Dub Side of the Moon - DSOTM Reggae Version to be released

[The Piper]

From Easy Star Records:

NYC’s Easy Star All-Stars gather stalwarts from reggae and soul music communities to reinvent Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon for Feb 18, 2003 release on Easy Star Records.

The Project - 3 years in the making - features Corey Harris, Frankie Paul, The Meditations, Sluggy Ranks, Dr. Israel, Gary "Nesta" Pine, Ranking Joe and others.

Release coincides with 30th anniversary of original album.

On February 18, Easy Star Records will release DUB SIDE OF THE MOON, an ambitious reinvention of Pink Floyd’s classic Dark Side Of The Moon album as envisioned by the label’s in-house production team of Michael G and Ticklah, a.k.a. the Easy Star All-Stars. The album, four years in the making, features vocal contributions from roots/blues stalwart Corey Harris, as well as a virtual who’s who of modern reggae artists: top dancehall veteran Frankie Paul, Wailers singer Gary "Nesta" Pine, beloved harmony trio The Meditations, Brooklyn pacesetter Dr. Israel, legendary toaster Ranking Joe, frequent Easy Star contributor Sluggy Ranks, and talented newcomers Kirsty Rock and Dollarman. On the instrumental side, DUB SIDE features a gathering of musicians at the vanguard of NYC’s reggae, soul, afro-beat and electronic dance communities. DUB SIDE’s personnel have contributed to recordings by the likes of Gil-Scott Heron, Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, The Soul Providers, The Daktaris, Roots Combination, King Chango, and Tru Mystic Sound System, among others.

The idea for DUB SIDE OF THE MOON was first hatched in 1999 by Easy Star Records vice president Lem Oppenheimer. Pink Floyd’s challenging masterpiece had been one of his favorite albums as a teenager, but after years as a reggae obsessive, he imagined a re-working of the original that would echo Dark Side’s album artwork: refracting Pink Floyd’s music vision through a prism of reggae’s rich rhythmic and instrumental possibilities. Soon, the other Easy Star principals, Eric Smith, Michael Goldwasser, and Remy Gerstein, along with ESAS keyboardist/producer Ticklah, joined Oppenheimer in exploring these possibilities. They found Pink Floyd’s original compositions to be a natural conduit for their reggae/dub sensibilities. Four years later, as the original Dark Side approaches its 30th anniversary, the ESAS have emerged with a fascinating reggae version of the album that captures all of the resonant nuances of the original (right down to the "Wizard of Oz" synchronicity).

DUB SIDE is an ambitious experiment in reggae rhythms and trip-hop sounds and a remarkably elemental complement to the original. As producers and instrumentalists, Michael G. and Ticklah were careful to match the spoken interludes, sound effects, and timing of Pink Floyd's original, while still twisting the music into a completely fresh new vision.

From its inception in 1996, Easy Star Records has been at the forefront of a growing revolution in reggae music. Through the label’s 11 previous full-length releases, and its weekly "Easy Star Reggae Tuesday" parties at the Black Star Bar - NYC’s longest running weekly reggae party - Easy Star has helped to foster this renewed interest in Jamaican music, and build a thriving reggae community in New York City and around the world.

Dub Side of the Moon will be released on 18th February, 2003. You can pre-order the CD now so it is shipped on February 14th and so it arrives on street date. When you pre-order, you are automatically entered into a random drawing. The grand prize winner will win a free trip for two to Montego Bay, Jamaica, for a four day/three night stay at an all-inclusive resort. Please click here to visit their online store and preorder the CD.

[fbgmatt]

I heard a story about this album on National Public Radio. They played bits and pieces of almost every song. It sounded great! Listen with an open mind! You can search the archives of All Things Considered and play this story. Well worth a hear.

[remus]

God help us all.

[Rockhg89]

I read a review of this album in Rolling Stone and they said it sucked- they only gave it 2 stars. Anyone with the balls to re-do a classic of that proportion is either crazy or just stupid.

[terminalfrost]

Don't be so quick to slam it -- I picked it up a few days ago and it's pretty good. Most (all?) of the songs lend themselves pretty well to a reggae beat, and the arrangements are really good.

Pros:
- Great engineering / sound quality on the recording, including a powerful mix on the reggae bass.
- Any Colour.../Brain Damage are especially good. Imagine a funky trombone doing Gilmour's guitar style on Any Colour...
- Other good tracks are Breathe In The Air, and Great Gig...
- Money: instead of the cash registers, it's a loop of taking a bong hit. Pretty funny.
- Time is really good.
- The special effects and sound of the guitars and organs are unique, but pretty true to the original sound

Cons:
Since all of the songs were recorded separately (most by different people), the transition from one song to the next is not the greatest.

All-in-all...I'm glad I spent the money for it. It's a fresh feel to an old classic.

[Hicks]

Listened this morning in a shop, It's not that bad actually

[Meddler220]

I recently listened to the Dub Side of the Moon cd and I liked it a lot. It's a new twist on a classic album. I'm not a big fan of reggae, but I think this one is worth adding to the collection.

[voodoo_misfit]

Wow, sounds cool....I'm gonna have to check it out

[fixxlevy]

farthest Alaska of my record collection

[Dr Cheese]

I recently 'acquired' this also and was shocked to discover that it's pretty good. The intro to Time is hilarious.

[PinksWall]

never heard of or seen it anywhere i'll check it out

[Call]

I..........don't...........like........reggae..... ....oh........God.......help........us

[Dr Cheese]

It doesn't really matter whether you like it or not.

[Neshabur]

It's not for free, so it matters!

[Dr Cheese]

It doesn't matter because if you don't like reggae you're not very likely to rush out and buy it now are you!