The Dark Side of The Moon is the eighth studio record by English Rock band Pink Floyd released on March 1, 1973. This project is recognized as one of the greatest concept albums ever from the experimentation of rock with jazz, and its many themes shown throughout the tracklist.
This album was created at a time of great success for the English band, but with this success came immense stress, and the departure of former band member Syd Barrett just added to that mental health aspect. This album shows many themes of battling mental health and greed leading to more overwhelming problems. This record is what boosted Pink Floyd to international fame.
The first song of this record, “Speak To Me / Breathe,” is a compelling introduction to the LP. It’s not an insane song that’s right in your face but is more laid-back and sonically pleasing. Most of the track is taken up with instrumentation that flows well into “Breathe.” Both songs are placed on the tracklist to kickstart the album.
The two most popular songs are Money and Us and Them both released as singles before the project’s release. Money is an upbeat song that captivated me on the first listen, with the guitar being played throughout the song with the cash register effect adding a unique style to the song. The saxophone solo in the middle leading into the next part of the song is probably my favorite part of the song.
“Us and Them” is quite different from its single counterpart, with it being very emotional. The build-up of the entire song constantly gets more and more powerful with the saxophone in the background making a very strong impression right before the peak. Its movement from powerful to calm in the span of seconds is both impressive and captivating. Again,the saxophone solo on this song is just incredible, and one of my favorites of the album.
But my number 1 song on the album is The Great Gig In the Sky, with a powerful vocal performance from feature singer Clare Tory, and great keyboard work from Richard Wright. The way the song mixes together with the calm keyboard melody and the powerful drums and vocals just makes the song even greater. It is definitely my top recommendation, even for those who do not like rock.
The album is very conceptual, and I like how they were able to fit it in all in just 42 minutes, making it an easy listen for anyone. Some interesting parts of this project are just the experimentation, trying to incorporate more jazz-like elements into a rock setting and how it doesn’t feel repetitive with each song sounding its own.
Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” is another perfect example of a classic album. With its influence and the concept behind the whole record, it shows why it’s so widely regarded as one of the best rock albums of all time.