It’s never easy getting Roger Waters and David Gilmour to agree on something. They've been distant and in disagreement on many matters for a long time now. Especially when it comes to Pink Floyd songs and music.
That makes a new version of the band's classic song “Comfortably Numb” even more surprising, it has the full agreement from both Waters and Gilmour. The new version is surprising enough anyway. It’s from metal band Body Count with rapper Ice-T leading the way on new style vocals for lyrics he has rewritten himself. The band has included their version of the song on their latest album, Merciless.
It sounds like the sort of changes that perhaps either one of Waters or Gilmour might easily disapprove of. Ice-T explained on The Jimmy Fallon Show how he got them to listen to the song and give their rare go-ahead to it. An initial approach via the official Pink Floyd channel was bounced back straight away. The band doesn't allow samples or covers, as simple as that. But the rapper bypassed that finding more direct routes to the Pink Floyd pair.
Pink Floyd classic gets Ice-T treatment
He not only got their blessing to proceed, but Gilmour asked to play in the song and appear in the video for it. He loved the new version and the fresh lyrics the rapper had written. Looks like Gilmour’s experience with new producer Charlie Andrew for his recent Luck And Strange album has broadened his tastes even further.
I’ve said on here before that I am not a huge fan of cover songs. That's especially so where the original is a well-known classic, “Comfortably Numb” fully fits that bill. I’ll also confess to being a huge fan of both Pink Floyd and David Gilmour. Let's keep the honesty going by admitting that I don’t have many rap or metal songs on my Spotify wrapped for 2024 and you'd have to dig very deep there or on my playlists to find any.
That means I was more than a bit worried about how this Body Count version would sound. Leaving well alone wasn't far from my mind. But hey, if Waters and Gilmour gave it a thumbs up, it’s surely worth a listen.
It was worth hearing for sure. The rework is shockingly good as a song. There is still a rumbling bass featured heavily. Gilmour's guitar sounds harder, but his signature-style solos still flourish in this version. The rap lyrics are punchy and very effective; familiar elements still cut through, and they still brood angrily. I can see and hear why both Waters and Gilmour were happy to approve.