Roger Waters - The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking

[crowman]

After many years, I've finally got around to hearing Pros and Cons of Hitch-Hiking. And given that I'd always heard negative things about it, I'm pleased to say that I think it's brilliant. Any other fans here?

For the record I also like Radio KAOS, I know that gets some bad press too.

[mosespa]

Radio KAOS is my favorite Waters solo album.

Pros And Cons...well...I like it; but it's my least favorite of the three.

It has a magical ability to transport me back to my high school days (when I bought it,) though. I like that about it.

[Real Pink in the Inside]

I like it, but I listen to it far less often than Radio KAOS, ATD and pretty much everything by Floyd. It is one of my favorite album covers, though

[Keith Jordan]

On its own, it is a great little album! But Amused To Death has to be his greatest solo album, followed by Radio K.A.O.S. I hated Radio K.A.O.S. the first few times I listened to it!


These are the prowwwss and cons of.. HITCHHIKING!!

[Real Pink in the Inside]

I hated Radio K.A.O.S. the first few times I listened to it

Yeah, it's a bit like "Corporal Clegg." The first couple of times you listen to it, you wonder to yourself, "What the heck?" but eventually its brilliance opens your eyes and grows on you...

[danielcaux]

Please enlighten me about the "brillance" of Corporal Clegg?

The Pros and Cons...well...I like about one song of that album ("Apparently They Were Travelling Abroad/Running Shoes") the rest sound the same, the two that don't are not my cup of tea, the very boring "Every Stranger's Eyes" and the quite cheesy "The Prons and Cons of Hitchhicking", although I like some of Clapton's guitar playing on that track and on "Sexual Revolution".

[Sonic Destruction]

I love "Pros And Cons". For me, it is easily the greatest Floyd-related studio project since "The Wall".

I think Waters' lyrics on the album are superb, particularly "Go Fishing", "Every Strangers Eyes" and the (sort of) title track.

Clapton and David Sanborn are brilliant on guitar and sax, and Rog's vocals and bass playing are absolutely solid.

This is easily his best solo album. I wish he would do more stuff like this.

***** (five star review)

[Eclipse]

I like it, but the title track couldn't be more annoying.
Stop overusing female screaming ladies Mr. Waters, please!

I think his true masterpiece is Amused to Death, though. The Final Cut is also a masterpiece by him, if you count that as a Roger solo album.

[Real Pink in the Inside]

Please enlighten me about the "brillance" of Corporal Clegg?

It could be about a struggling veteran (i.e., without one leg and/or so shell-shocked that he's unsure where he got his medal or if he even received one) and his wife poorly coping by his side. OR it could about a young man who went insane shortly before, during or after the war, with delusional memories about winning a medal in the war and not being able to fully participate in society because of an imagined disability (i.e., an imagined wooden leg signified by the line, "his boots were very clean"), with his mother poorly coping by his side.

The chorus (Mrs. Clegg, you must be proud of him; Mrs. Clegg, another drop of gin) sounds especially brilliant. Keep repeating that section a few times if you do not appreciate it yet. Also, it's the only part of the song that sounds soothing and stable, symbolizing Mrs. Clegg's sound state of mind (at least relative to Corporal Clegg's state of mind)

When the kazoo ("...found it in a zoo") is erratically playing, I think it's supposed to symbolize Corporal Clegg's state of mind and/or the state of the Cleggs (After all, while Mrs. Clegg might not be as messed up as the good Corporal it sounds like she does have a bit of a drinking problem). Heck, the whole song sounds erratic except when they're singing about Mrs. Clegg.

Still not sure what the line "Corporal Clegg, umbrella in the rain" is supposed to mean, though...

Anyway, this might be Pink Floyd's best song of the 1960s.
Maybe it's just me, though...

[Stephen]

Was this album cover sold anywhere in the US without the black rectangle obscuring the girls arse? If not then how sad.

[Real Pink in the Inside]

Was this album cover sold anywhere in the US without the black rectangle obscuring the girls arse?

Yes. For example, my cover is uncensored...and I like it that way.

[Stephen]

Good It's not like we haven't all got one, maybe not as cute of course, so it seems the oddest form of censorship to me.

[Sonic Destruction]

Good It's not like we haven't all got one, maybe not as cute of course, so it seems the oddest form of censorship to me.

Yes, rather. Still, it was 25 years ago; everything was a little strange in the 1980's.

[The Gunner's Dream]

I used to listen to Pros and Cons religiously. Definitely my favorite of Roger's three solo albums. Favorite songs: Running Shoes, Sexual Revolution, Go fishing, and Every Stranger's Eyes, and The moment of clarity.

[Keith Jordan]

There is a naked lady on mine, else I wouldn't have bought it in the first place!

Its a great album. If you haven't heard it, and you like The Final Cut, then you will probably like this album too I think.