Floyd's "Dark Side" Turns 50, My Synopsis of a Timeless Work of Art

PART 1

This month, it will be 50 years since the release of one of the most iconic, critically acclaimed, and best-selling albums of all time.  I’m talking about the legendary “The Dark Side of the Moon” by UK progressive rock band Pink Floyd. The entire record presents a sound that’s colorful, complex, rich and beautiful, and presents a concept that past, current, and future listeners can relate to.  To celebrate its 50 anniversary, I would like to give my own synopsis of this wonderful piece of art.  

PART 2 

Pink Floyd emerged onto the music scene in 1967 with the release of their first record, the highly psychedelic “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn”. However, a year later, Pink Floyd’s main songwriter, singer, and guitarist Syd Barrett left the band due to mental illness. In response, bassist Roger Waters, keyboardist Rick Wright, drummer Nick Mason, and Barrett’s replacement David Gilmour had to start from scratch. They spent the next few years experimenting with their sound and working toward becoming better songwriters. The band finally found the sound they were looking for when recording their 1971 record“Meddle”, which included the 23-minute prog-masterpiece “Echoes”. In addition, Roger Waters was becoming an impressive lyricist. They achieved modest success between the time Syd Barrett departed and the end of 1972, but they were one record away from releasing something truly remarkable. 

For the next record, the band decided on a concept album about things that “make people mad”. After about seven months of recording, which involved the band using previously unreleased material and musical ideas they worked on during their live shows, the band released an record that would take the world by storm and mark Pink Floyd as one of the biggest bands in the world. 

The album’s opener “Speak To Me”, comprises a heartbeat, signifying birth.  Sound effects like a clock ticking, a cash register, a plane, and a man’s laughter eventually start playing over the heartbeat. Also heard are two male voices commenting on how they are “mad”. This mix of sounds and voices foreshadow what is yet to come…

PART 3

“Speak to Me” ends with a female scream, and is followed by “Breathe”, a song that persuades the listener to embrace life as it is and live on his or her own terms. 

The album’s song titles like “Time”, “Money”, “Us and Them”, and “Brain Damage”, are short and concise. Despite this, Waters penned philosophical, thought-provoking lyrics for each song about a significant life stressor that we inevitably face when we become adults.  For example, “Time” explores the idea of time flying by and us not realizing it until it’s too late, “Money” explores greed, and “Us and Them” explores apathy between human beings due to race, economic status, etc. 

The lyrics are accompanied by terrific musical contributions from all four Floyd members. David Gilmour gives great vocals and plays guitar in an impressive psychedelic tone. His solos on “Time” and “Money” are two of the best guitar solos in rock history.  Keyboardist Rick Wright performs a masterful keyboard and piano. Roger Waters plays an effective bass, which includes the groovy bass riff played in 7/4 time on “Money”.  Finally, drummer Nick Mason is responsible for the iconic heartbeat at the start of the record.  In addition, Mason’s use of the roto-toms during the slow, suspenseful buildup at the beginning of “Time” grabs the listener’s attention until the big, musical punch comes at the middle of the song. 

The band also brought in guests to contribute to the record. Several female singers provide backing vocals on four of the songs, giving them more beauty and more life.  However, the most notable female vocal is done by Claire Torry, whose performance on “The Great Gig in the Sky” is astonishing. Over the band’s instrumentation, Torry delivers a long, stunning, almost orgasmic wail that most certainly encapsulates our fear of death. Despite hearing it many times, her voice still amazes me.  Saxophonist Dick Perry also makes an appearance. His saxophone on “Us and Them” puts us in a reflective mood as we explore the song’s subject matter of war and our relationship with our fellow human beings. 

PART 4

Besides its lyrics, music and vocals, this record is notable for its sound effects and various uses of synthesizer. “Time” starts with a set of clocks ticking and chiming, giving us a sense of urgency due to time coming and going, and “Money” begins with the sound of coins and a cash register.  The band members’ fear of death via flight influenced them to make “On The Run”, an instrumental containing heavy synthesizer sounds and tape loops to capture the musical representation of paranoia and fear. Sounds of running footsteps, an airport intercom, a plane crashing, and a heartbeat are heard throughout the track. Even though the band members consider this song about the fear of flight, I believe it is about the stress of touring and living in a fast-paced world.

