Nick Mason Weighs in on Roger Waters’ Re-Recorded ‘Dark Side of the Moon’

Nick Mason has commented on Roger Waters re-recording Pink Floyd's classic 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon.

Waters made headlines in February when he announced he re-recorded the LP sans his Pink Floyd bandmates. At the time, he told The Telegraph his reason for doing so was because, "Not enough people recognized what it's about, what it was I was saying then." He also told the outlet, "I wrote 'The Dark Side of the Moon.' Let’s get rid of all this 'we' crap!" Weeks later, he walked back his comments a bit saying, in part, "It's not a replacement for the original which, obviously, is irreplaceable ... And also, it is a way for me to honor a recording that Nick [Mason] and Rick [Wright] and Dave [Gilmour] and I have every right to be very proud of."

Mason's comments about Waters re-recording the LP happened at an event at London's Dolby Atmos Immersive Studio. According to NME, the event was a playback of the legendary album. The outlet quoted the Pink Floyd drummer saying he was aware of Waters' re-recording. In fact, Waters sent Mason a copy.

So, what was Mason's verdict? He said, " ... I write to him and said, ‘Annoyingly, it’s absolutely brilliant!’ It was and is. It’s not anything that would be a spoiler for the original at all, it’s an interesting add-on to the thing."

Of course, many are still likely questioning why Waters would do something like this in the first place. Waters, himself, admitted in a social media post it was a "f---ing mad" decision. Waters explained the idea to re-record the album came when he was recording Lockdown Sessions. That album contains reworked songs from his time with Pink Floyd and as a solo artist. Among the songs re-recorded is the classic Floyd track "Comfortably Numb" from The Wall.

"It occurred to me that 'Dark Side of the Moon' could well be a suitable candidate for a similar re-working, partly as a tribute to the original work, but also to re-address the political and emotional message of the whole album," wrote Waters.

Some people did puzzles. Some people got really into doing TikTok dances. Other people baked bread. For me, the lockdown days of the pandemic found me getting baked for the first time ever.

Now, I know what you're thinking: "How does someone wait until their mid-thirties to explore the world of cannabis?"

The answer is simple: In my late teens, I tried weed, and it made me super-paranoid. As a result, I kept a safe distance from it for well over a decade. Instead, I just rolled with alcohol if I was looking to unwind.

Cut to 2020, and like most people, I had a lot of time on my hands. Besides working (thankfully) from home and streaming TV shows and movies, I started reading more news.

One day, I fell down an internet rabbit hole about delta-8 THC. In 2020, delta-8 THC was the latest craze in the cannabis world. In a nutshell, delta-8 THC is derived from the hemp plant. It is a milder version of delta-9 THC that is derived from marijuana. This is a compound with psychoactive properties that cause users to feel "high."

One of the big differences between both THC compounds is that delta-8 was found to be less likely to induce anxiety. The biggest difference, however, was that delta-8 fell into a unique gray area that caused it to technically be federally legal for a period of time. This was thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill signed into law by President Donald Trump.

Per NBC News, "That legislation legalized hemp, which is defined as a cannabis plant that contains 0.3 percent delta-9 THC or less — levels considered too low to have a psychoactive effect. However, the bill does not address delta-8 THC levels, an omission that makes it legal for vendors to sell the compound, often as edibles, vape cartridges and tinctures, with no oversight."

As of October 2023, delta-8 is legal in 25 state. As a resident of Michigan, delta-8 is legal but now falls under the same regulations as state-legal marijuana following legislation signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in July 2021.

Once I read a lot of reports from reliable sources and consulted friends who were more familiar with the world of cannabis than me, I decided to try a delta-8 gummy edible. To my delight, the "high" was mild and very pleasant. Most importantly, I did not experience the paranoia that had scared the hell out of me in my late teens. It also helped me get a quality night's sleep, and unlike unwinding with alcohol, I had no hangover-like symptoms.

The next step, of course, was obvious: Listen to iconic stoner albums while high! Naturally, the first one I reached for was Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, an album I loved but never listened to while stoned.

So, what was it like to listen to Dark Side of the Moon high for the first time at age 35? Here were my five takeaways:

There are a number of instances on Dark Side of the Moon where audio moves from the right channel/speaker to the left and back again. The most dizzying example comes courtesy of "On the Run," which is rather intense sober, but when you're high, I could feel the sensations of the audio move from the right and left sides of my body.

Dark Side of the Moon is an album to be experienced with a quality pair of headphones. It enhances the aforementioned channel transitions immensely. Before listening to the LP high for the first time, I coincidently purchased a pair of Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones. They retail at $148, but fortunately, Amazon offered (and as of publishing, continues to offer) an option to split the cost of the headphones into three monthly payments of $49.34, which I was able to financially handle. (For those interested, you can check out the listing for those headphones here.)

Singer Clare Torry is the force behind the acrobatic vocals on "The Great Gig in the Sky." They remain some of the most stunning vocals in recorded rock history, and even though I enjoyed the track before, it felt like I was hearing them for the first time. What an incredible achievement this song is on an LP already filled with incredible moments.

Let's just put it out there: "Time" is a bit of a downer of a song. However, that underlying grove that bursts through with the first verse ("Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day") just SLAPS! It's uniquely seductive, and it's amazing it's not ripped off more. It's probably due to very few, if any, having the hubris to out-Pink Floyd the actual Pink Floyd.

Could I get into trouble for saying "Money" is overplayed on classic rock radio? Yes, but this whole article may get me into trouble, so what's the sense in stopping now? Anyway, while I wish more Pink Floyd tunes would get airplay, I have a new understanding and appreciation for "Money" after listening to the classic track high for the first time. Perhaps, it's the alternating time signatures from 7/8 to 4/4, back to 7/8 and then back to 4/4 again. Maybe my own disdain for the super-wealthy is enhanced whist high. Either way, I get it now, and I'll try my best to refrain from playing "armchair radio program director."