The Cavern
Rock & Words
THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON (Pink Floyd, 1973)
Artist: Pink Floyd (B+)
Recording Dates: Jun 1972 – Jan 1973
Release Date: Mar 17th 1973. UK
Record Label: EMI/Capitol
Producer: Pink Floyd
Rating: 10 (MUST HAVE, ICONIC ALBUM)
Era: Progressive (1968-???)
Subgenre: Art Rock
Best Song: Time
Tracklist: 1) Speak To Me/Breathe; 2) On The Run; 3) Time; 4) The Great Gig In The Sky; 5) Money; 6) Us And Them; 7) Any Colour You Like; 8) Brain Damage; 9) Eclipse.
Ok, this has been called by many the best album of all time, the ultimate in rock history, the only one to have spent more than fourteen years on the Billboard charts, and the closest thing to musical perfection ever made. Well, they might as well found a religion based on its philosophy. And they're partly right. Frankly, I'm not going to argue about this. Let's just say that The Dark Side of the Moon is as perfect as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and that they both share the universal pinnacle of rock. A word to the wise…
In this review, I don't intend to delve too deeply into what has already been said so many times about the greatness of this album. We're going to analyze it from the "dark side" of Dark Side, the songs, and the "bright side."
The Bright Side of the Dark Side of the Moon:
This album is tremendous. There's no need to be snobbish and deny it. It's one of the most influential albums on subsequent bands, a bridge to the rest of Pink Floyd's discography and to other progressive bands of the era. I firmly believe that anyone who gets hooked on this album will have their musical perspective forever changed, as it creates a hunger for more quality music, the kind that isn't so easily found on FM radio.
Pink Floyd succeeds here, like on no other LP, in immersing us in the atmospheres they desire, with sounds perfectly suited to the "age" or lyrical theme they're exploring. The lyrics are entirely Waters', thus beginning the dictatorship over the band that would last until his expulsion. But on this occasion, the fact that the entire concept of the album was his didn't seem to bother the other members of the group. We'll discuss the lyrics later. Regarding the music, it must be said that they finally manage to definitively sever the umbilical cord they had with Syd Barrett. Not a trace of his influence is perceptible on this album, and that's quite positive for the final result. Floyd finally has its own direction; they no longer jam trying to emulate the madness of their former leader, and although they revisit the theme throughout the album, this time they do so with a perfectly clear purpose and through the entire concept of the record, without epic songs where everyone did as they pleased. Here, UNITY is evident.
On the other hand, Gilmour, who had already been honing his style, perfects it here with those cold, mathematically precise solos, flawless and full of soaring notes. It was already hinted at on Meddle, but on this album, Gilmour finally achieves that distinctive style that makes him instantly recognizable. While not a virtuoso in terms of speed, he is a master of technique, crafting sublime songs where not a single note is superfluous or lacking. He knows exactly when to slide, when to use the tremolo, when to unleash his guitar's highest notes, and when to simply provide accompaniment. The other members recognize this and avoid the pointless duels of instruments and egos that were prevalent on previous albums. Roger is much more understated on bass, but he also delivers tremendous performances, such as on "Money," which features a riff worthy of a monument. Rick Wright creates very atmospheric and mellow arrangements, and it's comparable to a masterpiece like "The Great Gig On The Sky" and the intro to "Us And Them," but I think he overuses the synthesizer on "On The Run." We'll delve into this further later. On the other hand, his contribution is somewhat overshadowed on other tracks by the inclusion of saxophones. Mason shines on almost every song without overshadowing the others. He knows how to build the songs to a crescendo, reaching musical climaxes like in "Money," and in "Us And Them" I love the cadence he uses and the arrangements he creates when the song reaches its peak.
