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THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON - EXPERIENCE EDITION

Pink Floyd

Psychedelic/Space Rock


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Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon - Experience Edition album cover
4.79 | 149 ratings | 4 reviews | 82% 5 stars

Essential: a masterpiece of
progressive rock music

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Boxset/Compilation, released in 2011

Songs / Tracks Listing

Disc 1 - Studio (42:54)
1. Speak to Me (1:07)
2. Breathe (In the Air) (2:49)
3. On the Run (3:45)
4. Time (6:53)
5. The Great Gig in the Sky (4:44)
6. Money (6:23)
7. Us and Them (7:49)
8. Any Colour You Like (3:26)
9. Brain Damage (3:46)
10. Eclipse (2:12)

Disc 2 - Live (55:05)
1. Speak to Me (2:45)
2. Breathe (In the Air) (2:50)
3. On the Run (5:08)
4. Time (6:31)
5. The Great Gig in the Sky (6:50)
6. Money (8:40)
7. Us and Them (8:09)
8. Any Colour You Like (8:10)
9. Brain Damage (3:43)
10. Eclipse (2:19)

Total Time 97:59

Line-up / Musicians

- Nick Mason / drums, percussion, tape effects
- David Gilmour / guitars, vocals, VCS3
- Roger Waters / bass, vocals, VCS3, tape effects
- Richard Wright / keyboards, vocals, VCS3

With:
Studio Album:
- Clare Torry / lead vocals (5)
- Dick Parry / saxophone (6-7)
- Doris Troy / backing vocals
- Leslie Duncan / backing vocals
- Lisa Strike / backing vocals
- Barry St. John / backing vocals

Live Album:
- Dick Parry / saxophone (6-7)
- Vanessa Fields / backing vocals
- Carlena Williams / backing vocals

Releases information

Disc 1: Remastered Studio Album
Disc 2: Live from the Empire Pool, Wembley, London, November 1974

EMI 50999 029453 2 3

Thanks to DocB for the addition
and to projeKct for the last updates
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PINK FLOYD The Dark Side of the Moon - Experience Edition ratings distribution


4.79
(149 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(82%)
82%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(13%)
13%
Good, but non-essential (3%)
3%
Collectors/fans only (0%)
0%
Poor. Only for completionists (2%)
2%

PINK FLOYD The Dark Side of the Moon - Experience Edition reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by AtomicCrimsonRush
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
5 stars This is the expurgated version of the massive box treasure and way cheaper with one of the best CDs as a bonus. It is identical to the Immersion box set as far as CD 1 and CD 2 is concerned. Disc 1 is the remastered original album and as always it is a wonderful musical feast. I did not notice huge differences in the music but the sound tends to be clearer then the SACD 2003 edition and noticeably you can hear instruments mixed to the front in places and the narrative voices are more distinct. This is the way to hear DSOTM no doubt. It is a brilliant album that every prog lover should own.

Disc 2 is a previously unreleased live Wembley performance from 1974 and it is always a treat hearing the band when they were gaining popularity and were still rough about the edges.

'Breathe' has a lengthy intro with all sorts of voices, similar to the version on 'Pulse' DVD. Gilmour is a solo voice without the heavy emphasis on harmony so this is very raw. 'On the Run' is similar to the album but a pronounced announcer voice makes a change. The footsteps are quite loud and Wright has a field day on the synth. There is an elongated section before we hear the first laugh. The boom crash sounds are very effective and menacing. The plane fly overs are mixed to the front and exude a spacey atmosphere. The dark overtones of mechanized groans, propellers and swishes add to a cacophony of explosive effects. The cataclysm lasts for quite a while, roaring with the foosteps fading back in. the crowd cheer after being stunned out of their minds then there is a sudden paroxysm of bells and chimes, the way we would all recognize. 'Time' begins with signature guitar notes and sporadic percussion trade offs. The feel is different here noticeably the way the drums keep a consistent rhythm of triplets. Gilmour's voice is younger so he sounds different in the high register than on recent performances. Waters also sings the low part along with him. It is nice to hear Wright sing the chorus part back in the 70s. The lead solo is excellent as always and quite different than how Gilmour played it in the 'Division Bell' era.

Now onto 'The Great Gig in the Sky' and the part I always look forward to is to hear the ladies pound out that soulful wailing vocal solo. I was disappointed. I know I shouldn't be as this was the era when the band were at their best. However the melody is really strangled out of recognition here. There is a lot of moaning and raspy cries but it loses it's beauty for me. The ladies, Vanessa and Carlena, are not worried about the original version at all and seem to be improvising vocals as the mood hits them. They don't take turns either doing the sections one at a time, as there are noticeably two ladies singing the first part. They scream and wail a lot but it is nothing like the versions you would be used to available on DVD. At one point one lady sounds like she is giving childbirth. It appears that back in the 70s the band were not really interested in presenting a soundalike album representation of this but that changed over the years. The crowd are silent really during the breaks which again is unlike how it ended up in the more recent years. The second quieter section is still beautiful and mesmirising. One lady sings high parts and the other is on the low end. It is effective but still not as magical as more recent versions. The last bit is satisfactory, though quite raspy and strained, the ladies trade off each other but they are not singing as well as one might expect. I thought it was still moving in some ways, but I am so used to hearing this section done at least similar to the original album so that this was a real letdown. It seemed to go on too long as well, the ladies improvise for quite some time in the end section but I like the way the money starts to chink during this, building to the next track.

