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.
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