Dark Side of the Moon

[fuzzygobo]

40 years and 50 million copies ago, Pink Floyd released their sonic masterpiece, The Dark Side of the Moon. Many of the songs have become FM radio staples, and have touched on such universal themes as isolation, going crazy, time(or lack of), money(or lack of), and how all of us on one planet, under the shadow of one moon, are essentially the same.

This album is no 70's relic, but continues to be relevant, and even manages to sell about 9,000 copies a week. During its original run, it stayed on the Billboard album chart for 741 weeks- over 14 years. It's been estimated one in every fourteen people in America under 50 have at least one copy. So you high-schoolers/college-age people, chances are sooner or later you might stumble on to this one.

It's also been the centerpiece for one of the most spectcular stage shows ever mounted. In 1994, I was lucky enough to catch it twice.

On youtube, you can also check out "The Dark Side of the Rainbow" where some twisted genius synched up the album with The Wizard of Oz. They pair extraordinarily well, especially the tornado scene paired with "The Great Gig in the Sky".

If you've never listened to this album before, check it out sometime. Your ears will thank you.

 

[charlietheowl]

It's an excellent album, even if I think it is a tad overrated (though that may be because I love Wish You Were Here). "Us And Them" is probably my favorite song off of it.

 

[fuzzygobo]

"Wish You Were Here" and "Meddle" might have had some better songs, but
"Dark Side" stands as a seamless, perfect whole. Maybe even TOO perfect, but hard to deny a 50 million-plus-selling album with your name on it.

 

[charlietheowl]

Yes, everything does go together perfectly in Dark Side of the Moon, no doubt due to the many takes and steady studio hand of Alan Parsons. As for Meddle, I was never too big a fan; Obscured By Clouds is probably my favorite pre-Dark album (though I have not yet heard Atom Heart Mother).

 

[fuzzygobo]

Atom Heart is an acquired taste. They tried doing a side-long piece with Ron Geesin conducting an orchestra and choir, and it has some nice moments, but nobody was too happy with it.
Roger Waters: "I wouldn't mind if it was thrown in the dustbin and never listened to ever again!"

However, "If", on side two, is one of the best things he's ever done. Even when he tours now, he still brings this one out.