Classic Albums: The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon Reviews

• Breathe in the DVD!!!

  
  By AQPH71BC0XHUO on 2004-08-04
  If you are a fan of Dark Side of the Moon (DSotM) then you will love this disc. The feature runs as long as the actual album and gives insight into the development of each song. It's amazing to see the Floyd seperately playing bit pieces of each song. What is amazing on this DVD is Alan Parsons and his explanations and demonstrations of all the details we have grown to love on this disk. The bonus material rocks just as hard. Over 10 bonus tracks including additional interviews, insight and music. Pink Floyd is the best!!!!
  
  

• The Dark Side of Human Nature and the Making of a Classic...

  
  By A2C5LA07JCDWTN on 2005-01-11
  After watching this documentary on the making of the Dark Side of the Moon, one question kept popping into my mind: Why can't these two legendary musicians (Waters & Gilmour) put aside their differences and reconcile? It has been over 20 years since the bitter split of Pink Floyd, yet we, the fans are left with little to no hope of ever seeing this band reform and play their classic music just one last time. Alas, I digress, the DVD itself is a fascinating look into the making of the Dark Side of the Moon album, track by track. All four members are featured in extended interviews giving their memories of making what would become one of (if not THE) greatest rock albums ever recorded. Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright look like old men, wait a minute, they ARE old men; nevertheless it is shocking to see the then and now pictures of the band. Roger Waters has some very lucid memories concerning the meaning of his lyrics for Time, Brain Damage and Money. David Gilmour not only speaks of the recording and mixing of the album, but he also plugs in and plays some classic Dark Side tunes. Richard Wright, as well, plays some of The Great Gig in the Sky and Us and Them while opining about how he discovered the chord progressions that would become history. Nick Mason is scattered throughout the film but certainly states that this was the best that the band had ever gotten along. Was this the creative apex of Pink Floyd? It certainly was the most democratically made Pink Floyd album with all four members getting their ideas through, as opposed to the later years (The Wall and The Final Cut) where Waters basically ran the show. Some other points of interest include an extended interview with Alan Parsons who was the session engineer and mixed the album almost perfectly. Throughout the film, Waters speaks of the duality of man and of empathy and how the world is sorely lacking it today. Mr. Waters, why can't you show some empathy for your former band mates and legions of fans around the world and put the Floyd to bed properly? Highly Recommended to any classic rock fan, but an absolute must for Pink Floyd diehards.
  
  

• Unauthorised Interview Compilation

  
  By A2PGU8O7UVRINC on 2000-03-31
  This 55 minute documentary was produced without consent of the band, its management, or thier record company. Because of this, it is ALL interview and contains no background music nor live clips (contractual reasons I assume).

  The bulk of this tape is comprised of large chunks of a wonderful documentary (Omnibus, BBC) aired in November of 1994. The other bits and pieces are of varying quality and DO give this tape more of a bootleg feel.

  Bottom line: if you're a Floyd fan you'll find something of interest here and there, but if you can, track down the Omnibus special. It's widely available in most bootleg circles and is FAR superior to this tape.
  
  

• A touching exploration of a classic album

  
  By A1D4D1C6GQKVJU on 2003-09-25
  For the most part I was happy with this DVD, and in actuality I would give it a 4.5, but even with the slightly flawed parts, there were some that were simply so stunning that I can't help but give a 5.

  The best parts belong mainly to Richard Wright, who offered a very interesting look at the music itself, and his composition process. Furthermore, he gave wonderful demonstrations of parts of "Breathe", "The Great Gig in the Sky", and "Us and Them". Even though some may notice that he can have a slightly tentative interview style at times, this does not diminish in any way what he is saying--in fact, he is actually the most engaging narrator of the four. His piano demos, especially the one for "Us and Them" are moving, to say the least (I do wish he'd sung, because he really does have a beautiful voice, but that's all right--his playing was truly graceful). One very nice thing about the way the demos are done in this DVD is that they are often blended in and out of the original recordings. Quite frankly it amazes me that Richard Wright and David Gilmour are able to play demonstrations that have an original twist to them--and yet they can be successfully be blended to the originals.

