Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon: 30th Anniversary Edition
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CD Details
Artist: Pink FloydEdition: Music CD
Format: Hybrid SACD - DSD
CD Release Date: 2003-03-25
Music Label: Capitol
Soundtracks:
- Speak To Me/Breathe
- On The Run
- Time
- The Great Gig In The Sky
- Money
- Us And Them
- Any Colour You Like
- Brain Damage
- Eclipse
Music reviews of The Dark Side of the Moon: 30th Anniversary Edition
Music Review: The album which forever immortalized Pink Floyd
Rating: 5 Stars
Dark Side Of The Moon (1973.), Pink Floyd's eighth studio album
There has never been and never will be a band quite like Pink Floyd. Over their extensive career, the prog. rock quartet of Dave Gilmour (guitar), Roger Waters (bass), Rick Wright (keyboards) and Nick Mason (drums) have made a legendary contribution to rock music (I've also not forgotten original frontman Syd Barratt in that list). The band tried out more than their fair share of new ideas and in many ways paved the way in pushing the boundaries of music. All of the band's albums are quite popular, but none more so than 'Dark Side Of The Moon' which is heralded as the Floyd's greatest work and one of the greatest albums of all time. This album has shifted more units than any other rock album ever made (sales are over 40 millions units I think!). So is this album really deserving of its great popularity and also, why is it just that bit special?
For me, there is no question, this is Pink Floyd's ultra-definitive album and also their finest album - other hardcore Floyd fans may disagree and choose 'Wish You Were Here' or 'The Wall' by preference but I think that this tops them both. Pink Floyd, up to this point had amazingly demonstrated their great potential, none more so than in their great 1971 release, 'Meddle'. With that album, you could sense that the band were on the brink of producing a true masterpiece and here you have it, the ultimate masterpiece from the band in 'Dark Side Of The Moon'. Everything comes together on this album; the songs run cohesively and perfectly from one to the next and the songwriting is literally awesome. It should come as no surprise that all of the band members had songwriting inputs on the album (rather than the sole Waters dominance that would come in later albums) and this further demonstrates why this album is so good. It often amazes me that there are people around today who are more than willing to bash this album. I constantly hear comments such as 'It sounds dated' or 'This music makes me fall asleep'. These people (probably listeners to senseless nu metal, emo crap or anything else thats abysmal in music in recent times) never fail to amaze me; I don't know what stuff they must be on to make them so diluded! At my last check, this album was made over 30 years ago ... YES 30 YEARS. People are quick to diss the techniques that Pink Floyd used on this album to make various effects but at the time it was completely new and revolutionary - they didn't have the latest digital recording studio to help them out! That aside, the various styles the band use on the album for me still sound fantastic and fresh. Gilmour's guitar work is first rate, as are his vocals. Waters' bass play is beautifully resonant throughout and the keyboard work by Wright is fantastic. With that all aside, it is the lyrical concept that really makes this album so good. Pink Floyd take you through an amazing conceptual journey on this album, and one that you never tire of. The all too realisitic themes of loss of time, war, madness and death are in this album. The band tackle a whole load of themes in this 40 minute album; you can't not be emotionally moved by it. This is why the album has appealed to so many over time; the album's concept driven, experimental but ultimately polished and structured style is what makes it shine so much. The album has so many sides to it and you notice something new with every listen. Who also could miss the cover; the prism effect front is simple but an amazing eye-catcher.
The journey of the 'Dark Side Of The Moon' begins with opener 'Speak To Me/Breathe'. The opening part of the song opens up with a showcase of the effects to come; mad voices, a woman screaming, cash tills and everything else all cleverly mix together (note all the voices you hear on the album were workers at the recording studio who had their reponses recorded when they were asked about madness). This then runs into the start of the proper music, firstly with the classic guitar and bass line for the album followed by a couple of verses of harsh and brutal lyrics. 'On The Run', is a clever track with a racing electronic sound which was created by speeding a note sequence on a tape loop - there's plenty more effects added in on this track. Then we come to the album's first epic in 'Time'. A surpise entrance of ringing bells kick starts this one. Gilmour's crunching guitar chords alongside some echoing drumming give this song an atmospheric build up. This then becomes a lyrically amazing song, with themes on time slipping away and growing old. Gilmour's guitar solo is brilliant; as is the 'Breathe' (reprise) song exit. Following this great track is the closing song for side one with 'Great Gig In The Sky'. Rick Wright's gentle piano chords are superbly contrasted by the passionate, emotional and evocative wails by singer Clair Torry, who the band hired for the song. The song is like nothing I've heard before.
The second half of the album opens with the album's most famous song. Who could fail to recognise the unique cash-machine sounds at the start of the song. Rhythmically, this song is weird as it is written in 7/4 time, as opposed to the 4/4 standard. However, this time signature paves the way for the songs classic bass line. The lyrics, based around corporate wealth, greed and acquisition are classic, as is the middle section with plenty of roaring guitars. 'Us And Them' follows; perhaps the album's most heartfelt song. Based on the theme of outrage at the continuation of the Vietnam war, this song is powerful. The keyboard work is imaginitive and the saxophone solo is brilliant. 'Any Colour You Like' is next. This one is experimental where Gilmour tries his hand at some quirky guitar play over some great keyboard dubs. The madness theme of 'Brain Damage' is next up which looks at the mental damage caused to war casualties. This is another foreboding song with a brutal and realistic edge. Finally, to close this epic album is 'Eclipse'. A short, punchy finish with plenty of contrasting lyrics building to a climax. The heartbeat at the end cleverly trails the album to a finish, in the style just like it began.
'Dark Side Of The Moon' is an epic musical journey through the tragedies of life. Pink Floyd were at their absolute peak with this album and the work is never short of inspired moments. This album is perfect; everything comes together both musically and lyrically. Plenty of people have this album but still, if you don't then this is a MUST buy. This album is not just the place to begin a Pink Floyd collection, it is the place to begin a good music collection in general. Trust me, and all the other high rated reviews for this album, this album is well worth the money you will pay for it and the time you will spend listening to it! (excuse the puns!)
EXTRA NOTE: 'Dark Side Of The Moon' was issued in an SACD format some time ago. If you have the technology for SACD formats then this is the version you may want to get. I personally don't know what the quality is like with that version and I've heard a mixture of positive and negative feedback alike about it.
MY RATING: 10/10; a classic that rises above the rest
Description of The Dark Side of the Moon: 30th Anniversary Edition
The Super Audio CD (SACD) features two disc layers. One layer contains a standard version of the album that works on any CD player. The other layer includes high-resolution stereo and a 5.1 surround version of the recording that works on SACD-compatible DVD players and home theater systems. Both layers employ SACD's Direct Stream Digital (DSD) encoding process that samples the music 64 times faster than CD for unprecedented fidelity.Dark Side of the Moon, originally released in 1973, is one of those albums that is discovered anew by each generation of rock listeners. This complex, often psychedelic music works very well because Pink Floyd doesn't rush anything; the songs are mainly slow to mid-tempo, with attention paid throughout to musical texture and mood. The sound effects on songs like "On the Run," "Time" and especially "Money" (with sampled sounds of clinking coins and cash registers turned into rhythmic accompaniment) are impressive, especially when we remember that 1973 was before the advent of digital recording techniques. This is probably Pink Floyd's best-known work, and it's an excellent place to start if you're new to the band. --Genevieve Williams
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