Tuesday Diversion: Dark Side of the Moon A Capella

If Pink Floyd was an acapella group this is how they
would have done DSotM - honestly, it's that good

Dark Side of the Moon (DSoTM is how I might refer to it to save typing) is a mainstay piece of music.  Not only is it the most popular Pink Floyd Album, I believe it was the artistic high-water-mark for the band.  And I love it.  I have about 4 different LP pressings (Including a treasured Mobile Fidelity copy that is astonishing in quality), a CD, and an SACD of this one album.  Once in awhile it needs to be played.  No one in the house complains, though I am pretty sure the kids aren't as in to it as I am.  In fact, I think Kathy doesn't like it as much as I do, either.

When I got into audiophile gear, I also found out it was recorded very well, and is one of the audiophile standards where not only does it sound good - nearly everyone likes the music.  There is so much in the audiophile repertoire that isn't that way - its when you find your favorite band's best album stands shoulder to shoulder with the best recorded stuff out there ... well it makes one happy.

In any event, there are tons of people who have done versions:  bluegrass interpretations, orchestral versions, jazz versions, even the Flamings Lips put together their interpretation.  And this blurb is about the acapella version aptly called Dark Side of the Moon A Capella by Vocomotion Records.

But before I go into depth on this - I think you can guess, but I will write it right here - most of these "novelty" interpretations kind of blow.  Most novelty interpretations of any famous song or album suck to death, actually.   It's even dicey when a band known for one genre plays or is played in another.  I think the only people that buy any of those in any kind of serious way are completist collectors - so I happy buy strange copies of DSotM play them once, chuckle, and then file them away for a rainy day.  I sometimes wonder that instead of putting something on an album for the world to judge, wouldn't it be better for the band in question save it for some late night encore when the band senses an especially drunk or forgiving audience, and then spring it on them?  Beastie Boys did it that way when they played the music they preferred - Funk - to the suburban rap they are known for (they later released it as an excellent album, but that's not the point I'm making here).

Beastie Boys Funk Album.  Turns
out they were pretty good!

One of about 1000 pressings of this
seminal album

But this is an exception.  With just using 8 voices + 1 beat-boxer in clearly a world class group of singers not only do they get through the album competently, they manage to capture the tone, mood and texture of DSotM.  I was transfixed the whole album.   The opening "Breathe/Speak to Me" in the original starts with a low heartbeat that rises in volume and is nearly subterranean in depth enveloping the listener womb-like ... but in this album the human voice can't get the same sense of scale - but the voices manage to capture the essence - perhaps it is the way we respond to a human voice vs a heartbeat?  I don't know, but it wasn't lacking in anything - just different, and disarming.  (Note: I found it hard to critically listen to this album since several times, I quickly forgot that it's an "acapella version of Dark Side," and just slipped into the zone and enjoyed myself).  When the album segues into "Time" you realize that just like DSoTM, this version is continuous with no breaks between songs - I almost missed that, but its very cool.  The website claims this is "Wizard of Oz Compatible" and the only thing I can figure is you could play them at the same time and it would reasonable be in synch with each other?  They don't say so, and since I have a single turntable and all of these are on LP - I will likely never know ...   My favorite portion on the Dark Side in any incarnation of the album is the last segments "Brain Damage" to "Eclipse" - this group pulls it off - the delicacy and emotion of the songs - and the incidental talking seem to work even better than in the original album.  And really?  8 people and a beatboxer and nothing else?  Really??  And how they got the opening to "Money," I will never know - but they did manage to nail it.  In fact they nailed the whole album - and more importantly they captured the flow, feeling and way of the album - the "X" factor that the album had.  I bought it expecting a little giggle, and snicker and then to file it away.  Boy is the laugh on me this time.  I really like this album and feel they got it when they did it.

While Kathy likes it - I hate acapella!
But fortunately this album is nothing
like Glee...

And not for nothing, I usually hate acapella music the same way I hate stereo setups that are hyperreal.  You get something that is a at best a fun cartoon of music, but it isn't the real thing.  You could have knocked me over with a feather on this one, though.  It was intensely musical through and through, and not a novelty or cartoonish interpretation.

It is an album that you should grab if you can - and with any DSoTM it is best on Vinyl - but nearly any version will bring it.  If you aren't familiar with the original, may as well pick up a copy of it, too - and if you have the patience listen to them back to back.  The sound is miles apart, but the emotion and feel is so similar - you will be left thinking that if Pink Floyd had been an acapella group this is how they would have done it.  (And for the record, if they had, I want to know how they'd have done Ummagumma)

Highly recommended.  Read more about it here.