  I will admit that there were a few sections that grated on my nerves, and the culprit was usually Roger Waters. Once in MOJO Magazine, Nick Mason said that the bassist made the most "dreadful demos", and his attempt at "Money" was a strain to listen to, to say the least...I probably will return to that bit as infrequently as possible! On my first listening I also found that Mr. Waters went on a bit much, and I didn't really have the patience to want to listen to it, as I thought the musical aspects were by far the more unique and interesting feature of this DVD. The thematic aspects have been discussed numerous times in interviews.

  Finally, I'd like to add that some customers' failure to read the description of the DVD and understand in advance what one is purchasing is no excuse for a poor rating. Such a rating says nothing about the quality of the DVD as what it is intended to be--a documentary, not a live concert or anything else. Please, before you buy this, KNOW what you are purchasing! But if you are interested in a documentary about The Dark Side of the Moon, I think you will be very satisfied.
  
  

• A great look back at a masterpiece

  
  By A30GMWGX0QKQEE on 2003-09-02
  Being that Dark Side Of The Moon is my favorite album of all time, I was very excited to hear about the release of this DVD. I absolutely love it. This DVD tells the story of Dark Side of The Moon from it's creation, to it's aftermath with live performances, acoustic performances, early demos, music videos, rehearsal tapes, individual tracks from Alan Parsons mixing board(very cool), and in depth interviews with band members. My only complaint is that they did not even mention one of my favorite instrumental tracks from the album entitled "Any Colour You Like". Why it was forgotten in the DVD baffles me.

  The sound mix is not in 5.1, but it's one of the best stereo mixes i've ever heard. Hearing Roger Waters explain what the song "Time" is about then hearing David Gilmores' amazing guitar solo was worth the money alone. Thank you Pink Floyd for releasing this DVD and making an album that changed my life! Don't hesitate, buy it now!
  
  

• Dark Side Under a Microscope!
  By A1615O1J763JD2 on 2004-01-07
  First off, let me say I love these "Classic Album" DVD's! They are so informative and I love hearing the master tape going through the board while different tracks are pointed out and enjoyed. This disc is every "Dark Side Of Tne Moon" fan's dream come true. For these reviewers that put down this DVD by saying "Phoey, no live stuff!" I usually read the package before I buy something. Since you can't do that with Amazon or other online stores, these reviews are great. No where did it say this was a live concert. The "Classic Album" series has been around for some time now so if you don't want to chance your hard earned 15 bucks (yikes, haha)on something, maybe it's worth finding out what you are getting!
  Other great "Classic Album" DVD's are "The Who- Who's Next", "Elton John- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", "Fleetwood Mac- Rumors" just to name a few. I have quite a few of them and love them all. A real treat for musicians and fans alike!
  
  
• THIS IS NOT A CONCERT !
  By A21M9RRKC8C2F on 2004-01-07
  What a disappointment and letdown! This DVD is not a concert but a documentary of how "Dark Side" was created. I felt ripped off also because the DVD sleeve misleads you to thinking that the tracks are taken from live concerts.
  
  
• Lots of little diamonds in the rough
  By A2I1CVSQ36WQ0M on 2004-04-21
  In order to get the most out of this DVD, you'll have to watch and listen closely -- some of the most interesting parts are not obvious. But if you deeply enjoy the album, then you are probably good at picking out such important nuances.

  For example, the "bonus" material (tucked away in a separate menu) includes interviews and recordings that are sometimes more captivating than the main documentary. These include very personal interviews with Roger Waters on growing up, love, insanity, death, and human kindness, as well as equally personal solo acoustic renditions of "Brain Damage" by Waters ("the lunatic song" as he calls it) and "Breathe", performed by David Gilmour. Gilmour, along with Rick Wright, provides fascinating musical insight throughout the documentary. Snippets of the performances and interviews are included in the documentary itself, but to get the whole picture, you've really got to watch the bonus scenes.

  Another reviewer mentioned that while it is fascinating to see some of the behind the scenes work that went into making "Dark Side", this may ruin the mystique. This wasn't the case for me. Perhaps if you've imagined some themes for the album that turn out to be catastrophically different from what Roger was thinking, I could see how you might be disappointed. But as the interviews evince, the album is about the trials and tribulations of being human. I don't see how your version of the meaning could diverge very far from this, in the cosmic sense. Rather, I think any theme you might associate personally with a song is inevitably close to the intended one. Waters himself seems to oscillate back and forth between various meanings and implications.