The album is filled with a production unlike anything heard before. Pink Floyd not only added very gospel-like female backing vocals and saxophone to their sound, but they also recorded countless sounds and interviews with the Abbey Road studio staff, which they incorporated into the album quite effectively. We have sounds of cash registers, a beating heart (Mason's bass drum), a multitude of clocks ticking simultaneously, helicopters, explosions, and so on. Regarding the interviews, Waters came up with the idea of asking questions about the album's themes and writing them down on index cards. He would wander around the studio asking the questions and recording the answers. Chris Adamson says, "I've been mad for fucking years, absolutely years, over the edge for junkies..." Roger Manifor "The Hat" gave some of the most unexpected answers, such as "give 'em a quick, short, sharp shock..." and "live for today, gone tomorrow, that's me..." while Peter Watts contributed his maniacal laugh, which we hear on "Brain Damage." As a curious fact, Henry McCullough, Paul McCartney's guitarist in Wings, was asked when the last time he had been violent was. He gave an answer, and the next card read, "Were you right about that?" His response was, "I don't know, I was really drunk at the time," which can also be heard on the album.
Finally, another highlight is the quadraphonic sound. Although The Who are credited with pioneering this effect, this is one of the first albums where the sounds literally make your head spin. Listening to it with headphones is quite an experience; you get dizzy amidst the swirling vortex of "On The Run," hearing the guitars answering each other from one side to the other, the laughter, the perfectly distinct ticking of clocks coming from different directions… In short, an auditory delight.
I suppose it goes without saying, but just to be safe, I'll mention that the album is a concept album, with interconnected themes that describe different stages of life, from birth, through life's pressures, the effects of time, war, and money, until finally, madness and death. Let's go song by song:
The album opens with "Speak To Me", which isn't really a song but rather heartbeats created by Mason's bass drum, to whom it was originally attributed. This track is merely symbolic of birth or the beginning of life. Then, several sounds that will be heard throughout the album join in: cash registers, maniacal laughter, screams, a helicopter—the pressures that come with life. The woman's screams symbolize the pain of childbirth and immediately, after a sudden crescendo, segue into "Breathe," which is the first thing one does upon being born. The sudden build-up with the helicopter and the screams at the end of "Speak To Me" contrasts with the gentle harmony of "Breathe," which curiously evokes a feeling of relief after a brief moment of suffocation.
In "Breathe", Gilmour begins with a slow, almost arpeggiated guitar riff, while Wright adds slide effects with his keyboard, interspersed with David's actual guitar slide. The song is tranquil, full of cadence, perhaps representing childhood. The lyrics seem to welcome the child into the world in the first part. In the second part, the lyrics point to the pressures of life, routines, repetitive work, and the loss of meaning in what we do, like a warning to the newborn. The lyrics are crafted with intelligent metaphors without being too obvious, especially in the second part. Musically, it's quite remarkable despite its slow pace. I particularly love Waters' bass playing, which demonstrates that he doesn't have to go wild or exaggerate to do a good job. The keyboards and guitar combine to create a rather sweet, sleepy texture, imbuing us with the tranquility that emanates from the song. David's voice sounds cold and expressionless, yet full-bodied, a style that was also characteristic of a couple of previous LPs but which he perfects here. The song, despite its tranquility and simple structure, is remarkably intelligent, from the lyrics to the interplay of sounds that Gilmour and Wright create on their respective instruments.
Ironically, without a moment's respite, "Breathe" segues into "On The Run". This is a synthesizer sequence featuring arpeggiated patterns, used by Richard Wright. It's presumed the song was recorded in a single take, which is remarkable considering synthesizers were a novelty at the time and incredibly difficult to operate. The synthesizer used in this track covered an entire wall. The song has no lyrics, but the title and its connection to "Breathe" allude to the hurried pace of modern life. After a while, new effects begin, creating an unsettling sense of paranoia and despair. A voice says, "Live for today, gone tomorrow, that's me," accompanied by flashing effects that flicker from speaker to speaker. Finally, the sound of a plane or helicopter crashing is heard, followed by an explosion that takes a while to fade away (the arpeggiator could also be interpreted as the sound of spinning propellers). Being such an abstract piece, it's difficult to interpret. However, one of my favorite explanations is that this track corresponds to adolescence, a time when the boy begins to live life in a rush, to fall into the adult game, and to lose his innocence, symbolized by the explosion heard at the end. The members of Pink Floyd have maintained a tight-lipped silence regarding the meaning they gave to this song beyond the instrumental experimentation it represented at the time, so it remains open to multiple interpretations.
