Dark Side of the Moon

"Darkside" is probably the ultimate concept album. It has everything going for it, the lyrics and themes explored are extremely dark but the music is incredibly uplifting and jazzy. The concept of the album is exploring various things that imping upon an individual and where these things take people, wether it be greed, apathy or death.

All of the songs apart from "Great Gig" and "Money" blend into each other forming one long track untill the end of "Great Gig" and then starting another long track from the start of "Money". For this reason, "Darkside" should be listened to as a complete experience rather than individual tracks. Gilmour's guitar playing is amazing as is Wright's piano work, but even though the individual instruments are played amazingly they always form a more cohesive larger whole. This really is an album that is more than the sum of its parts.

Pink Floyd, "Darkside" in particular, have had a massive influence on many bands since. Ambient dance owes a great deal to Pink Floyd as does Radiohead and because of this Pink Floyd will be discovered by a whole new generation. Waters' lyrics are still as relevant today as they were in 1973.

As well as being an all time great album, it is one of the more interesting albums of all time. During the '80s CD boom, a rumour circulated that a pressing plant in Germany was dedicated to pressing only "Darkside". Another well known myth is that if you play "Darkside" and the film "Wizard Of Oz" simultaneously many similarities pop up. A lesser known myth is that if you turn the volume up really loud at the end of "Eclipse" you can hear an orchestral snatch of "Ticket To Ride".

All of this makes Pink Floyd's "Darkside Of The Moon" one of most lauded albums of all.


Speaks To Me Every Time   January 7, 2004
Jonathan James Romley (Dublin, Ireland)
16 out of 17 found this review helpful

Love it or loath it; the greatest concept album of all time by one of the greatest bands of all time, locked into a run of back-to-back classics that would continue right through the decade. What else can I say to do justice to the emotional impact, or the underlining sense of menace that we find on this album? How can I describe to you the feeling that runs down my spine every time those opening heart beats of Speak to Me pulse from speaker to speaker, the mad ranting that litters the album to often disturbing effect, or the amazing voice of Clair Torry on the almost gospel sounding Great Gig in the Sky.

Everything about this record is intense, amazing, and dare I say it... perfect. From the literate and vivid lyrics of Roger Waters, to the infamous Gilmour solos not ONE single note or arrangement is out of place. Added to this, we also have Rick Wright's jazzy piano arrangements, organ effects and keyboard sequences, creating a further sense of foreboding and dread to reflect Waters' lyrical preoccupations... all tied together nicely by the relaxed percussion of Nick Mason. It's also one of the greatest examples of record production ever demonstrated too; what with the multiple layering of tracks, atmospheric sound effects and almost narrative approach to track listing.

Cynics may now criticise the work for being pretentious pomp rock; but how can you claim such things when the emotional connection established between the sounds flowing from the stereo and the listener lost in music are so intense. Isn't that what great music is all about? This is a work of rare perfection, packed with classic tunes that still resonate to this day. My mere ramblings (or the ramblings of anyone else for that matter) simply don't do the record justice. All I can say is buy it now... let the music speak for it's self.


To my ears, THIS is the version you should buy !   August 3, 2006
DSR (out beyond the sticks)
23 out of 25 found this review helpful

OK, the recording of this album really pushed the technology of the time and often it shows, but the remastering job on this 1993/4 issue is first class, putting the MUSIC first... From the poundingly deep "hearbeat" at the beginning (you'll have to catch your speaker cones if you play this loudly on the currently fashionable small speakers) to the realistically strident clock chimes and strikes at the beginning of "Time".

The really sad thing is, most of you won't be able to hear the scale that this recording is capable of, as you really need a huge pair of speakers (or REALLY good headphones) to reproduce it fully. When I started in the audio industry in 1973, the average smallish speaker was the size of a typical 28" widescreen TV on its side (and almost the weight) and as for the big ones... That's the secret of reproducing these vintage recordings properly, a well behaved CD or record player, a decent large pair of speakers and an amp that can drive them cleanly. THEN you find the hums and hisses in the background and the distortion on loud bits aren't anything like as bad as you might think because the SCALE is so much bigger and more lifelike.

If you've an early CD, the 30th anniversary SACD issue, or a worn out old LP, I'd urge you to buy this version too, as to my ears, it's the best one...

Oh, I forgot to mention the music... What can I say, ground breaking, a bit "commercial" perhaps, but it hit the spot then and still shows much imagination now!

Warmly recommended - If you've never heard this album, at this price you deserve to buy it, 'cos "you'll be very glad you did"...





Be Patient   May 15, 2006
G. Hill (Nottingham England)
14 out of 15 found this review helpful

I first came across DSOTM over 10 years ago, and I didn't get it. I thought like others, that it was just a bunch of sound effects with no SINGLES, but I was wrong, unfortunatly it took a long time to come around, but it as worth it.

A few years ago I was introduced to The Wall, which at least had a song I knew and I was supprised to find I really enjoyed it, then followed Wish You Were Here, The Final Cut, Animals and Finally DSOTM. At first my impressions were the same but after several listens it dawned on me what a fantastic piece of music this is, no longer just sound effects but an immersive experience the like of which you don't get very often, and I love it.

My advice to anyone who hasn't experienced DSOTM before is to shut yourself off in a room relax and let it wash over you, don't go hunting standout songs, don't skip through the tracks trying to find singles, it's not that type of album.

Be patient, it'll get you in the end.