  As far as the meaning of the album goes, this is what I was hoping to learn more about through this documentary. While it did provide very interesting information through interviews, there was no external commentary. That is, the documentary is a primary source of information, not a secondary one. There is no narrator to formulate hypotheses, point out themes and draw conclusions. This is left to the observer, which really is probably a good thing, following the Floyd's lead. It's just that, if you've listened to (and thought about) "Dark Side" many many times like a lot of us have, and have maybe read one or two interviews with Roger Waters, you won't find much new insight here as far as the "meaning" goes. I do have to admit, though, that hearing and seeing the band members (especially Waters) explain their thought processes and interactions in making the album certainly added a new dimension to the story.

  The most poignant moment came when Dave Gilmour was showing how he 'accidentally' came up with that speedy, rolling synth vamp for "On the Run", and admitted that "sometimes things just fit together perfectly by accident... and this album was one of those times" (not a direct quote, but close). This is the sense you get from the documentary, that for whatever reason things just fell into place perfectly. For example, the original version of "Us and Them" was written years earlier by Richard Wright as a score for a violent mob scene in the movie "Zabriskie Point". The lyrics by Waters fit naturally with the music, and the music fits gracefully with the rest of the album.

  One of the earlier reviewers mentioned that this DVD will evoke memories of tailgate parties that "hammered us into a glorious haze before the concert", and called the documentary "spankin'". I don't get this vibe at all. The concert footage is brief, and usually doesn't include the actual audio (just the album dubbed over). So even though it will inevitably bring back some fantastic memories, don't expect to hear yourself shouting "smoke dope!" in the background. (Of course this same reviewer classified Floyd as "heavy-" and "heavier-metal rock", so form your own opinion...)

  Another reviewer had nothing but glowing praise for this DVD. While I think it's great, and would buy it again in a heartbeat, it has its flaws. For one, it seems very formulaic in its presentation: start at the beginning of the album and go through each song with interviews and video footage on top (fade when necessary). This isn't surprising since it is just one in a series of "Classic Albums" DVDs. (In fact, the intro to the DVD isn't even specific to Pink Floyd -- it's a mishmash of rock n' roll sounds and pictures of floating guitars.) Lastly, as I mentioned before, there are no astounding revelations in the interviews or commentary about the meaning behind the album. You are still basically left to form your own opinions on what the lyrics 'really mean' and what this all has to do with insanity, human suffering, and monetary gain. Anyone who has read an interview with Roger Waters will already be acquainted with his view on these themes.

  This is a good documentary that I recommend to all Pink Floyd fans. While it has some shining moments, you have to look carefully for them and some might be disappointed by the matter-of-fact presentation by the band members. If you can retain your wonder and imagination, you'll be rewarded with a new appreciation for the thoughtfulness and childlike spontaneity that synergized to make the "Dark Side of the Moon" the greatest album ever created.
  
  

• Great if you are a Hardcore pink floyd fan
  By A2AH7F9A0M1TI5 on 2004-08-16
  Hey, let me level with you guys. This DVD is a little over priced for what you get. The running lenght of the main feature is only 45 minutes and there are a couple of specail features that were not even worth remembering.
  
  However, the little bit of documentry you get is very intresting and well worth watching but once you've seen it once you won't want to watch it again. Use your money for "live at pompee" because that can be watched over and over and over.
  
  
• And in the end, honesty.
  By AHNOPDUKDET8Q on 2005-02-26
  We are all fans of DSOTM, you know.
  
  This symphonic rock concept album changed expectations of rock music forever. Roger Waters and the Floyd developed their theme in this album the way a great symphonist from the 18th Century develops one.
  
  DSOTM transcends all other concept albums in this development. It is unique in Rock history.
  
  This DVD, on of the Classic Album Series, is the story of this development. It is, by the way, the best of all the "Classic Albums" DVD's in my opinion.
  
  Of course, the technical aspects are covered in detail ("just how did they synch all those clocks?") and looking over the mixing board and listening in on the original tapes is really fun.
  
