Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon
Glimpses of the dark side
When read (in last Friday’s ‘Gems’) of my plan to write about ‘Dark Side of the Moon’, his comment was “Looking forward to reading what you have to add to the canon of verbiage on DSOTM!”
He’s right, what is there to say about an album that has sold tens of millions of copies around the world since its release in 1973, and has been issued, reissued, remixed, remastered, super deluxe boxed, had various live performances documented, and been written about possibly more than any other album?
Click on the image, above, or here, to listen to ‘Dark Side’ on your favourite streaming service.
As I’ve done previously, I’m writing about my own connection to this music, and to some of the musical activity surrounding the album.
Three glimpses of the Moon
One
When I was 15, in 1973, among my school friends there were two records gaining attention. One, of course, was ‘Dark Side’ and the other - ‘Brain Salad Surgery’ by ELP. I could only afford one, at least in the short term, so I asked a friend for advice (he was also a demon keyboard player, which possibly explains his opinion.) “Go for Brain Salad Surgery”. I did enjoy it, but which is the better of the two albums, with the perspective of distance? Clearly, I’m not writing about ELP today (maybe another time though).
When I did acquire a copy of ‘Dark Side’ I had to play it on my cheap, introductory turntable. It had speakers built into the lid. Something, though, was wrong with the turntable and it emitted a soft ‘bomp‘ noise on every revolution, particularly when the arm reached the end of a side. So, as the last track of ‘Dark Side’ fades into the heartbeat, my system offered me an exclusive alternative mix with an additional beat. It was as if the Floyd had used both of Doctor Who’s hearts for the pulse recording.1
Two
Charlton, The Valley, 1974. I’m in a football ground for a day of live music, culminating in the famous Who gig. It was a hot afternoon and there was a long gap between acts. So, music entertained us via the PA but it was not any old random playlist (as we wouldn’t have called it then.) Time for ‘Dark Side’. It shouldn’t have sounded right, given the heavy nature of much of the day - The Who, Humble Pie, Bad Company, Lou Reed, Maggie Bell, Montrose, and (although not an obvious booking but they were great, Lindisfarne). Yet ‘Dark Side’ sounded perfect and it felt a little as if Pink Floyd were friends, absent on the day but there in spirit.
Perhaps this is a clue to the enduring popularity of ‘Dark Side’.2 It always seems to fit, whatever the atmosphere and environment. There’s never been a time when it plays and I think “great record, but not just now thank you”. Never.
Three
Another festival, and a very different vibe. WOMAD, Reading, sometime in the early 2000s. Twilight, and we were investigating the craft stalls and incredibly varied food options before the evening music. From a distance, we heard it. A stall (I forget what they were selling) was playing a loud, good quality tape of ‘Dark Side’. All other investigations were put on hold as we stopped to listen. I hadn’t played the album for far too long, and had almost forgotten how damn good it is. Not just the production, the innovation, the playing, but the sheer quality of the songs.
The keynote epics, of course - ‘Us and Them’, ‘Time’, ‘Breathe’, ‘Money’ - but also the shorter, supporting but still vital tracks; ‘Speak to Me’, ‘On the Run’, ‘Any Colour You Like’, ‘Brain Damage’, and ‘Eclipse’. And then there’s ‘The Great Gig in the Sky’. Surely Claire Torry’s vocal is one of the greatest ever recorded?
Covers
Some will argue ‘Dark Side’ is perfect as it is. An absolute masterpiece of the art of the album. I agree. So it’s untouchable, then? Is anything?
I’ll come to Roger Waters re-recording in a moment. But we should note there have been previous alternative versions; unusually, covers of the entire album. There’s a comprehensive list here. I’ve not yet listened to most of these (so much music, so little time) and I will eventually. If you have heard any of these, or others, do leave your impressions in the comments.
Covers of individual songs have also been produced.
Cover versions need to be different from the original, or what’s the point? Most of the tracks you’ll hear in these playlists are definitely different, definitely not imitation Floyd.
Redux
When Roger Waters announced he was planning his own version of ‘Dark Side’, the ‘Redux’, it was hard to understand what he was thinking. Was it to be a pure ego trip, part of a campaign to suggest he was the only creative force in Pink Floyd? How could it be anything but a disaster, oil thrown over a masterpiece?
Well … the reaction online has been mixed. I’ve read as many people saying it’s awful, some going so far as to say it’s the worst album ever made, as I have people agreeing with Nick Mason: ‘Annoyingly, it’s absolutely brilliant!’
So far, I’ve heard it just once and, while I’m not sure if it’s brilliant, for me, it is a good album in its own right - and at the same time, I understand why some suggest it’s sacrilege. Waters did write all the original lyrics, though, and his ‘Redux’ is very word-heavy.
Don’t expect to hear anything like the original ‘Dark Side’. Expect more in the way of a spoken word poetry album. Unlike the original album, there will be times when I’m not in the mood to hear it. On the occasions when I am, though, it will hit me with an emotional sledgehammer.
Turntable
If all this has inspired you to buy a copy of the record (although you’ve probably already got a copy somewhere, looking at those sales figures) why not purchase a ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ turntable to play it on? Yes, this is real, and it’s yours for a very large quantity of pounds.
Dark Side of the Rainbow
Finally, all this listening to an album about the dark side has induced some nonsense in me. I’m not a conspiracy theorist. Paul McCartney wasn’t replaced in The Beatles because he inconveniently died at the peak of their career, the Americans did land on the moon, and I’ve had all of my Covid jabs.
But did Pink Floyd write ‘Dark Side’ as an alternative soundtrack to the ‘Wizard of Oz’ film? That’s for you to decide.3
See you on Friday with the ‘Gems’ playlist,
Ian
In his book ‘Inside Out’, Nick Mason (aff) explains the pulse is from a padded bass drum, which sounded more lifelike than hospital recordings of real pulses. The average heartbeat is 72 bpm but that sounded too fast - perhaps it’s different for Time Lords though? (From Mason, N. (2018) Inside out: A personal history of pink floyd. Weidenfeld & Nicolson.)
Nick Mason thinks another reason is it’s a great record to test a hi-fi system with, and many people were getting their first ‘stereos’ around the time it was released.
No.
I've just started reading Mason's book 'Inside Out'. I think I'm going to appreciate his dry sense of humour. I've also got the remixes of Wright's solo albums to listen to, which I'm really looking forward to.
“It always seems to fit, whatever the atmosphere and environment”. So true. Few albums are as emblematic of the joy and misfortune of being human. Perhaps that’s why it always fits. Great piece as always!