The Album Review Club - Week #191 (page 1286) - Harlequin Dream - Boy & Bear

RobMCFC said:
The Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd

The Dark Side of the Moon is a good album, but there are enough annoyances in there that stop me from giving it very high marks.

Let’s start with the positives: the three-note/chord that first appears in “Breath (In the Air)” and subsequently throughout the album is one of those simple yet powerful sounds. That track, plus “Time”, “Money”, “Us and Them” and the closing pair of “Brain Damage” and “Eclipse” are all excellent. In fact for a concept album where the tracks bleed into one another, it’s perhaps surprising that you can extract “Time” and “Money” and appreciate them just as much in the standalone format.

On the negative side you have “Speak to Me”, a pointless track, “On the Run” which sounds like the entrance mood music to a theme park ride, the clocks at the start of “Time” which don’t spoil it but would be better off jettisoned and worst of all the talking which gets in the way of the music on a number of tracks.

As for “The Great Gig in the Sky”, didn’t somebody say above that David Gilmour felt that it wasn’t quite right and needed some vocals? Well, he was definitely wrong because Richard Wright’s chords are superb and I could quite happily have listened to it vocal-free. I’ll take @mrbelfry ‘s “stubbed toe” (very well observed by the way) and raise it to a “chimp in a hot bath”.

It is difficult reviewing an album like The Dark Side of the Moon more than 50 years after its release. Maybe in 1973, listeners thought that weird effects and people talking over the music was cool, but it most definitely isn’t. Having said that, some of that music is very good and I enjoyed my re-listen this week. I agree with plenty of others when they say that Wish You Were Here is a better album, and all things considered, 7/10 feels right. Excellent nomination @GornikDaze, and I’m enjoying reading people’s thoughts on this classic album.
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You mention that you can take certain tracks out on a stand alone basis and listen to them individually, which is absolutely the case. I am pretty sure that last time I did a driving holiday in the U.S. (3 years ago), three tracks from the album popped up regularly on classic rock radio stations. However, not one from WYWH did. So, whilst, WYWH is my favourite Floyd album and has my fave Floyd track, one of the reasons I put DSOTM ahead in the greatest album stakes is things like the enduring popularity of tracks from the album on radio in the largest market for rock music.

Maybe one day I'll put WYWH forward for review: it is on my long list and I have already written a review of it!

By the way, I don't actually think it is possible to pick a greatest album of all-time although I often say it is DOTM, but that's me trying to overly objective: cos I really want to say Led Zep IV.
 
bennyboy said:
The Australian Pink Floyd doing a tour of UK.
Low availability so they must be popular.
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Was tempted to see them again in Brum but it’s sold out. They’re very popular amongst the old fart crowd but there were youngsters there, so it’s good the younger generation have access.

Overall it’s a ln entertaining show with Aussie Floyd. They’re excellent musicians, they perform songs flawlessly and there’s a good sprinkling of humour with references to Neighbours, Crocodile Dundee, Skippy etc
 
RobMCFC said:
The Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd

The Dark Side of the Moon is a good album, but there are enough annoyances in there that stop me from giving it very high marks.

Let’s start with the positives: the three-note/chord that first appears in “Breath (In the Air)” and subsequently throughout the album is one of those simple yet powerful sounds. That track, plus “Time”, “Money”, “Us and Them” and the closing pair of “Brain Damage” and “Eclipse” are all excellent. In fact for a concept album where the tracks bleed into one another, it’s perhaps surprising that you can extract “Time” and “Money” and appreciate them just as much in the standalone format.

On the negative side you have “Speak to Me”, a pointless track, “On the Run” which sounds like the entrance mood music to a theme park ride, the clocks at the start of “Time” which don’t spoil it but would be better off jettisoned and worst of all the talking which gets in the way of the music on a number of tracks.

As for “The Great Gig in the Sky”, didn’t somebody say above that David Gilmour felt that it wasn’t quite right and needed some vocals? Well, he was definitely wrong because Richard Wright’s chords are superb and I could quite happily have listened to it vocal-free. I’ll take @mrbelfry ‘s “stubbed toe” (very well observed by the way) and raise it to a “chimp in a hot bath”.

It is difficult reviewing an album like The Dark Side of the Moon more than 50 years after its release. Maybe in 1973, listeners thought that weird effects and people talking over the music was cool, but it most definitely isn’t. Having said that, some of that music is very good and I enjoyed my re-listen this week. I agree with plenty of others when they say that Wish You Were Here is a better album, and all things considered, 7/10 feels right. Excellent nomination @GornikDaze, and I’m enjoying reading people’s thoughts on this classic album.
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Your review prompted two TV related thoughts.

If you are of a certain age to be able to remember Pipkins, surely you've never been able to take the start of Time seriously?

Your 'chimp in a hot bath' comment reminded me of that Attenborough documentary with the Macaques that like to sit in the hot spring baths and when they get out it looks for all the world they are thinking f**k me it's freezing (and yes I know they are monkeys not apes)
 
threespires said:
Your review prompted two TV related thoughts.