  Even better is how the artists each reproduce performances which are then synched with the album. Every time this happens, it's magical to watch.
  
  But the best part of this DVD is how each artist in turn lays down his rancor and tells the story of how this magical album comes together. In the end, they are simple and honest, each realizing that the other contributed some part of this thing that became much greater than the whole.
  
  Pink Floyd will likely never collaborate again; maybe they've said what they had to say. For sure, all the anger that flowed between them would be a giant ogre sitting on their shoulders. So it's really nice to see this DVD, where they pay homage to each other, and to the incredible thing they made decades ago.
  
  
• Where's the music?????????
  By A8P076YJHIMBN on 2005-06-07
  Caution! This album sucks big time. Not a single intact musical piece on the whole disc. Only chit chat and boring interviews. All the previous positive reviews are misleading. If your are more interested in Pink's music, this DVD is NOT for you. And it's definitely not worth the high price. What a rip off!!
  
  
• Pink Floyd Collecters Only
  By A2VPCGXO73IVQ on 2000-02-21
  If you think Pink Floyd is some guy that plays old music, this video probably is not for you. But if you are interested in the Floyd and care about the individuals (Gilmour, Waters, etc.) and what they have to say, this video is a must see. It contains interviews of the Floyd from many different time periods. From the beginning with Syd to the Floyd almost present day. I rate it four stars because the audio is less than par on an interview or two (especially one with Roger in Canada in the 80's.) Other than that, if you have all the other videos (Pulse, DSoT, Pompeii, David Gilmour, etc.) than this is a good buy.
  
  
• Big waste of time and money
  By on 2004-02-20
  When I got a DVD player my wife and I agreed that since we don't watch movies repeatedly, we would only purchase DVDs that we could enjoy without sitting in front of the screen. Like DVDs of concerts or music videos. She bought me this one because I told her how much I liked the "Dark Side of the Moon" and wished I had a copy. Man is this a disappointment.

  This is not "The Dark Side of the Moon", it is a documentary styled sleeping aid about the album, if you can imaging that. It is a collection of talking heads telling way too much about their internal realities with a couple of bars of the songs thrown in. I doubt anyone other than the speakers and a few music historians care two beans about what they have to say. If you want to hear the music, buy the CD, because there isn't any music on this DVD that's worth hearing. This DVD should have a warning label that it is not intended for recreational use.
  
  

• MUCH better than others in this series
  By A10CVKXWJZENY6 on 2004-09-01
  I've now seen 4 of the titles in this series -- this one and Aja (Steely Dan), Joshua Tree (U2) and Face Value (Phil Collins) -- and while I wouldn't give any of the others more than a couple of stars and wouldn't recommend them for anyone except basically hard core fans of the artists in question, this one is a very different story. Of course, the subject matter in this case is a good deal weightier and more interesting to talk about, given the subject matter taken up in the record. That may have been one advantage the makers of this film had as opposed to those other cases. It's simply very interesting to hear Roger Waters and sometimes other members of the band (always shown separately) discussing the ideas and emotions they were trying to express, and just as interesting to hear the other members and those like Alan Parsons, also involved with the project, and occasionally Waters, discuss the musical process, as well.
  
  But those responsible for this film just did a lot more with what they had, as well, covering every track on the record and doing so in keeping with the sequencing it came with (both unlike the other titles in the series mentioned above), seamlessly editing together current playing by any member of the group and the original recordings (done only very occasionally on the other titles), and also providing a lot more -- another 30-40 minutes of bonus material, including full solo acoustic versions of multiple songs and all of it very worthwhile -- where none of the others provided any. The quality of the film is even better, and instead of the cheap-o digipack case, you get a regular plastic version.
  
  Indeed, the extra material is so good that one of the only questionable aspects of the work is why more of it wasn't included in the original film in the first place, or, if the makers were facing time constraints, why the DVD does not come with an option to play the film with the extra parts automatically included. But this is indeed being picky and in fact would not work in the case of the full song versions, given the other commentary going on and the editing done.
  
  In short, venture into the others at your own risk, but don't worry about plunking down the cost for this one, even if you're not a hard-core Floyd fan, as the results are well worth your money and time.
  
