DSOTM Live At Wembley 1974 LP Review
Available as a super-deluxe box set, featuring a hardbacked book (thankfully available separately) and various reproduction 7″ singles, Dark Side Of The Moon returns for its 50th anniversary and with a price-tag to match. Fans have already taken to the forums to air their displeasure, especially as the set contains less content then the last deluxe offering (the much maligned Immersion Edition), bringing nothing new to the table beyond a Dolby Atmos mix (which is also available separately via streaming). As such, the majority of Pink Floyd Fans will likely head for the separately-released Live At Wembley 1974. While the audio has already made an official appearance during the Why Pink Floyd campaign, this is the set’s first official release on vinyl and, with some decent effort put into the packaging, it’s an inexpensive way to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of an album that has lost none of its ability to inspire in the intervening years.
The Package
Housed in a gorgeous gatefold sleeve, Live At Wembley 1974 is adorned with artwork-in-progress and, like the negative images used to present the Led Zeppelin companion discs, it provides an attractive counterpart to the blank face of the original album sleeve. It serves as an apt metaphor too, for this live rendition offers a harder edged version of the album than the polished masterpiece recorded at Abbey Road the previous year. Inside the sleeve, you’ll find the vinyl in a simple, black, poly-lined sleeve and a pair of posters. These showcase two fantastic pieces of Gerald Scarfe’s artwork – the flying clocks from the Time live screen, and his now-legendary portrait of the band as caricatures. Both are welcome, although it is a shame that there’s no booklet featuring live shots or liner notes reflecting on the importance of the record.
The Album
Fans have already raged about the fact that this is not the complete Wembley 1974 show and rightly so. Given that the audio was released previously, a sensible move would have been to dust off the entire set, which opened with early versions of Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Sheep (titled Raving and Drooling) and Dogs (entitled You’ve Got To Be Crazy) – all of which appeared as part of the Wish You Were Here Immersion set – and the last airing of Echoes for over a decade, notable for its Dick Parry sax solo (found nestled away in the Early Years box set). Moreover, in order to fit onto one LP, a number of songs are truncated, namely Money, Any Colour You Like and Eclipse; while The Great Gig In The Sky is subjected to a fade at the end of side one. While all of this is done with subtlety and care, it is still a shame that a double (or even triple) LP wasn’t considered, given the auspicious nature of the occasion.
What is not included is rather moot however, and what we do have here is a beautifully packaged and pressed LP, featuring a stunning live version of DSOTM in sequence. It has to be said that the vinyl sounds absolutely amazing. Even with the volume cranked, there is no discernible surface noise or crackling to distract from what must have been a truly epic performance. From the bass-heavy thud of Speak To Me, through the treble-heavy cacophony that opens Time, Andy Jackson and Damon Iddins have worked some serious sonic magic, bringing the show to life on vinyl for the first time, and there’s no question that fans will enjoy having the chance to hear it in this format.
Great moments abound – the deftly intertwined vocals from Waters and Gilmour on Time, the absolutely remarkable performance from Venetta Fields and Carlena Williams on The Great Gig In The Sky and the almost art-rock guitar atmospherics that predominate (present on the album, but woven into something more polished), all of which serves to remind the listener that Pink Floyd were indeed a rock band; something which, as majestic as their latter-day performances undoubtedly were, is sometimes forgotten. It truly is a remarkable performance and, edits be damned, such care has been taken over the mix and master, that you’ll find yourself lost in the heart of it all, unaware that anything has been lost.
Overall, while fans will undoubtedly already own a version of this concert, this reasonably-priced and handsomely packaged LP remains a fitting celebration of a classic album. Surely there will be those who value the box set, but at £230 at time of writing, for many it will be too much for too little, where this hits the sweet spot and provides an opportunity to enjoy a deservedly revered piece of music all over again. 9/10
DSOTM @50 Events
Warner Music [Sony Music outside Europe] today release the newly remastered Pink Floyd’s ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ as a deluxe box set to celebrate 50 years since the release of one of the best-selling albums of all time. Click here for details. The album will also be available for the first time in Dolby Atmos on streaming platforms, as well as part of the deluxe box set.