'Money' follows and it is a showstopper as always. The riff is great with Waters and Gilmour at their best. Gilmour is more aggressive on vocals in this performance. The guitar solo is masterful, Gilmour really shines and improvises many licks I had not hear him play before. The crowd show appreciation during this section that is quite lengthy. The girls don't do their 'woo's' here either which was an improvement. The real difference in the music is the absence of sax and pronounced female vocals. You hear them mixed to the back which works okay. It is great just to hear Gilmour jamming eloquent with the boys. It segues back to the main riff beautifully with a variation in style. Gilmour also doesn't emphasize the falsetto 'away' as he tended to do in later years. The narrative voice comes in and I like the words 'he was cruising for a bruisin'' spoken by a female protagonist. It blends into 'Us and Them'.

The version of 'Us and Them' begins with a similar feel, a soft jazzy say resounds and Wright plays subtle chords on organ. The sung parts are analogous to the original except the echoes are performed by the ladies. I kind of liked this as it works on a different level, as if the ladies are answering Gilmour's pleas for answers. One lady even whispers the last few echoes giving it a sensuous quality. The chorus builds very strongly with the female vocals and harmonies of Waters working well. The sax solo is divine, very moving and beautifully executed. This is one of the best live performances I have heard of this song.

I was expecting 'Any Colour You Like' to be very different than the original, and I was not wrong. Wright has a dominant synth sound that is almost 80s retro. It is a wonderful moment on the live album, and gives Wright a chance to show his finesse at the keyboards. The powerful staccato hammered organ blasts that follow are incredible along with psychedelic guitar licks. The quality of the sound is indisputable, and shows how powerful the band were in the 70s. Gilmour brings it down to a softer melody and jams along gently with Water's bassline and ambient keys. The sound is almost stripped down to silence in places, and the ladies chime in now and then to add a balance of beauty. A mesmirising performance on this track that should be heard more often. The moods of tension and release are terrific. The band release back to a loose jamming style to end the piece, which would have to be one of the longest versions I have heard.

The question on my mind when coming to 'Brain Damage' is will the effects be as pronounced as on the early mix of the album, that is lunatic laughing and weird narratives. The vocals are raw coming from a different source than Gilmour who took over eventually. The chorus also has rawer harmonies, with the ladies sounding similar to the album. The laughter does come but it is the version from the finished album. The crowd laughter is loud as the projections on the wall would cause as much controversy as they did when Thatcher took over. It merges seamlessly into 'Eclipse' as expected. The finale is great but the first section is not as loud and bombastic as other live versions I heard. It builds gradually, the ladies sound great on soulful vocals, echoing the lyrics. The bell tolling at the end is a nice touch, quite ominous, and then we hear 'thank you very much, see you again' from Gilmour. The bell dies down and all that is left is a clapping manic crowd wanting more.

If you cannot afford the massive Immersion box this is well worth getting. Both disks brilliant in their own right. Though I recommend the 5 disc box with huge books that kept me busy for weeks instead of hours. In any case this will not disappoint as it is Pink Floyd at their best with an incredible remastering that enhances further the legendary DSOTM.

Latest members reviews

5 stars first, i am sorry for my poor english, i will make a lot of mistake as english is not my first language. This edition is a master peace. It containt of course the dark side of the moon, one of my favorite album of all time but this reviews is not about dark side. Ist about the second cd, live ... (read more)

Report this review (#2443387) | Posted by Zalek27 | Monday, August 31, 2020 | Review Permanlink

5 stars The Experience Edition of Dark Side of the Moon is, in my opinion, the absolute best. Not only do we have the umteenth remaster of the 1973 studio album, which I consider to be one of the top five albums of all time, but we have the excellent 1974 Wembley stadium performance of the entire piece ... (read more)

Report this review (#906013) | Posted by wehpanzer | Monday, February 4, 2013 | Review Permanlink

5 stars To not give this 5 stars would not make sense. If the original DARK SIDE OF THE MOON was nearly if not perfect, then of course this new "Experience Edition" would have to be the same. The first disc is the same as the original studio album with a clearer, I believe, remastered sound. Great for headp ... (read more)

Report this review (#752800) | Posted by mohaveman | Sunday, May 13, 2012 | Review Permanlink

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