After a brief silence, several clocks chime simultaneously, creating a cacophony of sounds, and a ticking sound begins, marking the rhythm of "Time". David's guitar sounds Dantean in this intro with that DOOOM- DOOOOOOOM DOOOOOOM!! DoroDOOOOM!! Meanwhile, Wright and Mason begin to build tension in the background. Rick plays sustained, diffused sounds with one hand and a cute, somewhat childlike organ with charming embellishments in the other, somewhere between psychedelic and jazzy. Nick plays solitary drum rolls, slowly raising the tension until the song finally explodes. Without a doubt, this is one of the most glorious intros in rock. "Time" is one of Floyd's classic tracks. In this song, the dialogue between the guitar and keyboard continues, with very similar arrangements and responses during the verses. The female backing vocals take on a significant role, lending a more spiritual atmosphere to the song. The lyrics delve into the theme of time, its relativity within human life, and, in general, how we waste it without realizing it, ultimately succumbing to its pressures and leading us to live life in a rush, without much purpose. In the first part, some lines stand out: “You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today.” This verse continues the album's theme of “ages.” One remains young, idealistic; there is too much time in the future, so one must kill time today. “And then one day you find ten years have got behind you, no one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.” Before you know it, life is gone, and lost opportunities never return. Then comes a monumental guitar solo, along with a surge in the song's power. In reality, time remains the same, but the slow, powerfully distorted guitar gives the track immense strength. This is another of those precise solos, notable not for its speed, but for the effect it has on the listener and the synergy it achieves with the atmosphere created by the other instruments. Following the solo are another couple of verses that summarize the lyrical idea: “The sun is the same in the relative way, but you're older / Shorter of breath and one day closer to death.” The idea of time being associated with waste, leading to a death without having truly lived, is confirmed in the final verse: “The time is gone the song is over thought I'd something more to say.” The song concludes with a reprise of “Breathe,” which can be interpreted as a respite upon returning home and resting a while, or as a new home formed at the “ringing of bells calling the faithful,” that is, marriage, which aligns with the chronological timeline of the person's life. This reprise retains the overall structure of Breathe, with guitar and keyboard sounds very similar to the original, but the bassline isn't as deep. It then segues into the next song.
"The Great Gig in the Sky" was originally intended to be an instrumental track with no vocals, save for a biblical reading. However, they realized that while the piano sounded beautiful, it lacked the necessary power to make it truly impactful. After several unsuccessful attempts, they called Clare Torry and gave her complete creative freedom with the vocals. The result is astonishing. Clare secured her place in rock history with this tremendous performance, which, despite being instrumental, carries the song and makes it a highlight of the album. Torry showcases an incredibly wide vocal range, brimming with emotion, from raw screams to clear, soaring notes, imbuing the song with an energy and sensitivity that no instrument or voice from the band members could have provided. The song was originally attributed to the recently deceased Richard Wright, and features a piano with a limited range but numerous notes and arrangements that, along with the vocals, take the song on a journey through orgasmic ebb and flow. It is said that this song has religious undertones. Before the female voice enters, the following phrase is heard: "And I am not frightened of dying, any time will do, I don't mind. Why should I be frightened of dying? There's no reason for it, you've gotta go sometime." However, because it is sung by a woman, it can also be interpreted as representing a relationship with a wife, sometimes calm and harmonious, sometimes tempestuous and heartbreaking. From my very subjective point of view, I prefer to believe that this song is about sex, starting gently and sweetly, slowly building in tempo until it becomes frenetic and wild. This song also has about six or seven climaxes, well above the average for songs, except perhaps "Since I've Been Loving You." Whether or not I'm right about its symbolism, this song is highly recommended as background music for making love.
