Three 65, Day 46
The Flaming Lips, The Dark Side Of The Moon

Being a huge Pink Floyd fan, and a huge Flaming Lips fan, I was all over this shit the day it came out. The two seem like perfect companions; after all, the Flaming Lips are practically a latter-day Floyd, minus the internecine tensions.

Too bad that it's ultimately disappointing. Certain substitutions work: the wailing klaxons and coughing that replace the clocks at the beginning of "Time," the spoons that are substituted for the cash register at the beginning of "Money," etc. These are all nice little touches, but when it comes to soul, when it comes to depth, the album ultimately fails.

Take the vocals on "The Great Gig In The Sky," for instance. Peaches is an interesting choice, but as a substitute for Clare Torry, she just doesn't cut it. Her shrieks sound like an animal in pain, instead of a woman in ecstasy, and it just doesn't work. The same goes for the substitution of all the male voices interviewed on the original album with Henry Rollins - sure, he's saying the same thing, but he comes off as gruff and confrontational instead of affable and warm.

Pretty much everything on this record plays out this way. Sounds good, don't get me wrong, but this is tough stuff the Lips are tackling, and they're just too out there to handle the more grounded elements of Pink Floyd's sound.