March 1973. Pink Floyd release their eighth studio album. I had moved from Rugby to Bristol in 1972 to be closer to my wife to be. I bought "Dark Side of The Moon" on vinyl and hurried home that evening to listen with a few friends. My bog standard Amstrad system and Dual 505 deck provided the sound. My word. We were totally blown away. The album used some of the most advanced recording techniques of the time including multitrack recording and tape loops. The result was a prog rock album like no other. The performance of 'rock chick' Clare Torry on the track "The Great Gig in The Sky", a soulful metaphor for death, left us stunned. Heard near the end of the track, the words:
"I never said I was frightened of dying..."
The iconic album cover
So, 1973 saw the release of this great album and my marriage to Rosalind. 40 years on I am still happily married and still listening to The Dark Side. In between times I bought the 25th anniversary edition on CD in 1998 and for some reason I cannot explain, I downloaded the mp3 40th anniversary edition this year.
No other album has had the same impact on me. It is frequently ranked as one of the greatest albums of all time. I wholeheartedly concur with that thought...
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