SEATTLE WEEKLY
February 19-23, 2003
By CHRIS NICKSON

It takes balls to mess with classic albums, especially one as firmly entrenched in the psyche as Dark Side of the Moon. For at least one generation, every note and inflection off that LP is imprinted on the brain. So is this reggae redux of the Pink Floyd classic heresy or wild invention? A bit of both, as it turns out, and far more successful than anyone would have imagined. This album isn't intended as novelty; the Easy Star All-Stars have turned it into a real reggae piece, changing the rhythms, adding lots of suitably spacey touches of dub (just check the opening of "Breathe [In the Air]," for example), and even breaking into some jungle for "On the Run." "Money" proves the proverbial acid test, with that familiar, slightly off-kilter riff and David Gilmour's signature guitar solo. Here, the riff remains the same, while the beat is different and the sly sound of bong bubbles replaces the ringing of the expected cash registers. And just when you're ready for the guitar to come in, Dollarman takes off on a high-speed rap and the whole thing goes dance hall. But that's the beauty of this disc: It subtly subverts the conventions of the original with a wink, yet never comes off as too cheeky. More than anything, it works. From now on, you'll listen to Dark Side in a new way, with fresh insights. And it still syncs up to The Wizard of Oz.