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Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon CD (album) cover

THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

Pink Floyd

 

Psychedelic/Space Rock

4.61 | 4736 ratings

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Artic
5 stars ~Review No. 1

So for my first review, I chose "The Dark Side Of The Moon". Even though I know you're thinking that this doesn't make it special anyway, it's still special to me and I'm glad to make my first review about it. Anyway, let's go back to the subject. I'm not here to draw an historical background or any witty conclusion or deduction - I'm sure many other reviewers made it before me - but to give my opinion, so we'll go directly to the point.

Hmmm. The dark side of the moon. Pretty poetic! I like the name, the front cover, it's intriguing, let's listen. First song, "Speak To Me". I don't know it yet, but I'm getting a little teaser of what there will be in the album. Heartbeats. I should recognize the clock noise from "Time", the coin noise from "Money", the typical laugh from "Brain Damage" and Clare Torry's crazy voice from "The Great Gig In The Sky". The atmosphere is set, and oh yes it's mysterious. The next two songs, "Breathe" and "On The Run" are not really good for what they are or how they sound but for what they do. They're putting you in this Pink Floyd's typical space, floating mood - but hey, it's normal, we're talking about the moon - and therefore you know that the following is going to be really good. And the following is actually really good; clock sounds, it's "Time". Now where getting in the heart of the album. The song is good, very balanced: good vocals, guitar, drums and everything else. For me, this is the moment in which I started to get this wonderful, dreamy and pleasant feeling that only masterpieces can provide; and this feeling doesn't let got until the last seconds of the album. So just to warn you, once you're that far, you'll have to listen until the end. No more laughing, now it's getting serious: Richard Wright takes the piano and Clare Torry the microphone (even though I'm sure she could do it without it, seeing the power of her voice): it's "The Great Gig In The Sky". The song is simply euphoric. I don't have any more words to describe it so just listen to it. About the first time I listened to it: my mp3 player was on shuffle mode, I was lying down outdoors on a banch by a sunny afternoon and it was the first day of vacation. At this moment, I have this feeling that you only get when everything you had to do is finally achieved, and "The Great Gig In The Sky" comes up. Well, luckily for me, I think this is the best way it could happen. Maybe that's why I like the song so much. but my favorite one is later in the album. Coin sounds, it's "Money". Maybe the most famous song in the album, famous for its bass riff or its epic beginning. Not a lot to say about it now, there's been too much said about it before. I like the song, great solos (guitar as well as saxophone), very balanced again, very complete. Unlike "Money", "Us And Them" is softer, calmer. The song is original, the saxophone track is great, but what I really like is its shape: the main theme is smooth, but sometimes it is breached by brief peaks where all tracks come together and give a very intense moment. You can find the same shape on other songs like "Brain Damage" or "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" (not in this album). We're reaching the end of the album now. "Any Colour You Like" prepares us for the last part, "Brain Damage" and "Eclipse". The song is once again balanced, but that doesn't make it less good or less important. It's just that it is more like a transition to me. Finally, the last but not the least part (I hate this expression, but this is a good case to use it, so.): "Brain Damage" followed by "Eclipse". "Brain Damage" is great and just crazy with Clare Torry singing in the background at the peak moments (same song shape as "Us And Them"). But this song - I like to think of it this way - is just the introduction of the. Apotheosis. This IS the epic moment of the album, its peak. it's "Eclipse". It's also definitely my favorite song of the album and maybe of Pink Floyd's whole discography. Why is that? For its strength, mostly. What we usually consider weaknesses is what makes the song powerful: it is brief, but that only makes it more intense, concise and dense; the lyrics may be repetitive, but that gives the song an insistent side, a form of everlasting restart, just like the moon cycle (coincidence? No, I don't believe in that)!

Overall, this album is clearly a masterpiece. I've been listening to it for a long time and I still enjoy it as much as the first time. You should have noticed that all songs match perfectly so they can form a whole great song, and you can - no, you have to - listen to it continuously. An album to own, to keep, and to listen. again and again. And what I really like is in the end, the last seconds: there is no more music, just heartbeats like in the beginning (moon cycle again!) and the "narrator" that we hear all along the album, saying (very quietly, so increase your volume):

"There is not dark side of the moon, really. As a matter of fact, it's all dark."

~Artic

Artic | 5/5 |

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