The Dark Side of the Moon.

Posted by: Mike Dudley on 27 March 2009

After finally assembling my dream system following a long period of "Ebay-type" and brand new purchases and waiting for the requisite "wearing in" to complete, I took the plunge last night and put on this old favourite. It became apparent that the setup I now have is more than capable, amongst other things, of reproducing bad recordings accurately! It turns out that, for me, the Floyd's masterpiece is a fine example of everything wrong with early 1970's rock recording habits. At first, everything is fine. All the way up to "Time" I've got what you'd expect from a good recording on a good setup, and then Roger Water's vocal kicks in... All of a sudden I can hear that the vocal has been severely gated. This effect becomes even more pronounced when more instruments and multiple vocals kick in. The saxaphone solo passages in "Money", for instance, do the same thing. It sounds compressed and over-controlled. I suppose this is the result of trying to record for an age when HiFi systems were "Loudspeaker-first" designed where multiple-tracked passages simply sounded muddled without the tracks being compressed to the point of lifelessness! This classic album now sounds schizophrenic. During the less complicated bridging and instrumental passages, it sounds terrific - all the spoken parts ("I know I'm mad, I've always been mad" etc) now coming through clearly but followed by a horribly compressed and over-controlled section that does the performances no favours... The flipside of this is the upside, however. Well-recorded music sounds superb. I'm just off for a spot of Earl Klugh's "Finger Paintings". Bliss.
My system: CDX(black)/XPS(olive)/NAC202/NAPSC/NAP200/NACA5/Isoblue rack/ProAc D15's.
"There's no dark side of the moon really. Matter of fact, it's all dark." Cool
Posted on: 27 March 2009 by Mat Cork
It's a horses for courses thing though I guess Mike. 70's era rock recordings are to my ears one of the highpoints of recorded music...I can't say I ever consider it to the level you do though (nowhere near that in fact)...it just sounds 'right' to me, and makes me grin - which is why DSotM is an album I love to hear, played on a good system.
Posted on: 27 March 2009 by Mike Dudley
Hey, Mat. I think it's just this record - I've got other recordings from that era that sound fine - Fairport Convention for instance (lacking in top treble sparkle but coherent, soundstaged and clear). Even stuff from the fifties - Miles Davis, Thelonius Monk Live - still sound superb! How's the Atlantic running today? Smile
Posted on: 27 March 2009 by 'haroldbudd'
... And Chris Thomas did a fine job on it as well, let's not forget him.

1973-Chris Thomas

1) Roxy Music- For Your Pleasure (side one )

2) Brian Eno - Hear Come the Warm Jets

3) Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon ( mixed ?? )

4) Roxy Music - Stranded

All Classics,...I'd say that's a pretty good year's work !
Posted on: 27 March 2009 by JohanR
Yeah, in the 1970's they knew how to make rock recordings sound good.

My favourites are early Blood, Sweat & Tears, Doobie Brothers or 10 CC.

And today, all they manages to do, it seems, is destroy them with the latest loudness war CD "remasters". Vinyl reissues excluded.

Anyone who has a time machine?

JohanR
Posted on: 27 March 2009 by Mat Cork
I've been listening to a lot of old Gerry Rafferty records lately, and they sound great. I wonder if it was just the era (pre-digital) when engineers had to rely on their ears more than levels and numbers? I can picture some bloke in Chipping Norton with a full ashtray next to him crafting this stuff at 3am.
Posted on: 27 March 2009 by Diccus62
No comment Big Grin
Posted on: 27 March 2009 by Guido Fawkes


Back To The Wall
In Your Eyes
Kum On
On This Road
Only To Do What Is True
Sittin' In The Sun
You And Me

Although Dark Side of the Moon was indeed a fine album; IMHO it is still not Medicine Head's best. I would recommended Heavy on the Drum as the best place to start.

Perhaps Medicine Head do deserve their own thread, but really good to hear that others on the forum rate and enjoy the band's 1972 elpee Dark Side of the Moon. I think another elpee of similar title was released the following year by another group who are alas long forgotten on this forum.

ATB Rotf
Posted on: 27 March 2009 by Diccus62
quote:
Originally posted by munch:
quote:
Originally posted by Diccus62:
No comment Big Grin
I knew that post was coming Winker


i'll suprise you one day MUNCH I might listen to it again and like its pomposity..............don't hold your breath tho Eek
Posted on: 27 March 2009 by JamieL
I am always surprised when this album is referred to a great recording. Maybe I have got/heard bad copies.

