COMM 380:  Media Criticism

The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd has been hailed as the greatest concept album of all time. Rather than just a collection of songs, the Dark Side of the Moon thrives off the consistent theme of mental illness, early 70’s British hardship, and riveting existentialism pondering that is prevalent throughout the entire epic album. Songs flow into one another with an effortless spirit that still memorizes generations later after its 1973 release. “Even though this is a concept album, a number of cuts can stand on their own” (Grossman, 1973).  Pink Floyd’s masterpiece is a monumental achievement of songwriting artistry that not only turned the band into a platinum monster, but shook the music industry years after it’s release.

           

Pink Floyd is an English rock band that originated under Syd Barret in the 1960’s with bassist Roger Waters, organist Richard Wright, and drummer Nick Mason. Barret would later leave the band due to intense schizophrenia caused by drug abuse, which fueled and inspired some of the mental illness references in Dark Side. Barret would be replaced by legendary guitarist David Gilmour, who solidified the band and elevated their instrumental talent exceptionally. Gilmour could also sing very efficiently as well. Roger Waters would remain the primary songwriter for the band and was the creative mastermind behind Dark Side, writing all of the lyrics for every track.

 

Before Dark Side was created, Pink Floyd had a very strong reputation as architects of great space rock and delicate folk songs that gained the band a wide audience. “One of Britain’s most successful and long lived avant-garde rock bands, Pink Floyd emerged relatively unsullied from the mire of mid-Sixties British psychedelic music as early experimenters with outer space concepts” (Grossman, 1973).  The song “Echoes” on Meddle, was a luscious 23-minute track that sent listeners into the rafters and beyond. It was this recording that proved Pink Floyd were not an average band from England, but a band full of exciting visionaries that weren’t afraid to be bold and create new abstract soundscapes.

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Recorded in the legendary Abbey Road studios, The Dark Side of the Moon tackled so many complex life concepts and yet still found a way to make it understandable to the listener and to inspire them to think deeply about their own lives. “But more than any message of the songs, The Dark Side of the Moon presents an incredible sonic picture” (Hanson, 2016).  Considered by many to be the best produced rock album of all time, Dark Side exhibits innovative creativity through the diversity and precisions of its soundscapes. From the wailing hard-edged blues guitar solo in “Time”, the luscious immersive keyboard synthesizer in “Any Colour You Like”, and Clare Torry’s operatic virtuosity in the “The Great Gig In The Sky”, all the tracks on Dark Side are driven by pure and authentic emotion with no hint of plasticity.

 

The band was influenced mostly by jazz (the name of the band are two last names of their favorite jazz artists) as well as the Beatles and the Stones. Sgt. Pepper by the Beatles inspired Pink Floyd to experiment within the studio and enhance the creativity of their songs. American blues were a major influence on Pink Floyd, hinted by the bass riff on “Money” and David Bowie’s work in the 60’s also inspired the band to travel different dimensions of sound, as seen on the paranoia-lapsed “On The Run” track.

 

The premier track in my humble opinion is “Any Colour You Like”, an instrumental piece that enthralls the listener and temporarily takes their mind into a different and fascinating place. Without any lyrics, the meaning of the track is hard to identify. Some say it is merely based on an acid trip, while others suggest a deeper meaning. My interpretation is that it advocates the power of an open-mind and how to rationally and imaginatively approach life’s inevitable adversity. Out of so many incredible songs, “Any Colour You Like” remains to be the most fascinating track on the album and will endlessly be open to interpretation for legions of fans to analyze.

           

The agenda-setting theory was utilized magnificently in Dark Side, a theory that is required to be mastered if one wants to publish a riveting concept LP. Roger Water’s lyrics help paint emotions in the listener’s mind and tries to convince the listener that he is well versed on these very deep and complicated matters. The superficiality of greed is captured on the track “Money”, the beauty of being different and outside the social norm even if one has a mental illness is illustrated in “Brain Damage”, and the insanity of trying to find an answer to what happens after you die is marked by “The Great Gig of the Sky”. During what was such a grim time in England and the world, Waters was allowed to write sing-along songs that could help the listener cope with everyday struggles and provide an escape from the tumultuous society that surrounded them. Every member in the band did an excellent job with their respective tracks to help fulfill Water’s vision of tackling all these deep themes and package it into one thematic concept album. This success made Pink Floyd one of the best agenda-setting bands of all time due to its subliminal communication of their message and how they were able to convey that message through amazing and poignant tracks.

          

Due to the remarkable production and marketing of Dark Side, it dominated the music industry and remained on the top of Billboard Top LP’s & Tapes chart for 741 weeks and has been estimated to sell over 50 million copies. It gave producers more confidence to produce long concept albums and to encourage experimentation for their bands. Pink Floyd’s influence after releasing Dark Side helped spur bands like Rush and Genesis to succeed commercially. Many bands such as The Flaming Lips cover The Dark Side of the Moon and remain dedicated advocates of preserving Pink Floyd’s towering accomplishment. Pink Floyd has other magnificent albums in its catalog such as Wish You Were Here and The Wall, but The Dark Side of the Moon remains their most beloved.  An indisputable triumph, The Dark Side of the Moon still resonates with listener’s generations after it’s release.

           

           

Works Cited

       Grossman, Lloyd. (1973). The Dark Side Of The Moon. Rolling Stone. Retrieved from: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/dark-side-of-the-moon-19730524

 

            Hanson, Ralph E. (2016). Mass Communication: Living in a Media World. Los Angeles: Sage Publications, Inc.

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