Exploring the Cosmic Connection: Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon at 50

[Astronuc]

I remember when the album appeared. It was different.

https://www.theringer.com/music/202...dark-side-of-the-moon-legacy-anniversary-50th

There was a lot of great music that year:

Aerosmith, Aerosmith, January 5, 1973
Blue Öyster Cult, Tyranny and Mutation, February 1973
Traffic, Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory, February 1973
Robin Trower, Twice Removed from Yesterday, March 1973
Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon, March 1973
Led Zeppelin, Houses of the Holy, March 1973
Spinners, Spinner, April 1973
Mike Oldfield, Tubular Bells, May 1973
Jethro Tull, Passion Play, July 1973
Carlos Santana, Love Devotion Surrender, July 1973
The Isley Brothers, 3 + 3, August 1973 (Who's That Lady)
Fleetwood Mac, Mystery to Me, October 1973
Genesis, Selling England by the Pound, October 1973 (Firth of Fifth)
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Brain Salad Surgery, November 1973
Wishbone Ash, Live Dates, December 1973
Mocedades, Eres tú, December 1973

 

[Vanadium 50]

The Easy Star All Stars did a great reggae version, "Dub Side of the Moon".

 

[pinball1970]

I remember when the album appeared. It was different.

https://www.theringer.com/music/202...dark-side-of-the-moon-legacy-anniversary-50th

There was a lot of great music that year:

Aerosmith, Aerosmith, January 5, 1973
Blue Öyster Cult, Tyranny and Mutation, February 1973
Traffic, Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory, February 1973
Robin Trower, Twice Removed from Yesterday, March 1973
Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon, March 1973
Led Zeppelin, Houses of the Holy, March 1973
Spinners, Spinner, April 1973
Mike Oldfield, Tubular Bells, May 1973
Jethro Tull, Passion Play, July 1973
Carlos Santana, Love Devotion Surrender, July 1973
The Isley Brothers, 3 + 3, August 1973 (Who's That Lady)
Fleetwood Mac, Mystery to Me, October 1973
Genesis, Selling England by the Pound, October 1973 (Firth of Fifth)
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Brain Salad Surgery, November 1973
Wishbone Ash, Live Dates, December 1973
Mocedades, Eres tú, December 1973

"Who do we think we are?" released that year, the lesser of the studio albums. Also "Made in Japan." The greatest live album ever made. Both Deep Purple.
"Innervisions" Stevie wonder
"Band on the Run" Wings
"Goodbye yellow brick Road" Elton John
"Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" Black Sabbath
"Count down to Ecstasy" Steely Dan

 

[pinball1970]

I remember when the album appeared. It was different.

https://www.theringer.com/music/202...dark-side-of-the-moon-legacy-anniversary-50th

There was a lot of great music that year:

Aerosmith, Aerosmith, January 5, 1973
Blue Öyster Cult, Tyranny and Mutation, February 1973
Traffic, Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory, February 1973
Robin Trower, Twice Removed from Yesterday, March 1973
Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon, March 1973
Led Zeppelin, Houses of the Holy, March 1973
Spinners, Spinner, April 1973
Mike Oldfield, Tubular Bells, May 1973
Jethro Tull, Passion Play, July 1973
Carlos Santana, Love Devotion Surrender, July 1973
The Isley Brothers, 3 + 3, August 1973 (Who's That Lady)
Fleetwood Mac, Mystery to Me, October 1973
Genesis, Selling England by the Pound, October 1973 (Firth of Fifth)
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Brain Salad Surgery, November 1973
Wishbone Ash, Live Dates, December 1973
Mocedades, Eres tú, December 1973

There has been talk of Roger Waters releasing his version of the album. Is this it? Link not working on this device atm

 

[berkeman]

The Easy Star All Stars did a great reggae version, "Dub Side of the Moon".

Release details
Included with the liner notes are instructions on how to synchronize the album with the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and produce a variation of the perceived "Dark Side of the Rainbow" effect.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dub_Side_of_the_Moon

 

[dlgoff]

I've got the Dark Side of the Moon CD with the lyrics.

 

[Klystron]

Lyrics from that album include "Icy wind of night, begone! This is not your domain." IMS.

 

[dlgoff]

Lyrics from that album include "Icy wind of night, begone! This is not your domain." IMS.

That's not what I'm seeing from the lyrics booklet:
1.a) SPEAK TO ME (Mason)
1.b) BREATH (Waters, Gilmour, Wright)
2. ON THE RUN (Gilmour, Waters)
3. TIME (Mason, Waters, Wright, Gilmour)
4. THE GREAT GIG IN THE SKY (Wright)
5. MONEY (Waters)
6. US AND THEM (Waters, Wright)
7. ANY OLOUR YOU LIKE (Gilmour, Mason, Wright)
8. BRAIN DAMAGE (Waters)
9. ECLIPSE (Waters)

 

[gmax137]

I had (still have) their previous albums. Never got around to buying Dark Side of the Moon. I guess I heard it enough on the radio. They were just different without Syd. I wore out my copy of Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Remember how the stripes on the center label did a sort of Op Art thing when spun on the turntable, lol.

