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Mar 03, 2010 The Flaming Lips and Stardeath and White Dwarfs By Frank Valish

Depending on who you talk to, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon is either a brilliant song cycle from the musical and lyrical genius of Roger Waters, or one of the most bloated examples of classic rock conceptual excess, ‘70s style. No matter on which side of the debate you fall, no one can argue the album’s success in appealing to the masses and continuing to prove an important touchstone of musical youth. Since its release in 1973, Dark Side of the Moon has spent 751 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart and 947 weeks on the Billboard Catalog Albums chart—that’s over 14 and 18 years, respectively. In this regard, covering the album in its entirety might be one of the more daunting tasks in music. Thankfully, The Flaming Lips have never been ones to shy away from a challenge, or theatrics and concept for that matter, and they step up to the plate marvelously here, enlisting protégés Stardeath and White Dwarfs, as well as Henry Rollins and Peaches to help. When Wayne Coyne’s child-like falsetto voice breaks through the cacophony of “Time,” the seriousness of the original is at the same time honored and undercut. “Shorter of breath and one day closer to death,” sung by Coyne in his high-pitch vocal makes one rediscover and rethink Dark Side in the space of just one line.

The downfall of so many tribute or covers albums is the fact that they are either too reverential or they completely throw away the template and start anew, something that is often disconcerting for fans of the original compositions. The Flaming Lips and their co-contributors here walk the line expertly. This is still most certainly the Dark Side that you know, but the typical Lipsian eccentricities and idiosyncrasies are present as well. Apart from the falsetto on “Time,” the funky break on “The Great Gig in the Sky” (whose female vocal line is howled here by Peaches) is energized and danceable in a way only The Flaming Lips can manage. “Money,” arguably the most recognizable (and to some, nauseating) song on the album, is slowed down slightly and presented with electronically affected vocals and robotic pulse, effectively morphing the track into a futuristic version of its original. “Us and Them,” which, to risk scorn from diehard classic rock lovers, I’ve always felt was boring, sounds perfect given the The Flaming Lips’ ethereal and chiming touch. And having Henry Rollins lend his voice to the spoken word parts, especially the album’s intro, “I’ve been mad for fucking years” line, is brilliant.

Truth be told, Dark Side of the Moon was never a favorite of mine. I lean toward the latter of the brilliant/bloated debate. The album was something I appreciated in the same way I appreciated college physics. The Flaming Lips have essentially made Dark Side of the Moon enjoyable for me. And that’s probably the greatest compliment I could give. (www.flaminglips.com, www.stardeathandwhitedwarfs.com)

Author rating: 7/10