"I love the original recording, by the way," says Roger Waters regarding Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon. "I love what Nicky did, and what Rick did, and what Dave did on the original recording." His forthcoming Dark Side Of The Moon Redux isn't a threat to that, or an attempt to fix it in anyway way, then, but a reworking for our present times, 50 years on.
"This record actually deserves a reimagining," adds Waters in the new video below. "Simply because the message has stood the test of time, the concept has stood the test of time and it's a really important thing. It needed to be expressed and it seemed like a really good way to celebrate the 50 years that the original recorded version of this work has survived."
The new recording is more reflective I think, and it's more indicative of what the concept of the record was
"We're making a different version of it," he adds. "Not to supersede it, or to replace it, but to remember it and as an adjunct to it, and to progress the work of the original concept of the original record and all those original songs."
The first track to be aired from the Redux is Money, and suggests just how dramatic Waters' reimaging is. A sense of film noir-sh dread replaces David Gilmour's guitar work as Waters contributes new spoken-word passages. The clip above also contains a clip of Water's new take on Breate.
"The new recording is more reflective I think, and it's more indicative of what the concept of the record was," offers Waters. "It is a reinterpretation and I hope we can gain more from it than we did back in 1973 when it first came out. Because it's been part of our lives for 50 years and yet we are still not yet breathing in the air."
People have to listen to it before they can form a view of what it is
Waters also pays tribute to the musicians playing alongside him on the record, including drummer Joey Waronker, multi-instrumentalist Gus Seyffert, Hammond organ player Johnny Shepherd, Bedouine vocalist Azniv Korkejian, guitarist Jonathan Wilson and synth player Jon Carin.
"People have to listen to it before they can form a view of what it is", urges Waters. "I'm very proud of it and I hope it will be a rallying point for people, not just people who like music, but people who like love and life."
Roger Waters will premier the Dark Side Of The Moon Redux live at the London Palladium on 8 October, two days after the album's release.
Visit rogerwaters.com for more info.
