By Erika Kuehl | Staff Writer
Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon” was a revolutionary album for the ’70s, and its influence didn’t stop there. The album cover is often seen on preteens who shop in the graphic tee section at Urban Outfitters.
80-year-old Roger Waters, Pink Floyd’s lyricist and co-vocalist, made the executive decision to remake the album without the knowledge of the other band members. He titled the album “The Dark Side of the Moon Redux.”
Excitement flowed through my veins, hopeful for a thrilling remake of this iconic album. As I played the first song, “Speak to Me,” I thought I was listening to an audiobook. It felt like the intro to an outdated war movie or the voice you hear before a Disneyland rollercoaster. Confused as I was, I kept pushing to the next song.
The audiobook continued. “Breathe” is next, and it sounds like he’s out of breath. I can easily tell this man is 80 years old. I appreciate the effort, but there’s a reason he’s the co-vocalist. The one positive thing I will say is at least he’s singing the lyrics this time. The next song, “On the Run,” was the same. I still feel like I’m listening to the “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride intro.
The album continued with “Time,” and it felt like I was moving in slow motion. The song’s original version is already slow enough, but Waters was half asleep singing every verse. The drums sounded like there was a drug addict slumped over, fighting for sobriety.
Instead of the striking vocals in “Great Gig in the Sky,” Waters recited a letter that could be heard in an excruciating poetry slam. He must have turned up a zombie sound effect on “Money.” He transformed this song into a track that could easily be used in a cheesy, underfunded horror movie.
I would go on, but the rest of the songs are just as disappointing. “The Dark Side of the Moon” is easily my favorite album of all time. Roger Waters turned this masterpiece into a self-serving attempt at poetry.