I have to give credit to Alan Parsons… yes the same Alan Parsons from “The Alan Parsons Project”, who served as engineer for the record. He gave the album a rich sound, and helped the band produce sound effects and with new sound techniques. The songs flow into one another flawlessly.  He’s also responsible for bringing in the clock sounds on “Time” and bringing in Claire Torry for “The Great Gig in the Sky”. 

The record is notable for the voices heard throughout its duration. Roger Waters made flashcards with a series of questions, and asked those present at Abbey Road studios to answer the questions in front of a microphone.  Roger would first ask simple questions like “What’s your favorite color?” or “What’s your favorite food?”.  Waters would then ask questions that related more to the album’s themes. For example, he would ask  “When was the last time you were violent?”, which was followed by “Were you in the right?”.  The interviewees’ answers to the latter were then put between the end of “Money” and the start of “Us and Them”.  Another question Waters asked was “Are you afraid of dying?”. Two responses to this question are heard on “The Great Gig in the Sky”. 

Fun fact: Paul McCartney was one person interviewed, but his recording was unused. 

PART 5 

Finally, we can’t forget about the iconic, universally recognizable album cover. On a black background, a beam of light shoots into the left side of a prism, producing a rainbow on the right side. The cover was designed by Hipgnosis, an English art design group.  Hipgnosis designer Storm Thorgerson was inspired by Floyd’s light shows, the triangle symbolizing thought and ambition, and from Rick Wright’s suggestion to pick something simple, bold, and dramatic for the cover. When Thorgensen presented his ideas to the band, in an instant, they picked the prism. Thorgensen tried persuading them to look at the other ones, one even referencing the Silver Surfer from Marvel Comics. However, the band replied “nope, that one”, and went on with their day.  

The last two tracks are “Brain Damage” and “Eclipse”. “Brain Damage” explores mental illness. It was written with former Floyd member Syd Barrett in mind.  Barrett became severely ill mentally due to heavy drug use and becoming overwhelmed with the success he faced as the band’s frontman.  The album’s title is taken from the line “And if your head explodes for dark forebodings too, I’ll see you on the dark side of the moon.” What Waters is saying here is if you hold some negative feelings about life, well he sympathizes with you because he does as well. 

“Eclipse” ties the record together. My interpretation of the track is we get and are given many good things in life, but we focus too much on the bad things. In other words, the good is overshadowed by the bad, or “the sun is eclipsed by the moon”.  After the last lyric, we get a heartbeat, the same one heard at the album’s start. The heartbeat eventually fades out, signifying death. 

PART 6 

Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon was released in the United States on March 1, 1973. It topped the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart for only one week, but has since been on that chart for over 900 weeks, non-consecutively.  Also, it has sold over 45 million copies worldwide, and has been included in various professional music journalists' "greatest albums" lists.

Unfortunately, I was not alive when “The Dark Side of the Moon” came out as I was born in 1991. However, I’m proud I discovered it when I was 16. I found its music incredible and drastically different from what I was listening to at the time.  I am 31 years old now, and as an adult dealing with the pressures of life, I appreciate Waters’ lyrics more now than at 16.  No matter what year it is, you can relate to the Dark Side of the Moon because of its uplifting music and the band’s exploration of the inevitable hardships we may face in our lives.  

Please give it a listen one day.  There are numerous YouTubers who have videos of their reactions to listening to The Dark Side of the Moon for the first time.  Most get emotional and are taken aback by what they hear.  I know you will too. 

ALBUM REVIEW: PORCUPINE TREE – VOYAGE 34: THE COMPLETE TRIP (2000)

Last month, I reviewed the album To The Bone by UK musician Steven Wilson. I mentioned that he was well known for being in the rock band Porcupine Tree, which produced psychedelic rock music in the early 90s then poppier, more radio-friendly rock at the turn of the century, before evolving into a progressive metal band in the 2000s. Porcupine Tree comprised only of Steven Wilson during the psychedelic years, and under the PT name, he released two studio albums: On The Sunday of Life (1992) and Up The Downstair (1993). However, Wilson also released two trippy, unique, and usually long singles known as “Voyage 34 (Phase 1)” and “Voyage 34 (Phase 2)” under the PT name in 1992. The next year, he released two remixes of these tracks, “Voyage 34 (Phase III)” and “Voyage 34 (Phase IV)”. Then, in 2000, all four tracks were compiled together and released as “Voyage 34: The Complete Trip”.

