AA.VV.
The Moon Revisited

This project made in the USA is probably the most well-known and widespread tribute to the famous Pink Floyd work “Dark Side Of The Moon.” In these types of initiatives, there are essentially two paths that can be taken: a somewhat different, creative, perhaps irreverent reinterpretation (such as the reggae version rendered by the Easy Star All-Stars in 2003 with their “Dub Side Of The Moon”) or a precise, respectful resemblance to the original, which is undoubtedly the case with this 1994 album. I choose to write brief notes song by song about the ten parts constituting the historic suite:

“Speak To Me” – The very brief intro is rendered by the Californian group Cairo, and it replicates everything Nick Mason had assembled at the time: heartbeat, helicopter, screams, conversations progressively fading in.

“Breathe” – Again, the Cairo are involved, of course. The lap steel backdrop is in place, the voice is slightly less sweet than Gilmour's, and the execution is a bit more joyful, less sorrowful than the original.

“On The Run” – The re-edition of the legendary sequence symbolizing the world in a rush is handed over to a certain Rob La Vaque and sounds a tad more claustrophobic, lacking the vast and spatial environment the Floyd managed to recreate in 1973. In return, the rendering of the low frequencies, thanks to '90s technology, is much more effective.

“Time” – This masterpiece is entrusted to Shadow Gallery. The iconic intro with alarms and pendulums in series, ticks, and the Stratocaster striking the tonics, is transcribed with meticulous application. The voice is convincing, but it lacks the delightful change of timbre in the refrain as it happens in the original when Wright starts singing instead of Gilmour. The thunderous guitar solo of the latter is copied note for note, as it rightly should be.

“The Great Gig In The Sky” – The Great Engagement in the Sky, sublime definition and related august musical interpretation of death, is handled by the phantoms Dark Side Of The Moon. Two backup singers alternate in performing the famous gurgles and moans, immortalized at the time by Clare Torry, who for several years has been officially and finally credited as co-author along with Rick Wright, after winning the related lawsuit.

“Money” – The most famous and even danced 7/4 time signature of all time is entrusted to Magellan. The sax solo is improvised, not following Dick Parry's original, while the guitar solo is identical, although lacking Gilmour's unique touch and fluidity. The matter lasts more than seven minutes and is probably the episode with the most variations compared to the source.

“Us And Them” – Wright and Waters' grand anti-militarist ballad features Enchant, a band from San Francisco like Cairo and Magellan. The guitar is further back and the synthesizers are more forward compared to the 1973 Pink Floyd mix. Faithfully in place is the little piano solo and the sax parts, the latter again varied from the historical contribution, which was always by Parry.

“Any Colour You Like” – The Billy Sherwood's World Trade (later also with Yes) are in action, who has no trouble playing guitars, bass, and keyboards only getting help from his drummer. And good thing the track is instrumental otherwise he would have sung too, as he also has a good voice. Only the invading bass in Chris Squire style, an old habit of his, goes slightly off track but the cover is effective… It's actually the best-played one.

“Brain Damage” – Robert Berry (Ambrosia, Alliance) claims the reinterpretation of the Lunatic on the Grass all to himself, and so on, even though the arrangement is necessarily full of female voices, however not credited on this occasion.

“Eclipse” – for the grand finale, all the singers involved in the project contribute, one phrase each: in order, Sherwood, Brett Douglas (Cairo), Mike Baker (Shadow Gallery), Trent Gardner (Magellan), Rob La Vaque, Ted Leonard (Enchant), and Robert Berry. Naturally, the final sneer closing it all is indispensable, that is, the line “There is no dark side of the Moon… it’s all dark!” as the heartbeat fades away.

This work can be considered for five obvious stars for the “non-original” music (as they say), but at the same time only one meager star for its usefulness, emotional involvement, curiosity which actually is all exhausted after the first or second listen: the average is three stars then.