WHEN THE WIND BLOWS - ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK

I really liked the movie that I've watched in an obscure small cinema that's probably the only one which played it in my whole country. It was sponsored (or produced) by Greenpeace and the soundtrack appeared interesting for two reasons: first of all it was the first soundtrack made by Roger Waters after The Body, then the presence of Bowie, Genesis and Squeeze.

I won't speak much about the movie, that's a cartoon telling the death of two very nice characters initially survived to the Bomb (it's 1986, the top of Reagan's star wars). Let's jump directly to the music.

The opener and title track is a typical Bowie's song of the 80s. Quite good in these musically speaking bad years. Between Blue Jean and Underground but darker.

The Hugh Cornwell's song is nothing special, but the following instrumental from Genesis is very good. I'm everything but a Genesis fan and less of all of their 80s, but this instrumental demonstrates that I'm sometimes wrong respect to them. The Brazilian is an excellent piece of music.

The Squeeze's song is 80s pop. Far from the British glam of the 70s, it sounds good for Disney Channel.

Paul Hardcastle places an unexpectedly good fusion tune. A bit pop-oriented maybe, but very pleasant. The artist who I would have given less credit is the one who gave more effort to the A side of the album.

Now Waters:

Few seconds of gimmicks with a title: "The Russian Missile".

"The Tower Of Faith" featuring "Gig int the Sky's" Clare Torry sounds very close to Radio K.A.O.S, but it has the country-rock feeling that sometimes appears in his latest songs. A sort of Dylan's influence. Not Roger's top but a good song at the level of those on Radio K.A.O.S.

"Hilda's Dream" is a minute of finger picking guitar, similar to the intro of Brain Damage, as most of the slow-finger picking pieces are. Not bad.

"The American Bomb" is just a bomb, from this track to onward there are just pieces of soundtrack. If you are addicted to The Wall or The Final Cut, they are not bad. In particular, I like "The Attack", both the first chaotic minute and the melodic conclusion.

"The Fallout" and "Hilda's Hair" are proper songs. Short instrumentals but dark and dramatic, specially the second which features a great Mel Collins. Later the sax is replaced by guitars. This is the most floydian song of the album and a good reason to have it.

The closer, "Folded Flags" reprises the finger picking of Hilda's Dream but with lyrics. When I listened to it for the first time, at the end of the movie it made me think to "Sea Shell and Stone", but effectively is more similar to "The Gunner's Dream" or "The Tide Is Turning": totally Waters! Great sax solo by Mel.

A must have for Waters fans, quite an appendix to Radio K.A.O.S., good enough for anybody else, taking into account that's a soundtrack.