“The Complete Trip” is a 70-minute musical journey mixing psychedelic rock, progressive rock, space rock, ambient music, and trance music. Conceptually, this album is about the mind-altering drug LSD, as evident by the spoken words and sounds heard on this album. According to Wilson, he came up with the narrative of “Voyage 34” after someone gave him an anti-LSD propaganda album. In addition, Wilson wanted to take several 1960s and 70s psychedelic, progressive, and space rock influences and combine them with what was happening in the “ambient-dub” genre during the early 90s.

Phase I introduces us to a man named Brian going on his 34th LSD trip after ingesting a sugar cube containing the drug. He goes on a trip for 12 hours, and the spoken word heard throughout the track describes what Brian is doing and how he feels during the trip. Musically, the track starts off with a slow, ambient sequence before a guitar riff reminiscent to the one famously heard on Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall, Part I” begins to play. This indicates that Brian’s trip has begun and is going smoothly. After the sequence containing this riff ends, we begin to hear a space rock jam coming into formation as Brian’s trip continues but gets more intense. As soon as we are told Brian’s trip goes from joyous to horrific, we suddenly get a David Gilmour-esque guitar solo and more aggressive drums in the jam. The track concludes with another ambient sequence with spoken words claiming Brian’s 34^th trip traumatized him.

Phase II is a track that has Pink Floyd written all over it. It starts off with a creepy and slow ambient sequence with guitar effects that may remind one of Pink Floyd’s “A Saucerful of Secrets” and “Echoes” before a guitar riff, similar to the one used on Phase I, takes over. The song eventually transcends into another rock jam consisting of more Gilmour-inspired guitar work and solos accompanied with keyboards and drums. Phase II consists of several spoken words that view LSD in a positive light. For example, one woman compares her LSD trip to a massage and speaks about seeing various paintings dripping and melting from a wall onto a floor during the trip. Another example is of a different woman saying: “psychedelics are stimulators of ideas and feelings, but generally these ideas and feelings would express themselves constructively rather than violently”. However, the track slowly fades out as a voice repeating “Is this trip really necessary?” is heard.

Phase III is a trance, remix track performed by the British electronic group Astralasia. The track contains a repetitive electronic beat; backing up this beat are additional synth and electronic beats and samples of the guitar sounds heard on Phase I and II. The track also includes samples of the previous tracks’ spoken words added with echo effects. This track is more of a relaxing, 19-minute listen that won’t suit well for the impatient.

Concluding the album is Phase IV, a 20-minute, ambient soundscape made by Steven Wilson and Richard Barbieri, who would later become Porcupine Tree’s main keyboardist. It is a very unsettling track containing creepy synth sounds, a low-pounding bass drum, barely audible electric guitar, etc. The heavy-wind like sounds heard on the beginning and the end of the track made me feel paranoid about my surroundings despite the fact no one was home and I took no substances while listening to this album. Just like the previous tracks, it comes with spoken words; but two in particular stick out; one encourages the use of LSD while the other condemns using it. Here are samples of the two spoken words:

“…the college students who are using LSD and marijuana today do not comprise a criminal class, they are not drug addicts seeking to escape, they are your best educated, your best creative, and your most courageous young people. And like it or not, they will build you a new civilization”

“They may be severely depressed with suicidal tendencies, or may be very serious suicide attempts, they may be confused, wandering about, not knowing where they are… they may be hallucinating, that is hearing voices or seeing things, or they may be extremely anxious to the point of panic…”

Even though this is not a review of a new album, this is an older album that many do not know about, yet it’s one that fascinates me and took me on a musical journey. What I admire about this record is not only its creative, atmospheric, and trippy sound, but that Porcupine Tree is looking at LSD from a neutral point of view; in other words, PT isn’t promoting or condemning LSD use, but rather presenting both sides of the argument to make you decide whether LSD should be taken recreationally.

