Poll: How do you rate Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon" album?

"Holding on in quiet desperation is the English way..." Here it is, the final Pink Floyd (as a band) album of our series! After this the series will take a break and return with the solo albums - starting with Syd's - in mid-September.

The rules for this series: this poll is designed for people familiar with the album in question and with at least some familiarity with some of their other catalog (for comparison purposes). If the poll doesn't interest you, please kindly move on to a thread that does. Please simply consider how YOU would rate the album in question, in comparison with the rest of the Floyd's discography! And as always, a shout-out to member mrjinks for creating all the groundwork for this series.

So, how do YOU rate this album?

Album history: "The Dark Side of the Moon is the eighth album by English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 1 March 1973 by Harvest Records. The album built on ideas explored in earlier recordings and live shows, but lacks the extended instrumental excursions following the departure of founding member and principal contributor, Syd Barrett, in 1968, that characterised their earlier work. It thematically explores conflict, greed, the passage of time, and mental illness, the latter partly inspired by Barrett's deteriorating mental state.

Developed during live performances, an early version was premiered several months before recording began; new material was recorded in two sessions in 1972 and 1973 at Abbey Road in London. The group used some advanced recording techniques at the time, including multitrack recording and tape loops. Analogue synthesizers were prominent in several tracks, and snippets from recorded interviews with Pink Floyd's road crew and others provided philosophical quotations throughout. Engineer Alan Parsons was responsible for many distinctively notable sonic aspects and the recruitment of singer Clare Torry. The album's iconic sleeve, designed by Storm Thorgerson, depicts a prism spectrum and represents the band's lighting, the record's thematic material, and keyboardist Richard Wright's "simple and bold" design request.

The album was an immediate commercial and critical success; it topped the Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart for a week and remained in the chart for 741 weeks from 1973 to 1988. With an estimated 45 million copies sold, it is Pink Floyd's most commercially successful album and one of the best-selling worldwide. It has been remastered and re-released twice, and covered in its entirety by several other acts. It produced two singles, "Money" and "Us and Them", and is the band's most popular album among fans and critics, being ranked as one of the greatest albums of all time."


Tracklist:
1. Speak To Me 1:30
2. Breathe 2:43
3. On The Run 3:30
4. Time 6:53
5. The Great Gig In The Sky 4:15
6. Money 6:30
7. Us And Them 7:34
8. Any Colour You Like 3:24
9. Brain Damage 3:50
10. Eclipse 1:45




Previous polls:
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Currently 583 people have voted, with an average of 4.25.
A Saucerful of Secrets. Currently 356 people have voted, with an average of 3.79.
More. Currently 284 people have voted, with an average of 3.37.
Ummagumma. Currently 429 people have voted, with an average of 3.08.
Atom Heart Mother. Currently 437 people have voted, with an average of 3.71.
Meddle. Currently 482 people have voted, with an average of 4.71.
Obscured by Clouds. Currently 437 people have voted, with an average of 3.87.
Wish You Were Here. Currently 735 people have voted, with an average of 4.78.
Animals. Currently 679 people have voted, with an average of 4.63.
The Wall. Currently 834 people have voted, with an average of 4.01.
The Final Cut. Currently 579 people have voted, with an average of 3.08.
A Momentary Lapse of Reason. Currently 435 people have voted, with an average of 2.97.
Delicate Sound of Thunder. Currently 255 people have voted, with an average of 2.89.
The Division Bell. Currently 477 people have voted, with an average of 3.28.
Pulse. Currently 307 people have voted, with an average of 3.34.
Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980-81. Currently 250 people have voted, with an average of 3.67.
The Endless River. Currently 455 people have voted, with an average of 2.54.



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In this series we have rated and discussed Pink Floyd's studio, soundtrack, and live albums. There are, however, other albums including exclusive content we have not discussed - feel free to discuss them here.

The Best of Pink Floyd (Masters of Rock), 1970
Compilation of Syd-era singles and album tracks.

Zabriskie Point, 1970
Soundtrack from the film of the same name, featuring three Floyd songs (seven on the re-issue).

Relics, 1971
Compilation featuring material from their first three albums + singles and a new song ("Biding My Time").

Live at Pompeii, 1972
Concert film released in a variety of different versions.

A Nice Pair, 1974
Re-release of their first two albums in a new package.

A Collection of Great Dance Songs, 1981
Compilation featuring material up to this point, including a new recording of "Money" and several unique edits.

Works, 1983
Compilation including songs from albums and singles up to TDSOTM (some in unique forms) and "Embryo".