  
• Great DVD, wonderful to see and hear all four Floyds!
  By A3LG3IR32GCBCZ on 2003-10-01
  Man this DVD is a fantastic thing for any fan of Pink Floyd. I was especially glad to see Richard Wright here. He was always the quiet one in the background.In my opinion his contributions to the band were enormous. He got pushed out of the band by Roger Waters, who had become quite a tyrant. But all these years later it was great to hear Roger speak fondly of Rick - and even of David Gilmour, for that matter. I wonder if the four Floyds each watched this DVD and maybe wondered...maybe a reunion might not be so impossible after all! Please! Before it's too late! ( Update: well the lads DID reunite after all, playing four songs together at Live 8. Thank you!!!)
  This DVD is definitely worth buying. It may be the closest thing to a Pink Floyd reunion we'll ever get. But I hope the positive vibe created by this DVD will get them back on stage again - with Roger this time! And just the four of them, none of this "army of session musicians" up there with them.
  Anyone at all optimistic about this? (Again: they went and did it, against all odds. So thanks to Roger, David, Rick and Nick for giving us all the next best thing to a Beatles reunion, the coming together of Pink Floyd.)
  
  
• THE. Must-have. Pink Floyd DVD.
  By A1TJXZ0X87CSNB on 2004-01-29
  Two hours ago, I was not a Pink Floyd fan.
  Since before I was born over 24 years ago, my parents had a deep affinity for Floyd, and I don't remember them ever playing any records as often as DSOTM, The Wall, and Animals. By the time I was four, The Wall was my favorite album, although the artwork on the inside of the sleeve provided me many a nightmare at the time. So I've loved PF pretty much all my life.
  But two hours ago, I was not a Pink Floyd fan. Sure, I thought their concerts were great, their music, everything, was fantastic. But I never thought of them as people, and that's what this DVD showed me.
  All the personality injected into this album, all the ideas, backstories, bells and whistles have never been more clear after watching this DVD. I must have listened to DSOTM literally hundreds of times in my lifetime, in open spaces, with good noise canceling headphones, you name it, and every so often I still hear new things. Well, this DVD kind of spoiled everything, because now there's nothing more to discover. Every minor detail is covered, sonically and lyrically, and after watching the DVD, the album is fresh once again, imagine that. I have a new respect for the album and the band as a whole. Well made documentary, some clips of their videos thrown in here and there, some old footage, but mostly more recent footage of interviews and such.
  This is so worth it, especially to watch Gilmour play, it's amazing to see that in over 30 years, he still has it. Beautiful.
  
  
• Good Info, Not very Re-watchable
  By ANRXS7235505A on 2004-12-30
  I thought this DVD was a pretty good one to sit down and watch for the first time. It was very informative but the songs were mostly cut out by the documentary part of it. They rarely, if ever, played a full song without interruption and I guess I expected that a little bit.
  
  I gave it three stars cause I think the info is very good and it shows how Dark Side was made pretty well.
  
  On the other hand, you (I) will probably have to wait a while before you watch it again. I impulse bought it several months ago and haven't watched it since.
  
  
• Dark Side of the Moon - The story behind the music.
  By A24ETPP34GTD3U on 2006-01-09
  First consumer beware! If you are lookng for a DVD with all the fantastic video clips of this legendary recording, this is not what you are looking for. There are short clips taken from the videos on certain selections. If you were interested in what was the mind set of the band members and the driving force behind this great album you found what you are looking for. This is one on one interviews with the band members, production personell, and entertainment journalist of the time. You will learn what makes this recording one of the greatest of all time. After watching this video myself, I have enjoyed listening to the music more. You start to hear the little things that define Pink Floyds music that you may have never really noticed before. understanding the music will bring a greater appreciation to it.
  
  
• Good, but not great
  By A2IK2GLPOBHWNG on 2003-09-03
  I consider myself a dedicated Pink Floyd fan, so when they release new items like remastered CDs and DVDs, I buy them. It almost seems as if they know that fans like myself will buy the DVD solely because it says Pink Floyd in the cover. This DVD was rather bland compared to the others like; The Wall, or even Roger Waters and Dave Gilmour in concert. However, I did enjoy the VH-1 program, but it was rather short. Also, the bonus features are only material that was cut out of the original program...boring. They can do better than this.
  
