THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

This really is a hard album to rate. Possibly the most influential rock album of all time, nearly everyone has heard this album at least once in their lifetime. Does it really deserve the attention that it receives?

In my opinion, no.

1. Speak to Me- Interesting prologue, but nothing more. It sets the tone for the theme of madness on this album. A difficult song to rate, really, since it contains hardly anything. 5/10

2. Breathe (in the Air)- A decent entry song, yet doesn't accomplish much. Good lyrics, but instrumentally not much is going on here. Definitely necessary for the grand scheme of the album, that is true and I won't deny it, but as a song it's not really too innovative or interesting. 3/10

3. On the Run- Better than the previous song, this has some really interesting psychedelic effects to it. It can get monotonous though. What is it trying to accomplish? 4/10

4. Time- I like the clock opening and how this song builds. Towards the end of the song the structure can get boring, but I can't complain too much here after the previous songs. This song's not absolutely perfect, but it's a really good song nonetheless! There are wonderful lyrics as well, and the instrumentation is actually noteworthy for the first time so far on the album. 7/10

5. The Great Gig in the Sky- Decent song, I'll give it that. Great piano chord playing and vocals, but it doesn't strike a particular chord with me as being something that is outstanding. The vocals can get a bit overblown for my taste though, particularly towards the ending, and it would have worked better as an instrumental song if they had composed it differently, I think. Meh. It's decent, just not THAT good and doesn't really cut it for me. 5/10

6. Money- Who hasn't heard this song? Despite the fact that it's the main reason I decided to take a break from listening to PF for a while, it's still a good song and one of the better ones on here. It's really nice to hear the upbeat saxophone playing after the half-asleep mood of the first half of the album and that definitely helps the rating of this song in these reviewer's eyes. I also like the feel to this song, especially the second half where it actually gets some instrumental steam going. I could easily go the rest of my life without hearing this again, however. 6/10

7. Us and Them- Good song, but it continues the coma-like atmosphere of this album that bugs me. Why does nearly every song on this album have to be a slow song which doesn't cover any new ground and can easily induce sleep? Anyway, the sax is good here and the piano playing isn't bad either. 6/10

8. Any Colour You Like- My favorite song on here by far. Am I crazy? Well, yes. Upbeat, wonderful instrumental song with great psychedelic keyboard playing. I wish there were more songs like this one! 9/10

9. Brain Damage- Good song with a fitting mood and the dynamics work better here than in most of the previous songs. The vocals are put to better use here as well. Enjoyable. 7/10

10. Eclipse- Wait. the album isn't over? Why not? Besides the amusing line to conclude the album, this doesn't do much besides continue the previous song. 6/10

This is definitely NOT a masterpiece of progressive rock nor is it an excellent addition to any progressive rock collection. What is it that everyone sees in this album? It's good, but not perfect at all, and a bit too uninteresting for me to hear more than once every year or two.

Good, but FAR from essential. This should not be the most well-known progressive rock album, as it is not representative of the movement; it is a rock album.