The Early Singles, 1992
Compilation of their 10 non-album tracks from early singles, released exclusively as a CD in the boxset Shine On.

La Carrera Panamericana, 1992
Film about the 1991 race of the same name in which members of the Floyd raced; features a soundtrack of six new songs, which have never been released elsewhere.

London '66-'67, 1995
EP of their two "lost" songs from the Tonite Let's All Make Love In London soundtrack.

Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd, 2001
2-CD compilation featuring several unique edits.

The Best of Pink Floyd: A Foot in the Door, 2011
Compilation released to coincide with the new remaster campaign, focusing mostly on songs from TDSOTM, WYWH, and The Wall.

The Early Years 1965-1972, 2016
Massive seven volume boxset with unreleased material from their early (pre-TDSOTM) years.

Cre/ation: The Early Years 1967-1972, 2016
2-CD distillation of the Early Years boxset released at the same time.

 

I consider myself someone who has grown into being of refined but not necessarily opulent taste. I live in a pretty desirable dwelling in the greatest city in the world. I can afford to occasionally eat in good restaurants, travel abroad regularly (for both work and leisure), and prefer to buy things that are made well and long- lasting. I'm also aware of my privilege, and also that it's not the be-all and end-all, and that I'm not immune to ageing, greed, jealousy, disease, or sheer bad luck.

Dark Side Of The Moon is the musical equivalent of those parts of me. It's beautiful, well-crafted, and accessible to everyone. It's popular music at its finest; not a wasted note, or excess flash, and an ambience that hasn't been repeated before or since.

It's also a stark lyrical exercise in mortality. It reminds me of death, but not in a terrifying way. Many years ago I got extremely hung up on my mortality, and listening to this record was a comforter, that it's the same for everyone, and helped me overcome a deep-seated fear of death. And I'm eternally in debt to the band for cushioning the blow with such beautiful music.

 

My very first Pink Floyd album. Though I don't play it as often anymore it is still an all time classic and should be in anyone's collection.

 

Well, it's clearly one of their best works - essential listening for Floyd fans.

I remember well before I was a Pink Floyd listener, when my older sister brought this CD home in the 90's (along with Momentary Lapse). I listened to it, and didn't get it at all. I found the sound effects annoying (those clocks!), the songs short and plodding. Not sure at what point that changed (I think The Wall served as a better entry point for me into the band).

I also recall that I was driving across state lines on a long car trip with my Dad a few Christmases ago. I had full reign over the car stereo, and knowing that his tastes rarely run to rock music, I asked him "ever heard Dark Side Of The Moon?". We listened to the entire thing, as it should be, and he seemed to enjoy it.

Most recently had my 70's Capital pressing out, and as I improve my TT setup & cartridge, the better the record sounds. Vast soundstage, incredible definition on the instruments and effects.

DSOTM is a masterpiece in every sense of the word. It still seems to somehow better with age. There's a reason it's one of the highest-selling records of all time.

 

I need oxygen, water, and a copy of this album, as I go through this life.

1973 UK Q4SHVL 804 Quad vinyl cut by Harry T. Moss
1984 Japan CD CP35-3017
2003 Eagle Vision DVD
2011 Immersion Box
2016 Bernie Grundman cut vinyl
.

 

Not my favourite Floyd album (that's Meddle) and the simplicity of some of the lyrics do sometimes grate a little ("Lower-Sixth" according to Roger Waters - the school year for 17-year olds in the U.K.). That and over exposure notwithstanding, it's clearly a masterpiece. Beautifully-played and conceptualized, I find it as a whole very life affirming - it really is coming from the heart. Just what we need in these dark days....

 

I thought there was already a poll on Dark Side? Anyway, it’s a masterpiece. One of the greatest progressive rock albums of all-time and that’s right I said PROGRESSIVE. The definition of progressive rock isn’t confined to classical or jazz influences as ex-Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett has said that Pink Floyd were ingenious in bringing the blues into the genre. Also, Dark Side is truly one of the greatest concept albums that has ever been produced.

 

I have the album along with all their others. Radio stations and record stores played it constantly, particularly Money, and frankly beat it to death. I haven't listened to it in a long time.

 

Which is why I never listen to radio and haven’t since I was in my early teens.

 

Nope! This is the one and only.

 

Agreed. That's why I stopped, too.

 

Even if somebody doesn't like the album, it is hard to argue that it is anything less than essential listening for Floyd fans.

 

One of their best works, though I prefer Animals to it these days. I think I am just kinda burnt out on DSotM. Radio did that to me years ago.

