Released in March 1973, it was built on ideas that the bandexplored in earlier recordings and live shows. The album is designed torepresent conflict, greed, the passage of time and mental illness. Thenbassist, Roger Waters proposed that the album should deal with thingsthat "make people mad", focusing on the deteriorating mental state offormer founder member, principal composer and lyricist, Syd Barrett.
Evident in the album, is the lack of forays into extendedinstrumental excursions that characterised their work, following Barrett’sdeparture in 1968. Harsher critics labeled the album as more ordinary than someof their previous work, but it is an album that has stuck with the fans. Forthe first time, beyond flawless instrumentation; the lyrics make this albumsuch an enriching listen.
The band compels their audience to look deep withinthemselves, and the pillars of their own psyche, touching various aspects ofbeing in the process. ‘Time’, advisesa listener to make the most of their life on Earth, and to not waste it.‘The Great Gig in the Sky’, whilebeing lyrically ambiguous in the extreme, is both haunting and outstanding.From that to classically raw sounding ‘Money’, as well as ‘Us and Them’, and the iconic ‘BrainDamage’, Pink Floyd found an unbeatable mix of all necessary elements.
Ranging from the strange and obscure, to moments of etherealbeauty, to just plain old rock and roll, The Dark Side of the Moon is atimeless classic and it will remain as such, forever awing audiences forgenerations to come.
