The Dark Side of the Moon Review: A Perfectly Engineered Concept Album
10/10 — Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
Pros
- Immaculate production
- Gilmour's guitar work
- Seamless, immersive flow
Cons
- Emotionally distant
- Some dated effects
The Dark Side of the Moon explores madness, money, time and conflict across a seamless forty-three minutes. It spent a record-breaking stretch on the US Billboard chart and was engineered by Alan Parsons.
What works
The production is immaculate, from the heartbeat opening to the cash-register loop of ‘Money’. ‘Time’, ‘Us and Them’ and ‘Brain Damage’ show the band’s strengths, Clare Torry’s wordless vocal on ‘The Great Gig in the Sky’ is thrilling, and David Gilmour’s guitar playing is superb.
Where it falters
Some listeners find the mood remote, and the sound-effect segments can seem dated.
Verdict
An immersive, gorgeous album that deserves its legendary status.