 

It's the best album of all time, by anyone

 

Not my favorite, in fact among the big 5 (Meddle thru The Wall) its probably number 5. However a lot of that stems from radio saturation so I can't really fault the album for that.

Its still essential, and arguably one of their best works. Even if it isn't my absolute favorite.

Its been awhile for me too, but the damage has been done. Not nearly the amount of damage done to, say, Led Zeppelin IV though.

 

I have never even heard of this album.
Are you sure it is even by Pink Floyd?
No one ever talks about it so I am guessing it must be their worst ever.

 

There's always some yuckster that votes "clearly one of their worst" when the album is question is clearly a classic. You can argue it is overplayed and maybe over-produced, but this album defines upper-tier Pink Floyd.

 

To call this album "one of their best" and "essential" is to damn it with faint praise. It needs its own category among Pink Floyd albums. It's quite simply one of the best albums ever made. It is the pinnacle of rock concept albums because it doesn't hang you up with some complicated, preposterous story. It just shows you a tiny book of snapshots about the human experience and lets your head fill in the rest.

This album of course begins the latter-day, successful period of Pink Floyd. Of course, this album was "successful" like the sun is "hot." This album was and is a commercial phenomenon with its own legendary status as The Album That Would Not Die. But beyond the fact of its success is the ineffable beauty of its artistry. The Floyd went from albums that were always interesting and often compelling to an album that simply demands that you listen to it and not take it off 'till it's done.

It is a spacey album, every track shot through with that 70's head music sound.

It is a tense album, with a dramatic stereo mix, with jarring sound effects and a couple of powerful rock tracks.

It is a friendly album about existential angst. If this seems weird to say, give a listen to the early mix from the Immersion box set and be chilled by how lonely the album sounds without the interview chatter.

It is the perfection of the art of the segue. Every track flows perfectly into another, creating a seamless listening experience.

This album also pretty much says everything about the human condition that Roger Waters ever wanted to say, or at least everything that really needed to be said. The yearning sense of desire and regret that propels "Breathe" and "Time" is as gripping as anything from The Final Cut. The anger and cynicism of "Money" burns brighter than anything on Animals. Although he may not have written it, "Us And Them" is the ultimate Rick Wright song. And "Brain Damage/Eclipse" out-Walls The Wall with its indelible portrait of madness. And as for "The Great Gig In The Sky", well, no words were ever needed to describe the brilliance of that performance.

This is so much more than just the best Pink Floyd album. It's one of the very best albums of the 70's. It's proof that it isn't just garbage that sells, and if you give the public a really great album, they'll never stop buying it.

 

It's just perfect...

 

Excellent post. Yes, aside from other elements of Dark Side that make it so appealing, I admire the Floyd for addressing head on the rather Existentialist concerns and subject matter. That added something that even the excellent Meddle, depending either my second third or fourth favorite Floyd, did not have. That being both its consistent excellence, which arguably Meddle had as much of, plus its lyrical focus.

But before proceeding I do not consider Dark Side to be a flawless album, although my concerns about it may have more to do with over listening than anything else. The last several times but the most recent I found myself skipping Money, and on hearing it again recently I was reminded it IS a very good song, but one I feel I have heard a bit too often. Same to a lesser extent (but still) the extended sound effects driven portion between Breathe and Time. But on balance these are minor quibbles.

Popularity is a funny thing, I think, and many times it is either irrelevant to my own appreciation of a band or piece of music, or at most a minor factor. But for Dark Side, being in the US, it immediately widened Floyd's appeal, including to my friends at the time. I'd previously gotten into Meddle, and there was a general consensus that Ummagumma was something of a mess. There was not a big fanbase for Floyd, in short, and for once I thought Dark Side's popularity was great. It made people focus on Floyd and appreciate them, and that was a good thing. It elevated them, and I think the success they had with it to me rather obviously led them to Wish You Were Here and Animals, two of the other top five Floyd efforts as I view them. And it avoids the tendentiousness of Animals while being a concept album.

I love Gilmour's work on guitar on this album, but the other sonic element that deserves note is the ordering of the album, the flow of it, right on through to the end.

 

Favorite album of all time.

It was great to finally see Roger perform most of it in concert a few weeks ago.

Somebody for worst? Are you that guy from the BBWAA who didn't vote for Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Greg Maddux or Ken Griffey Jr.?

 

Quite simply sublime.

 

Also, avoid the terrible early UK pressings.

 

To call this post "essential" is to damn it with faint praise.

 

A masterpiece, and quite simply one of the greatest albums of all time, by anyone. Is it overplayed and overexposed? Yeah. Is it still fantastic from beginning to end? Hell yeah.