Proceed with the greatest of caution into Roger Waters-led reimaginings of Pink Floyd material. Just look at The Dark Side of the Moon: Redux. A listen to that, and you’d really have to question whether Waters is the mastermind he claims to be. Maybe David Gilmour and company wrote a little more than he lets on. But such is the case for most elderly rockers whose best work is behind them. Neil Young hasn’t done all that much in the last decade but has plodded on regardless because he, like Waters, still has a strong voice and a chance to appeal to a new generation whose cultural commentary and desire for political change is alive and well. Waters has used Comfortably Numb, one of the best-known Pink Floyd songs from The Wall, as an act of righteous protest. He is right to do so and uses the song as a platform for artists who can speak to the Palestinian cause. For that alone, irrespective of quality, Waters has justified is artistic adaptation.
There’s an argument to be made for having Waters write new material for these causes. Not because Pink Floyd shouldn’t be adapted into modern times, they have been and should be, but because it has been some time since Waters issued new material. Even Gilmour managed to revive Pink Floyd for the relatively poor but well-meaning Hey Hey Rise Up. A radio edit and full-length rendition of Comfortably Numb is on offer here and with Waters revising the lyrics only slightly, it makes for a better listening experience. He turned The Dark Side of the Moon into a bizarre set of revised, spoken-word poetry recitals without the infectious thrill of those instrumental highs. He does not go that far on Comfortably Numb. Instead, he hands over to Mona Miari’s outstanding vocal range. Comfortably Numb is the perfect song to select for a politically motivated performance.
Not just because of the obvious connotation found in the title but because of the haunting instrumental touch Waters gives it. Comfortably Numb paired with the same harrowing instrumental experiences as Leonard Cohen’s You Want it Darker. Any great song can give discomfort and pleasure at once. A slight lyrical change to the radio edit has Waters sympathise from across the world in New York. But his sympathy, much as it does for many people affected by the emotionally harrowing experiences of the Palestinian people, extends into action. Waters has done more than most for the cause and expresses it with a musically strong offering. Comfortably Numb is successfully reimagined and, even without the political prospect at play, is a fitting and fresh undertaking of an all-time great song. A full-length version of the song adds a few more words of support from Waters and plenty of standout Miari moments.
What strikes most of all is the addition of Waters, the repetition of feeling the pain of others. There’s the sympathy and empathy difference at play here. We live in contentment and are lucky to have the stresses we currently hold compared to those who are bombed, gutted from their homes and separated from their families. It is the shock of a generation which Waters captures here and despite his elder statesman role in rock music now, he pieces together a staggering call to arms. It’s the full-length version that you’ll want to hear. The more politically inclined of the two and a sincere delivering of Waters’ actions as a political activist. He would travel far to make a slight difference, he says. Given his conviction here, it’s very easy to believe him as he adapts Comfortably Numb into a specific, politically poignant piece of work.
Discover more from Cult Following
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
