Dark Side of the Moon

[Hats of!]

http://www.abc.net.au/myfavouritealbum/albumart/img/darkside.jpg

Pink Floyd is one of the 60-70's most succesful brittish prog-bands (and without doubt, the greatest space-rock band). A mostly underground band throughout the 60's to early 70's they gained fame with four albums, The Wall, Animals, Wish You Were Here and Dark Side of the Moon.

Dark Side of the Moon is generally considerd to be amongst the greatest albums of all time. Everyone gives it full score and praise it for it's lyrics about life and madness, aswell it's instrumental pieces and solos. But one of the main salutes this album gets is the fact that it's manufactured in a splendid way, miles ahead any other albums att this point.

But, this comes with a downside. What becomes with an album if it's praised partly for it's crisp sound and experimentalness of "On the Run" or "Time"/"Money's" intros.
It falls in the ages. Now everyone get's to use this way of recording albums. And many claims that it was the time rather then the music that made Dark Side the hit it was.

Or was it, what do you forumettes think?

[fabz]

Dark Side of the Moon is so epic because it was made that way. That entire album defined for me what a concept album is and what it should be. It didn't just push the bar, it set a new one and that bar has never been matched.

And I don't think it's going to be. That album is revered and if people bring up in a band say, "Let's make a 'Dark Side of The Moon'" that is usually met with, "Pfft, yeah right."

You're not going to make something as epic as that. You can try and Pink Floyd did with "The Wall" but unfortunately, somethings won't ever have the success and ground breaking sound that "Dark Side of the Moon."

[bizzle]

I synced up dark side of the moon and the Wizard of Oz once. Last thanksgiving with my dad. It worked.

[TheHighwaySong]

I synced up dark side of the moon and the Wizard of Oz once. Last thanksgiving with my dad. It worked.
Oh that crap is crazy talk.

Alot of people who play an instrument can name a song on Dark Side of the Moon that they love to play. As a bassist, who doesnt love that Money line?

[SLjimbolian]

Great album, but I wouldn't go out and call it the greatest of all time. That's a question I'm still trying to figure out.

[Allen]

True, Dark side of the Moon got a lot of praise for it's advanced recording methods, but do you think anyone is going to listen to awful music because it's crisp? That's along the same lines as buying a shitty sounding guitar because it has a cool shape.

Dark Side of the Moon is an epic album mostly for the music. Everything on these was just amazing and was great music, carefully planned, orchestrated, and executed. The guys of Pink Floyd (namely Roger Waters who wrote almost everything) are perfectionists, and it shows on all of their albums.

However, the fact that Dark side of the Moon always tends to garner more praise than The Wall has always baffled me. I mean, why? The music on DSOTM is amazing, but The Wall is just so much more intricate, and -if you listen to it all the way through- can leave you feeling as crazy as the ficticious man the album centers on. Plus, the movie rocked.

[Godly]

I can't really say, cause I've never actually listened to it.

And even though I've never listened to it, I don't think it's really all it's hyped up to be, that's pretty much why I've never listened to it.

[Idioteque]

Dark Side of the Moon is a great album, its brilliance cannot be understated.
However, I never have been able to get around the density of it, something makes me shy away from massive, sprawling songs, which is what this album has.

When I do get around to listening them, the songs are staggeringly brilliant, something about the whole paranod aspect of the album is fascinating.

[9volt]

I like the CD, though Pink Floyd is definitely not in my top 10, not even my top 20. At the time it was unbelievably great, but if the CD was released in 2008 and not nearly half a century ago, I doubt it would receive as much praise. But what pisses me off is people who think Pink Floyd is a clothes company, and don't realize that to wear a Pink Floyd shirt, they must listen to the band. But don't get me wrong, Pink Floyd is great no doubt.

[Hats of!]

The guys of Pink Floyd (namely Roger Waters who wrote almost everything) are perfectionists, and it shows on all of their albums.

Roger wrote almost everything yes, but I think it's rather stupid to not mention Dave or Rick since DSOTM has mainly instruments rather then vocals.

But the thing I get annoyed about with Dark Side is that, even though I'm an Floydian, it completly took all the mainstream-place from the other proggers, making for example, Genesis pop.

[Pingu]

Roger Waters didn't really write everything until Animals where he practically took over, although he is credited alone for "Money", "Eclipse" and "Brain Damage".
One of the things that I guess made this album so listenable to a wider audience would be the lack of extended songs that they'd previously released like "Echoes" and "Atom Heart Mother suite". It could capture the patience of the wider audience.
It also spent around 15 years in the top 200 albums list, so it was still popular then even with the new recording techniques of the 80s.

[Allen]

Roger wrote almost everything yes, but I think it's rather stupid to not mention Dave or Rick since DSOTM has mainly instruments rather then vocals.

But the thing I get annoyed about with Dark Side is that, even though I'm an Floydian, it completly took all the mainstream-place from the other proggers, making for example, Genesis pop.

Roger Waters plays guitar and wrote heavy amounts of the music, and all the lyrics. While he didn't write everything, he's definitely been the major driving force of the band throughout their entire run. Don't get me wrong, David Gilmour and richard Wright are geniuses in their own rights, but Waters is seemingly the most creative, if album credits are any indication.

[fabz]

Oh that crap is crazy talk.


Nah. not really. If you do it right it's pretty fucking cool. I'm pretty sure it's up on Google Video if you look hard enough.

[Hats of!]

