Admittedly, I’ve never really been too into Pink Floyd. I really enjoy a some of their songs, such as “Wish You Were Here” and “Comfortably Numb”, but the grouped never clicked with me as much as some of my friends. Also admittedly, I’ve never really sat down and given them a good listen. Roger Waters co-founded Pink Floyd with Syd Barrett, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright back in 1965. Waters, Pink Floyd’s original bassist, served as the effective leader following Syd Barrett’s departure from the band. However, in 1985, Waters left the group due to creative differences. This album, The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking (1984), was Waters’ first solo album, and was released a year before his departure from Pink Floyd. The album was certified gold in the US in April of 1995. I’m pretty stoked to check out this album, so with that said, I’m going to jump on into the listening experience.
“4:30 AM (Apparently They Were Traveling Abroad)” starts slowly as the ticking of a clock fades in, which already reminds me of Pink Floyd. Oh wow, there’s a somewhat abrupt crashing in the drums, which gives way to some super sweet guitar. Oh wow, I’m really digging this track so far. An acoustic guitar has entered the soundscape, and the sweet electric guitar picks up some really flavorful distortion. Wow, great track and I’m excited to hear more.
Holy smokes, “4:33 AM (Running Shoes)” has a seamless transition in from the previous track. The album features some great musicians other than Roger Waters, including Eric Clapton, Ray Cooper, and Andy Bown to name a few. Holy smokes, the track has jumped into a really groovy jam, which sounds like Pink Floyd mixed with the sounds of rock music of the early 1980s. The pacing of the track reminds me of “Wish You Were Here”, with elements gradually coming in and making the experience even sweeter. Oh wow, the twanginess of the slide acoustic guitar makes me think a bit of John Fahey. Wow, great track.
“4:37 AM (Arabs With Knives and West German Skies)” has another smooth segue in from the previous track. The playing softens up a bit, bringing the ticking of the clock back into focus. Oh wow, the track changes up a ton and becomes a sort of whimsical polka that gradually picks up some electric guitar and more rock-oriented sounds. I really dig the soft strumming of the acoustic guitar in the background while the lead guitar melts into the soundscape, all while the soft synthesizer gently rises in from the background. Great track.
Oh wow, “4:39 AM (For the First Time Today, Pt. 2)” has another smooth segue in from the previous track. Holy smokes, the band builds up to a really groovy chorus of vocals. I really dig the piano that brings some super groovy rock flavors into the soundscape, which seems to bring out the playing in the lead guitar. The saxophone almost brings a sort of bluesy-jazzy-exploration sort of sound as the other instruments settle down. Great tune.
Holy smokes, “4:41 AM (Sexual Revolution)” starts out with some super strong licks from the guitar, and a steady tentative groove is produced by the piano and the drums. Oh wow, the band feels like they’re building up to some super groovy jams, and seem to be continually increasing tension in the soundscape. Oh wow, the bluesy tone from the electric guitar is super groovy. Holy smokes, the rhythm guitar swishes around really nicely. Wow, this album is super sweet. The jams have mellowed out and all that’s left is a sort of droning tone from the keyboards/synth while the lead guitar plays a super bluesy solo. Holy smokes, the rest of the band comes back in and the bluesy jams have somehow become even more epic in sound. Wow, great track.
“4:47 AM (The Remains of Our Love)” starts again with a seamless transition from the previous track, with some mellow moog synthesizer in the background and Roger Waters’ vocals gradually guiding the track along. Holy smokes, the acoustic guitar that comes in is super sweet, and then the piano comes in and somehow makes the soundscape even sweeter. Oh wow, the twangy acoustic slide guitar brings some really nice rustic flavors to the track. Holy smokes, the track continually fades out for the last few moments of side A of this album. Great track.
“4:50 AM (Go Fishing)” begins with some rustic acoustic slide guitar and what seem to be some various sounds of nature, ranging from a beach to the middle of a forest. Oh wow, Waters seems to be narrating a story in this track. The piano gradually comes into the soundscape with some really sweet flavors. Oh wow, you can still hear the ticking of a clock at times. The drums, bass, and synth all come in as Waters jumps into some really strong and passionate vocals. Holy smokes, I’m really digging the swirling organs in this track. Oh wow, the saxophone comes in again with some flavors that remind me a bit of early 1980s rock and a bit of Steely Dan’s Gaucho (1980). Wow, the track keeps building on itself and has become a really epic jam at this point that feels like Pink Floyd meets Steely Dan. Wow, great track.
“4:56 AM (For the First Time Today, Pt. 1)” has a really mellow transition from the previous track, with keyboards/synths and some orchestral strings that gradually swell into the soundscape alongside the vocals. Oh wow, the track breaks through to a really groovy movement near the end of the track, almost as if the band is teasing you for a moment before resolving to a super sweet ending. Great track.
“4:58 AM (Dunroamin, Duncarin, Dunlivin)” has another smooth segue in from the previous track with some mellow synths/orchestral strings in the background, followed by what sounds to be a trucker picking up a hitch hiker. Oh wow, Waters makes a reference to a Bungalow Bill in the lyrics. Oh wow, I really dig the different guitar work in the track, which combines gentle acoustic guitar with some far out distorted accentuations from an electric guitar. Oh wow, the track has a really groovy crescendo at the end of the track. Great tune.
“5:01 AM (The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking, Pt. 10)” starts out with some really groovy bluesy guitar work. The guitar honestly reminds me a lot of John Mayer’s style, who almost definitely influenced by Eric Clapton. This track gets into an upbeat, soulful, r&b groove with the tight beat and the super sweet chorus vocals that I’m really digging. Holy smokes, the track breaks through to a super sweet guitar solo where Clapton sounds like he gets to let loose for a moment. Holy smokes, this track is super groovy. The jamming near the end of the track almost reminds me of Allen Toussaint’s Southern Nights (1975). Wow, great track.
“5:06 AM (Every Strangers Eyes)” starts out with a woman saying a gentle “hello”, which is followed by some really sweet and light acoustic guitar strumming. The track, at the moment, almost reminds me of some sweet 1980s soft rock. Oh wow, the electric guitar melts right into the soundscape as it enters. The sweetness of the synths, piano, acoustic guitar, chorus vocals, and orchestral strings all seem to continue to make the soundscape even sweeter. Oh wow, there are some super sweet licks from the electric guitar in this track. There’s some swirling organs for a moment that have somehow hooked me even further into the listening experience. I really dig the big drums at the end of the track, which have a sort of sound that reminds me a bit of Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight”. Great tune.
Oh wow, “5:11 AM (The Moment of Clarity)” begins with some acoustic guitar that seems to be playing something of a British folk origin, reminding me a bit of Bert Jansch. The synths and/or orchestral instrumentation gradually swells in the background until the fade away. At the end of the track you hear the ticking of the clock again, accompanied by some sweet acoustic guitar and Waters’ voice, effectively tying together the listening experience. Wow, great track and a great way to finish this album.
Holy smokes, this album is great. I can definitely hear a lot of Pink Floyd in the music, but there’s also a lot of different elements from the 1980s and even some folk music from the later 1960s that are combined with that sort of Pink Floyd sound that lead to a seamless progressive rock listening experience. The playing in the album seems to move between psychedelia, blues rock, folk, and even jazz rock in a seamless manner that kept me hooked in throughout the album. If you’re into Pink Floyd and/or progressive rock, then you might want to consider checking out this album. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely do hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A