PINK FLOYD - THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON  ( CARA B)

Publicació: 1 de març de 1973

Llistes: Regne Unit: #2  Estats Units: #1

"Money" és una col·laboració entre Roger Waters com a únic compositor acreditat, mentre que la veu principal la interpreta David Gilmour. Waters va proporcionar la música i la lletra, i tota la banda —Waters, Gilmour, Richard Wright i Nick Mason— va contribuir a la improvisació instrumental de la cançó. Gilmour va tenir un paper significatiu, supervisant els canvis de temps i oferint el celebrat solo de guitarra que es va convertir en un element destacat de la cançó. Curiosament, Waters va revelar que inicialment va escriure la cançó al seu jardí, descrivint la demo original com "afectada i molt anglesa". "Money" obre la cara B de l'àlbum original.

Roger Waters va tenir un paper crucial en la creació dels sons distintius de "Money", incloent-hi el cèlebre bucle de cinta de caixa enregistradora. El bucle incorpora els sons d'una caixa enregistradora antiga, paper esquinçant-se i monedes llançant-se dins d'un bol industrial per a barrejar aliments. Waters va esbandir i tallar meticulosament la cinta per aconseguir l'efecte rítmic i reconeixible del "bucle de caixa registradora" que es va convertir en un element definitori de la cançó.

L'àlbum va ser produït per Alan Parsons, un reconegut productor britànic i expert en feines a l’estudi que també va treballar amb The Beatles. Parsons va formar més tard la seva pròpia banda, The Alan Parsons Project. Reflexionant sobre la seva experiència treballant tant amb The Beatles com amb Pink Floyd, Parsons va destacar la seva inclinació compartida per explorar les possibilitats de l'estudi per a nous sons i efectes.

"Money" i "Us And Them" són les dues cançons de l'àlbum que inclouen un saxòfon, interpretat per Dick Parry. La banda, amb la intenció d'experimentar amb diferents sons durant les sessions d'enregistrament, va incorporar el saxòfon per enriquir la textura musical.

Al llarg de "The Dark Side of the Moon", sorgeixen veus aleatòries que contribueixen a la profunditat temàtica de l'àlbum. Waters va dissenyar targetes amb preguntes filosòfiques profundes, presentant-les a diverses persones a l'estudi i enregistrant les seves respostes. Tot i que la majoria de les contribucions no van arribar a la versió final, Henry McCullough, el guitarrista de Paul McCartney a aquell moment, va entrar a l'àlbum amb la seva resposta sincera: "No ho sé; estava realment begut en aquell moment."

"Us and Them," el segon senzill de "The Dark Side of the Moon", és la pista més llarga de l'àlbum, amb una durada de 7 minuts i 49 segons. La cançó va sorgir com una peça de piano escrita per Rick Wright durant la seva feina per a la banda sonora de la pel·lícula de 1970 "Zabriskie Point". Tot i que la peça no va ser inclosa a la pel·lícula, la banda la va revisitar i retraballar durant les sessions de "The Dark Side of the Moon", evolucionant eventualment cap a la cançó que coneixem. El rebuig inicial de la peça per a "Zabriskie Point" va provenir del director de la pel·lícula, Michelangelo Antonioni, qui la va trobar "bonica, però massa trista" i evocadora d'una atmosfera eclesiàstica. Inicialment titulada "The Violence Sequence", la cançó va ser concebuda per a una escena particularment intensa de la pel·lícula.

Tot i que Dave Gilmour és la veu principal, "Us and Them" va ser escrita per Roger Waters i Rick Wright. Wright, el tecladista va contribuir a diverses altres pistes de l'àlbum, com "Breathe" i "The Great Gig In The Sky". No obstant, a mesura que la banda va avançar cap a la fi dels anys 70, Waters va assumir la majoria de la composició de les cançons.

Durant l'enregistrament de la cançó es va produir una broma memorable. Rick Wright va tocar el piano de cua amb influències de jazz, pensant que la resta de la banda estava tocant al següent estudi. En realitat, no eren presents, i resulta que era una gravació feta prèviament. Tot i començar com una broma, aquest mètode d'enregistrament poc convencional, segons Alan Parsons, es va convertir en "una de les millors coses que Rick va fer mai."

