Michael Armstrong
Rockabye Baby - Lullaby Renditions Of Pink Floyd

LA RECENSIONE

Being Pink Floyd the group universally recognized as the emblem of progressive rock, thousands of things have always been woven into their compositions: covers everywhere, symphonic interpretations, metal ripoffs (yes, those show-offs of Dream Theater, needless to say - a horrible thing) and so on. But who would imagine that some idle person would set out to transpose Floyd's hits into "lullabies"?

When I stumbled upon this album, it made me smile a bit. Then I said, "Well, everything has been done with them, what's wrong with feeding it all to the children?" There's nothing wrong, in fact...

And then my mind began to wander. "What better way to pass on to children the miracle of the 70s than through innocent lullabies?" Imagine if from the early months, your little one hears these instrumental pieces, falls asleep (and thus the melody still resonates in their mind) and listens to it again the next evening, and the one after that... After a few years, when they grow up, you put on "Wish you were here" and tell them: "Remember this one?" And their eyes light up. I think it's a really beautiful image, beyond the previous indoctrination (a bit forced). I think I wouldn't rule out this possibility if I ever became a father. First of all, because I firmly believe that Pink Floyd's music is important for everyone, without making fanatic speeches (there are already too many). Their records have truly influenced music, and they're always beautiful to listen to.

And if you think that lullabies cannot convey what the group composed, try listening. I didn't believe it either before putting on the album. I'll tell you, I listened to it all in one go: it's relaxing, it's evocative, it's almost moving to hear these well-known melodies stripped down in such a complete way. The simplicity of the instrumentation indeed captures the more emotional aspect of the famous tracks, making them even more unique.

One piece of advice: don't lie down on the bed or in comfortable positions. You risk falling asleep for real.

PS: Maybe you already knew all this, but if you browse the web, you'll find many other such transpositions for Nirvana, Metallica, Cure, Radiohead, Bjork, U2, Nine Inch Nails, Queens Of The Stone Age, Smashing Pumpkins, Led Zeppelin, Ramones, Green Day, and others. Well, a round of applause to Micheal Armstrong for the versatility...