  
• Fascinating Look although some of the facts are wrong
  By A23YNMZ945GQ9B on 2005-07-13
  It is a fascinating look at the making of one the most complex and beautiful pieces of musical art of the last 50 years, if not of the 20th century. However, you will probably get more information if you read online interviews about the making of the album, and less of Roger Waters, god bless him, playing guitar. A lot of the stuff I already knew, but it was still interesting to see them describing it. I wish Mason would have had more screen time, his contributions were just as important, they didn't mention how he had to retune his ro-to toms after each chord change at the beginning of "Time". Also, all of the long delays were done with tape machines, before digital delays, and it was extremely painstaking (as all the tape looping etc.). I also have the classic albums "Who's Next" and it amazing how both bands foresaw the time of looping, but the technology had not caught up with them yet. Of course what you gain with digital in ease, you lose in warmth, and it take much less skill to create a computer loop than a tape loop.
  
  Anyway, I enjoyed some of the interviews, but some of it seemed either incorrect or overblown, Gilmour claims that "Money" is int 7/8 when it's actually in 7/4. Waters claims that the entire album can be summarized by "Us and Them" and talks about it's greater themese of human capabilities (interestingly similar to Pete Townsends themes in Lifehouse, which became "Who's Next"). The only thing is, Waters is either talking out his *ss or has really forgotten what the album is about. There is only one song about "Us and Them", hence the title, the rest is quite individual, about an individual's fears or death, and insanity and making money. This is not really hopeful at all, and the one hopeful thing in the entire album gets squashed by that depressing quote from the doorman "there is no dark side of the moon really, matter of fact it's all dark" (there is actually more the quote, but they cut it off). I always found this a much too gloomy ending to a album who's last sung message harkens back to the fall from divine grace, that humans are essentially good (as opposed to Locke and Hobbes who view our essential natures are nasty) but that society's pressures forces the dark side out of us, forces us to kill, forces us to become greedy, fearful etc. This is somewhat uplifting, but then to hear that final bit ... Waters probably regrets putting that in (and you know it was him that did it) although he doesn't say it, I bet he does.
  
  Anyway, as you can see, I've been thinking a lot about this album lately! :) It's a good DVD, a good follow up is "Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii" which has more footage of them actually recording DSOTM, it's a must have for any Floyd fan.
  
  
• Careful as you might feel cheated
  By A2RH0PDK6UQIXH on 2005-12-29
  There's no one complete song on this album. I was fooled and hope my advise may prevent others from falling in this trap. I love Pink Floyd and hoped to listen and see they perform but nothing like that happens in this DVD.
  
  
• Great to watch them play parts and describe the music
  By A2ACJ55JHHJ3FU on 2003-09-17
  I really enjoyed this DVD. My wife watched it with me, and though it was over an hour long, we both wished it was an hour longer.
  Roger talked about all 'his accomplishments' with an occasional pat on the back to rick or dave. But the other members were more apt to talk about the groups contribution, and you can tell that the anger that existed/exists between everyone is not as top shelf as it was before. Not that a reunion will ever happen but time heals everything.

  The movie talked about how each song was made, and you get to see each song dissected into smaller pieces, and you can watch Dave play TIME and other songs on both electric guitar and acoustic guitar.. great stuff. The highlight for me was watching Rick Wright -the most overlooked talent in the group- play his piano parts.. everything from US AND THEM to my ulitimate favorite THE GREAT GIG IN THE SKY.

  Powerful DVD about a POWERFUL recording.

  5 outta 5
  
  

• "I'd fallen out of love with the psychadelic noodling..."
  By A13FTZ243Q1HVW on 2003-10-20
  At first when I heard this DVD was just a show that aired on VH1, I was skeptical. After going through the bonus material even before watching the actual program, though, I knew I was in for a real treat. The history of the band is breifly discussed to show where creatively the four members, sans Syd, were at during this transitional period. From there, very in-depth interviews and note-for-note explanations for each song are given. Ever wanted to know who the choir heard in "Time" was, or maybe the incredible female singer in " The Great Gig In the Sky"? The rambling old man heard throughout the album, perhaps? Take a look. I, myself was always partial to "Time" and "Us and Them", two songs the DVD goes into great detail over. You are also treated to a super-smooth demonstration of David Gilmour's godlike guitar-playing prowess on both electric and acoustic! There are even demo reels of a bluesier version of "Money" and a somewhat more sullen version of "Time" revealed. Beautiful! Amazing music from an equally amazing band.
  
