THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

History of the recording:

After the release of the album Meddle in December 1971, the group gathered in front of the planned tour of Britain, Japan and the United States. At a meeting house drummer Nick Mason, Roger Waters suggested that the new album will be associated with those hazards that "reduce people crazy," emphasizing the pressure on the team in the first years of existence, as well as the psychological problems of the former member Syd Barrett. All group members participated in writing the material, and in recording the album, which was subsequently uncharacteristic for Pink Floyd. Waters recorded the raw demo tracks in the studio, equipped in the barn, which was located in the basist's garden. The album has been used previously recorded but unreleased material: theme which opens the track Breathe, was previously written Waters and Ron Gysin for the documentary The Body, but the main motive Us And Them was the material recorded for the film Zabriskie Point. During rehearsals, decided to call the album Dark Side Of The Moon, but then discovered that the album of the same name released a group of Medicine Head, decided to change its name to Eclipse, but then the team still went back to the original version June 1, 1972 was recorded the first song Us And Them, six days after written Money

Concept album:

«Dark Side of the Moon» - conceptual work, initially telling about the oppression of various circumstances of modern life on human. This idea has been a powerful catalyst for creativity and group cooperation, its members made a list of those disclosed in this album: «On The Run» talked about paranoia, «Time» described the approach of old age and senseless waste of life, «The Great Gig In The Sky» (originally called «Mortality Sequence» or «Religious Theme») tell of death and religion; «Money» tells about the money that comes with fame; «Us And Them» spoke about the conflicts within society; «Brain Damage» affect the theme of madness. This album, on which work is actually conducted since the publication of A Saucerful of Secrets, is one of the most complete in terms of the conceptual work of the group. It achieved a perfect balance between musical geniuses Waters, Gilmour and Wright. Poetry talented made a disc is almost perfect. After the release of the album art or Pink Floyd, or progressive rock in general, could no longer remain just as they were. Creative team did not get any worse, it just changed. It could not remain the same after the resounding success of their landmark album. The concept album is the assertion that modern life is the path to madness, and the individual should maintain a fierce struggle to retain sanity. It was so consonant with the thoughts and fears of millions of people that the album continues to actively buy and after a quarter century after its appearance.

Recording technology:

By using a new 16-track sound recording equipment in the studio «Abbey Road» audio engineer and the contribution of Alan Parsons, the album set new standards for great sound. He immediately was mixed in quadraphonic version. By the 30 th anniversary was re-released on SACD, containing a new mastering stereo version and a modern mix 5.1, made in explanation of the original quadraphonic version.

Songs:

Speak To Me - Music: Nick Mason Instrumental Arrangement, which is the overture, which includes fragments of the major musical themes and sound effects album. Audible in the background voices are the answers to the questionnaire drawn up by a group, the main themes of which were death, violence and madness. Among the interviewees were all sorts of people who were in the studio, including Paul and Linda McCartney, although the final version of the album, their views are not included. As the title song are the words with which the engineer Alan Parsons appealed to the respondent to adjust the recording level.

Breathe - Music: Waters, Gilmour, Wright Lyrics: Roger Waters Vocals: David Gilmour In this arrangement tells us about this side of human existence, an endless quest for success, recognition and fame. Fear for a moment to stop and look around to push us to an ongoing activity. In an effort to keep up with the success of flying years. There comes old and death. Life is wasted.

On The Run - Music: David Gilmour, Roger Waters This instrumental composition, which was originally called «The Travel Sequence» and Waters was conceived as a reflection of a paranoid fear of death, more specifically, before the flight on the aircraft, which was common to all members of the group.

Time - Music: Mason, Wright, Gilmour, Waters Lyrics: Roger Waters Vocals: David Gilmour, Richard Wright Time - one of the most famous songs. It is a seven-minute conceptual rock composition, consisting of two almost independent parts: the full-scale instrumental intro and the actual songs. Time begins with the polyphonic ringing alarm clocks and many hours, originally recorded for the test Parsons quadraphonic records. Each ring was recorded separately in the various antique shops. This is followed by Nick Mason drums, accompanied by a brute force of the two bass strings Waters. After the instrumental sounds of the vocals David Gilmour, who sings the songs, the chorus sings the same Richard Wright, sounds and female backing vocals. At the end of the song sounds reprise theme «Breathe». Gilmour guitar solo was posted by readers of U.S. magazine Guitar World in 21 place among the greatest solo ever. The composition was used in the television series Life on Mars.

The Great Gig In The Sky - Music: Richard Wright Vocals: Clare Torry Music was already completely ready, but all team members felt that something was missing. Then they were invited to write Clare Torry - a full-time vocalist studio Abbey Road, which recommended that the group, Alan Parsons, who worked with Torrey previously. She has performed improvisational vocal in this song. None of the "Floyd did not know what they want to make of this composition. Originally Claire sang something like «Oh, baby-baby ...», but Waters disagreed. He said: "Your voice - a musical instrument, do with it what you want. There was some improvisation. During recording, Clare Torry, said: "we can make any number of takes, but we write the first: the best I have obtained from the first time. And so it was: the album hit the first record. Vocalist for the works has been paid double the rate equal to 30 pounds. Subsequently, however, the group recognized for her co-sponsorship arrangement, and to appoint an appropriate reward.

Money (Money) 6:22 - Music: Roger Waters Lyrics: Roger Waters Vocals: David Gilmour The ring of coins in the composition was written by David Gilmour and Roger Uotesom at home, anxious to rustle of paper, they recorded themselves, too. From the huge library of sounds has been selected only crack cash register. The song was written before the invention of computers. To make the sound rhythmically tinkled coins, cash registers and other things, the group had to record all these sounds on tape, film cut and glue in the ring. In particular the length of the opening film for this track sounds was more than six meters. The tail of the film sticking out of the tape, which hangs on a mic stand. Theme used in a number of soundtracks of Hollywood pictures.

Us And Them - Music: Richard Wright Lyrics: Roger Waters Vocals: David Gilmour, Richard Wright The original tune «Us and them» was written by Wright, during his work "Pink Floyd on the music for the film" Zabriskie Point ", but was rejected by director Michelangelo Antonioni's tape as" too sad ". The main theme song is the relationship of people with each other. Their conflicts and confrontation. Waters concludes that all of us, other things being equal, just ordinary people.

Any Colour You Like - Music: Gilmour, Wright, Mason This instrumental composition, the only thing the group, written by Mason, Gilmour and Wright together, without Waters, before Roger left the "Pink Floyd". The title comes from the slogan «Any color you like, so long as it's black», which had resounded in advertising Ford.

Brain Damage - Music: Roger Waters Lyrics: Roger Waters Vocals: Roger Waters. Composition, tells us that everything that was said throughout the entire album (the rapid passage of time, aging, fear of it, and death, money, military and political conflicts ...) leads to madness. These things are everywhere and they constantly destroy the brains of people. And escape from all this is possible only on the reverse side of the moon ...

Eclipse - Music: Roger Waters Lyrics: Roger Waters Vocals: Roger Waters

Song-evaluations. All that you touch, what you feel, love and hate, what you eat, that create and destroy - all of which should cover the sun, but it is obscured by the Moon. Without the solar life on Earth is maddening, the front side of the moon is cold, but one that is tilted toward the Sun - there is life, there may escape from earthly nightmares and live happily ever after ... But these dreams destroyed pragmatic voice in song at the end of the sound of the heart: «There is no dark side of the Moon really, matter of fact its all dark» Many quotations from the album were written well-known people, the same words that have become legendary, said the studio janitor Gerry O'Driscoll

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