Similar a altres pistes de l'àlbum, "Us and Them" incorpora les divagacions de veus aleatòries. Roger Waters va crear targetes amb preguntes i va enregistrar diferents persones del voltant de l'estudi que les contestaven. Un dels contribuents va ser un peculiar auxiliar de carretera d'una altra banda anomenat Roger The Hat, que va respondre a la pregunta "Quan va ser l'última vegada que vas donar un cop a algú." La seva resposta, fent referència a un "cop curt i agut," va trobar el seu lloc a la cançó.

"Any Colour You Like," la vuitena pista de "The Dark Side of the Moon", és una peça instrumental coescrita per David Gilmour, Richard Wright i Nick Mason. Musicalment similar a "Breathe", sovint se’n fa referència de manera no oficial com a "Breathe (2nd reprise)". El títol de la cançó té un origen interessant, amb múltiples atribucions.

Un origen sovint citat està relacionat amb alguna cosa que suposadament va dir Henry Ford sobre l'automòbil Model T: "Podeu tenir-lo de qualsevol color que vulgueu... sempre i quan sigui negre!" No obstant això, segons l'Enciclopèdia de Pink Floyd, el títol potser va sorgir d'una frase que utilitzava el seu antic road manager, Chris Adamson. Quan li demanaven una guitarra, Adamson responia amb una ocurrencia com "Qualsevol color que vulguis, totes són blaves." Aquesta frase podria haver estat inspirada per venedors ambulants a Cambridge que feien servir expressions similars en vendre mercaderies.

En una entrevista amb l'autor Phil Rose, Roger Waters va compartir una interpretació metafòrica més profunda de "Any Colour You Like". Va explicar com els venedors ambulants de Cambridge venien conjunts de porcellana amb la declaració: "Qualsevol color que vulgueu, tots són blaus." Aquesta frase, utilitzada per crear una sensació de tria on potser no n'hi ha cap, va impressionar Waters. En la seva interpretació, insinuava les dicotomies de la vida, com la llum i l'obscuritat, el sol i la lluna, i el bé i el mal. La idea de fer una elecció mentre tot és fonamentalment "blau" afegeix una capa interessant de significat a la cançó.

"Brain Damage", la novena pista de "The Dark Side of the Moon", presenta Roger Waters a la veu principal amb harmonies de David Gilmour. Durant les interpretacions en directe i les sessions d'enregistrament, la banda es referia inicialment a aquesta pista com "Lunatic". Llançada com a senzill digital el 19 de gener de 2023, "Brain Damage" va servir per promocionar la caixa del 50è aniversari de "The Dark Side of the Moon".

La cançó probablement explora el tema de la bogeria, un tema amb el qual la banda estava íntimament familiaritzada. La lletra compta amb referències a Syd Barrett, antic cantant i guitarrista de Pink Floyd, que va experimentar un declivi a finals dels anys 60 a causa dels seus experiments amb al·lucinògens. La frase "And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes" al·ludeix específicament a la tendència de Syd Barrett de tocar la cançó equivocada a l'escenari durant els seus últims dies amb Pink Floyd, la qual cosa va contribuir a la seva posterior sortida de la banda.

Contràriament al que es creu popularment, la lletra "The lunatic is on the grass" no es refereix a la marihuana, sinó a herba real. Roger Waters va basar aquesta frase en cartells que deien "Stay Off The Grass", expressant la seva opinió que qualsevol que ignorés aquesta advertència es comportava irracionalment. La frase següent, "Got to keep the loonies on the path", reforça la idea que les persones han de romandre al camí designat i no aventurar-se a l'herba. La frase "You raise the blade, you make the change" s'interpreta com una referència a les lobotomies frontals.

La darrera pista de l'àlbum "Eclipse" segueix de manera fluida "Brain Damage", proporcionant una conclusió adequada. Originalment, l'àlbum no tenia un final fins que Roger Waters va concebre aquesta cançó. Repetint alguns fragments de la lletra de la pista d'obertura "Breathe" ("All that you touch, all that you see"), "Eclipse" conclou amb les paraules "There is no dark side of the moon really. Matter of fact, it's all dark." El batec del cor en aquesta cançó tanca el cercle de "The Dark Side of the Moon", reflectint l'obertura de l'àlbum amb el batec del cor escoltat a "Speak To Me". Aquest batec es va crear utilitzant un bombo processat fins a sonar com el pols d’una persona.

