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Great Gig in the Sky .” Nick Mason ’ s percolating hi-hat propels Wright ’ s electropop synth tones during “ On the Run .” Mason ’ s drumming underscores “ Brain Damage ” with pomp and power , while Waters ’ vocal evokes the song subject ’ s deranged but sullen state . The sound quality from the nearly half-century-old tracks is well worthy of repeated listening , albeit not pristine . A bounty of bonus features includes reproduction 7 ” vinyl singles of “ Money ” and “ Us and Them ” for your jukebox . A 160- page hardback book is loaded with blackand-white photos taken between 1971 and 1975 , with many from Pink Floyd ’ s 1973 – 1974 tours of the UK and USA . Performance shots are interspersed with casual images from the road , including the band members playing racquetball together during their downtime . Another book includes sheet music for the full album and begins with a 1973 interview with road manager Peter Watts . A replica program welcomes you to the London Planetarium exhibition at which members of the press and the Floyd ’ s inner circle previewed Dark Side of the Moon beneath simulated starlight .
Everything is packaged in a cleverly designed box revealing layer upon layer of treasures housed in matte black packaging before uncovering a golden box containing the vinyl album in its original gatefold packaging , complete with the original stickers and posters – one poster features headshots of the band in concert , and the other is an otherworldly photo of the pyramids of Giza . The live album arrives in a gatefold sleeve with a design that shows Hipgnosis ’ iconic prism and EKG imagery under development by artist George Hardie . The package includes a poster with a scene from the animated concert film accompanying “ Time ,” and a 1974 tour poster featuring The Wall designer Gerald Scarfe ’ s nightmarishly distorted caricatures of Gilmour , Mason , Waters , and Wright . As ever , the album leaves listeners to ponder the melancholy depths of Abbey Road Studios doorman Gerry O ' Driscoll ’ s offhand comment that encapsulated Waters ’ still-resonant themes : “ There is no dark side of the moon really . Matter of fact , it ' s all dark .” ( pinkfloyd . com )
– Jeff Elbel
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METALLICA 72 Seasons
( Blackened ) The ultra high definition photos of the four members of Metallica located inside the packaging of 72 Seasons show a band proud to relish in its veteran status . Every wrinkle , blemish , and grey hair is presented in stark , weathered black and white , and while no one here is smiling , there is a certain sense of contentment . Sure heavy metal existed before Metallica , but when they arrived on the scene in 1983 with their debut Kill Em All , they codified the sound into something more tangible . Where punk rock seemed at odds with the technical , symphonic metal of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden , Metallica helped bridge the gap between heavy metal and punk rock through a flawless 80s stretch of timeless full-length classics . 72 Seasons ( the number of seasons one lives through to make it to age 18 ) has all the signs of a return to form . Gone is the straightforward biker rock of 90s misstep Load , and gone is the ham-fisted nu-metal pandering of St Anger . These 12 new compositions all feature thick , complex structures with James Hetfield ’ s typically bellicose lyrics he has been dealing with since the early ' 80s . While nothing here reinvents the wheel , and some minor flirtation with corniness ( like the unintentionally funny song title “ If Darkness Had A Son ”), 72 Seasons satisfies like a perfectly prepared pot roast dinner . When the lead single “ Lux
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