Pink Floyd has built a career creating lyrics that hone in on the human condition with razor sharp precision. From the frenetic genius of Syd Barrett to the awesome lyrical talents – and burden- of Roger Waters/ David Gilmour, Pink Floyd’s introspective dissection of humanity revealed every flaw with a spotlight. Attach those lyrics to a group of talented musicians and the words become something other than songs; they become poetic philosophy.

However, this review does not reflect on actual Pink Floyd output but rather a spread of PF compositions as interpreted by other bands. This 2CD set, A Fair Forgery of Pink Floyd, released by Stanley Recordings, represents that interpretation.

V/A tribute albums have little appeal for a frugal record buying public. So it stands to reason that they are usually for fans of the band. The acid test for a tribute album, this one especially, is that it must work extraordinarily hard to manufacture the same chill that you receive listening to the original. Otherwise, it’s an album of barking dogs; of fingers digging across the finish of a chalkboard. In short, it must connect.

There are a total of 30 songs performed by 29 artists on this set. The coverage of Pink Floyd’s long career is well-covered. And with 29 artists, the set becomes quite a showcase in style and diversity. One of the artists is the fairly well known Graham Parker who offers up his interpretation of “Comfortably Numb”. The interesting aspect of this album is its mesh of genre. Some of the artists are country flavoured while others use rock, folk, and other styles to create something different. This makes for an interesting mix.

This set has a few cuts that absolutely bond with the listener. There are two incredibly done tunes, both by Which One’s Pink, that are otherworldly in that they provide the same emotional response that one would get from hearing the originals. The songs, “Dogs” from the Animals album and “What Shall We Do Now?” from The Wall/Movie. Both are near perfect replications of the original tune that may have you wondering at times and haunting enough to bring you back for subsequent listenings.

Numira’s “Sheep” fares well here with its slightly harder edged rendition that somehow maintains a kinship with the original. Quetzal’s “Mother” is another great effort. But not everything here climbs lofty places. Sally Semrad’s “Wish You Were Here” is a bit anemic while Yortoise’s rendition of “Money” is more of a reinvented and thus bastardized version that would have been better served in a live setting and not an album such as this.

Kelsey Wood’s version of “Time” reminds one of The Go-Gos while Ira’s take of “Have a Cigar” sounds like a breathless exercise and like Yortoise’s “Money”, would have been best excised from this collection. If you like the Beatles, Dave Chapple’s version of “San Tropez” should satisfy a curiosity (if you ever had it) on how Floyd’s material would work as a Beatles cover.

If you go through the steps of releasing an album such as this, you need to put the best cuts of each song on it. This set is for fans of Pink Floyd, especially those interested in hearing various stylistic versions of their favourites. There are some throwaways, some average renditions and some brilliant pieces available here.

I would have loved to have heard Barrett’s “Apples and Oranges” on this set. Damn. Nothing’s perfect.

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High Hopes
Astronomy Domine
Corporal Clegg
Let There Be More Light
Pigs On The Wings
Dogs
Sheep
In The Flesh
Hey You
Goodbye Blue Sky
What Shall We Do Now?
Not New John
"5 Minute Version" of The Wall

Fearless
Wish You Were Here
Money
Comfortably Numb
See Emily Play
Mother
Breathe
Young Lust
Time
Have A Cigar
Bike
Nobody Home
Paintbox
Lucifer Sam
San Tropez
Childhood's End