Simultaneously, the CD and first ever vinyl issue of Pink Floyd’s ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon – Live At Wembley Empire Pool, London, 1974’ are released independently as well as the book Pink Floyd – The Dark Side Of The Moon: 50th Anniversary, by Thames & Hudson which showcases rare and previously unseen photographs taken during The Dark Side Of The Moon tours of 1972-1975.
What more fitting a place to celebrate and experience ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ turning 50, than in a Planetarium through the music set to visuals. With the help of the latest technology, the idea of a show combining breath-taking views of the solar system and beyond, played out to 42 minutes of The Dark Side Of The Moon in surround sound, has been embraced by the band. NSC Creative have led the visual production efforts, working closely with Pink Floyd’s long time creative collaborator Aubrey Powell from Hipgnosis. Each song has a different theme; some futuristically looking forward and some a retro acknowledgment to Pink Floyd’s visual history, all relating to a time and space experience, embracing up to the minute technology that only a Planetarium can offer. A truly immersive and all-encompassing surround sound and visual treat that will transcend reality and take you way beyond the realms of 2D experience. The first venues announced are listed below with many more venues to be added over the coming weeks. Please click here for Planetariums shows details.
As another special event to mark the album’s milestone, the Empire State Building in New York City will be illuminated tonight with the special 50th Anniversary prism spectrum artwork to spin in its mast. The display will kick off at sunset and can be seen throughout New York City, as well as online from the Empire State Building Live Cam.
Italy celebrated the album through a light show and Milan’s Duomo square saw the prism cover 500 square meters of it (not counting the “rainbow ray of lights and the white beam) from 8pm on 23rd March.
Pink Floyd’s ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ 50th Anniversary release is
available to order here
Pink Floyd – The Dark Side Of The Moon: 50th Anniversary Book available here and here
Download book cover image at this link
Planetariums shows details here
Empire State Building Live Cam
For More Information:
Official Website: https://www.pinkfloyd.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pinkfloyd
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pinkfloyd/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pinkfloyd/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pinkfloyd
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/pinkfloyd
PLANETARIUMS CONFIRMED SO FAR (MANY MORE TO COME):
CZECHIA, KRAVI HORA BRNO OBSERVATORY AND PLANETARIUM FROM 25TH MARCH
https://www.brnoid.cz/en/observatory-tickets?e=26289
GERMANY, BOCHUM ZEISS PLANETARIUM FROM 17TH MAY
https://www.planetarium-bochum.de/de_DE/home
GERMANY, GLUECKSBURG MENKE-PLANETARIUM FROM 22ND APRIL
https://www.planetarium-gluecksburg.de
GERMANY, HAMBURG PLANETARIUM FROM 24TH MARCH
https://www.planetarium-hamburg.de/de/veranstaltungen-tickets/details/the-dark-side-of-the-moon-planetarium-experience
GERMANY. KIEL MEDIENDOM DER FACHHOCHSCHULE KIEL FROM 1ST APRIL
https://www.fh-kiel.de/mediendom/
GERMANY, MANNHEIM PLANETARIUM FROM 13TH MAY
https://www.planetarium-mannheim.de
GERMANY, SOLINGEN GALILEUM FROM 1ST MAY
https://galileum-solingen.de
GERMANY, WOLFSBURG PLANETARIUM FROM 16TH MAY
https://planetarium-wolfsburg.de
SWITZERLAND, LUZERN PLANETARIUM IM VERKEHRSHAUS DER SCHWEIZ FROM 1ST APRIL
http://www.verkehrshaus.ch/pinkfloyd
UK, GLASGOW GLASGOW SCIENCE CENTRE FROM 24TH MARCH
https://www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/whats-on/pink-floyds-dark-side-of-the-moon
USA, CHICAGO ADLER PLANETARIUM FROM 31ST MARCH
https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/event/pink-floyd-the-dark-side-of-the-moon-adler-planetarium/
