An Album Review

An Album Review - The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)

Lyrics :       ★★★★☆
Collectible : ★★★★★
Overall :      ★★★★★

     I want to introduce an album released long time ago, but with such a modern sense. The album is ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’. Some people might wonder why I brought such an out-of-date “progressive rock” album, and you may be interested in hip-hop, pop, or modern rock music. However, there is a good reason why I want to introduce this album from 1973, by the band Pink Floyd.

Briefly introducing the band, they were English progressive rock band with 4 members, Rick Wright on keyboard, Roger Waters on bass and vocal, David Gilmour on guitar, Nick Mason on percussion. Pink Floyd made concept albums with the unique themes. ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ is not an exception. After releasing masterpieces like “The Dark Side of The Moon”, “The Wall”, and “Wish You were Here”, they became legendary rock band. This album can be called a masterpiece, not even mentioning that it has a record of lasting longest on the billboard chart( 14years, 741 weeks )

As I mentioned earlier, all songs in this album are connected with the theme, madness. Literally, all songs in this album are about the things that make us go crazy. Looking at the titles of the songs we can find that out easily: Speak to me(Breathe), On the Run, Time, The Great Gig in the Sky, Money, Us and Them, Any Colour you Like, Brain Damage, and Eclipse. Everyone can feel sympathy for the lyrics of the songs, and we can get deep emotion from them. The good example is the lyric of the track ‘Money’.

Money 

Get away

You get a good job with good pay and you're okay

Money

It's a gas

Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash

New car, caviar, four star daydream

Think I'll buy me a football team 

Money 

Well, get back 

I'm all right Jack 

Keep your hands off of my stack 

Money 

It's a hit 

Don't give me that do goody good bullshit 

I'm in the high-fidelity first class travelling set 

I think I need a Lear jet 

Money 

It's a crime 

Share it fairly 

But don't take a slice of my pie 

Money 

So they say 

Is the root of all evil today 

But if you ask for a raise 

It's no surprise that they're giving none away 

"HuHuh! I was in the right!" 

"Yes, absolutely in the right!" 

"I certainly was in the right!" 

"You was definitely in the right. That geezer was cruising for a bruising!" 

"Yeah!" 

"Why does anyone do anything?" 

"I don't know, I was really drunk at the time!" 

"I was just telling him, he couldn't get into number 2. He was asking why he wasn't coming up on freely, after I was yelling and screaming and telling him why he wasn't coming up on freely. It came as a heavy blow, but we sorted the matter out"

Also, take a look at the track 'time'.'

Time 

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day 

You fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way 

Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town 

        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 

And you run, and you run to catch up with the sun, but it's sinking 

Racing around to come up behind you again 

The sun is the same in a relative way, but you're older 

Shorter of breath and one day closer to death 

Every year is getting shorter 

Never seem to find the time 

Plans that either come to nought 

Or half a page of scribbled lines 

Hanging on in quiet desparation is the English way 

The time is gone 

The song is over 

Thought I'd something more to say 

Home, home again 

I like to be here when I can 

When I come home cold and tired 

It's good to warm my bones beside the fire 

Far away across the field 

The tolling of the iron bell 

Calls the faithful to their knees 

To hear the softly spoken magic spells

    Those lyrics are easy to feel sympathy for, and has a deep meanings inside.

     Not only lyrics, but the melodies and the instrumental section of all songs are great. The band used many experimental sound effects and instruments to send their message, and shows wide variety of sounds using various methods. In the track ‘Money’, the band used a saxophone which is mixed beautifully with the lyrics and the melody. Saxophone is also used in the track ‘Us and Them’. Also, in the 3^rd track ‘Time’, the song begins with almost 2 and a half minutes of instrumental section. With the sound of clocks ticking and an alarm clock, the percussion creates dreamy mood of the song. In ‘The Great Gig in the Sky’, the woman vocalist Clare Torry’s voice moves many people’s hearts.This album begins with the sound of the heartbeat, and ends with the sound of the hearbeat. During those last heartbeats, if you turn up the volume,  you can hear the whisper "There is no dark side of the moon really. Matter of fact  it's all dark ". When I finished listen to the album for the first time, it made me tremble from the shock.

     Recently, in September 26^th, 2011, a digital remastered version of the album is released. Whenever you are in a sentimental mood or feel some kind of numbness, this album will definitely make you feel high and deeply impressed.