Dark Side Of the Moon at 40!

mike65

What can one say?

Epic?
Timeless?
Aural gold?
Pretentious overblown nonsense? Deep and meaningful?

Dark Side of the Moon is 40 years old today so better late than never the Classic Rock board kneels before Dave, Rog, Nick and Rick.

The making off...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zbq47vQHfo

Billboard album chart for 741 weeks

In the UK it is the sixth-best-selling album of all time.

One in every fourteen people in the US under the age of 50 is estimated to own, or to have owned, a copy

Most successful album in New Zealand, 289 weeks in chart

Estimated total sales are about 50 million, its sold 9m since 1991 in the USA alone.

“Us and Them” was originally written for the soundtrack of the film Zabriskie Point. Director Antonioni rejected the cut.

Peter Watts who provides the stoned laughter was the bands road manager, he is father of Actress Naomi Watts.

(Something here about the album and the Wizard of Oz but its nonsense!)

JupiterKid

Dark Side Of The Moon is THE classic of all classic rock albums. I remember my first listen to the whole album when I was 18 and it blew me away and it was already 20 years old at that time.

In fact it's just timeless, stunning music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbKAh3zJmH8

Passenger

mike65 wrote: »

What can one say?

Billboard album chart for 741 weeks

In the UK it is the sixth-best-selling album of all time.

One in every fourteen people in the US under the age of 50 is estimated to own, or to have owned, a copy

Most successful album in New Zealand, 289 weeks in chart

Estimated total sales are about 50 million, its sold 9m since 1991 in the USA alone.

“Us and Them” was originally written for the soundtrack of the film Zabriskie Point. Director Antonioni rejected the cut.

Peter Watts who provides the stoned laughter was the bands road manager, he is father of Actress Naomi Watts.

(Something here about the album and the Wizard of Oz but its nonsense!)

Well for one it's amazing to consider that a Prog Rock album can be so commercially successful in so many territories. It's difficult to imagine an album with such an unconventional or avant-garde sound being so popular if it was released today.

mike65

One on level that's true, but on another its all about good songs being well played that are brilliantly engineered. They just happen to fall within the parameters of a particular genre, you'd have to say there is nothing "difficult" about it as a listening experience.

Tombo2001

Passenger wrote: »

Well for one it's amazing to consider that a Prog Rock album can be so commercially successful in so many territories. It's difficult to imagine an album with such an unconventional or avant-garde sound being so popular if it was released today.

Its difficult to imagine any album being so popular if it was released today.

The album as an art form is becoming redundant and this is a bit of a relic.

Unlike other great albums of the era, it is stuck in the 1970s, it does not have a timeless feel to it (in my humble opinion).

RodgersLFC

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Its difficult to imagine any album being so popular if it was released today.

The album as an art form is becoming redundant and this is a bit of a relic.

Unlike other great albums of the era, it is stuck in the 1970s, it does not have a timeless feel to it (in my humble opinion).

I couldnt disagree with you more. This album is perfect in terms of production, emotion and musicianship, and in a hundred years people will still be putting this on and thinking "Jesus, this is fantastic music"

rednik

It was way ahead of it's time (no pun intended ), caused Floyd so much grief in the band. I still have the posters and postcards that came with it all those years ago. For me probably the greatest album ever made.

C.K Dexter Haven

rednik wrote: »

For me probably the greatest album ever made.

Absolutely. Carlsberg don't do prog rock albums, but if they did.;)

Naraka

Dark Side Of The Moon has to be one of the most iconic albums ever released. Pink Floyd got it right on every level with it. The songs are timeless, Us and Them being possibly the greatest song Pink Floyd ever wrote. The production is perfect. The bands experimentation in the studio took the album to another level. And the album cover is probably the most recognisable album artwork of all time.

Gosub

I was 17 when it first came out. When you consider what it was up against at the time, it was in a whole other universe. I loved it then and still love it now. It's still my go-to music. I have it on CD, but I'm sure I still have the original LP in storage. It won't be mint, of course.:D

The 'making of' video is well worth the watch, including the extra footage.

galwayrush

I bought this about 34 years ago.:eek:

C.K Dexter Haven

galwayrush wrote: »

I bought this about 34 years ago.:eek:

Look, if you're looking for a refund, I suggest you keep your receipt and talk nicely to the hippy behind the counter. You might be able to swap it for a live Hawaiian recording of Elvis :pac:

Manc-Red

It's just a beautiful f**king album.

Masterpiece

Cienciano

It's a great album, but I prefer about 4 or 5 Pink Floyd albums ahead of it.

Passenger

Cienciano wrote: »

It's a great album, but I prefer about 4 or 5 Pink Floyd albums ahead of it.

Which ones, out of interest?

Cienciano

I prefer Wish You Were Here, Meddle, Animals, The Wall and depending on my mood, Piper at the Gates.
Don't get me wrong, I love dark side of the moon, but I find myself playing all of the above ahead of it.

Naraka

I'd agree with you Cienciano. I'd also put Obscured By Clouds on that list. That is not too understate the brilliance of Dark Side though.

Cienciano

I'd put the Ummagumma live album ahead of it too!

Storm Throgerson, the designer of the album's cover passed away today:

http://www.nme.com/news/pink-floyd/69823

rednik

RIP Storm, many great works.

RayCon

His designs are part of music history. I can't imagine DSOTM without the prism, or AHM without Lulubelle. Rest in peace Storm


David's tribute:

We first met in our early teens. We would gather at Sheep's Green, a spot by the river in Cambridge and Storm would always be there holding forth, making the most noise, bursting with ideas and enthusiasm. Nothing has ever really changed.

He has been a constant force in my life, both at work and in private, a shoulder to cry on and a great friend.

The artworks that he created for Pink Floyd from 1968 to the present day have been an inseparable part of our work.

I will miss him.

David Gilmour

C.K Dexter Haven

Deleted User wrote: »

Storm Throgerson, the designer of the album's cover passed away today:

http://www.nme.com/news/pink-floyd/69823

Rest in Peace.

Bit of a personal facepalm/funny story to celebrate his passing:

In art class in school many years ago, decided to paint the DSOTM album. Got great colour for the black- real proud i was- followed it up by a great prism taking care to check each colour as I went- then compared my final painting to the album cover.
















Bloody great big colourful prism with an isosceles triangle :rolleyes::P