‘Dark Side of the Moon’ by Pink Floyd
9 out of 10
By Jack Cahill ’17
The Roundup
How does an album remain in the Billboard Top Charts for 15 years? How does an album sell 45 million copies?
The answer is a simple one: The album is the darkly beautiful and highly creative “Dark Side of the Moon,” created by Pink Floyd in 1973.
The album begins with the slow “Breathe.” While the rhythm is rather relaxing, the lyrics are quite complex, examining the nature of appreciating life itself.
Following “Breathe” comes “Time,” a seven-minute ballad.
“Time” is a masterpiece, especially lyrically, with the ominous chiming of the clocks at the beginning, ending with a reflection on the human experience and the role age plays in this experience.
As “Time” ends, “The Great Gig in the Sky” begins, a purely instrumental and quirky song that is actually very well done.
The second side of the album examines a plethora of issues, whether they be broad world issues such as greed and corruption, or merely human experiences, such as mental illness.
“Money” opens the second side of the album, and is a rhythmic, rock influenced track that blatantly tears apart greed and decadence. “Money” has since become one of Pink Floyd’s most well known singles.
“Us and Them” follows “Money,” and is perhaps the slowest song on the album.
Heavily influenced by jazz, “Us and Them” examines war and corruption, the notions of “ordinary men” battling one another.
“The Dark Side of the Moon” closes with two songs, “Brain Damage” and “Eclipse,” both of which have a similar rhythm, and blend seamlessly from one to the other.
“Brain Damage” looks into mental illness, particularly bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
For it’s time, examining mental illness head on through a song was actually quite brave and new.
As soon as “Brain Damage” comes to a close, the tempo picks up, and “Eclipse” begins.
“Eclipse” is the brilliant and mesmerizing closing song to a mesmerizing and closing album, a beautiful album that highlights many aspects of the human experience.
