The Fiction Factory

The Dark Side of the Moon

It was the 50th anniversary of the album The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd in 2023. It’s one of my favourites by a favourite band. Over the years I’ve purchased it in vinyl, cassette, the original CD pressing, a thirtieth anniversary 5.1 surround mix CD, the double CD discovery master with the Wembley 1974 live concert, then the 50th remaster in 2024, plus the Dolby Atmos remix. I also bought the remaster of the Wembley ’74 gig which was also released last year. I know the album well.

I went to see The Australian Pink Floyd in Glasgow, as part of their tour of the Dark Side of the Moon. They are considered the finest Floyd tribute band in the world and although I’ve seen a couple of other tributes, I have never seen them before, so I was pretty excited when I got my tickets. They opened the concert playing the entire album. It was quite uncanny. It was as close to listening to the record as it could be given the limitations of a stage performance and the challenges that brings. One of the best concerts I’ve been to and I’m looking forward to seeing them again in future. Their playing was impeccable, the light show dazzling, and the use of the round video screen at the back of the stage perfectly complemented the music. I was intrigued to note that the lead vocalist only came on to sing and then left the stage during the instrumental passages. I imagine this is because the Floyd did not have a lead vocalist centre stage and tended to keep themselves very much behind their instruments. It was a nice touch and worked beautifully.

I was so pleased to hear On the Turning Away being included in the setlist once Dark Side had been played. It’s a particular favourite of mine due to the guitar solo which is I think is one of Gilmour’s best. It’s from A Momentary Lapse of Reason and you can also hear a live take on Delicate Sound of Thunder. Originally issued in 1988, I recommend purchasing the remix of this from 2020. It includes eight extra tracks and the sound is much improved.

I’ve thought about putting down my thoughts on Pink Floyd, but have found myself reluctant to do so. I’ve seen them live (The Wall Earls Court 1980), and have all the albums along with the reissues and remixes and the more obscure releases from their back catalogue. I also have the individual box sets (six in total) with various outtakes and remixes and almost all of their solo releases along with a few DVD’s of concerts and documentaries. At the time of writing I don’t know how many books I’ve purchased and read on the band and have difficulty hazarding a guess. My bookcases are double stacked and it would take a bit of effort to start unpacking them all. I will at some point and update this blog when I do. That’s the background to my difficulty in being able to say anything about their music. I’m one of those fans who loves all of their albums, all the way through their career. I view the group as essentially five bands; there was the Syd Barrett period from 1967-68. It was so good to see the Australian Pink Floyd cover the song See Emily Play which for me is one of the great psychedelic singles of the sixties. They did so just before playing Shine on You Crazy Diamond which is Pink Floyd’s tribute to Syd. After Syd left the band in 1968, we have the Gilmour, Waters, Wright, Mason period which includes a number of albums including Dark Side in 1973. By the time of The Wall in 1980 Wright had already left the band and was rehired as a session musician with Waters very much in control of the music and the concept. The Final Cut in 1982 concluded the Waters dominated period. Gilmour, Wright and Mason then got back in the studio and recorded The Momentary Lapse of Reason album in 1987 followed by a tour in 1988. The Division Bell album was released in 1994. Pulse, the live CD of the world was released in 1995. The band became silent from then until 2014, when Gilmour and Mason produced The Endless River as a tribute to Rick Wright who sadly passed away in 2008. This album was worked up from outtakes from The Division Bell sessions. Five distinct periods and line-ups. If I was to enter the quiz competition, Mastermind, Pink Floyd would be my specialist subject.

I met Nick Mason by chance a few years back at a book signing in Edinburgh. He was promoting his personal history of Pink Floyd ‘Inside Out.’ I have both the hardback coffee table edition which he signed for me and have since purchased the paperback edition which is mainly the text and a selection of pictures. If you want all the glossy photographs, you need the large hardback release.

Here is a piece of trivia. My 1992 CD remaster of The Dark Side of the Moon has dropped ‘The’ from the title of the album. When it changed back I don’t know but it had been reinstated by the time the Discovery edition was released in 2011. If I ever do Mastermind, I hope this question doesn’t come up.