Finally, like I said before, I did not take LSD or any illegal substances while listening to Voyage 34, so I cannot tell you what it was like listening to the record while under the influence. I don’t plan on experimenting with drugs while listening to this or any other record any time soon. Whether you decide to take this journey by sitting down sober in a dark room or by using substances to enhance your experience, enjoy the ultimate trip!

Sources:

FaceCulture. “Porcupine Tree 2008 Interview - Steven Wilson (Part 1)”. YouTube, 29 Aug. 2012. <www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaktuoaX0wM>

Menon, Tushar. “Backstage with Steven Wilson”. Rolling Stone India, 24 June 2012.    <rollingstoneindia.com/backstage-with-steven-wilson/>

“Voyage 34: The Complete Trip.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 July 2017. <en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyage_34:_The_Complete_Trip#cite_note-4>

STEVEN WILSON – “To the Bone” ALBUM REVIEW

 

Buried beneath all the pop and mainstream stars we hear every day on the radio and see on TV and magazines is Steven Wilson, a musician who started in the late 1980s who most people know as the front man of progressive rock/metal band Porcupine Tree. Even though Wilson is often put under the category of progressive rock, he has a very long discography containing albums classified as psychedelic rock, progressive, pop, electronic, jazz, ambient, and/or metal music. As a result of a huge following and selling out Royal Albert Hall twice while promoting his fourth solo album, Hand Cannot Erase, Wilson has been referred by various sources as the most successful UK musician that most people never heard of.

On August 18, 2017, Wilson released his fifth solo album, To The Bone. Wilson was inspired by ideas such as political corruption, religious extremism, and the perception of truth varying from individual to individual due to different religious beliefs or upbringings to write the album’s lyrics. Despite most of the lyrics being melancholic, there are some that are very optimistic, which will surprise most Steven Wilson fans as he rarely pens happy lyrics. Also, Wilson was inspired by 80’s pop music such as the work of Peter Gabriel, Tears for Fears, and Kate Bush to write the album’s music. Even though there are some 80’s pop elements on this album, it also contains a pop-rock and progressive rock sound that’s reminiscent to what is heard on Wilson’s previous work (such as Porcupine Tree’s Stupid Dream).

The album begins with the title track that starts with several long, loud guitar and bass chords that may remind Pink Floyd fans of the classic Floyd song “Time”, while the rest of the track has a pop-rock sound with a somewhat funky bass line. The next track, “Nowhere Now” continues that pop-rock sound. Track #4, “The Same Asylum as Before”, has a very aggressive guitar sound that blew my mind, especially around the 2:38 mark where the guitar sound gets extremely ferocious and quickly goes back-and-forth between the right and left channels.

Wilson’s 80’s pop influence becomes evident when you get to track #6, “Permeating”, and track #9, “Song of I”. “Permeating” is a joyous, 80s-style dance-pop tune that was stuck in my head for days due to its catchiness and happy lyrics. On the other hand, the “Song of I” is 80s-style pop song similar in style to Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight”.

The album’s lead single, Track #3 “Pariah”, is a soft pop track with Wilson singing verses and Isreali singer Ninet Tayeb singing the chorus. This song is about the male character (Wilson) feeling pessimistic about life, while the female character (Tayeb) urges the male character to seek redemption and to “begin again”. Tayeb’s soaring vocals are emotionally powerful, and the way the second chorus ends vocally and musically will make your heart leap out of your chest.

In addition, track #10, “Denotation”, is a 9-minute progressive rock track that starts off strong, but the second half of the song goes on for a bit too long as it is just continuous jamming. Finally, the album closes with “Song of Unborn”, featuring beautiful piano, acoustic guitar, and choir. This song is Steven’s message to an unborn child about how he or she should perceive this world he or she is about to enter into.

Overall, To The Bone is another ambitious, musically impressive work by Steven Wilson. It is a poppy, straightforward record about relatable topics and current events that the mainstream audience will appreciate. This may be a reason why last week, the album reached #3 on the U.K. Albums Chart (behind Ed Sheeran and Elvis Presley), which is the highest a Wilson album has ever reached on that chart; however, Wilson’s success on the chart is mostly due to his audience continuing to grow through word-of-mouth. After thirty years of working, Wilson is finally close to receiving the recognition he deserves.

