The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking

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The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking
The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking cover
Studio album by Roger Waters
Released May 1984
Recorded February-December 1983
Genre Progressive rock
Length 42:07
Label Harvest Records (UK)
Columbia Records (US)
Producer(s) Roger Waters, Michael Kamen
Professional reviews
Roger Waters chronology
Music from "The Body"
(1970)		 The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking
(1984)		 Radio K.A.O.S.
(1987)


The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking is a concept album/rock opera by English musician Roger Waters, released in 1984.

Contents

[edit] History

Roger Waters played demos of this album and The Wall to his Pink Floyd bandmates, who decided that they liked The Wall better (while their manager Steve O'Rourke preferred Pros and Cons). In the end it was decided that The Wall would be developed into a Pink Floyd album, leaving Pros and Cons shelved for later revival as a solo project. [1] Much of the music on the album incorporates melodies from The Wall and The Final Cut, although it is unclear which concept the melodies originated with (except in the case of "In the Flesh", which did not exist in the original Wall demo and was actually adapted from the Pros and Cons melody).

The album concept is a stream-of-consciousness narrative, describing a man's series of dreams, in real time from 4:30 to 5:11 in the morning. The dreams include themes of midlife crisis and adultery against his wife, amongst other things. At one point, the protagonist thinks he's woken up from a nightmare, only to realize that this is yet another dream.

The album cover caused controversy for featuring the nude buttocks of the model Linzi Drew, and has been released with both uncensored and censored covers in some territories.

Some notables assisting Waters during the recording of the album were conductor Michael Kamen, actor Jack Palance, saxophonist David Sanborn and legendary guitarist Eric Clapton.

The album was certified gold by the RIAA in April of 1995.

In 1984, Waters went on tour to promote the album with Eric Clapton, which consisted of almost all sold out shows. The beginning of the concert consisted of Pink Floyd numbers, and in the second half they performed the entire album. Clapton left the tour after its 1984 leg, and Waters hired Jay Stapley to play guitar for the 1985 leg.

Gerald Scarfe created all the graphics and animation for the album and its supporting tour. Fisher/Park created the stage and props used during the tour. Scarfe had drawn caricatures of all the band members for the tour program, and the caricature of Roger ("Rog") seemed to have a long snout, like a dog. Scarfe was inspired to create images of a dog named "Reg", who became the main character of the story and stage animation of the Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking tour.

Waters revived the track "5.06 A.M. (Every Strangers' Eyes)" on his "In the Flesh" tour.

[edit] Track listing

All songs by Roger Waters.

  1. "4.30 A.M. (Apparently They Were Travelling Abroad)" – 3:12
  2. "4.33 A.M. (Running Shoes)" – 4:08
  3. "4.37 A.M. (Arabs With Knives and West German Skies)" – 2:17
  4. "4.39 A.M. (For the First Time Today, Pt. 2)" – 2:02
  5. "4.41 A.M. (Sexual Revolution)" – 4:49
  6. "4.47 A.M. (The Remains of Our Love)" – 3:09
  7. "4.50 A.M. (Go Fishing)" – 6:59
  8. "4.56 A.M. (For the First Time Today, Pt. 1)" – 1:38
  9. "4.58 A.M. (Dunroamin, Duncarin, Dunlivin)" – 3:03
  10. "5.01 A.M. (The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking, Pt. 10)" – 4:36
  11. "5.06 A.M. (Every Strangers' Eyes)" – 4:48
  12. "5.11 A.M. (The Moment of Clarity)" – 1:28

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Charts

Album - UK

Year Position
1984 13

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year Chart Position
1984 The Billboard 200 31

[edit] Trivia

  • The beginning of the sixth track, "4:50AM (Go Fishing)", includes Waters reading the beginning of chapter 6 of Winnie-the-Pooh to the protagonist's children.
  • The second episode's title of the show October Road is 'The Pros and Cons of Upsetting The Applecart' a play on the Pros And Cons of Hitch Hiking.

[edit] External links

 v • d • e Roger Waters
Discography
Studio albums: The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking | Radio KAOS | Amused to Death | Ça Ira
Soundtracks: Music from "The Body" | When the Wind Blows
Live: The Wall Live in Berlin | In the Flesh Live
Compilations: Flickering Flame
Singles: The Tide Is Turning | What God Wants, Pt. 1 | To Kill the Child/Leaving Beirut
Videos and DVDs
Pink Floyd The Wall | The Wall Live in Berlin | In the Flesh Live | The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon
Tours
In the Flesh | The Dark Side of the Moon Live
Related articles
Pink Floyd | David Gilmour | Alan Parker | Gerald Scarfe | Ron Geesin | The Final Cut | The Wall | "Hello (I Love You)"
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