I got one of the early remasters on CD (1993 I think) and it just sounded brittle, almost all the bass had been removed, the start to 'Time' just went 'plink' instead of 'BOOM'. I took it back and got the last copy of the unremastered version, which sounds like my vinyl version. A little muddy, but with a full tonal range, including bass.

Perhaps I will bring that along to one of the forum gatherings, compare it to other versions, to find out what I have been missing.

I also have an unremastered 'Wish You Were Here', but would like to hear the remaster(s). 'Animals' I have the standard remaster, and am very happy with it, but it is my favourite Pink Floyd album anyway.

For early 70's recordings, Yes 'Close to the Edge' is one of my favourites for clarity, and music. I like some of the Jethro Tull albums too, but I know others hate them for lack of bass.
Posted on: 27 March 2009 by Vik
quote:
'Animals' I have the standard remaster, and am very happy with it, but it is my favourite Pink Floyd album anyway.


Where have you been all my life?
Posted on: 27 March 2009 by MilesSmiles
Guys, you've got to get the Japanese first pressing (Black Triangle) from 1983. It is by far the best version on CD - the sound is amazing and I use it as one of my reference recordings for system tests.

The below is a nice write up:
"In June 1983, the Pink Floyd album Dark Side of the Moon was put onto compact disc for the first time. These early digital pressings of the album were made in the Shizuoka Prefecture of Japan by CBS/Sony Records, Inc. of Japan at one of the first CD pressing plants in the world. Still regarded by audiophiles as one of the best sounding copies of Dark Side of the Moon on CD, this document is a look at these early Japanese pressings."
http://pinkfloydarchives.com/Discog/Japan/DSCD1/JADS1.htm


Posted on: 28 March 2009 by Diccus62
Thanks Munch, I have been recently listening to a recording made by an ex defence minister with a love for black magic, any ideas what its called? Winker
Posted on: 28 March 2009 by Vik
quote:
Originally posted by MilesSmiles:
Guys, you've got to get the Japanese first pressing (Black Triangle) from 1983. It is by far the best version on CD - the sound is amazing and I use it as one of my reference recordings for system tests.


noted; thanks!
Posted on: 28 March 2009 by Mike Dudley
quote:
Guys, you've got to get the Japanese first pressing (Black Triangle) from 1983. It is by far the best version on CD - the sound is amazing and I use it as one of my reference recordings for system tests.


Sounds exactly what I want. So - how can I get one? Any ideas? Confused
Posted on: 28 March 2009 by Tarquin Maynard - Portly
I have a dozen or so versions of DSoTM, probably the best is the 30th anniv reissue.

Superb on CD or vinyl - even against a first press, Japanese, etc.
Posted on: 28 March 2009 by Mike Dudley
So where should I look? Apart from Amazon and Ebay?
Posted on: 28 March 2009 by Lontano
quote:
Originally posted by Mike Dudley:
So where should I look? Apart from Amazon and Ebay? (Sorry about the dumbass burn query, VIK by the way...) Red Face Roll Eyes


Take a look at the Steve Hoffman forum classifeds section. Keep watching and one will likely turn up. I think you have to be logged in to see the classifieds.
Posted on: 28 March 2009 by Mike Dudley
No worries... Found both the Japanese AND the 30th anniversary version on Amazon...
Posted on: 28 March 2009 by Steve Bull
Personally, I think this is the best version:
Posted on: 28 March 2009 by Whizzkid
quote:
Originally posted by Vik:
quote:
'Animals' I have the standard remaster, and am very happy with it, but it is my favourite Pink Floyd album anyway.


Where have you been all my life?



Any true Floyd fan knows that Animals is there best album VIK Winker.



Dean..
Posted on: 28 March 2009 by Wolf2
Knew a guy that went to Animals concert at a stadium in LA. He said they blew up 3 huge animal balloons tethered over the stadium for the finale. Must have been awesome.
Posted on: 28 March 2009 by MilesSmiles
quote:
Originally posted by Lontano:
quote:
Originally posted by Mike Dudley:
So where should I look? Apart from Amazon and Ebay? (Sorry about the dumbass burn query, VIK by the way...) Red Face Roll Eyes


Take a look at the Steve Hoffman forum classifeds section. Keep watching and one will likely turn up. I think you have to be logged in to see the classifieds.


Steve Hoffman forum is a good way to go - you will need 50 posts to get to the classifieds.
Posted on: 28 March 2009 by MilesSmiles
... and even that would not have been enough to get the sealed 35DP of WYWH on ebay a short while back. Winker
Posted on: 30 March 2009 by Mike Dudley
Thanks, all. I hadn't realised that the transfer from analogue to digital process could be so variable! Live and learn...