 

[dlgoff]

I had (still have) their previous albums. Never got around to buying Dark Side of the Moon. I guess I heard it enough on the radio. They were just different without Syd. I wore out my copy of Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Remember how the stripes on the center label did a sort of Op Art thing when spun on the turntable, lol.

So, do you think @Klystron was referring to Dub Side of the Moon?

 

[gmax137]

So, do you think @Klystron was referring to Dub Side of the Moon?

I dare not speculate on @Klystron 's intentions.

I had to read the wiki link @berkeman provided, I had never heard of "dub reggae" before.

 

[Frabjous]

Lyrics from that album include "Icy wind of night, begone! This is not your domain." IMS.

Ummagumma

 

[gmax137]

Ummagumma

Been a long time since I listened to that one. Will have to pull it out later

 

[Astronuc]

I bought Dark Side of the Moon, then Wish You Were Here, then retroactively bought Ummagumma and Piper at the Gates of Dawn. I had the vinyl LPs, then bought the CDs (so the vinyl records and turntable wouldn't wear out) and/or MP3s. Same with all my other records and artists.

We had a lot of good music to select and play. As gmax137 mentioned, some albums I didn't buy right away, since the tunes were played often on the radio - one DJ on one local station would play a whole album. And there were plenty of concerts to attend.

Edit/update: I thought about the 1970s, and CDs weren't around yet, so most of the time, I'd record songs/albums from the radio on a cassette tape - either 1 hr (60 min) or 90 min. I'd play them back whenever. In the 1980s, I started by CDs and some rare LPs.

 

[Vanadium 50]

THE GREAT GIG IN THE SKY (Wright)

In later releases, Clare Torry gets a co-credit. Well deserved, and worth about $1.4M.

It's very good. Us and Them gives a better feel for the album than Money, which is what Wikipedia chose. And who'd have think that reggae could work on 7/4 time.

 

[dlgoff]

7/4 time

Dang. I did a google search:
https://www.google.com/search?q=7/4+time+signature&oq=7/4+time+&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0i512l9.6876j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

The iconic bass riff of Pink Floyd’s “Money” has echoed through time, and its off-kilter feel provides the perfect backdrop for the lyrical theme, as well as the honky sax solo before the guitar takes over.

 

[Klystron]

I had to read the wiki link @berkeman provided, I had never heard of "dub reggae" before.

The primary characters Case and Molly take refuge with a free-fall Rastafarian culture who play dub and reggae music over loudspeakers in their habitats and ships in William Gibson's novel "Neuromancer". When I then listened to the music, I was well prepared.

 

[Klystron]

Lyrics from that album include "Icy wind of night, begone! This is not your domain." IMS.

I first played this music on a gift set of audio cassette tapes. So, not sure of specific song or album names. I'd wired my bedroom for stereo sound. Gave those tapes a workout.

Fast forward a few, when I worked nights in an air traffic control center (ATC) kept icy cold to stabilize radar and radio equipment. I'd whisper these lyrics to the panpipe songs played by the Thai engineers cooling off in the cold air while I tracked clouds forming over Vietnam.

IMS jethro Tull was the hot band that season.

 

[strangerep]

There was a lot of great music [1973]:

Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon, March 1973

Mike Oldfield, Tubular Bells, May 1973

Ah, 1973. Year-12 high school for me. No older kids to bully us. A deeply peaceful feeling that future life would be increasingly wonderful. (I still don't how Tubular Bells managed to get played so often on the radio -- that long repetitive... coda(?) at the end is both bizarre and somehow amazing.)

Everything went crashing downwards from 1974 onwards, of course. No one had any idea how far down it would crash, and keep hurtling further down into the abyss...

 

[dlgoff]

Ah, 1973. Year-12 high school for me. No older kids to bully us. A deeply peaceful feeling that future life would be increasing wonderful. (I still don't how Tubular Bells managed to get played so often on the radio -- that long repetitive... coda(?) at the end is both bizarre and somehow amazing.)

Everything went crashing downwards from 1974 onwards, of course. No one had any idea how far down it would crash, and keep hurtling further down into the abyss...

1973 was when I graduated from college. And I have Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells; Awesome.

 

[strangerep]

1973 was when I graduated from college. And I have Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells; Awesome.

Even more surprising is this quote from Oldfield about Tubular Bells: “I felt possessed by some sort of evil spirit when I was writing it. As if something had invaded me spiritually and made me afraid and uncomfortable. I was at the verge of insanity.”

I've never had any feeling of "evil" when listening to Tubular Bells -- quite the opposite: I feel uplifted.

 

[pinball1970]

Even more surprising is this quote from Oldfield about Tubular Bells: “I felt possessed by some sort of evil spirit when I was writing it. As if something had invaded me spiritually and made me afraid and uncomfortable. I was at the verge of insanity.”

I've never had any feeling of "evil" when listening to Tubular Bells -- quite the opposite: I feel uplifted.

Same for me, early 80s I think. The opening was used in "The Exorcist" also 1973.
That changed it for me a little bit.