  
• The workings of the Floyd and more...
  By A36CHPMHHD1IO5 on 2004-07-16
  This is one of the best "Classic Albums" series on video. I think for people just discovering the band and picking up the SACD CD, it's a nice way to see how they made the album and what it took (lots of teamwork behind the console as well as in the studio). The video has the original made for TV part, but the best parts are in the extras, which are about as long.

  It's unfortunate that the band never filmed the "Dark Side" tour, and resorted to using a "Set the Controls" promo from the same time period, even though there is 8MM footage out there. Thankfully, some of the "Live at Pompeii" film showed the making of at the time, which they used to great effect, and then showed them in the present day. It's too bad PF neglected to film any of their shows from DSOTM to Animals... there's probably some "lost" footage floating around somewhere that they never knew about. But a lot of the "video" footage they used for the screen during the shows is also shown throughout the show, hopefully one day can be used as part of a video collection (supposedly, Nick Mason is putting one together).

  It's too bad they weren't willing to be in the same room with each other during the filming of the show though. A lot of it is really interesting to see Roger, Rick, and Dave break down their songs. But I did think that Dave's voice is starting to show wear, which may be why he is reluctant to do a full Floyd tour and is doing the acoustic shows. Hopefully they can do one show together for posterity at least, covering all eras.

  Overall, I don't know if this is something that will be played on the DVD player that often, but it's definitely worth watching at least once.
  
  

• Possibly the best in the "Classic Albums" series
  By AIHTGJFU61V5W on 2006-01-18
  For me, Roger Waters' explanations of the themes behind the album are the highlight here. He seems to think deeply about life, but is also able to express his thoughts simply and eloquently. I'd imagine he would have made a top-class psychologist if he hadn't taken the rock and roll path. He definitely has the aura of a leader, defining the piece and it's direction, while the other band members seem content to talk about the musical aspects of the album, as well as the circumstance of its making. This is valuable too, in its own way, and Rick Wright seems especially good at describing his influences and music-writing process. There's also good input from Alan Parsons and Chris Thomas, as well as the occasional long-haired jounalist giving their commentary on the album's impact. There's some on-stage footage, but don't expect too much; this is, after all, a documentary on the making of an album, and it stays well focused on that task. The bonus material is exceptional; highlights include a Roger Waters demo tape of "Time" that is radically different from the finished album track, and David Gilmour giving some virtuoso solo performances. Its hard to imagine how it could have been much better.
  
  
• BUM-bum... BUM-bum... BUM-bum...
  By A2YUY476AYUXKM on 2003-08-27
  I remember exactly were I was when I heard DARK SIDE OF THE MOON. It was my freshman year of high school and some upper classmates were doing a project on culture from each decades in the 20th century and one kid was pumping music from the 70s into the hallways. I caught the very end of "Speak To Me" that leads into "Breathe". I wanted to stay right there and listen to the rest of the album but, sadly, had to go to class. About a week later I bought the album and haven't looked back since. Of course I had heard "Time" and "Money" on the radio before but never in the confines of the album.

  This DVD is what I have been waiting for. I've read many books about Pink Floyd and love when band members recount the process of recording these songs so this documentary is made for me. Every one of the band members has a great respect for the time in which the album was made. Many of them perform bits of the songs right there and then for the cameras. Fabulous technical information and insight is brought to the album.

  I've taken one star off the rating because of one disapointment and one wish-they-did. Although the packaging states "track by track" two of these were not mentioned anywhere: "Speak To Me" (I could understand this one because it's basically effects) and "Any Colour You Like". Also, although the bonus features almost double the documentary, this would have been a great place to put an early (then called ECLIPSE) DARK SIDE OF THE MOON live performance. I know they had the footage, bits and pieces are presented throughout the documentary.
  
