Okay, so here’s the deal. The original Dark Side of the Moon begins playing somewhere on this planet every thirty seconds. It’s a quintessential album for fans of multiple genres. It defined a generation. No one’s arguing that or saying it’s anything less than what it is. This album’s cover art is adorned by the words “The Flaming Lips” so if you think that you are going to get any kind of copycat of the original or to-the-note remake than just stop reading this right now and go back to the your old vinyl copy of the original. The Flaming Lips are well-established as one of the most experimental and creative bands currently active and this rings just as true for Dark Side of the Moon.
The album opens a little less slowly than the original release and eventually launches into a feedback heavy guitar and a circadian bass rhythm that encapsulates “Speak To Me/ Breathe” really well. It totally sucks you in refuses to let go (yet it seems to be upfront with the fact that you are free to leave at anytime). The slow building “Brain Damage” is absolutely excellent and reminds me a lot of moments on Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music album. “Money” moves a bit slower and is filled with a variety of musical meanderings and processed vocals that make it one of the album’s definitely highlights, for reasons completely opposite of why the original recording was classic.
“On the Run” and “Us and Them” probably come off the worst here. “On the Run” has a really annoying (and I’m guessing purposeful) guitar riff that repeats and this interpretation of “Us and Them” sounds like it would be at home on a PBS Sunday morning church show. Considering how experimental this all is though, two weak tracks is pretty good. The whole album could easily have been a train wreck.
This is what it feels like to listen to Dark Side of the Moon. That’s the best way I can describe it. It doesn’t sound like Dark Side of the Moon, it sounds like what your mind goes through while absorbing the original. Many fans of both bands have called this album out but you shouldn’t listen. The Flaming Lips do here as they have always done, which is make brilliant music. While Pink Floyd fans seem the most up in arms about this, I wouldn’t be surprised if the remaining band members find it much to their liking as it embodies the same spirit the led their career path with.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
