THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

Dark Side Of the Moon is almost without a doubt the most enduring and popular progressive rock album of all time, and perhaps even all rock. The album originally charted number one in the US and 2 in the UK and only remained #1 in America for a week, but that was only the beginning. The album went on to remain on the US charts for over 730 weeks, that's 14 years breaking all records by over three-hundred weeks. The album has gone on to sell over 25,000,000 copies which makes it one of the highest selling albums ever behind albums such as 'Led Zeppelin IV' and 'The Wall' (also by Pink Floyd.) I didn't need to know this to find "Dark Side of the Moon" a very good album. I knew it was popular but I had no idea it had sold 25 million copies, so it was a new experience for me, needless to say I had high hopes for it. Strangely enough at first I really disliked it, and I remember getting to "The Great Gig in the Sky" and just giving up. The album slowly grew on me, and it is now one of my favourite albums.

"Dark Side of the Moon" was not only the breakthrough album for Pink Floyd, but it also helped define Psychedelic rock through sonic experimentation and the use of tape effect which are spotted throughout the entire album. For these reasons "Dark Side of the Moon" is one of the most influential albums ever released and many bands have taken a page for Pink Floyd's book.

The album opens with "Speak to Me/Breath" which begins gradually with a heart-beat that builds in intensity until a mellow tune comes in. With this tune comes the second section of the song "Breath." The song is very mellow and features some nice synthesizer effects and guitar as well as vocals from Waters.

Next is "On the Run" which is a classic Pink Floyd psychedelic experience, complete with tape effects and everything. The song features tape effects of, someone running from aliens probably. This is one song that really grows on you and will probably be the last song to click. Unbeknown to the members of Pink Floyd, this song and related songs would eventually lead to the creation of disco.

The fantastic "Time" is next which opens with the sounds of many cloaks ticking, before they all hit mid-night (at different times) and many bells begin to ring. This section is followed by an eerie ticking sound backed by other instruments. The song really begins after this when the vocal section and best of all the guitar solo which is one major highlight of the album. The song winds down well and makes as a good introduction for the next song.

.Speaking of which, the next song is called "The Great Gig in the Sky" and is, from what I've heard the most hated song from the album. I too hated it but eventually got used to it. The song consists of a mellow piano tune with tape effects, until the scream- singing begins which is what deters people from the song. Seriously though it just takes a little getting used to, trust me.

"Money" is next which since the release of "Dark Side of the Moon" has become one of the most famous Pink Floyd song. It begins with sounds of a cash register and money being thrown around before moving into a very catchy rhythm spearheaded by the bass and drums. There is an especially good instrumental section which begins at around minute 2 with an excellent saxophone solo which is immediately followed by a guitar solo from Gilmour. The song gradually gains intensity until about the 5th minute when the closing set of memorable vocals chime in.

"Money" eventually leads on into "Us and Them" which is about humans (us) and aliens (them.) The song is quite mellow, but features some louder sections and great saxophone by Dick Parry who, for me really makes this song great. The song opens with a mellow organ played by Wright which is soon accompanied by a soft drum beat and arpeggioated (is that a word?) chords from Gilmour. The vocals and blending piano chords come in and the philosophical lyrics take over until Dick Parry comes in with the sax and a loud part takes over. Rick Wright has, what I think to be a very good piano solo during the song which is followed by a sax solo which eventually leads to the next number.

.which is called "Any Colour You Like" and is 3 minutes of top-quality of instrumental music. It opens with very fantastical layered synthesizers with band backing. Soon after the synthesizers comes the guitar solo from Gilmour which is again fantastic and really makes for an excellent listen. The three minutes the song runs for seems to pass way too quickly as the next song beings.

The penultimate track to "Dark Side of the Moon" is "Brain Damage" which is yet another all-time classic. The song is written for all the lunatics in the world and during live Pink Floyd shows world leaders are shown smiling on the big screen. This gives the song a comical feel, but in truth the song addresses a serious issue. The song is similar to "Us and Them" in that it varies in loudness.

Last of all is "Eclipse" which is really the icing on the cake for me and ends the album on a truly legendary note as its lyrics are very moving and gives one the impression of seeing the moon, if you understand what I mean.

1.Speak to Me/Breath (4/5) 2.One The Run (3/5) 3.Time (5/5) 4.The Great Gig in the Sky (4/5) 5.Us and Them (5/5) 6.Any Colour You Like (5/5) 7.Brain Damage (5/5) 8.Eclipse (5/5) Total = 36 divided by 8 = 4.5 = 5 stars!!!!! Essential: a masterpiece of progressive music

"Dark Side of the Moon" is one very essential album, everyone must own this album, it's easy to acquire so get it if you don't already have it! This album sums up all that is Pink Floyd and psychedelic rock in 40 minutes of bliss, great stuff right here.