THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON LIVE AT WEMBLEY 1974

An interesting release, this one. It's live so it's certainly different from the original studio recording. I get the sense from listening to this album that the band spent some time all learning their parts, where they fit in and how to play their pieces in sequence in a live setting. There is a little bit of hesitation in some of the playing by the band and some of the transitions from instrumental to vocal pieces sound a bit rushed but not enough to distract the listener too much. However, I am left wondering if a few of Gilmour's vocals have been redone recently in the studio. Gilmour's guitar shines very brightly throughout and Waters' bass parts sound rich and perfect. Wright's keys seem a bit buried in the mix sometimes and Mason's drums tend to come across as a bit withdrawn, until side two releases him to really play, up there with the others. Side one throughout, on the vinyl version is very good if a bit muted. Side two is where this album really comes alive. The version of Us and Them on here is just magnificent. One thing. This live album has to be played loud. Very loud. That way, all the sounds coming through both left and right channels really sound fantastic. Despite some parts sounding a little bit like easy listening background lounge Muzak, overall this is an enjoyable listen which left me wishing I was there, when it was recorded.