The Magnificent Dark Side of The Moon
No matter how much time passes and how many other brilliant albums are produced, one of the very the best is magnificent The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd.
I didn’t have the good fortune to see Pink Floyd live back then, but my husband did and I envy him - a lot! He saw them when the album was actually released back in 1973. He tells me they were absolutely superb – well of course they were! And he remembers every single detail because even then he knew he was watching history in the making, everybody did - the atmosphere must have been incredible.
For those of you who may not know the album I can tell you that it was an instant success and it remained in the charts for an amazing 741 weeks from the day of its release to 1988! It still is often ranked as one of the greatest albums ever made.
This album is the type of thing you should listen to when you feel like having an out of body experience. You need calm and peace. It will make you feel at one with yourself, while giving you much to contemplate - what is life really all about?
Did you see live Pink Floyd back then?
I bought a copy of the ablum recently for my son and I couldn’t wait to give it to him. I also bought him Wish You Were Here but we didn’t listen to that until months later, because he was almost instantly totally amazed by what he heard on the Dark Side of the Moon.
I insisted that we listened to it together like this: in silence, lying down comfortably on the floor, with dimmed lights, and when we had absolutely nothing else to do!
This album needs time and respect.
My son was only 13 so he really didn’t understand the themes that are in this album, like greed, the passage of time, and mental illness - but that didn't concern him - he was listening with new ears and an open mind. He absolutely loved the music, which includes the use of synthesizers and sound effects that really draw you in.
I was totally drawn in too. I hadn’t listened to it for quite a few years and I knew I would enjoy it but what I wasn’t expecting was the emotion that welled up in me – it actually made me cry! Possibly because, now at my age, I actually understood what the band meant, how could they have known all that - they were so young when they wrote the album.
Since then he has listened to it many, many times. And he recently played the track ‘Money’ in front of a live audience on his bass guitar. He played it brilliantly, and got a standing ovation!
I can happily say that he is completely hooked! Time for 'Wish Your Were Here'!
Here's a track from the album it will give you a real idea of its vibe and sound. I'm imagining I'm talking to someone who hasn't heard it before. But it's also a chance for you to 'reconnect ' and take a trip down memory lane if you haven't heard it in a while.
Again for those of you who don’t know; Pink Floyd is an English rock band who put on absolutely fantastic psychedelic gigs. The short video below explains a lot more about it and is well worth watching.
They had an enormous impact on popular music because they were experimental. They got together in 1965 and comprised of Syd Barrett, Nick Mason, Roger Waters and Richard Wright and in 1967 David Gilmore joined them. What an amazing line up!
The Dark Side of the Moon was recorded at Abbey Road in London.
This album has become a legend. The cover with its iconic triangle and prism is recognized globally. There is a Range Rover across the road with it painted on the spare wheel cover!
I can’t imagine anyone not having a copy of The Dark Side of The Moon, but if you haven’t heard it yet – or you want to turn a young person on to it, then this is the original recording remastered – and it’s absolutely brilliant.
Just adding a note we drove to Scotland last week and we played this album on the way - we had so many great discussions about it with our son who is now 14! We listened to Wish You Were Here too. We had a great trip!
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
© 2013 Giovanna