***NOTE*** This is my FIRST review and hope you can bear with any mistakes I may make. Also I am reviewing the SACD version of The Dark Side of the Moon. The Dark Side of the Moon from Pink Floyd is one of those albums that you just have to stop and think for a second: "How did they do that?" Back in 1973, Pink Floyd set a new landmark on creating this album The Dark Side of the Moon and this album is arguably "one of the best" if not "the best" album of all time! With over 700 weeks in a row on the Billboard Music Charts, no doubt that everyone talks about this album! For this review, I will try my best to a track-by-track review and an overall review of the album.
1. Speak To Me This song opens up with the heartbeat slowly fading in while there are two people talking and the clocks ticking and cash register chiming in the background. There are also other sound effects to make this get pumped up and ready for the next song. Though it is pretty short (around a minute in a half) this is a great mood setter for the album! (4.5/5)
2. Breathe This is a great song. With the different guitar effects such as using the slide guitar and different effect pedals, this really sets the mood for the album. A very stony and trippy song. David's voice is pretty good. Leads right up to the next song. (4/5)
3. On The Run This song would probably be considered as techno back in the 70's due to the synthesizers used. There are numerous amounts of sound effects such as: footsteps running, a woman's voice over an intercom, guitar screeching, etc. With the heartbeat starting softly in the middle and getting louder and louder until the sound of a B-52 Airplane crashes is just awesome! This song is great in concert! (5/5)
4. Time This song is one of my favorites on the album. Starting out with ticking of many clocks and then going off all at once, it slowly fades out and a huge ticking fades in with a heartbeat. The bass then starts and before you know it the drums imitate the ticking. The song then really starts about two minutes into the song delivering, once again, good vocals from David. The solo then kicks in delivering goose bumps all over my body. As the song fades out, it is a reprise of Breathe and ends with a lingering piano note. One of my favorite songs on the album and Pink Floyd songs period! (5/5)
5. The Great Gig In The Sky Sheer emotion. That is all I have to say about this song. It is one of the most emotional Floyd songs ever, with nothing but screaming from one of the lady vocalists. (Sorry I don’t know her name) No guitars solos here! Just the piano, bass, and drums for the most part. A must listen! It always leaves me breathless! (5/5)
6. Money This is one of the most well-known Pink Floyd songs and has many covers. With the infamous money “chick-ching!” sound of the cash register to the dropping of coins, this song is awesome. With two crazy guitar solos courtesy of David, this is a definite Pink Floyd song not only on this album, but through out their career! One of my personal favorites! (5/5)
7. Us And Them This is a song that slowly fades in with the organ after The Great Gig In The Sky and begins to pick up with the drums and guitar. David’s voice is very well presented with the use of delay effects during parts of the verses. The chorus is probably the most intense part of the song and same with the saxophone solo in the middle of the song. With this song having an easy beat and easy lyrics, this is also one of my favorite Floyd songs! (5/5)
8. Any Colour You Like This is a great instrumental song. With the trippy guitar effects, there is a part in the song where it sounds like two guitars battling each other. The guitar work in this song is nothing short of breathtaking, but it gets a little old after listening to it for awhile. That is pretty much it. It’s a trippy instrumental song that leads right up to the next song. (4/5)
9. Brain Damage This is Roger’s place to shine! He does the vocals in this song and does them well! With such lines as: “The lunatic is on the grass. The lunatic is on the grass.” What the lyrics are basically getting at is at all of the political and government “F-Ups” that have been going on in the world during the time of the release of this album. That is what I’m getting at. Overall, an epic song that really wraps up of what the album has been talking about. (5/5)
10. Eclipse This is the definite closing to the album and can also be considered as the second part to “Brain Damage” since they run together like one song. More powerful lyrics from Roger, every line beginning with “All that you…” This gives a good insight on how rebellious they were to the government back in the early 70’s. (5/5)
Overall, The Dark Side of the Moon is among one of the best CD’s I have and have ever listened to! I urge everyone that owns a CD player to buy this CD RIGHT NOW!! It is a must have, must hear album! Without it, your music collection is incomplete! I give this album a perfect 5 out of 5! Now please rate my review and give me any questions or comments to make my future reviews better!