"Pariah" Music Video:

 

"Permanating" Lyric Video:

Works Cited:

 

chug70. “Steven Wilson - BBC One Breakfast 25th Aug 2017” YouTube, 25 August 2017. <www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei1MUSk44j0>

 FaceCulture. “Steven Wilson Interview (Part 2)” YouTube, 7 August 2017. <www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXufNkIXXHQ>

Simpson, Dave. “Steven Wilson: the Prog Rocker Topping the Charts without Anyone Noticing.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 24 August 2017. <www.theguardian.com/music/2017/aug/24/steven-wilson-the-prog-rocker-topping-the-charts-without-anyone-noticing>

White, Jack. “Prog-Rock Star Steven Wilson Scores Highest New Albums Entry.” Official Charts - Homepage, The Official UK Charts Company 2017, 25 August 2017. <www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/prog-rock-star-steven-wilson-scores-this-week-s-highest-new-entry-on-the-official-albums-chart__20272/>

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TY MCLAUGHLIN – “Ty McLaughlin” Album Review

              As an active music listener, many artists I’ve heard have produced albums in which all the songs are the same, or somewhat similar, in style or taste. However, I’ve recently discovered a new, tremendously talented artist whose first album consists of songs with different musical genres and, if heard, will attract a wide variety of listeners.




             Ty McLaughlin is a 22-year old musician from Hicksville, NY whose material I discovered on the music website ReverbNation. After listening to a few of his songs on the site, I was very impressed with Ty’s instrumentation, especially his guitar work, and vocals. Also, each song sounded very different in terms of sound and genre. As a result, when I heard Ty was going to release his first album, I was interested and excited to hear what Ty would deliver.

             The album, simply titled Ty McLaughlin, consists of 10 tracks, and was released on August 26, 2016. After listening to this album, I can honestly say that Ty McLaughlin has talent that many mainstream artists don’t have.

             The album starts off with an aggressive rock opener, “Prism” which begins with a guitar riff reminiscent to the famous riff on George Thorogood’s “Bad to the Bone”. Ty provides raw vocals and guitar and an extensive amount of keyboards.

             The next track, "Vixen", is not only a complete departure from “Prism”, but also my favorite song on the album. It’s a pop masterpiece that would be perfect for mainstream pop radio. This bittersweet love song consists of soft vocals and beautiful acoustic guitar, strings, and percussion.

             As I was I listening to this album, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time because each track was drastically different in vocals and style. For example, "Morning Coffee" is a country ballad, "Never Have I Ever" is an aggressive blues, garage rock song that’s a fun listen, and “She’s My Girl” is an ambitious, doo-wop song with some percussion included. In his Facebook video, “My Biggest Accomplishment: An In Depth of My New Album.", Ty says Billy Joel, Jimi Hendrix, Zac Brown, John Mayer, Howlin’ Wolf, The Four Seasons, and several other artists influenced him to write and perform the songs.

            The album closes with my second favorite track, the 8-minute “Birds of a Feather”, which is an atmospheric, Pink Floyd-esque rock epic. Ty’s stellar, David Gilmour-influenced guitar sound and the voice snippets used at the start and end of the track make “Birds of a Feather” very uplifting. According to his Facebook video, Ty wrote this song in honor of the men and women in the U.S. Air Force.

            This record is fantastic. I applaud Ty for his skills as a songwriter and instrumentalist. I also praise him for ambitiously crafting each song to make it very unique in sound and style, resulting in each song standing on its own from the rest of the album and appealing to a different audience. Ty is currently still working on music as a solo artist and as a member of his new band Cue the Pilot. Whether it’s a solo effort or material with his new band, I look forward to hearing what Ty delivers next.
 

Works Cited:

McLaughlin, Ty. "My Biggest Accomplishment: An In Depth of My New Album." Facebook, 3 Oct. 2016. Web. 18 May 2017. <https://www.facebook.com/ty.mclaughlin.1/videos/vb.1500398586/10210608023745703/?type=3&theater>.

"Ty McLaughlin | Blues from Hicksville, NY." ReverbNation. eMinor Incorporated, n.d. Web. 18 May 2017. <https://www.reverbnation.com/tymclaughlin>.