 

[Mondayman]

So many good albums from 1973. Four that were pretty impactful on me when I first listened to them and was beginnning to learn guitar:

Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd, Lynyrd Skynyrd, August 1973.
The Captain and Me, The Doobie Brothers, March 1973.
Tres Hombres, ZZ Top, July 1973.
Desperado, Eagles, April 1973.

 

[pinball1970]

The Easy Star All Stars did a great reggae version, "Dub Side of the Moon".

I listened to some of "dub side" only one word came to mind.

Stop.

 

[pinball1970]

In later releases, Clare Torry gets a co-credit. Well deserved, and worth about $1.4M.

There is a an interview of how she recorded it, they gave her very little to go off besides "we don't want actual words" and "here are the chords"

Dying, fighting it, eventually letting go and then peace with it.

It has everything, amazing.

Two takes?

 

[Rive]

Dark Side of the Moon at 50

There is a quite good tribute band here: I hope they will do something 'live'

 

[pinball1970]

Ah, 1973. Year-12 high school for me. No older kids to bully us. A deeply peaceful feeling that future life would be increasingly wonderful. (I still don't how Tubular Bells managed to get played so often on the radio -- that long repetitive... coda(?) at the end is both bizarre and somehow amazing.)

Everything went crashing downwards from 1974 onwards, of course. No one had any idea how far down it would crash, and keep hurtling further down into the abyss...

Some good moments.

For me classic rock stopped after Ian Gillan left Deep Purple 1972, Led Zeps best albums were behind them 1-4

Pop music in the UK was great though till about 1980, in the mid 70s we still had Steely Dan, ABBA, ELO, Rolling Stones, The Who, Super tramp, Boston, Wings, Eagles Stevie Wonder, Genesis, Yes, Jethro Tull Queen.

1978-1981 we had some real interesting stuff, Kate Bush, OMD, New wave Blondie, Stranglers, Gary Newman, Split Enz, SKA (Specials, Madness Selector)

Then things hit a wall for me 1982 with the New Romantics, A fashion show and cr4p playing, synthesisers uses routinely, pretty much as Punk had done a few years earlier, bad singing bad playing.

Then it seem to get worse, in the UK at least, RAP, Boy bands Manufactured bands, Soap opera stars and my absolute favourite.. SA&W hideous, soulless, production line garbage.

A contribution to music as creosoting a fence contributes to the art of painting.

House music followed….when music seemed to be abandoned all together THEN Manchester hit. I did not like it, 1989 Stone Roses, Happy Mondays. It was not hideous but it wasn’t the Beatles Byrds or other 60s stuff it seemed to feel like.

1994 – OASIS, THAT I did like, ok they were not virtuoso aka Purple but it was honest singing playing and writing against the grain.

Now it’s a mish mash, occasionally we get a good one.

 

[pinball1970]

There is a quite good tribute band here: I hope they will do something 'live'

I have seen three. All great in different ways. Best was in Oldham of all places, a pub and I was practically on the stage.
The sound they mange to recreate was stunning.
Great Gig in the sky was sang by one girl, it was just amazing. I talked to her after the gig and said she was fantastic. She was nervous as hell before it.
Floyd when I saw them in 1988 had three backing singers and each one did a particular part. "Momentary lapse of Reason tour"

 

[Vanadium 50]

Dang

It's not all in 7 - the solo is in 4/4.

Seven is rare but not that rare.. Solsbury Hill is largely in 7. Parts of All You Need Is Love as well. The trick is to just do it and not think too hard about it.

 

[strangerep]

4. THE GREAT GIG IN THE SKY (Wright)

I never really "got" that one -- until I was somewhat older and realized it was about a young girl experiencing her first full-on... <you know>....

 

[pinball1970]

I never really "got" that one -- until I was somewhat older and realized it was about a young girl experiencing her first full-on... <you know>....

I thought it was about dying?

 

[PeroK]

I never really "got" that one -- until I was somewhat older and realized it was about a young girl experiencing her first full-on... <you know>....

The Great Gig in the Sky is undoubtedly about death.

Side one is about the various stages in life. From birth through youth and middle age to old age to death. Moreover, the great "gig" in the sky is where rock musicians go when they die. A classical musician would go to the great concert hall in the sky etc.

Finally, the background voice of the Irish janitor at Abbey Road studios is all about death:

I'm not afraid of dying. There's no reason for it. You've got to go sometime...

 

[pinball1970]

I never really "got" that one -- until I was somewhat older and realized it was about a young girl experiencing her first full-on... <you know>....

“Clare Torry didn't really look the part. She was Alan Parsons' idea. We wanted to put a girl on there, screaming orgasmically.”

David Gilmore

I am not sure what he meant by “Did not look the part,” (see below) Anyway the sex reference could be where that originated.

She discusses the session here.

 

[PeroK]

The French call an orgasm la petite mort, so death and sex are perhaps two sides of the same mortal coin.

 

[pinball1970]

Ok, so there is a Floyd tribute in my town on Sat. Tickets are £20. My son is up so plan is drag him over there.
Son, you WILL like Pink Floyd, if you do not like them there is something wrong with you.
I am banking on genes.
Edit: https://www.hydefestivaltheatre.co.uk/whats-on