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Album Details

• Artist: Easy Star All-Stars
• Album: Dub Side of the Moon
• Label: Easy Star
• Year of Release: 2003
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: hstisgod on 2004-09-01

The echo of the beat that has affected at least three generations of music echoes once again. For me, it wasn't enough to attempt to cover such a legendary artist as Pink Floyd; you must hit the nail on the head or forever be ostracized.

Many major artists who have created masterpieces in the industry such as Radiohead, Phish, and Layne Staley have tried and failed miserably. If you remember one thing after reading this review, I suggest you remember this; Not a soul on Earth is capable of capturing the kind of vibe and studio professionalism that Pink Floyd has possessed over the years. That said, Dub Side of the Moon is arguably the best cover of Pink Floyd material to date.

The Easy Star All-Stars tinker with the classic sound in all the right places by blending audio samples from the original Dark Side of the Moon, with the clarity and the relaxed chord str umming of Reggae. They have found the perfect hybrid of old and new. Inside the booklet that comes along with the CD is a tale of two worlds. One world that has been gathering for over 30 years since the rise of Pink Floyd in the late 1960's. The other world from an underground rising of counter culture sound. the Reggae Dub world.

The Easy Star All-Stars are made up of different Dub stars from around this hemisphere. Sluggy Ranks, Frankie Paul and Dr. Israel make up just some of the performers here. This piece is apparently so accurate you can over analyze its creepy correlations to The Wizard of Oz, just as you can with Pink Floyd's version. Now, if I am like most, then we've all overplayed Dark Side of the Moon to the point of memorization. As these two worlds collide like two neighboring pieces in a puzzle, you may find yourself believing this 30 year classic is new to your ears. The guitar intro of "Speak to Me" collects your undivided attention. Next you're being shocked by the amount of patience and emotion that leak out during the lyrics. Fading into track two you find you have entered the world of "On the Run". This is probably one of the most aggressive changes the All-Stars made. The lyric less track is in original rhythm, yet coasts through in a tasteful drum and bass format. These guys even went a step farther than the album's originators and threw on four instrumental tracks. A beat was not missed from start to finish. Instead of an explosion of clocks at the beginning of "Time," it is refreshingly replaced with a grungy, dubbed rooster call.

While slight changes are the key formula, the concept followed here is not that of a Pink Floyd cover, but more so an eye opener to the beautiful and underrated world of Reggae.

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