Anniversary Special: The Dark Side of the Moon

Prepare for a week of Floydian analysis as a prog masterwork turns 40

by TheartsdeskWednesday, 20 February 2013

The sound of a heartbeat. A metronomic ticking. Two men confessing that they’re mad (even if they’re not mad) as a cash register chings. Another man’s manic laughter. A harsh industrial grinding noise. Screams. And then some rock music, Olympian in its distance and instantly cinematic, but with a hint of the blues…

If you don’t know by now you’re listening to “Speak to Me” and the start of “Breathe,” the combined sound collage/song that kicks off The Dark Side of the Moon, you’ve had your head under the sand for 40 years. Unless, of course, British prog rock was never your cup of patchouli oil.

To celebrate the anniversary of the legendary Pink Floyd album, which was released on 1 March 1973, theartsdesk will present a week-long symposium of features, though not all of them will regard the 50 million-selling opus as a sacred cow. It all begins on Sunday, 24 February. You’ll wish you were here.

Read about The Dark Side of the Moon on theartsdesk

Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here, BBC Four

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