So why has Dark Side of the Moon had such long lasting success? When the album was first made, Pink Floyd had lost the main lyricist and protagonist of the band - Syd Barrett - only recently, and the previous albums (particularly Meddle), had been filled largely by long, psychedelic instrumental pieces. But out of this came an album that explored the human experience as completely as it could on its two sides. With the album looking at greed, insanity, and death, it is hardly surprising that the album has maintained a strong and growing fan base from one generation to the next.
When Dark Side of the Moon first came out, it was well received by critics and fans alike, but held the top spot of the US charts for only one week. However this was merely the beginning of the story. Dark Side of the Moon stayed in the Billboard 200 for an amazing and unsurpassed 736 weeks, selling 40 million copies worldwide (more than 770,000 copies in Australia).
The album moved on from the instrumental psychedelic soundscapes of the previous album, adding in pop values while still maintaining a great deal of depth in its lyrics. By far the best-known song from the album is Money - the great dedication to the curse of the modern world. But the album is what has the lasting appeal - the way each song flows into the next so perfectly. The album marks a turning point for psychedelic and underground music, bringing once and for all into the mainstream. It has been both the conscious and subconscious influence for literally countless bands, and has proven that intelligent and challenging music does not need to exist of the fringe but can be loved, adored in fact, by the masses.
Dark Side of the Moon holds a particularly strong place in the hearts of Australians. In 2006, ABC viewers and listeners voted it as their favourite album.
Plus, in case I haven't sold the album on its merits alone, Dark Side of the Moon is also the subject of one of the coolest rumours in rock music - Dark Side of the Rainbow . The idea, for those not familiar, is that if you play the album at the same time as watching the Wizard of Oz (from the MGM Lion's third roar) you will notice how much the music matches up to what is on screen. Ever since the rumour first appeared, the band has denied any conspiracy, but it is still fun to check it out (link) and see whether you believe the way it fits is planned or merely a coincidence.
So, in honour of this amazing concept album, one of the most successful albums of all time and undoubtedly the reason Pink Floyd will be remembered far longer than many of their contemporaries, here is my favourite song from the album, the song that, without words, tackles death and what we may experience in the life hereafter, The Great Gig in the Sky.
The new Wolfmother track - Back Round - has hit the radio today and Wolfmother have offered it free from their website
Here are a few tunes that we thought you might be interested in having a listen to:
Placebo - Battle for the Sun – the new track and title song for the upcoming album “Battle for the Sun”
N.A.S.A - Gifted (feat Kanye, Santogold & lykke li) – very cool collaborative work, and it is nice to hear Kanye without AutoTune.
Basement Jaxx – She’s No Good – the new track from Basement Jaxx.
Shes No Good - Basement Jaxx
Lykke Li vs Rodeo Remix – Knocked Up (Kings of Leon cover) – this isn’t incredibly new, but I Kings of Leon fever is going around at the moment so we thought it was timely to post this Lykke Li cover.
If you hear any new (or old) songs that you think your fellow TwoBears readers might be into, send us a comment and we will work it into the blog.
Later,
CB
Hey guys
The Australian leg of TheV Festival kicks off in Sydney this weekend for another year.
Line up this year includes:
The Killers, Snow Patrol, Kaiser Chiefs, Duffy, Elbow, The Human League, Razorlight,, The Kills, M83, Howling Bells, Tame Impala, Children Collide, Temper Trap & many many many more.
Maps and Timetables can be found at Fasterlouder.com.au
I’ll be there so come on down and say hi and throw me a cheeky Smirnoff!
VB
The brand spankin new lineup for We Love Sounds 2009
Additions include (these are HUGE):
Source: TheVine
Kings of Leon sauntered on stage, with a swagger and a confidence that I have never seen in them the few times I’ve seen them on stage. This truly marked the reign of the new Kings. Cruising into ‘Crawl’, the Entertainment Centre in Sydney’s CBD lit up and the crowd exploded. It was a new crowd too – younger, with many, many, many more ladies in the crowd and they were all genuinely excited, which is totally refreshing.
How do you follow up a heavy bass driven tune like “Crawl”? You throw in a classic from the back catalogue. ‘ Taper Jean Girl’ got the mosh heaving up and down and the crowd on its feet, which really wasn’t too hard - the crowd was out of their seats all night! The Kings pushed through the tracks efficiently and the 90 minutes seemed to just disappear, leaving myself and CB wanting more. Sadly for CB, they didn’t play his favourite tune ‘Soft’ which left him a little devastated but the encore was worth the wait, with the band we were treating us to ‘Charmer’, ‘Knocked Up’ and 'Manhattan'.
The Kings were a new band last night, with a whole new attitude. They played their best bits of their best songs to the best crowd. The boys treated us to a greatest hits collection and its something they should be proud of. In fact, if I wasn’t so poor I’d go running back to see them tonight. From the class of 2003, which featured The Strokes & Franz Ferdinand, these guys were the first to sell out stadiums and headline Glastonbury. Based upon last night’s performance, its easy to see why.
VB
Pic Source: Triple M
The last time they graced our shores with their fearless presence there was animal suits, fake blood and a man-sized plastic bubble. It has taken us five years to recover, but at long last The Flaming Lips are returning to Australia. There is no easy way to describe a live show from Oklahoma’s psych-rock Gods, whose lead-singer Wayne Coyne mesmerises his audiences with a performance akin to an acid-fuelled, dancing Jesus. Their visceral live performances even led Q Music to declare The Flaming Lips one of their ‘50 Bands To See Before You Die’. Since their last trip to our shores the band have released 2006’s resplendent At War With The Mystics and THE stoner movie of 2008, Christmas On Mars – a film which not only stared the band and their friends but which was written and directed entirely by Coyne. With a new album scheduled for release in June these Flaming Lips shows are simply not to be missed: Tue 28th Jul – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Wed 29th Jul – Festival Hall, Melbourne Tickets on sale Thursday April 2nd at 9am. Source: Inthemix.com.au
Sound Relief at the historical SCG will be remembered for the rain, the good times and the return but most of all it will be tattooed as a proud day in Australian history as a day where the Australian spirit again shone so brightly. This review will focus on the music but Sound Relief was a day, which honoured and remembered the victims & heroes of the Victorian Bushfires and Queensland Floods. If you still haven’t donated please donate just a little, Fires & Floods.
VB & CB!
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