Digging down into the vinyl today

[Zomby Woof]

Roger Waters, "The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking". I bought it brand new upon release in 1984, before the censors got to the cover (as seen here after the damage):



Oh no! Think of the children!

It's for the Floyd hardcores only (like myself). Eric Clapton, the guitarist on the entire album, plays his best licks of the 80's on "4:41 AM (Sexual Revolution)", since his solo career was a Phil Collinsized mess by then. "5:01 AM (The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking)" received a fair amount of rotation on the radio and MTV, but really, I preferred David Gilmour's second solo effort from that year, "About Face".

Three sidebars about this album. Waters had written it at the same time as "The Wall" (there are even a few measures in a song or two that are right out of that album), and gave the other members of Floyd a choice of which one to do. They felt "Hitch Hiking" was too personal - it was based on Waters' own dreams - and chose to do "The Wall" instead.

The second: Back in 1983, Waters played the demos of the basic tracks for ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and offered him the guitar slot. Gibbons liked it, and said it sounded like "Pink Floyd on Mars", but declined, since his band was flush with success from "Eliminator" and had quite a big tour planned. So Clapton got the gig, and even joined Waters on a very brief tour in support of the album.

The third was that drummer Andy Newmark, who had played drums for John Lennon and Yoko Ono on "Double Fantasy", offered his own dream for the title track.

5:01 AM (The Pros And Cons Of Hitch Hiking)

An angel on a Harley
Pulls across to greet a fellow rolling stone
Puts his bike up on it's stand
Leans back and then extends
A scarred and greasy hand...he said

Hells Angel: "How ya doin bro?...where ya been?...where ya goin?"
Then he takes your hand
In some strange Californian handshake
And breaks the bone

Angels Moll: "Have a nice day"

A housewife from Encino
Whose husbend's on the golf course
With his book of rules
Breaks and makes a 'U' and idles back
To take a second look at you
You flex you rod
Fish takes the hook
Sweet vodka and tobacco in her breath
Another number in your little black book

These are the pros and cons of hitchhiking

Oh babe, I must be dreaming
I'm standing on the leading edge
The Eastern seaboard spread before my eyes
"Jump" says Yoko "Oh No!
I'm too scared and too good looking" I cried
"Go on",she says
"Why don't you give it a try?
Why prolong the agony all men must die"

Do you remember Dick Tracy?
Do you remember Shane?

Joey :"And mother wants you"

Could you see him selling tickets
Where the buzzard circles over

Joey :"Shane"

The body on the plain
Did you understand the music Yoko
Or was it all in vain?

Joey :"Shane"

The bitch said something mystical "Herro"
So I stepped back on the curb again

These are the pros and cons of hitchhiking

Oh babe, I must be dreaming again

These are the pros and cons of hitchhiking


(Jack Palance even guested on this piece, as the Hells Angel biker - hence the "Shane" reference)

It's cool to dig these albums out once in awhile. It's not bad - but I do wish Gibbons was able to do it. Might have been more interesting.

[Strong Atheist]

1. Recommended,

dammit! x(

[Zomby Woof]

2. No worries

I would unrecommend it myself if it would let me, LOL. :D

[Strong Atheist]

3. 116 threads in the last 24 hours here in the lounge:

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Strong%20Atheist/15


x(

[Zomby Woof]

4. You are welcome to leave mine alone

I have been around here for 8 years, and never was one to care one way or the other how myself or my threads are viewed. It's all entertainment, in the end. :-)

[Strong Atheist]

5. No.

x(


I intended to rec EVERY one in the lounge that is <0, with the exception of the VERY small number of people on my ignore list; can't see their threads...

...too bad, so sad...

...and you are a good DUer; I was reading your posts when I started lurking in late 2004...

[Zomby Woof]

6. Well, thank you

It has been a long haul since 2004, eh?

I can't imagine you having anyone on ignore - you are a welcoming, friendly DUer.

But I won't hold it against you, either, LOL. :evilgrin:

[Strong Atheist]

7. 8. 6 from a...

....

.....

huge mess 3 years ago that drove me away for 2 1/2 years, and two in the last 6 months who got...

...rather rude...

Still, that is less than .006% of the registered users, and at two evey 6 months, that is only 4 a year...

We get about 30-40 a day...

[Roon]

8. come on over here you silly boy before you catch your death of cold was only joking

my 14-year-old foster daughter used to ask me to play that part of the album for her all the time.

[Zomby Woof]

9. I sometimes think about

...what the backing vocalists must have thought when given the libretto to a Waters session. Just another paycheck, I guess, lol.

Your Roger Waters quote in your sig line reveals you as more than just a casual fan. :D

[Roon]

10. I am HUGE fan..

Ever since I was 16 and saw the movie "the wall".