The Dark Side Of The Moon 50 Archives

80-Year-Old ROGER WATERS Released His Reinvented 50-Year Old PINK FLOYD Classic ‘THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON’ And It Works

Posted on October 13, 2023 by JL

13 October 2023

Album artwork

Last March THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON, one of the best-sold,
most famous, and praised masterpiece albums ever, turned 50.

Bassist and musical genius ROGER WATERS co-founded PINK FLOYD back in 1967,
then led for a short period of time by the late troubled musical genius Syd Barrett (replaced by Dave Gilmour). They released 15 studio LPs.

In 1984 due to the clashing personalities, mostly Waters vs Gilmour, Waters left the band thinking that Pink Floyd was finished anyway. They never worked ever again, and saying they weren’ friends whatsoever is an understatement.

For the occasion of the 50th birthday, Waters re-imagined-worked-invented all songs
of the classic. it’s now about a letter Waters wrote to the assistant to Donald Hall when the poet was in his last days. It’s a subtle change but it’s a substantial one, turning Dark Side of the Moon into a voyage inward, not outward. And it’s out now, receiving mixed reactions from the press.

MOJO: “The new focus on these songs’ lyrics proves deeply powerful, a different and profound kind of high. Consequently, The Dark Side OF The Moon Redux is wholly valid, the unnerving, stirring adjunct Waters was aiming for.” Score: 8/10.

Paste Magazine: “Fans may feel it’s more of a long slog than they remember, with the slower tempo stretching many of the songs beyond their natural length, and the spoken word passages lending a languorous quality that may induce drowsiness.” Score: 4/10.

Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason about REDUX.

TUTV: I don’t really like Waters‘ pretty huge ego and his double-edged political views,
but what he did here wasn’t commercial suicide. If you listen to REDUX with open mind, you can’t but conclude that Waters comes up with a totally different angle on Pink Floyd‘s timeless masterpiece and it works, for me that is. It’s an album, with an entertaining singer-songwriter approach and a wholly different musicality. Down to earth songs instead of psychedelic symphonies in space.

Also lyrically we get a (almost totally) different story, as Waters spread his letter he wrote to the assistant to renowned American poet Donald Hall in his last days (he passed away in 2018) all over the record, in near-whispering tone. But at times the story-telling is too long and gets in the way of the music. But overall, REDUX is a bold and successful achievement.

Waters explains why he did this special project.

ALBUM

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ROGER WATERS: Instagram – Website

PINK FLOYD Drummer NICK MASON About ‘THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON’ Classic Re-Recorded By ROGER WATERS

Posted on August 16, 2023 by JL

16 August 2023

Last March Pink Floyd‘s massive classic
The Dark Side Of The Moon turned 50.

Former bassist/composer/songwriter Roger Waters, one of Floyd‘s essential
members and probably the biggest ego, has, for the occasion of the 50th birthday
of the LP, re-imagined-re-worked-re-invented all songs of the classic. The new
version, named The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux, will be released on 6 October.

Waters send a copy of it to the band’s drummer and
co-founder Nick Mason, who obviously likes it.

As far as the first taster goes, I’m with Mason. Splendid work.

You can read the full Nick Mason feature in NME about the re-recorded LP here.

PINK FLOYD Released Their Timeless Million-Seller ‘THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON’ 50 Years Ago Today

Posted on March 1, 2023 by JL

Back in time

1 March 2023

THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON by prog-rock titans PINK FLOYD is one of the best known/sold albums ever, selling to its own and all of the future generations following
its release 50 years ago today, on 1 March 1973.

AllMusic/Stephen Thomas Erlewine: “By condensing the sonic explorations of sixth
album ‘Meddle’ to actual songs and adding a lush, immaculate production to their trippiest instrumental sections, Pink Floyd inadvertently designed their commercial breakthrough with ‘Dark Side of the Moon’. Roger Waters wrote a series of songs about mundane, everyday details which aren’t that impressive by themselves, but when given the sonic backdrop of Floyd’s slow, atmospheric soundscapes and carefully placed sound effects, they achieve an emotional resonance. But what gives the album true power is the subtly textured music, which evolves from ponderous, neo-psychedelic art rock to jazz fusion and blues-rock before turning back to psychedelia. It’s dense with detail, but leisurely paced, creating its own dark, haunting world. Pink Floyd may have better albums than ‘Dark Side of the Moon’, but no other record defines them quite as well as this one.” Score: 5/5.

10 Facts.

1. The LP has sold approximately 34 million copies worldwide… so far.

2. The album is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for being on the charts longer than any other album in history, namely 591 consecutive weeks or 11.4 years in Billboard‘s top 200! A total of approx 14 whole years (741 weeks) in and back in top 200, and a staggering 26 years in some Billboard chart or other.

3. The original title for the album was Eclipse (A Piece for Assorted Lunatics). The band were upset to find out that the progressive folk rock act Medicine Head had released an album with the title of ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ as recently as 1972 on John Peel’s Dandelion label. Since the release was less than successful sales-wise, the band decided go ahead with their plans.

4. The album was recorded at Abbey Road on its state-of-the-art 16-track equipment.

5. The longplayer was developed during the band’s live shows and was performed in concert before recording even started.

6. Australian radio listeners voted the album the best album to have sex to in 1990.

7. The Great Gig In The Sky was originally known as The Mortality Sequence. It featured
a similar piano introduction but no female vocals.

8. Single Money was influenced by 60s/70s hit band Booker T. & the M.G.’s

9. Proceeds from the album helped fund Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

10. Engineer Alan Parsons (Project) was paid a weekly wage of £35 to work on the album.

To celebrate the event a new deluxe box set will be released on 24th March.

It includes CD and gatefold vinyl of the new 2023 remastered studio album and Blu-Ray + DVD audio featuring the original 5.1 mix and remastered stereo versions. The set also includes additional new Blu-ray disc of Atmos mix, plus CD and LP of ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon – Live At Wembley Empire Pool, London, 1974’, a 160-page hardback photo book, a music book, replica 7” singles and memorabilia. Details and Order Info HERE.

Remastered Version (2011)