  

• Shedding New Light on the Dark Side!
  By A1Z6P5UQ0R5U8L on 2003-09-02
  This is great; all fans of the Floyd should see this. The band members and the other important contributors, all telling it the way they remember it. I particularly enjoyed the explanation and examples of how the album was mixed, hearing the different tracks isolated and recombined was incredible. And the extensive bonus material just added to the enjoyment!
  
  
• No full songs, but jammed pack full of insight.
  By A2YQPKWS9J5N53 on 2003-09-19
  First off let me say I was disappointed with this DVD because I mistakenly thought it would include all the songs from the Dark Side of the Moon in their entirety. I was kind of hoping for a video montage of all the songs from the album. Let’s be clear up front, this is NOT what this DVD is. In fact, I think there is only ONE song that they play all the way through.

  However, having said that, it was a very enjoyable DVD. Giving tons of insight into the making of the album and lots of great acoustic "this is how we did this" type of stuff from members of the band. Very informative, and in retrospect, an almost must have for big Pink Floyd fans.
  
  

• My Absolute Favorite Music DVD
  By A32L932E5RKCH1 on 2004-05-13
  As a big Floyd fan, purchased this out of curiosity. DSotM was not my top PF album, but certainly a favorite. I watched this on a flight and was upset when we started to land because I had to close the laptop! When I got to my hotel, I couldn't do anything before watching the rest of the DVD.

  The interviews are great. There are discussions with each band member, the engineer and the mixer. Great background conversations and real insight into what Waters was thinking when writing a lot of these songs. If you enjoy Pink Floyd and want a little better understanding on the whys _and_ hows of the making of the album, get this DVD!
  
  

• This is NOT a concert DVD - Thank God!
  By A3KN1CM9HS3SWB on 2004-06-26
  This DVD is a selection from the "Classic Albums" series which originally viewed on VH1. As the title of my review indicates, this is NOT a concert or a re-release of the album. Rather, it is an in-depth look at how the album was created. The documentary doesn't use a narrator, but rather incorporates several voices to tell a story, including contributions from all four members of the group, the engineer (Alan Parsons), the mixer (Chris Thomas), the cover/liner design man (Storm Thorgenson), the record company head who pushed and prodded the toads at Capitol Records to get behind the album (Baskar Menon) and several journalists -including David Fricke from Rolling Stone. All of them have "things to say" about the nuts and bolts of record producing, the marriage of art and commerce, and the place of this album in the pantheon of modern popular music (one british journaist calls it "among the most important artistic and musical statements of the last 50 years").
  The nearly hour-long "main" presentation is fairly linear, starting with background info from the time that Syd Barrett lost his mind to the formation of the main themes and music for the album before they ever started recording it, to a breakdown of nearly every song in order (with the lone exception of "Any Colour You Like"). Of special note: One gets to see Richard Wright play several pieces of his finest compositions ("Great Gig in the Sky" and "Us and Them") explaining how he came to write them and under what circumstances (his mention of "the jazz" and Miles Davis were fabulous); David Gilmour demonstrates the Synth V.A. - the first sequencer used for "On the Run" and he plays parts of his guitar solos on "Time" and "Money." Nick Mason offers some nice (but too brief) insights into the psychology of the band, and Roger Waters talks a bit about his the impetus behind his lyrics and demonstrates the original bluesy demo of "Money."
  The bonus material has some great stuff on it as well - in fact some of it far outstrips the aired material - including : David Gilmour's outstanding acoustic version of "Breathe" and Waters soulful acoustic version of "Brain Damage."
  The bonus section also gives a great deal of time to Roger Waters' explanation of how his politics and his life experiences shaped his lyrics and music.

  On the whole this is an outstanding piece of film-making, highlighting an important piece of music history. If you are a fan of Pink Floyd this is an indispensible DVD. If you are curious about how great art is created, this is an inexpensive way to find out.
  
  

• Pink Floyd - Live at Pompeii (Director's Cut)
• Pink Floyd - Pulse
• Classic Albums - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland
• Pink Floyd - The Wall 25th Anniversary (Deluxe Edition)
• Classic Albums - Queen: The Making of A Night at the Opera