WHEN THE WIND BLOWS - ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK

This record (movie soundtrack) has a long & dramatic side evoking what happens to an old couple during a nuclear explosion: it is often very poignant, dramatic and sad! It is one of the most experimental part of Waters' solo career: the style is comparable to the tracks on the Radio KAOS album; Clare Torry sings here as a guest vocalist. The bit before the nuclear explosion is particularly dramatic and scary, with the repetitive "The cake will be burned!". Surprisingly, the bit in the beginning of the aftermath is pretty funny: for instance, the imitations of tubular bells are more celestial than funeral: it may make you think that everybody is overkilled and directly sent to Heaven; this happy sequence does not last for a long time: the dramatic & barely bearable bits continue then: Mel Collins plays a VERY melancholic sax solo when the woman says: "My hair is coming out!", during the increase of radioactivity levels: that's a very sad piece of progressive bit to hear: it makes you really want to cure the woman.

There are a couples of Clapton-esque guitar solos. Mel Collins plays a couples of very good & long sax solo: I think the addition of some electric guitars are sometimes misplaced and kill the state of unease & drama involved. Globally Waters is a bit less subtle than usual here regarding his typical special effects, as reveal for instance the artificially made birds sounds. The part when Waters sings "...Bring down the curtain, this show must close..." exactly sounds like a part on his "Amused to death" track.

The other side is made of short & easy listen tracks, quite accessible and catchy: there is a song with David Bowie on the lead vocals. "The Brazilian" is a modern instrumental Genesis' song full of electronic drums. Some tracks slightly remind me the progressive rock band It Bites. The last track has a rhythmic & melodic piano a la Shakatak.