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Originally posted by stratman
Earlier in this thread I pronounced Pros & Cons mediocre. Since it's been about 10 years since I've listened to it, I figured I had to give it another chance, to be fair. So I dusted off my old bare-butt LP and gave it another listen. I still think it's mediocre, maybe even worse. Here's why:
1.) Roger only uses about 2 different melodies, over and over in the different songs. (As Nick Mason once remarked: "Roger will happily use the same piece of music 4 times with different lyrics to make a new point in the story......Whereas Dave would probably try and find 4 different pieces of music--and hang the same lyric on it!")
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Agree. This can be good or bad...depends on how it's executed. TFC does it well, Pros and Cons does not. Also, note that DSotM uses the same chord sequence SEVERAL times, just transposed. "Breathe" (and the reprise), "Great Gig", "Any Colour" all use the same chord pattern in one place or another--not necessarily on the same pitch, but transposed just the same. I'll have to check for more. "Lost for Words" on TDB (IMHO) recalls "Cluster One" with the piano in the very beginning. Both work well. So as I said, it depends on how much and how you execute it.
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2.) The lyrics seem to me to be a hodge-podge of leftover random unrelated lines and non-sequiturs collected by Roger over the years and thrown together in this potpourri and passed off as a "dream."
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That doesn't bother me so badly as the CONTENT in some places. Take "Sexual Revolution". Are these people making love or ATTACKING each other? Yikes.
Not My Type.
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3.) He allowed Clapton a whole 30 seconds to do the one great guitar solo on the album. (title track, between the lines "....all men must die." and "Do you remember Dick Tracy?")
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My problem: Clapton. End of Story.
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4.) I'm tiring of this little trick---sing really, really quietly so the listener will turn the volume way up--then SCREAM out the next line and blow out everyone's eardrums. My dog about ricocheted off the ceiling.
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Well...this isn't so much of a major gripe with me. I've always liked his delivery of lyrics--including this trick. I may jump the first few times, but I'm fairly good at predicting when it'll happen. But for goodness sakes, get the Wright-Gilmour duo to make him take a pause every once in awhile!
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All in all, Roger's weakest solo effort by far, IMO.
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Excepting MftB (which may not really be solo RW), I agree.