Roger Waters plays guitar and wrote heavy amounts of the music, and all the lyrics. While he didn't write everything, he's definitely been the major driving force of the band throughout their entire run. Don't get me wrong, David Gilmour and richard Wright are geniuses in their own rights, but Waters is seemingly the most creative, if album credits are any indication.

Sure, sure, Roger did play on the bass-guitar and was a driving creative force, but this led to four amazing albums, but also the death of the band.
You see, as you must know, it was with Roger's front-manism he managed to take over the band. I don't like that. I prefer when they all colaborate as in Meddle to Wish You Were Here.

Live in Pompeii, that's the thing.

[Android]

This still ranks as one of my top albums. Pink Floyd has always been a favorite of mine, and I own every studio album they put out, and all the member's solo projects. I believe it still can stand shoulder to shoulder with just about every album released since.

DSOTM was the last collaborative Floyd album. This is where Waters begins to slightly take the reins, but overall they were still a "band" at this time with each member contributing. I appreciate Water's contribution to the band and the music, but he was never a better singer than Gilmore, and some of the most endearing Floyd songs weren't written by Waters (Comfortably Numb anyone?) Not to mention when it comes to harmonies you just can't beat that Wright/Gilmore combo. Waters' voice is too abrasive for my tastes, though he did make it work on The Wall. These faults really shine through on Waters' solo efforts and I think he realized it. He never could find anyone to replace Gilmore on guitar even when he got Eric Clapton. People seem to forget that although Waters had great ideas, they would have gone nowhere if it weren't for the amazing group of musicians he was able to work with.

That said, Waters was always trying to emulate the genius of Syd Barrett. Roger's infatuation with the alienation of stardom and insanity are all nods to what happened with Syd.

[dinodoom7]

The biggest problem I have with the album is how many people will wear the merchandise and haven't even heard the album. I had like 100 kids in my school wear a t-shirt or hoodie with dark side of the moon, and they would say "yeah, I never heard any of the songs, but I like the picture"

[Hats of!]

I've never seen anyone wear a Floyd-shirt without listening to the band, but that doesn't meen that I've heard of it. As I've heard it's not only that they'll wear it, they'll belive it's some designer who has design the prism and when you react to their clothes you might comment about how great Pink Floyd and the reaction you'll get is: "Huh?".

[rufifi]

I've never seen anyone wear a Floyd-shirt without listening to the band, but that doesn't meen that I've heard of it. As I've heard it's not only that they'll wear it, they'll belive it's some designer who has design the prism and when you react to their clothes you might comment about how great Pink Floyd and the reaction you'll get is: "Huh?".

If someone wants a Pink Floyd shirt they have to answer a quiz to buy it, or at least that happens in my perfect world.

[devilcurls6981]

It is a great album, but I prefer Wish You Were Here. Although Dark Side of the Moon is a great CD to get high to.

[Profane Methane]

I prefer Syd Barrett Pink Floyd.

[Hats of!]

Bah, Syd Barrett is a great artist, but you can't compare their later stages to one album and 2 singles.
And Saucerful of Secrets is way better then Piper at the Gates of Dawn.

devilcurls6981, you do know that Pink Floyd didn't do no drugs at this period, so their music isn't based on being high, it's lyrics is to complex for something like that.

[devilcurls6981]

Bah, Syd Barrett is a great artist, but you can't compare their later stages to one album and 2 singles.
And Saucerful of Secrets is way better then Piper at the Gates of Dawn.

devilcurls6981, you do know that Pink Floyd didn't do no drugs at this period, so their music isn't based on being high, it's lyrics is to complex for something like that.

yesss but its still sounds funky when u r high

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[Android]

Bah, Syd Barrett is a great artist, but you can't compare their later stages to one album and 2 singles.

He also put out 2 and a half solo albums, the half being a cobbled mix of half-finished demos. You have to understand that there would be no great Floyd works had it not been for Barrett. He was the original creative force, and the void he left in the band was a tough one to fill. All of Waters' obsession over insanity and the jaded life of a rock start comes from Syd Barrett's mental break down. I mean three of their arguably "classic" albums; Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, and Wish You Were Here all are in some way an homage to Barrett.

And Saucerful of Secrets is way better then Piper at the Gates of Dawn.

Saucerful of Secrets is not a better album, it's a mishmash of songs produced by a band losing their primary songwriter and attempting to plot a course for future musical endeavors. It really shows in the lack of cohesiveness in the material. For me, Jugband Blues (the only retained Barrett track on the album) is the most honest and earnest song on the whole record. There is just something so powerful about Barrett's reflection on his marginalization by the band, "It's awfully considerate of you to think of me hear, and I'm most obliged to you for making it clear that i'm not here."

I'm not saying it's a bad album, but Piper at the Gates of Dawn more or less defined psychedelic rock, and you can't discount Interstellar Overdrive and Astronomy Domine. Those songs totally destroyed the notion of what music could be and was one of the earliest uses of echo on a guitar. Pink Floyd spent the next several albums attempting to distance itself from the success of Piper and forge a new musical direction.

[Hats of!]

Android, who's said that I disalike Piper? Or don't like Syd whatsoever?

Firstly, I love all of Syd's work, "Bob Dylan Blues", "The Scarecrow", "Interstellar Overdrive" and "Pow R. Toc H." are amongst my favorite songs, but that doesn't mean that I can't prefer other works.

Secondly, I also said:
Syd Barrett is a great artist.