Gerry O'Driscoll, el conserge als estudis d'Abbey Road, pronuncia la declaració final a "Eclipse." La seva veu, amb la seva entrega sincera i l'accent irlandès, s'afegeix a les veus atmosfèriques de l'àlbum capturades per Waters al llarg del procés d'enregistrament. O'Driscoll també apareix a la pista "The Great Gig In The Sky."

Els oients amb oïda aguda podrien percebre com al final de "Eclipse", al canal de la dreta, hi ha un lleu so que s'assembla a "Ticket to Ride" dels Beatles amb un estil Muzak, coincidint amb el batec que s'esvaeix. Tot i que no s'ha reconegut oficialment pel cercle de Pink Floyd, s'ha convertit en un punt de discussió entre els fans.

Originalment titulat "Eclipse: A Piece For Assorted Lunatics," l'àlbum va ser concebut durant els assajos dels concerts de Pink Floyd, i versions primerenques de les cançons es van interpretar en directe el 1972. Aquesta pràctica permetia a les bandes perfeccionar les cançons a través de les actuacions en directe abans d'entrar a l'estudi, un luxe no tan comú en la producció musical contemporània.

PINK FLOYD - THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON  ( SIDE TWO)

Released: March 1, 1973

Charted:  UK: #2  US: #1 

"Money" is a collaborative effort within Pink Floyd, with Roger Waters being the sole songwriter credited, while the lead vocal is performed by David Gilmour. Waters provided the foundational music and lyrics, and the entire band—Waters, Gilmour, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason—contributed to the instrumental jam of the song. Gilmour took on a significant role, overseeing time changes and delivering the acclaimed guitar solo that became a standout element of the track. Interestingly, Waters revealed that he initially wrote the song in his garden, describing the original demo as "prissy and very English." "Money" held the position of opening Side 2 on the original album.

Roger Waters played a crucial role in creating the distinctive sounds in "Money," including the iconic cash register tape loop. The loop features the sounds of an old cash register, tearing paper, and coins being thrown into an industrial food-mixing bowl. Waters meticulously spliced and cut the tape to achieve the rhythmic and recognizable "cash register loop" effect that became a defining element of the song.

The album was engineered by Alan Parsons, a renowned British producer and studio expert who also worked with The Beatles. Parsons later formed his own band, The Alan Parsons Project. Reflecting on his experience working with both The Beatles and Pink Floyd, Parsons highlighted their shared inclination to explore the studio's possibilities for new sounds and effects.

"Money" and "Us And Them" are the two songs on the album that feature a saxophone, played by Dick Parry. The band, aiming to experiment with different sounds during the recording sessions, incorporated the saxophone to enrich the musical texture.

Throughout Dark Side of the Moon, random voices emerge, contributing to the album's thematic depth. Waters devised flashcards with profound philosophical questions, presenting them to various people in the studio and recording their responses. While most contributions didn't make the final cut, Paul McCartney's guitarist at the time, Henry McCullough, made it onto the album with his candid response: "I don't know; I was really drunk at the time."

"Us and Them," the second single from The Dark Side of the Moon, is the album's longest track, spanning 7 minutes and 49 seconds. The song originated as a piano piece composed by Rick Wright during his work on the soundtrack for the 1970 film “Zabriskie Point”. While the piece didn't make it into the film, the band revisited and reworked it during “The Dark Side of the Moon” sessions, eventually evolving into the song we know. The initial rejection of the piece for “Zabriskie Point” came from the film's director, Michelangelo Antonioni, who found it "beautiful, but too sad" and evocative of a church atmosphere. Initially titled "The Violence Sequence," the song was conceived for a particularly intense scene in the movie.

Despite Dave Gilmour taking the lead vocals, "Us and Them" was written by Roger Waters and Rick Wright. Wright, the Pink Floyd keyboardist, contributed to several other tracks on the album, including "Breathe" and "The Great Gig In The Sky”. However, as the band progressed into the late '70s, Waters took on the majority of the songwriting.

During the recording of "Us and Them," a memorable prank took place. Rick Wright played the song's jazz-influenced grand piano, thinking the rest of the band was playing in the next studio. In reality, they weren't present, and it turned out to be a recording made earlier. Despite starting as a prank, this unconventional recording method, according to Alan Parsons, became "one of the best things Rick ever did."

