DUBBER SIDE OF THE MOON

As a huge fan of Seventies Pink Floyd I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled upon this extraordinary reggae version of the most legendary progressive rock album, Dark Side Of The Moon. The musicians are the ''house band' of the Easy Star Records label. After the original 2003 release entitled Dub Side Of The Moon this band was frequently asked to perform the album on stage. Eventually this led to a Dub Side Of The Moon worldtour, meanwhile the sales went over 300.000 copies. Due the this success, the live experiences of the musicians and the evolution of the songs during the years, the label decided to re-release the album in 2010, now named Dubber Side Of The Moon.

It looks like a weird idea to do a reggae version of a progressive rock album, but DSOTM is not the usual prog virtuosity and complexity like Gentle Giant, Yes, King Crimson and ELP. In fact Pink Floyd is on DSOTM more close to blues than classical music, with their melodic, accessible and atmospheric prog. And these elements are starting points for the Easy Star All Stars band on Dubber Of The Moon. Mostly without the legendary guitar - and keyboard sound of Gilmour and Wright, but with pleasant catchy rhythms, the distinctive reggae vocals and the inventive use of modern electronics and exotic percussion. DSOTM is 'a wet dream for hifi snobs', well, Dubber Of The Moon is also an exciting experience on that point. Sometimes I had to think of Ozric Tentacles.

My highlights.

Speak To Me/Breathe : captivating blend of Seventies Pink Floyd and modern electronics.

The Great Gig In The Sky : deep echo and excellent vocals by Kirsty Rock.

Money: great groovy bass and echo vocals.

And Any Colour You Like : sensational use of synthesizers and electronics.

Pretty disappointing is the rendition of On The Run, too much relaxed reaggae, too far away from original ominous atmoshpere, created by the VCS 3 synthesizer sound.

The four bonus tracks are nice, no more or less.

Step It Pon The Rastaman Scene: lots of reggae and electronics, along clarinet by Katie Gabriel

Money : fat bass and echo vocals.

Time: nice instrumental version.

On The Run : fat synthesizer runs and surprising work on the Fender Rhodes electric piano.

If you are a PF fan and up to a very special musical adventure, this is an album to discover. And in fact this music is more progressive than tons of prog albums from the last 3 decades.

My rating: 3,5 star.