THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

Why bother reviewing this album where there have been 182 reviews in this site? Couple of reasons:

1. The album has been part of my life since I knew it at the first time sometime in 1975 when I was at my 9th grade. Looking back those days, it seems funny now about the situation when I knew this album with all other classic rock groups like Black Sabbath, Bad Company, Queen and Bachman Turner Overdrive (BTO). Yes I think those were the days when I was searching rock music without any category whether it's prog, hard rock or what. I just enjoyed the music. In fact, at that time my favorite rocking song was "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", "Snowblind" and Queen's "Tenement Funster". When I listened to Pink Floyd "Dark Side of The Moon" I could only enjoy were "Time" and "Money" because they rock! I did not even enjoy "Us and Them" or "Brain Damage" because of slow in beat. Pink Floyd was not my favorite band and I was more inclined toward Genesis "Nursery Cryme", "Selling England By The Pound", Yes "Fragile" , Jethro Tull or Led Zeppelin. But with the passages of time I could finally enjoy the album in its entirety and it took me roughly two years to absorb it. It's not because the music is complicated even I had the opinion that the music was too simple. Of course I had that conclusion because I played it from cassette using National Panasonic (mono) cassette player. What do you expect with this kind of equipment enjoying the soundscapes of Pink Floyd music?

2.) The recent edition of Guitar World magazine has a special feature on Classic Rock Special that covers the making of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of The Moon" album. The article is excerpted from the book by John Harris: "The Dark Side Of The Moon - The Making of The Pink Floyd Masterpiece" copy right 2005. Man. I tell you honestly: I have been reading some books about the band, including the one by Nick Mason titled "Inside Out" and also "A Saucerful of Secret - The Pink Floyd Odyssey" (which I already reviewed in our national newspaper Koran Tempo - thanks to mas Pur for allowing me to put some words about the book and the band). But, when I read the article last night, my pulse was racing very rapidly and I had a bit of tears in my eyes .. It's not about the glossy and wonderful pictures of the band (in full colour) nor the music (because when I read it I was not listening to the album). It all boils down to one thing: emotion! Yup, it sounds silly but that's true - that what really happened. I don't make up story or exaggerate the thing to make you read my writing. No man . The emotion that I experienced last night was like a thunderstorm. It's a blend of many things: passages of music the band create, my 30 years walk of life with the band's music, the joy of enjoying this album, all of them lumped together into that emotion. Especially when it's combined with the following fact (reason no 3 below) ..

3.) Yesterday (11 Aug 2005), I received two short messages in my mobile phone informing me about the defunct of the only one classic rock radio station we have in our country: M97 Classic Rock Station by next week 17 August 2005. What a sad news really. The radio has been the only one that I regularly tune in my car and I never switched to other station. In about couple of days they will change their format due to change of ownership. And the new owner is not willing to serve the classic rock segment. This is the death of classic rock media in Jakarta. What a sad story. So . what is the relationship with Pink Floyd "Dark Side of The Moon"? There is a strong relationship - for me personally and for some prog mates in my country. I knew the radio station the first time sometime in 1995 when my rock mate Riko informed me about the radio. I was surprised that the radio aired Dark Side of The Moon regularly in their play list. So, I was so happy with it. It's a joy. But now, I'm facing tears as the radio will close down the business with classic rock. Yes, I can play my CD but I can no longer send messages to my progmates about tune being aired at the radio and check whether he is listening also or not. The radio is also my media to promote prog music to other friends who are new to prog music.

So, with all the three reasons, it suffices to say how phenomenal the album is - at least for me personally as the band has been thirty years (wow! in coincidence with UK's beautiful track :"Thirty Years" - ehm, I'd better play it now to commemorate) with me through my walks of life: the ups and the downs. For musical review, you can pick some of the excellent reviews by the other 182 reviewers in this page. Sorry for being too personal because at the end of the day is we, individually, that can sense the pulse of the music. Last night I also enjoyed "the making of" DVD for this album which I wrote a long review right a way. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

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