1973
Pink Floyd
The Dark Side Of The Moon
The general has long since deployed his troops, everything is in place, the armaments are strong and loaded, all that remains is to launch the final attack. This is "The Dark Side Of The Moon", one of the most controversial and famous albums of all time, a stylistic summation of a long and arduous journey.
An uninterrupted sound trance that floats in the air and envelops everything with a weave of polished sounds like never before. The revolution is not made by simple songs, which here are good but not particularly unique, but rather by an engaging and fascinating sonic impact that leads to ecstasy.
The elements that composed previous albums are unified to form a more straightforward and immediate language; laying the groundwork for a new musical movement yet to be discovered.
Short songs with delightful melodies, painted on a wonderfully undefined musical plaster; a kind of constant progression that gradually expands its field of action.
All of this is seasoned with a concept about alienation, perhaps a bit artificial, but fitting and well blended.
The beating of a heart introduces us to the quiescent "Breathe"; a deep breath, the relaxed rhythm and the empty melody kick off the dances, all played on pure auditory pleasure. A pleasure that the Pink Floyd satisfy in this album like perhaps no one else will in the future.
The psychedelia of "On The Run" should not confuse, because the frantic escape leads to the shadowy introduction of "Time"; the latter is one of the group's best rock pieces, soaring and enticing enough to capture on the first listen. Following is the most disorienting track of the work; the sweet notes of Wright accompany the wild vocalization of Clare Torry in "The Great Gig In The Sky"; it is the true manifesto of the work, the hysterical cry magnificently contrasts with the spacious music, in an entirely new musical topos; ordinary madness.
"Money" is the chart hit; between the sound of coins and Gilmour's acid guitar, Waters timidly critiques society: all in all not bad, a bit out of place, but catchy and unmistakable. "Us And Them" continues conquering the senses; music for addiction, wonder, and enchantment (the sax is captivating); in the finale, the electric blasts of "Any Color You Like" decree the most disorienting moment of the album. The conclusion is entrusted to the surge of "Brain Damage"-"Eclipse", simple melodies, perfect and woven into an impeccable musical scheme.
It is difficult to define this music; the references are too many and too well blended to be pinpointed. We are faced with a sort of black body; something that encompasses countless elements. It ranges from progressive to pop, to electronic, to psychedelia, to concrete music, passing through the most flavorful hard rock. However, it is not difficult to define this work as a meeting point for most musical currents of the time; all rendered with the utmost simplicity and immediacy possible.
Upon reaching the end of the ten tracks, the reason for this album’s immense sales becomes evident; it is pure pleasure in the form of music; if the songwriting is not as personal as in the past and the atmospheres less particular, it certainly gains in accessibility and cohesiveness.
I am convinced that “The Dark Side Of The Moon” is one of the albums that best represents rock; it is the manifesto of rock as formal perfection, as a taste for listening, as peace of the senses. In this realm, the album is probably still unsurpassed.
