Pink Floyd: Dark Side Of The Moon
Wow.
Rarely in my life have I actually said that word after finishing an album. After Scenes From A Memory I was speechless, but that's the only time an album has forced me to speak or not to speak.
SFAM is very similar to DSOTM. It's a concept album, the title track is an excellent opener with underlying album themes later to come (Cash registers from money, Choir), they both feature gospel choirs, and did I mention they're both progressive groups?
'Dark' opens wonderfully with the eloquent "Speak To M"e and "Breathe" paired together perfectly. "Speak To Me" is not so much musical, but it has a melody and a very strange one at that. I wasn't sure what to think after that. I respected Floyd for being different...
Then Waters comes in and begins "Breathe." This track is so powerful and emotional. It sets the course for the rest of the album with poetic lyrics like "Run Rabbit run/Dig that hole, forget the sun/And when at last the work is done/Don't sit down it's time to dig another one" which show futility and struggle in one's life.
"Speak To Me/Breathe" is a one-two combo that K/O'd me. But that was only 4 minutes or so. The best was yet to come.
"On The Run" is another poignant instrumental. Truly, Floyd really knows what they're doing here to catch your attention. It's odd, but it keeps you in suspense for what will happen next.
"Time." Where can I begin with "Time"? How about this: It made me realize that I am fortunate to be young and I need to do what I can with this time of my life. It has only pushed my passion to be a musician further.
The lines: "Tired of lying in the sunshine, staying home to watch the rain/You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today/And then one day you find, ten years have got behind you/No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun" backed by the truly tear-jerking melancholy instrumental accompaniment are jawdropping.
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
thanks and welcome Michael! It's always fun and exciting to experience a classic through the eyes (or ears) or someone discovering it for the first time.
Who is After Scenes From a Memory by? It isn't in Amazon.
2 - Echoes
I think its worthwhile mentioning that DSOTM was released in 1973, 2 decades before DT had their success with IaW and SFAM. The Capitol release date of 1990 is misleading.
3 - Aaman
Eric, "Scenes From A Memory" is a Dream Theater album - very much on Amazon. It's listed as "Metropolis Part 2: Scenes from a Memory"
4 - Eric Olsen
ah, I have given away my total lack of knowledge of Dream Theater
5 - gurveen
The greatest album of 21 century Dark side of the moon.
6 - Aaman
Hate to break it to you -but it's an album of the 20th century
7 - Sue
Dream Theatre has done some of the PF songs - Hey You, I remember...but its nothing compred to the original..
The only Dream Theatre number I really like is Take Away My Pain...what say others?
8 - Neil
Actually, Dream theater did a cover of the whole DSOTM live, along with some extra stuff (some song from the wall, etc.)
That's also a very good album along with my favorite of all time Scenes from a memory
Definitely two albums you should get your hands on.