Pink Floyd fans returning to Roger Waters’ redux version of The Dark Side of the Moon say one thing “completely ruins” the album.
Waters released The Dark Side of the Moon: Redux in the same year as a fiftieth-anniversary remastering of The Dark Side of the Moon. Though fans were keen to listen to Waters’ revamped version of the Pink Floyd classic, they were left horrified by the “cringe poetry parts.” The additions were enough to destroy the listening experience for one user, who asked for fan opinions of the album. They wrote: “What do we think of Roger’s Redux now that the dust has settled?
“I like the background music and structure. I like Rogers’ vocals for the most part. But I just can’t get past the slow-talking cringe poetry parts. Completely ruins it for me. And I want to like it. What do you all think of it?”
Users are mixed to say the least on Waters’ Dark Side of the Moon: Redux, with one joking the “dust has definitely settled on my copy.” Another added: “Tried it honestly I couldn’t get behind it, the style just doesn’t suit The Dark Side of the Moon in my opinion.”
Others agreed, writing: “Yeah, The Dark Side of the Moon was always about the music. The lyrics are great, but to eliminate David and Ricks melodies eliminates what makes that album iconic. I listened to this new one. Probably not gonna again. I truly doubt I’ll find myself around anyone playing this record.”
Another wrote: “I’m a huge Pink Floyd fan but this album was not good. The instrumentals were great and all, but there was no style or direction. It’s just too spacey. The Dark Side of the Moon was spacey enough, but was grounded with its nasty guitar solos and tasty synth. Plus Roger’s poetic whispering does nothing but interrupt what little the rerelease had to offer.”
A third joked: “It’s like listening to a golf game commentary with background music.” Others were lighter in their opinion on The Dark Side of the Moon: Redux, suggesting it was a welcomely fresh concept of an older artist going back through their best works.
What do we think of Rogers Redux now that the dust has settled?
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They wrote: “I liked the concept of going over old ground with the weary eyes of a man who has seen the world, but in execution, it just ended up sounding self-congratulatory, a bit boring and weirdly uninspiring? The Time cover is probably the best thing on the album, and the closest thing to what he conceptualised.
“The cover art also weirds me out, I feel like it would have worked much better if it was Roger’s eye instead of weird CGI dog thing.” Another agreed, adding: “It’s dull, not very musical, tries to be clever and fails. He shouldn’t have wasted his time on it.” A third wrote: “I gave it a listen. It was better than I expected, but I doubt I will ever listen to it again.”
Ultimately, fans did not appear pleased with the album. One summarised: “Incredible achievement. Roger managed to make some of the most heart-wrenching lyrics in music boring.”
Another added the album was likely just for those who were Waters completionists. They wrote: “It’s a decent record and has some pretty emotional parts, provided you enjoy Waters and what he stands for. I think a lot of people mistakenly compare it to The Dark Side of the Moon and are disappointed, but they’re just approaching it from the wrong angle.”
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There is a danger to trying to rerecord an album of music that is widely considered to be already perfect (Count me as one of those). The danger is that it could be quite good, but still won’t measure up to the original and be considered a flop. Waters’ version doesn’t run into that problem because there is nothing good about it. It is purely an ego driven attempt to siphon the glory from the rest of the band and it failed miserably. The timing of the release during the 50 year anniversary of the original was premeditated and so very cringy.
Lest anyone think me to be a hater, I have seen Waters solo several times, including the most recent via closed circuit in a movie theater. I have always enjoyed him and I saw nothing inherently antisemitic in it. Indeed I do not view him as being antisemitic at all, his comments concerning the Israeli government and specifically not about the people. I do see him as being misguided in his opinions, but he has not been totally wrong.
Skip the Redux, it isn’t worth anyone’s time.
Also should mention Alan Parsons’ contribution to DSotM. The engineering on that album was a hugh part of blending the pieces and making it soar all through the diverse contributions of the band members.
I have watched him a few times live and his ego kind of ruins the performance. He wants the lights and camera in him all the time even when someone else is singing or there is a guitar solo.
First of all the original album is 42:50. That includes all the transitional sound effects and stuff. Waters somehow manages to make this one a full five minutes longer while omitting all of those original bits. The magic there is in how he decided it just wasn’t slow enough before. I didn’t think you could slow the tempo down anymore than the source material, but I’m guessing upon this albums release if anyone’s looking for Roger’s metronome, it’s sitting fetal in the waiting room of some methadone clinic. His vocals are so intrusively upfront in the mix I think they just plugged a contact mic into his dentures. My eardrums are are all scratched up like he’s been hugging them with his pokey stubble. If I were to Q-tip both ears right now I would just pull out a flakes of his larynx psoriasis with the texture of dried crumbled leaves. With every moment that you anticipate some upcoming pleasantry of familiarity like a guitar or synth solo, you will only be treated to the sound of your own sad crushed whimper as he somehow transforms an album noted for its variety into this stale noise. The feeling of disappointment is akin to someone fishing a bendy straw deep into your lungs to suck out your last breath. It’s almost an entire album of talking, as was expected, but for the life of me I don’t know what the he was saying. I was hearing words, I would almost forgive him if it was free verse, but I think he actually wrote this stuff down and thought it was gold. I guess the point of giving him any fraction of attention is out of respect for a dude who decades ago had a share in creating some great music, but I can’t fathom how anyone would call this a listening pleasure. It’s more like being a late night talk show host giving the most awkward possible Interview to a famous 30 year retired film Director whose slow drawl sponges the energy right out of the room. When he does attempt to sing, it has all the enthusiasm of 20 minutes past close-down at the karaoke bar. Like the poor bar staff is stuck there waiting for the last drunken patron to stop singing as they stare daggers at that young new waitress who screwed them over by giving him just enough courtesy applause to put in four more requests. If they did decide to release a video of him performing it, I imagine he was in the sound booth doing a lot of big arm gestures looking occasionally at the well paid recording engineers to make sure they are still sitting there with their eyes closed nodding their heads in support, missing the moments when one of them peeks at the others occasionally like those poor little kids bowing their heads during Aunt Gracie’s 10 minute Thanksgiving prayer. That really is all that you would see Roger doing, because he is only credited on this entire album with vocals, VCS3, and bass on one single song. I couldn’t picture him actually bending over to pick up the bass for that song, but maybe there would be room on a little coffee table sitting next to him for the VCS3 along with his defibrillator. Overall this is basically a litmus test to see just how deluded his diehard fans really are as I’m sure they will still defend it.
This is incredibly accurate and hilarious. Well done.
All in all it’s pretty awful !
This shouldn’t be called Dark Side Of The Moon, it’s a insult to that iconic incredible music! Only thing I like about that is the dog on LP cover. Is Roger trying to get at Dave and Nick! Sounds like it to me!
Rogers Water actually proved himself wrong. He wasn’t ALL of Pink Floyd. Take out Wright’s / Gilmour music writing and solos from DSOFM and this is what you get.
Know what, haven’t heard it but thanks people, won’t bother now.
Okay as a huge Pink Floyd fan somehow I hadn’t heard of this either. But didn’t want to miss something “new” Pink Floyd. I think someone above said it best that there is a danger to messing with something that is fairly well considered to be perfection.
Water’s lyrics in The Wall are a clear testament to his capabilities. This is a testament to his hubris. The poetry unlike his earlier lyrics isn’t sublime, it’s pedantic at best, condescending. Additionally that poetry destroys the intense emotional impact of Gilmour and Wright’s musical genius.
I forced myself to listen to the entire thing. I can only conclude this needs to fall into the depths of the forgotten. Let’s never discuss this in public again.