"Money" is another monster (in a good way) on this album. It's not connected to the previous track, as that one opened side B. After a brief silence, the sounds of coins and cash registers begin, creating a specific rhythm over which Waters' majestic bass riff kicks in. This instrument guides and drives the entire song in a very unusual 7/4 time signature. In the background, keyboards add embellishments, and the guitar plays with a furious tremolo. We find a saxophone solo where Dick Parry was given complete creative freedom, and a change of pace to the standard 4/4 during the guitar solo, where the descending scale stands out, marking the return to 7/4 and the next verse. Lyrically, Roger displays considerable sarcasm and irony, showing the power and influence that money can have when used as an end in itself rather than a means to an end, corrupting people. The opening line, “Money get away,” shows a slight resistance to succumbing to its allure, but the rest of the lyrics reveal how the speaker gives in to temptation and gradually becomes dehumanized by ambition. The lines “Money , it’s a hit / Don’t give me that do goody good bullshit” stand out. And in the final section, “Money, it’s a crime / Share it fairly but don’t take a slice of my pie,” the speaker alludes to the fact that we are aware of the crimes we can commit for money, letting others starve to death rather than touch “our share.” The song ends with a slow fade-out during which various phrases are heard, such as “I certainly was in the right,” and the aforementioned “I don’t know, I was really drunk at the time!”
After "Money" ends, it segues into the next track, "Us and Them", through a church-like organ intro. This track again employs tranquil and atmospheric soundscapes, where Wright shines with his arpeggiated keyboard arrangements. The slow, atmospheric harmony contrasts with the lyrics that allude to war. One of the opening lines, "And after all we're only ordinary men," highlights who fights on the front lines: ordinary people who have little or nothing to do with the interests of those who sign declarations of war: "God only knows it's not what we would choose to do." There are sections where the song's intensity rises, though these aren't exactly choral sections. Here, the sonic effects and spectacle return with the inclusion of female backing vocals, orchestrated keyboards, and saxophone, before returning to the relaxed, flowing sequence with which it began. Finally comes another relevant verse: “With, Without / And who'll deny that's what the fightings are all about,” perhaps making a connection with the previous song. Who can deny what all the fights are about… Money? Dick Parry once again shines with beautiful saxophone arrangements throughout the song.
Next up is "Any Colour You Like", an instrumental track that at times resembles a jam session, with the keyboards taking the lead. There's nothing in this song to hint at its meaning or significance, as it includes no effects or interviews. The title itself is also rather anecdotal, a joke made by one of the Abbey Road engineers about the Ford Model T: "You can have it any colour you like, as long as it's black." Considering this anecdote and the album's chronological "age," it could be interpreted as alluding to the loss of freedom, or perhaps a fictitious freedom, a possible metaphor for old age. Musically, it's quite colorful, with psychedelic keyboard effects, but I still feel that the band didn't have a very clear idea of what they wanted to achieve with this song. In my opinion, it represents one of the album's weaknesses, though not enough to consider it bad or offensive.
The album's final track is "Brain Damage", a rather curious song with minimalist music, barely any arpeggios, a few embellishments, and very subtle drums at the beginning. What stands out most is undoubtedly the lyrics, and that main theme: "The lunatic is in the grass / The lunatic is in the hall / The lunatic is in my head." Another notable line is "There's someone in my head but it's not me." The lyrics directly reference madness and the loss of reality. The verse "Remembering games and daisy chains and laughs" alludes to senility and memories of childhood and youth, with which the life stage is supposedly closed before death. However, there is also a phrase that mentions Syd Barrett: “And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes / I'll see you on the dark side of the moon” which refers to the times when Syd would start playing things that did not correspond to what the rest of the band played, during his moments of fame in '67.
