Number 6: The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd
Total eclipse of the art
Release: March 1st, 1973
Genre: Progressive Rock
Favorite Tracks: The Great Gig in the Sky, Us and Them, Money
Where I heard it:
Asking someone about their first time hearing The Dark Side of the Moon is like asking where they were on 9/11: everybody remembers. This album serves as a rite of passage for prog newcomers and aspiring psychonauts alike, a momentous experience that has transfixed and delighted audiences for decades going strong. It's been around long enough for people to famously speculate a farfetched conspiracy theory revolving around moments of synchronicity between the album and The Wizard of Oz. The Dark Side of the Moon has transcended popular culture and achieved its own musical meta among the industry. I certainly caught wind of Dark Side's branding well before I heard anything from Pink Floyd, donning the iconic cover art of light refracting through a prism. The first time I heard the name Pink Floyd was at the recommendation of my seventh grade teacher, as they were one of her favorite bands. At that time, I was fully entrenched in exploring the classic rock genre, but I never quite made it past the surface when it came to prog rock until I was a bit older. Coincidentally, my introduction to Dark Side of the Moon actually occurred only a few hours after a story I have previously recounted during my entry for Electric Ladyland. To bring you up to speed: I was home alone one spring weekend, belligerently baked after a planned afternoon of reefer and relaxation. I had bought two footlong Subway sandwiches for my lunch and dinner, but I was so high that I ate both in one sitting and greened out on my couch. After awakening disoriented and confused from a three hour nap, I begrudgingly resumed my checklist for the night's activities: finally give The Dark Side of the Moon a proper run-through in all its glory, under the perfect set of circumstances. I filed through my stepdad's bulky vinyl library, placed the record onto the phonograph, turned on my stepdad's state-of-the-art sound system, and sat back on the couch. Frankly, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I remember staring up at the popcorn ceiling of my living room in the dim light of the bar lamps as On the Run played through the speakers, and it made me question whether or not the music I was listening to was actually real or just part of my hallucinations. In a little under forty-five minutes, everything I had ever heard about Pink Floyd and The Dark Side of the Moon finally clicked. I'm pretty sure there were tears in my eyes as the needle dragged toward the center following the album's conclusion Eclipse. It's a precious musical memory that I may never live to replicate, and it's about time I pay my respects.
You fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your hometown
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way
Tired of lying in the sunshine
Staying home to watch the rain
And you are young and life is long
And there is time to kill today
And then one day you find
Ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run
You missed the starting gun
~ Time
What to expect:
The timeline of Pink Floyd's expansive history can be daunting to follow, but classifying each period into a few distinct eras helps distinguish the gradual evolution of the band's sound. After original frontman Syd Barrett was replaced by David Gilmour following the 1967 debut The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, Pink Floyd would establish their core lineup of Roger Waters on bass, Richard Wright on keyboards, and Nick Mason on drums, recording a majority of their discography with this personnel. Right off the bat, Pink Floyd established their signature brand of experimental rock and psychedelia with ethereal, mysterious songwriting overlaid upon distant, twangy guitar tones. This formula helped the band garner a cult following during the latter part of the 60's and start of the 70's, winning over listeners with several deep cut classics like Atom Heart Mother and Meddle. While these albums are essential to the Pink Floyd library, their arrangements are notably more withdrawn in comparison to more popular works. There do exist glaring exceptions, such as the monolithic epic Echoes off Meddle, or the long-winded Several Species of Small Fury Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict from Ummagumma, but they acted within a vacuum of otherwise tame material. 1973 would mark the beginning of Pink Floyd's next great epoch, lead by their mainstream breakthrough The Dark Side of the Moon. Heavily inspired by the oversight of then-EMI sound engineer Alan Parsons, he was responsible for introducing the band to the most cutting-edge synthesizer technology available on the market at the time. With new toys to play with, Richard Wright's traditional organ style took a giant leap forward into the future, creating some of the most awe-inspiring augmentations with his newfound digitation. Altogether, The Dark Side of the Moon displays dramatic improvement in its production, given the numerous technological advancements. Cross-fading, speaker oscillation, and seamless song transitions are only a few tools the band utilizes to manufacture a thorough, immersive, and emotional adventure. While this album is an industrial marvel of music, its thematically centralized songwriting by Roger Waters is ultimately seen as the catalyst for its success and popularity. In contrast to the superfluous philosophical musings of previous projects, The Dark Side of the Moon takes a down-to-Earth approach to its conceptual narrative. Its lyrics reflect a deep contempt of the mortal coil of life, including the rapid and steadfast passage of the years in Time or human obsession with greed and wealth in Money. Its narrative of being driven into insanity is best exemplified in songs like the nightmarish soundscape On the Run or the tender lullaby Brain Damage. Although these issues are never truly resolved, there's a sense of comfort and company in the end that stems from the shared psychosis of existence we all experience. The Dark Side of the Moon unties humanity together, linked by our sorrows and broken dreams of a capitalist-fueled society. It's a grim and longingly optimistic perspective, but it's one of the most gripping concepts I've ever heard from a piece of music. Beyond its allegories, The Dark Side of the Moon has withstood the test of time, recognized for its achievements throughout history. It might be a no-brainer of a choice for this list, but its inclusion requires no justification.
And all you destroy
And all that you do
And all that you say
And all that you eat
And everyone you meet
And all that you slight
And everyone you fight
And all that is now
And all that is gone
And all that's to come
And everything under the sun is in tune
But the sun is eclipsed by the moon
~ Eclipse
Why it's my favorite:
I mean...I don't have to explain to you why The Dark Side of the Moon is this high on the list, right? It's the album. One out of every five people in the United States owned this record. It's colloquially accepted as one of the finest pieces of music across any genre to ever be released. Honestly, hyping up this album feels a lot like beating a dead horse, but I'm gonna ride this one all the way to the races. There's a reason why so many people are adamant about The Dark Side of the Moon being prerequisite material for any music lover: it displays complete mastery of conceptual progression and thematic storytelling in an age where that sort of thing was uncommon. Speak to Me is the perfect opener for the album, briefly foreshadowing climactic segments of the album like the ticking clocks of Time, the cash register rings of Money, the maniacal giggles of Brain Damage, and the wails of The Great Gig in the Sky. The way Pink Floyd recycles and reprises notable riffs to develop motifs throughout the album is nothing short of theatrical, and it pays off by the end with a satisfying thoroughness that vindicates the arduous journey. I'm ashamed to admit how choked up I get by the time Eclipse starts playing. I feel like I've made it to the end of something meaningful. Each side of the record is its own musical suite, delivering an uninterrupted stream of music that washes over you so deeply, it's jarring to emerge back on the surface. As the last fleeting harmonies resonate on the album, I find myself not wanting it to end in selfish indulgence. Perhaps that's what makes The Dark Side of the Moon so beautiful; it offers plenty, but leaves you wanting more. I've had so many intimate moments in other albums like Wish You Were Here and The Wall, but none so profound as my memories of The Dark Side of the Moon. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't convince myself by the submission of this entry that there was any better Pink Floyd album than this one. It's special not just to me, but to generations of fans that passed down this unbelievable work of art. There's a aura of exclusivity that surrounds The Dark Side of the Moon, and the only terms of entry are to press play. I'll put it as simply as possible: if you haven't heard The Dark Side of the Moon...you're missing out.
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