Classic Albums: Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon (2003) Reviews

• Get the DVD, the extras are great!

  AmsterdamReprobate2004-12-06

  I got the DVD as a gift and I noticed that the feature documentary on The Dark Side Of The Moon is followed by a DVD-only extra section. This section adds extra footage that was taped but not included in the documentary (probably to avoid making the documentary too long) - an in-depth part on Gilmour's use of the double and triple-tracked guitars, an interview on the nature of Rock 'n Roll with Roger Waters, a story on the background voices, etcetera. For any fan on Pink Floyd or student of modern music, this DVD is a must-see. Especially noteworthy is the in-depth look at recording and producing Dark Side; since this was pre-computer technology, the stories about the tape-loops to sync the clocks for the intro of Time, the story by Waters on making the cash register sound for Money, using sequencers for the space sounds... Their creativity is astounding. A few small details were so incredibly interesting - Rick Wright using a piano chord from Miles Davis' Kind of Blue for instance was a revelation for me, as I recognised the chord but couldn't place it.

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• In-depth look at the creation of the classic album

  cantthinkofname2004-02-26

  I half expected this to be a cobbled together compilation of TV interviews, but it's the real deal...each song is dissected by its creators in brand new interviews. You also get unplugged style acoustic versions of "Breathe" and "Brain Damage", by David Gilmour and Roger Waters, respectively, as well as a listen to the demo for "Time". There are rare photos, and Richard Wright plays the piano live. This is a gift to fans! If you're not a fan, what are you reading this for? If you are, pick it up today. This is so exhaustive, it even features interviews with Alan Parsons, who had more than a casual role in the shaping of "Dark Side". No Floyd collection is complete without this.

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• One of those "gotta see" DVDs

  The Gryphon2005-01-23

  It's weird to see the members of Pink Floyd looking so old as they talk about their phenomenal "Dark Side of the Moon" album, but that's life, I suppose. They still have what it takes, as David Gilmour shows us, to crank out the music. This behind the scenes DVD is a bit more cerebral than others I've watched but nonetheless fascinating. It's a bit like watching philosophers pontificate, which is alright, I suppose, considering the Floyd was always a bit more intellectual than most of your garden variety musicians then and now. We also see the man who created the cover art that is probably the most recognized album cover in history and his story of how it came about and how the members of Pink Floyd chose it is revealing in its simplicity. We also find out who the lovely female vocalist on "The Great Gig in the Sky" is and why she felt she had to apologize right after-wards.

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• the strengths totally out-weigh the couple of flaws in this look at a masterpiece

  Quinoa19842005-08-26

  Dark Side of the Moon, for some, is like having the bible- you may not even touch it that much while its there in your house, but it might be a comfort that it is. Like only a handful of albums I can think of, Pink Floyd's immeasurably successful Dark Side of the Moon has been bought probably by more people than any other album since Louis Armstrong's peak in the 30's. It had the stream of consciousness effect that goes beyond surrealism, just into the realm of the unknown, and that plus its themes, played phenomenally to what its core audience was at the time (of the late 60's people, who remembered very freshly the days of the brilliantly insane Syd Barrett). But like all timeless pieces of music (I'm not sure if it's comparable to the great classical masterpieces of Mozart and Bach and Stravinski, but some may want to), it outlasts the sort of 'period' appeal; it was many years ahead of its time, leaping off on the possibilities of electronics and synthesizers that got its first grounding by Townsend with Who's Next. And like most works of art, its totally open to interpretation- a wild dream, a science-fiction parable (I would almost compare it to Jimi Hendrix's Are You Experienced as one of the all-time champions of a kind of sci-fi rock of sorts), a fusion of blues and "progressive rock"? And it contains some of Floyd's best songs; my personal favorites are "Us & Them", "Time", and "The Great Gig in the Sky", the later of which doesn't seem to get as much airplay as the rest of the album, but is as emotional (i.e. goosebumps) to listen to as an aria would be for an Opera lover. But one could go on and on talking and analyzing the album. Here, we have another in the series of "classic album" videos, here with all of the original members of the Dark Side sessions in interviews. We get from Roger Waters details on how the album's themes came to him and how he would start off the recording process with demos. Then, with Alan Parsons as their sort of 'technical adviser', they leaped off into just any territory they could go; this was a logical progression from their previous work, Meddle. One interesting anecdote for me is that Michelangelo Antonioni, who used some of Floyd's songs for his one and only American film Zabriskie Point (with the unforgettable ending featuring "Careful with that Axe, Eugene). Although it is a downer that Antonioni didn't know the great song at his feet they presented "Us & Them", Waters' imitation of Antonioni's response after first hearing it is amusing. We also get the original members playing parts of the songs (as is expected with these specials), and going through and taking apart the songs track by track. This is engrossing even if you're not much of a Floyd fan- to see how these different parts came together, notably the blue-collar and random voices on some tracks- is to see how music changed radically in the 70's. My one complaint about the special, as is with the other 'classic albums' specials I think, is that we don't get at least one full performance. We get samplings of "Us & Them" (with some good accompanying music-video type footage here and there) and "Money", but nothing really complete. In a way I liked more so how the Dark Side sessions were covered in the 1972 film Live at Pompeii, where the band were still recording the album and still laying down tracks, there you heard complete sections as the band played individually in looping. Here its more nostalgic in the interviews, and not as imaginative "it's like, extensions of our heads", David Gilmour once said. If only it were a little more complete unto itself. Still, this is a minor squabble, and it shouldn't interfere with any Floyd fan, or maybe just curious music fan, to check it out. The extras on the DVD version are also memorable, more Waters musings, and a few more musical bits. One thing that can be said, they don't make em' like this anymore.

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• Great documentary on a great band and album

  grantss2015-03-07

  Great documentary on a great band and album. Dark Side of the Moon is truly a classic. Surely one of the greatest albums ever made, it transcended music, being an artistic expression for all of societies issues, how these issues are all linked and the side-effects manifestations of these issues. Even without the incredibly profound lyrics, the music is brilliant, and surreal. This documentary expertly details the making of this superb album. Included are interviews with all four members of Pink Floyd: Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright and Nick Mason, plus other production staff and music journalists. From the interviews you can see the artistry and thinking that went into the making of the album. Quite amazing.

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