The album closes with "Eclipse", which is also linked to the previous track by Brain Damage's strobe-like keyboard intro and Mason's drumming, which connects it to Eclipse with a rather psychedelic, ascending intro. Musically, it's not particularly groundbreaking, consisting of only about three notes that repeat over and over, but it makes a magnificent finale to the album, constantly building tension with superb background choral effects while the lyrics review transcendent actions in life, touching on love, the senses, fights, creation and destruction, words and deeds, and acquaintances. The song's final lines are: "All that is now, All that is gone, All that's to come, And everything under the sun is in tune, But the sun is eclipsed by the moon." Lyrically, it's not the most dazzling, but I see it as a clear reference to death, and to the moment before dying when one sees their entire life flash before their eyes. The song title also makes a vague reference, evoking the image of a light within a circle, the famous "light at the end of the tunnel." And to round things off, the album ends with heartbeats slowly fading into silence.
Thus, this work takes us on a journey from birth to death, exploring the crucial moments and influences of a human being's life. Despite being a conceptual work unified by a central idea, the songs marked in red—which are also the best—work perfectly well as individual tracks, and some were even released as singles. "Time," in particular, achieved some success, but the album's overall impact led people to buy the entire record rather than individual songs.
The Dark Side of the Dark Side of the Moon:
Okay. For those who didn't get the sarcasm in the first paragraph, The Dark Side of the Universe is NOT Pink Floyd's best album, nor is Sgt. Pepper's the Beatles' best album. So they can hardly be the best albums in the entire universe. Don't be disappointed; this impression often comes from letting ourselves be guided by the opinions of Rolling Stone and VH1 (MTV doesn't count because it doesn't even come close to this kind of music).
Don't panic, DSOTM is still a fantastic album and plays its part in history, but let's be honest, it's an album that is 1) overproduced and 2) overrated. The two go hand in hand.
The album contains an impressive number of non-musical effects whose sole purpose is to impress. Musically, as I've said before and will say again, this is not a progressive album, contrary to popular opinion. I dare say it's Pink Floyd's most commercial album, with songs that, at best, can be called simply rock, and at worst, incredibly clever and well-crafted pop-rock. But the songs lack bold and daring structures; they're tones with common slurs and scales, perfectly masked by the sheer quantity of effects and backing vocals. I wonder what this album would have been without the excessive production. I know I'm going to get a lot of criticism, but before you do, listen to Meddle, from a couple of years earlier, which is superior in its progressive and musical aspects, as well as Wish You Were Here and Animals, released after this album. Without being so overloaded, they sound tremendously more intelligent and raw. They're impressionistic, but not sensationalist, and they let us see the band in a much more transparent way. These same effects are what have made the album SO overrated and labeled a rock masterpiece for the easily impressed. Mind you, I'm not diminishing it at all, and I'm not saying, as some have done elsewhere, that this album is elevator music. NO! The album itself deserves a 10, but we have to take it off its pedestal and acknowledge that there are much better works, not just from other groups, but even from Pink Floyd themselves.
Much of the credit, then, must be attributed to Alan Parsons as sound engineer, Clare Torry, and Dick Parry. Furthermore, many of the most impressive raw riffs and arrangements are taken from earlier ideas contained in Meddle or Obscured by Clouds. Any of these albums, with equally detailed production, would have blown Dark Side out of the water. The lyrics are also very good, but I think they've been greatly exaggerated compared, for example, to the theme from Animals, which I find even better handled than here. In short, it's nothing that will destroy the myth of this album, but these are points to consider and keep in mind when listening to it.
To avoid boring you, there are many covers of the entire album. Among the most highly recommended ones I've heard is Easy Star-All Stars' "Dub Side Of The Moon," which is a rather admirable and surprisingly successful reggae version. Some songs even surpass the originals. There's also Dream Theater's version, which gives the guitars and vocals a bit more power, but without the metal transformation we might have expected.
By Corvan
Aug/24/2008
