THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

The music here is some of the best and most coherent music Pink Floyd has to offer. Everything flows despite the bleak themes. What's more, every musician gets ample time to shine without being "soloists" necessarily. The bass stands out on "Breathe" and "Money," the guitar on "Time" and "Money," the keyboards on "Us and Them" and "Any Colour You Like," and the drums on "On the Run" and "Eclipse." The vocals are great all over the place, despite two instrumentals, including Clare Torry, who takes on an amazing presence in "The Great Gig in the Sky." Despite their progressive nature, almost all of these songs found their way onto mainstream radio, and I never fail to delight in hearing it whenever I put it on. It's a phenomenal work from start to finish.

"Speak to Me / Breathe" The album opens with a heartbeat, then a clock, then a madman, then a till, then laughter, then the upward section of a roller coaster, then maniacal screaming- then music. "Breathe" retains psychedelic elements of former years, but incorporates steel guitar, swampy electric guitar, a good bass riff, jazzy drumming, and Gilmour's vocals. Rick Wright's organ during the second verse is some of his best.

"On the Run" This is the most psychedelic track, featuring electronic sounds, rapid hi-hat, and the sound of an airport terminal. The voices and sound are spooky at times, probably enough to send a small child to tears. This track gave me trouble at first, but now I appreciate it precisely for what it is.

"Time / Breathe Reprise" The next song has a lengthy introduction, initially with various clock sounds, not the least of which are many cacophonic alarms. Other than that, this is an easy song to follow. Wright has one of his few vocal solos here, and he sounds amazing- it's sad he was not frequented in this capacity. The guitar solo during the first part is wild, but during the second part, it's reserved and restricts itself to the music

"The Great Gig in the Sky" This piece is Wright's major contribution to the album. It starts with introspective spoken word, piano, and steel guitar, then dives right into Clare Torry's dramatic vocal performance. She emulates the funeral wailing heard in many parts in the world, such as Africa, crying out for the recently deceased.

"Money" As bluntly as possible, this song reminds us (based on what came before) that time is money. The song starts with cash registers and that iconic bass line in 7/4. After a couple of verses, there is a great saxophone solo, followed by the most rocking guitar solo Gilmour has ever performed.

"Us and Them" A highlight of this album, this may be a simple and lengthy song, but it's absolutely amazing, full of great, thoughtful lyrics, and possessing excellent music throughout. As with earlier selections, there's some spoken word that may take some sort of source to determine what's being said. The saxophone solo is perfect, going right into the chorus, producing a powerful effect.

"Any Colour You Like" This is definitely Wright's moment to blow the listener away, and that he does, as does Gilmour. This instrumental section uses all manner of effects over a solid rhythm section.

"Brain Damage" This song features guitar on the verses, but organ during the choruses. The lyrics are closer to the more mysterious side. The background vocalists are in top shape once again. This song does make one think of madness, as is the intended effect- everything from the lyrics, to the laughter, to the synthesizer solo achieves this effect.

"Eclipse" As many of the songs before have done, the previous track runs right into this climatic ending. The lyrics sum up what this album is about, leading to some spoken word at the end.