If you are of a certain age to be able to remember Pipkins, surely you've never been able to take the start of Time seriously?

Your 'chimp in a hot bath' comment reminded me of that Attenborough documentary with the Macaques that like to sit in the hot spring baths and when they get out it looks for all the world they are thinking f**k me it's freezing (and yes I know they are monkeys not apes)
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I definitely remember Pipkins. Hartley Hare and the pig with the Brummie accent :)
 
OB1 said:
You mention that you can take certain tracks out on a stand alone basis and listen to them individually, which is absolutely the case. I am pretty sure that last time I did a driving holiday in the U.S. (3 years ago), three tracks from the album popped up regularly on classic rock radio stations. However, not one from WYWH did. So, whilst, WYWH is my favourite Floyd album and has my fave Floyd track, one of the reasons I put DSOTM ahead in the greatest album stakes is things like the enduring popularity of tracks from the album on radio in the largest market for rock music.

Maybe one day I'll put WYWH forward for review: it is on my long list and I have already written a review of it!

By the way, I don't actually think it is possible to pick a greatest album of all-time although I often say it is DOTM, but that's me trying to overly objective: cos I really want to say Led Zep IV.
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I was going to say as part of my review that I'm generally disappointed when I listen to the "Greatest Albums of all time" or the "Biggest selling albums of all time."

DSOTM - see review above.
Back in Black - fabulous title track with an epic riff, not really bothered about anything else on the album.
Born To Run - good album but not as good as the Bruce albums released either side of it.
Rumours - actually very good and not too many negatives in this case.
Various Beatles albums - some amazing songs but generally some right old rubbish mixed in there as well
etc.

I think a term that you use often, favourite album of all time has much more meaning. Whilst there's a chance that 1000s of people feel to same as you do about your favourites, the music is not weighed down by tags such as "best", "biggest", "classic" status like some of the above are.
 
RobMCFC said:
I was going to say as part of my review that I'm generally disappointed when I listen to the "Greatest Albums of all time" or the "Biggest selling albums of all time."

DSOTM - see review above.
Back in Black - fabulous title track with an epic riff, not really bothered about anything else on the album.
Born To Run - good album but not as good as the Bruce albums released either side of it.
Rumours - actually very good and not too many negatives in this case.
Various Beatles albums - some amazing songs but generally some right old rubbish mixed in there as well
etc.

I think a term that you use often, favourite album of all time has much more meaning. Whilst there's a chance that 1000s of people feel to same as you do about your favourites, the music is not weighed down by tags such as "best", "biggest", "classic" status like some of the above are.
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"Back in Black" is certainly not AC/DC's best album but it has at least three cracking tracks. I may review their best album one day.

"Born to Run" is one of my favourite Bruce albums.

"Rumours" is simply exceptional and one of my top 20 favourite albums.

Beatles albums are a mixed bag and, for my money (and I have them all), a tad overrated.
 
GornikDaze said:
That ay Black Country!!
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Exactly, I'm not sure what it's supposed to be.

Edit: I've just looked it up and it was supposed to be a Birmingham accent but was voiced by a woman from Shepherds Bush which explains a lot, not quite Black Face but still bang out of order if you ask me!
 
threespires said:
Exactly, I'm not sure what it's supposed to be.

Edit: I've just looked it up and it was supposed to be a Birmingham accent but was voiced by a woman from Shepherds Bush which explains a lot, not quite Black Face but still bang out of order if you ask me!
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Apparently they had no one talented enough to do the voice who was from Birmingham and Lenny Henry was fully booked already so they went with a voice artist.

It was discussed at the time, we do we need that God awful accent on the TV, but apparently it was educational. For someone.
 
I realise it’s now cool to diss Pink Floyd by those whose musical tastes are beyond reproach (or belief in some cases) and Despite the incredibly stupid posts on here about this album it was and is one of the most influential albums ever produced as evidenced by its continual position in sales charts and lists of most influential albums ever.
I’d have given it 10 if it weren’t for Money which I don’t like and the clocks at the beginning of Time so I’ll drop it down to a 9.
 
denislawsbackheel said:
I realise it’s now cool to diss Pink Floyd by those whose musical tastes are beyond reproach (or belief in some cases) and Despite the incredibly stupid posts on here about this album it was and is one of the most influential albums ever produced as evidenced by its continual position in sales charts and lists of most influential albums ever.
I’d have given it 10 if it weren’t for Money which I don’t like and the clocks at the beginning of Time so I’ll drop it down to a 9.
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Oh I like the album and it's influence spread far and wide but WYWH is a better album.
 
Saddleworth2 said:
When have you actually experienced the noise of a chimp in a hot bath Rob? I acknowledge you are a well travelled dude but where exactly did that happen?
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I have to admit that this situation is fictitious, but I think we’ve all let out a yelp when putting our hands under a hot tap or lowering ourselves into a piping hot hottub. Also, we’ve probably all seem chimps on TV going, errrr, apeshit and whopping and hollering. Put the two together and I think we could imagine what that sounds like.

Except we don’t have to because we’ve got “The Great Gig in the Sky” :)
 
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