Similar to other tracks on the album, "Us and Them" incorporates the ramblings of random voices. Roger Waters created flashcards with questions and recorded various people around the studio answering them. One of the contributors was a peculiar roadie from another band named Roger The Hat, who responded to the question "When was the last time you thumped somebody." His answer, referencing a "short, sharp shock," found its way into the song.

"Any Colour You Like," the eighth track on The Dark Side of the Moon, is an instrumental piece co-written by David Gilmour, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason. Musically similar to "Breathe" it is often unofficially referred to as "Breathe (2nd reprise)". The song title has an interesting origin, with multiple attributions.

One commonly cited origin is related to something Henry Ford supposedly said about the Model T automobile: "You can have it any color you like... as long as it's black!" However, according to The Pink Floyd Encyclopedia, the title may have come from a catchphrase used by former Pink Floyd road manager Chris Adamson. When asked for a guitar, Adamson would reply with a quip like, "Any colour you like, they're all blue." This phrase might have been inspired by street traders in Cambridge using similar patter when selling goods.

In an interview with the author Phil Rose, Roger Waters shared a deeper metaphorical interpretation of "Any Colour You Like." He explained how street traders in Cambridge would sell sets of china with the claim, "Any colour you like, they're all blue." This catchphrase, used to create a sense of choice where there might not be one, resonated with Waters. In his interpretation, it hinted at the dichotomies in life, such as light and dark, sun and moon, and good and evil. The notion of making a choice while everything is essentially "blue" adds an intriguing layer of meaning to the song.

"Brain Damage," the ninth track on The Dark Side of the Moon, features lead vocals by Roger Waters with harmonies by David Gilmour. During live performances and recording sessions, the band initially referred to this track as "Lunatic." Released as a digital single on January 19, 2023, "Brain Damage" served to promote The Dark Side of the Moon 50th Anniversary box set.

The song likely explores the theme of insanity, a subject the band was intimately familiar with. The lyrics contain references to Pink Floyd's former singer/guitarist Syd Barrett, who experienced a decline in the late '60s due to his experiments with hallucinogens. The line "And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes" specifically alludes to Syd Barrett's tendency to perform the wrong song on stage during his later days with Pink Floyd, contributing to his eventual departure from the band.

Contrary to popular belief, the lyrics "The lunatic is on the grass" do not refer to the drug marijuana but to actual sod. Roger Waters based this line on signs stating "Stay Off The Grass," expressing his view that anyone who disregarded such warnings was behaving irrationally. The subsequent line, "Got to keep the loonies on the path," reinforces the idea that people should stay on the designated path and not venture onto the grass. The line "You raise the blade, you make the change" is interpreted as a reference to frontal lobotomies.

The closing track of Pink Floyd's “Dark Side of the Moon album”, "Eclipse," seamlessly follows "Brain Damage," providing a fitting conclusion. Originally, the album lacked an ending until Roger Waters conceived this song. Reprising some lyrics from the opening track "Breathe" ("All that you touch, all that you see"), "Eclipse" concludes with the words, "There is no dark side of the moon really. Matter of fact, it's all dark." The heartbeat in this song brings “Dark Side of the Moon” full circle, mirroring the album's opening with the heartbeat heard on "Speak To Me." The heartbeat is created using a kick drum processed to sound like a pulse.

Gerry O'Driscoll, the doorman at Abbey Road studios, delivers the closing statement in "Eclipse." His voice, with its sincere delivery and Irish accent, adds to the album's atmospheric voices captured by Waters throughout the recording process. O'Driscoll also appears on the track "The Great Gig In The Sky."

Listeners with keen ears might notice that, at the end of "Eclipse," in the right channel, there's a faint sound resembling "Ticket to Ride" by The Beatles in a Muzak-style, coinciding with the fading heartbeat. Although not officially acknowledged by the Pink Floyd camp, it has become a point of discussion among fans.

Originally titled "Eclipse: A Piece For Assorted Lunatics," the album was conceived during rehearsals for Pink Floyd's concerts, and early versions of the songs were performed live in 1972. This practice allowed bands to refine songs through live performances before entering the studio, a luxury not as common in contemporary music production.