“The Dark Side of the Moon” – Pink Floyd
Essay by Daniel Levitin
“They used their command to create a work that introduced several generations of listeners to art-rock and to elements of 1950s cool jazz.” “The album opens with a long, cinematic introduction of a crescending heartbeat, eventually accompanied by a ticking clock, distant voices, and other sound effects that have been compared to a motor or airplane propeller. Among the discernible spoken phrases are “I've always been mad” and, a few seconds later, a screaming melodic voice with an edge of insanity ushers in the song proper. At 1:09, bass, ride-cymbal drum kit, chorused guitar, and slide guitar all enter, an extraordinarily luscious, delicious, warm ensemble of merging tones, yet each retaining their distinctiveness.” “Throughout the album, the songs flow into one another symphonically, with seamless musical coherence, as though written as part of a single melodic and harmonic gesture. Lyric themes of madness and alienation connect throughout.” “Clocks, alarms, chimes, cash registers, footsteps, and other in situ recordings are woven into the sounds and tropes of a traditional rock quartet. Pink Floyd were not the first to borrow the techniques of Stockhausen and of Pierre Schaeffer's musique concrète, nor were they even the first pop artists to do so. The Beatles had done this on their “Sgt. Pepper” in 1967 and again more extensively in 1968’s “White Album.”” ““On the Run” is a masterful use of synthesis by guitarist David Gilmour, in which the instrument (the EMS synthesizer Synthis AKS) gives the musical impression of running on a treadmill, accompanied by the lockstep time of 16th note hi-hat, created entirely on the AKS. The instrument goes through a range of odd, otherworldly sounds, forming the basis for what we now know as the electronica and EDM genres…Additional special effect sounds were added to “On the Run” by bassist Roger Waters using an EMS VCS3.” “The ambient space of the Rotoms in the album's third cut, “Time,” gives way to neo-funk rhythms and gripping vocals by Gilmour…Gilmour created it with multi-tapped analog delays (from a Binson Echorec 2), a sound that Pat Metheny, The Edge (U2) and others would later adapt to their own use.” “For many, the emotional high point of the album is “The Great Gig in the Sky.” Clare Torry's wordless vocal is more emotive, more evocative and haunting than anything with words. Keyboardist Richard Wright recalled that the band directed her to “think about death, think about horror, whatever.”” “Opening side two of the vinyl version of the album, “Money” naturally became a hit…Opening side two of the vinyl version of the album, “Money” naturally became a hit…That same analog delay guitar cuts through like a lobotomy knife, and then suddenly gives way to Stratocaster that sounds like it is standing right next to you.” “The fade-out vocals of “Money” give way to the opening of “Us and Them,” with a solemn, ecclesiastical organ, which in turns gives way to a suspended, arpeggiated chords and a ride-cymbal groove that evokes 1950s cool jazz, deepened by Dick Parry's tenor saxophone solo, redolent of Sonny Stitt or Dexter Gordon. Gilmour's vocals enter unhurriedly at 1:41, taking the analog delay sound first heard on Gilmour's guitar and festooning his lead vocals with it.” “The middle of “Us and Them” features another tenor solo by Parry amidst a lush chorus of background vocals. The song fades into “Any Colour You Like,” the third instrumental on the album. The guitar effects are largely provided by Univox Uni-Vibe effects pedal (made popular by Jimi Hendrix on “Machine Gun”), in addition to David Gilmour singing in unison with his instrument--a technique often attributed to Slam Stewart who sang with his bass in the 1940s, and became a signature feature of George Benson's guitar playing in the 1970s.” ““Brain Damage” sums up the narrator's (Roger Waters) mounting anxiety and vulnerability.” ““Brain Damage” segues into “Eclipse,” a restatement of the main musical and lyrical themes, with the now-familiar ride-cymbal groove and its sparkly texture supporting multiple climaxes, including a swirling organ motif and lush background harmonies supporting the final words of the album (sung by Waters), “and the sun is eclipsed by the moon.” The album ends with a fade-out of the heartbeat that began the album 42 minutes earlier.”