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Band: Roger Waters Album: The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking Company: Columbia Catalog #: PCT-39290 Producer: Roger Waters Designer: Gerald Scarfe Photo: Gerald Scarfe Release: 1984
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Ah, Roger Waters ... clearly one the most
talented folks in rock and roll. Even better, given his ranking as
one of the genre's eternal
optimists ! LOL
Rogers' second solo album (his first post-Pink Floyd foray), 1984's "The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking" wasn't particularly enjoyable. A rather depressing and mind numbing set, the accompanying packaging wasn't much better. Blame designer Gerald Scarfe (who also created the graphics and animation for the accompanying "Hitchhiking" tour). Apparently expecting to attract the attention (and money) of thousands of adoring fans, Waters' reportedly lost some $700,000 on the album's supporting tour. Matching much of the music inside, the cover was one of those designs that may momentarily capture your attention, but is truly ugly. Too be honest, the only highlight associated with the entire endeavor came from model/porn star Linzi Drew's shapely legs and eye catching butt. Naturally, the cover immediately attracted the attention of a broad array of feminist groups. Waters and Columbia quickly found themselves accused of promoting sexism and even promoting rape (hum, naked woman hitchhiking ...). Adding to the controversy, the same groups began orchestrating a campaign to deface and destroy advertising associated with the album. Not that Columbia cared since it didn't bother to promote the set extensively). Japanese officials took particularly proactive steps, banning the cover outright (what would you expect from a country that spray paints out pubic hair on imported men's magazines). Columbia executives subsequently followed suit, modifying the cover adding a black block to cover Drew's rear end.
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