CHICAGO -- THE FINAL CUT? Bright Side of the Sun is an 11-track response to the Pink Floyd classic Dark Side of the Moon. "I was changed forever by Dark Side of the Moon," says songwriter. G. J. Halpern. 'I put myself into that record so much and so often, and I had always hoped that there would be a followup, but it never happened." Until now. Halpern augmented by such folks as former Ted Nugent lead singer Bob Mraz, ex-Survivor bassist Dennis Johnson and former Styx saxman Steve Eisen - recreates a '73-era Floyd vibe on the CD's first few cuts, though the remainder, with its blustery vox and squawky guitars, is more akin to The Wall-era Floyd. Halpern, however, isn't finished. He has five more responses on tap, including Dim Side of Mars, an opus that is halfway completed.
Floyd's BRAIN DAMAGE March 1997
Bright Side of the Sun, the new album from Chicago's G. J. Halpern, is a bit of a surprise. As the name suggests, Bright Side is the flip side of the Floyd's stormy, Vietnam-era mood piece.
"The tempos on Bright Side are more up," explains Halpern, "unlike the minor blues type chord progressions which dominate a down type of feeling on Dark Side." This 90's aura extends to the lyrics as well. "All the songs have open symbols and multiple meanings. Words are used to create a feeling of hope," said Halpern.
The performance and mix is top-notch. Perhaps my only complaint would be that songs such as Precious Moments and Credit come across as way "too 80s" for my taste, while some of the vocal sections sound forced. But, Dream, Light at the End of the Tunnel, Cloudy, and New Light more than compensate for that small misgiving.
To have created a theme album this good based on the best selling record of all time is no small feat. Now we'll just have to wait for Halpern to meet Lee Saunders! That may be about as close to a "Floyd reunion" as we'll get.
Jeff Johnson
Chicago Sun Times - June 13, 1997
"Bright Side of the Sun," the new CD from Chicago's very own Jess Halpern and his band Zodiac Blue is a self-styled response to "Dark Side of the Moon" -- British rock band Pink Floyd's landmark 1973 album -- "Bright Side of the Sun", the original work, borrows stylistic elements from early Floyd to put across its own very different message.
For example, a defiant and raunchy first cut called Dream asks "Have you ever had a past? Were you ever really high?" It sets the tone for what is basically a classic 70's sound.Halpern has engaged veteran 70's era players. Bob Mraz former lead singer with Crow and Ted Nugent, Dennis Johnson of the old Survivor, Steve Eisen formerly with Styx on saxophone, and Motown singer Kate Shea bring "Bright Side of the Sun" the strong punch it needs to make it a credible response to the great "Dark Side of the Moon".
Systematically, the message is layered, first the aggression of the opening dissolving into the sobering second half. Along the way, slivers of other artists -- a little Bowie at the head of "Dream Reprise," a talking bit ala Prince on "Light at the End of the Tunnel", and a preening guitar on "We the People" that's straight out of Chris Isaac's "Wicked Game" peer in, but Halpern's transcendentalist spirit reigns throughout and it gathers force. The payoff is the fierce ballad at the end -- "New Light" which has a mystical edge with Motown singer Kate Shea doing a mean Claire Torrys, the memorable diva from "Dark Side of the Moon." The center piece though, is the euphoric "Cloudy," the most formally impressive piece in the album. Adapting a loose, jazzy structure, it brings a moody balance to all the energy and enthusiasm of the rest of the work.
The fifth cut "Light at the End of the Tunnel" comes at you with the kind of jam-out guitar build-up and solo that typified Skynard's "Free Bird" and the Rock and Roll theme albums of the seventies, and yet like the rest of the work it conjurs up many of the purely musical feelings from "Dark Side".
"New Light" arrives at the end with its spine-tingling floating guitar slides. All throughout the end in fact, Bright Side's new age mysticism set against a background of storms and ethereal textures set off some dynamic tension in the album.
Most of the music is damn good, however I personally didn't like the song "Credit". But then like a lot of floyd fanatics, I didn't care much for "Money" on the original. I can say this -- Bright Side of the Sun is worth a listen if you liked the original or not. It feels like a logical extension of early Pink Floyd.
