PINK FLOYD Dark Side of the Moon 50th Anniversary Limited Edition Deluxe box set ( Pink Floyd Records / Sony )
The members of Pink Floyd cemented their musical immortality in 1973 with the release of Dark Side of the Moon , and the landmark album ’ s 50th birthday is being celebrated with this lavish box set . The album is presented in multiple formats , including a remastered vinyl LP , a Blu-ray disc for finely detailed , uncompressed high-definition audio and immersive surround mixes , a DVD and Atmos disc , and a remastered CD . Considered by many ( including your correspondent ) to be a rare 10 out of 10 rock album , singling out individual tracks from the evocative , moody , and familiar album seems practically unnecessary . The album has , after all , spent a cumulative total of nearly 19 years on the Billboard album charts since its release . Dark Side of the Moon is justifiably renowned for its psychedelic , spacefaring ambiance while exploring bassist Roger Waters ’ lyrical rumination on things that drive people mad . Themes include war and poverty ( the gentle and stirring but sharp-tongued “ Us and Them ”), greed ( classic rock staple “ Money ”), time (“ Time ”), and mental illness (“ Brain Damage ”) – with the latter influenced by the plight of departed founding member Syd Barrett . Keyboardist Richard Wright ’ s “ The Great Gig in the Sky ” ( theme : death ) is highlighted by session vocalist Clare Torry ’ s ecstatic vocal improvisation . Remastering work on the vinyl LP increases clarity on tracks including “ Breathe ( In the Air ),” wherein David Gilmour ’ s faint background guitar can be heard in greater detail than earlier pressings provided . The new jewel of this collection is a full performance of Dark Side of the Moon recorded during 1974 concerts at London ’ s Wembley Empire Pool . The live album is also available in a standalone version . Gilmour steps forward with biting blues guitar leads during “ Time ” and “ Money .” Waters ’ loping bass lends a deceptively carefree spirit to the anxious perspective of “ Breathe ( In the Air )” and digs in fiercely to “ Money .” Saxophonist Dick Parry is on hand to perform his bristling solo during “ Money ” ( prodded enthusiastically by Gilmour ) and the soothing lead during “ Us and Them ,” joined by Gilmour ’ s impassioned vocal performance . Venetta Fields and Carlena Williams join Gilmour and Wright to sing expressive background vocals during “ Time .” The women also cover Torry ’ s rhapsodic territory while Wright ’ s Hammond organ shimmers with Gospel fervor and Waters improvises jazz-bass runs during “ The
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