does sound a lot like a continuation of the themes available on The Final Cut, but that's only something that could be proposed by people who don't listen into the great attention to songwriting that was available on that record. The same can honestly not be said about this shallow release.

The instrumental arrangements sound completely superficial and the concept is flawed. The more I listen to this album, the more I get reassured about the weakness of this release and there isn't a single moment here that comes even remotely close to the great past of the artist. At the same time, I really can't give it the one star rating since I'm sure that his fans actually happen to enjoy some of this material. Therefore a weak collectors/fans only release.

**** star songs: 4.30 Am (Apparently They Were Travelling Abroad) (3:11) 4.47 Am (The Remains Of Our Love) (3:08)

*** star songs: 4.33 Am (Running Shoes) (3:22) 4.37 Am (Arabs With Knives And West German Skies) (2:21) 4.39 Am (For The First Time Today, Part. 2) (2:44) 4.41 Am (Sexual Revolution) (4:49) 4.50 Am (Go Fishing) (6:49) 4.56 Am (For The First Time Today, Part. 1) (1:48) 4.58 Am (Dunroamin, Duncarin, Dunlivin) (3:03) 5.01 Am (The Pros And Cons Of Hitch Hiking Part 10) (4:36) 5.06 Am (Every Strangers Eyes) (4:48) 5.11 Am (The Moment Of Clarity) (1:28)