LA CARRERA PANAMERICANA

A documentary about the legendary race, even if by the time of the filming by the band (also producing the OST and 99% of the music), the race had declined to a shadow of its former self. Indeed the original race, created in the early 50's to celebrate the Pan-American Highway (just a two-lane road) had first been a un and regularity race over the two American continents, it quickly became a real and serious race and encountered dozens of deaths that it was cancelled for a while. And it was re-launched much later in the original regularity format in a much-diminished form, with only 2500 miles just within Mexico over six days. That's for the historical context, the film including a short historic 50's footage.

Soo with Nick Mason's widely-publicized passion for race cars, Manager O'Rourke and guitarist Gilmour participated in the race and had it filpmed and produced a movie, most likely in exchange of Mason's Floyd participation in the re-launching of the Waters-less Floyd. While this 'exchange of manners' might be a bit of speculation from yours truly, it's rather hard not to make the link between this documentary's music and the Momentary Lapse Of Reason, the dates being fairly coincidental as well (91 for the race). So what we see in this documentary is the then-remaining Floyd skeleton making the best they can in the race (O'Rourke has been quoted that he shat his pants a few times in the race car), but apparently, they seemed also to make the best of it. It's difficult to see who from the Floyd crowd is actually driving the cars, but Nick's been filmed (I mean plainly visible) on the passenger seat at least once. So we see plenty of modified civilian cars, including my dreamboat on wheels, the Mercedes 300 SL (with the gull-wing doors), some superb Mexican landscapes (but way too few to my tastes), some tasty road curves being overtaken too rapidly, some female curves not nearly present enough, if you'll except for the two discoloured blonde bimbos set behind a driving wheel and interviewed discussing favourite songs, dispute and hairdos, but nothing about race); but in general there is too much racing footage and not enough Mexican background for this writer's interest.

Music-wise (that IS the main interest of this site after all), the music presents an 80's Floyd context and if Run Like Hell (from The Wall) opens and comes back throughout the score, the main frame are the AMLOR songs. Don't run away just yet though, because they are presented in a better form than on the studio album, and mixed with some unavailable- elsewhere jamming including Rick Wright (not present on the movie, most likely for health reasons) and two or three Gilmour tracks specially written for the occasion. Sooooo, should you choose to own some of the AMLOR tracks, you might be well-advised to find this documentary, rather than the studio album, because these precise tracks resent on both supports are more enticing on the soundtrack, and the two blond bimbos have nothing to do with that - actually some of those local Mexican girls are much cuter and more natural. Not exactly essential by any means, but you might prefer this to anything else the Roger- less Floyd has done.

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