MUMBAI: 43 years ago, Pink Floyd released its eighth studio album and the rest is history. On 1 March 1973, the planet witnessed the release of ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’, and the progressive band from England reminded the universe of its importance and beauty. With sound engineer Alan Parsons, Pink Floyd’s album sold over 40 million copies and gradually influenced the music and the artists that followed. Music has the ability to travel beyond boundaries and inspire people on its way, and ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ followed suit. Some of India’s finest musicians recollect how the album created an impact when they first heard after its release.
Ehsaan Noorani –
“For me, ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ was the greatest album ever, in terms of growth as a musician, and a guitarist. Superlative. Creativity at its zenith. I had the fortune of listening to Roger Waters and David Gilmour live on different occasions, and Gilmour’s vocals are purely mind-blowing. These days, music has become a commodity. Back then, record labels paid these artists and provided the freedom to do as much as they can and want to, the freedom to experiment. The success of ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ can be judged by the fact that a factory was dedicated to the manufacture of the CDs, and the duration it spent on the Billboard’s chart. If I had to choose one song from the album, ‘Us and Them’ takes me to a completely different zone, and as a musician, I still wonder ‘How did they manage to do that?'”
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Rahul Ram (Indian Ocean)
“I remember the time when I used to play ‘Time’, back in the school days. I used to play the song while going to sleep. Definitely, the album was way ahead of its time. Their sound was more ‘open’, not a typical rock band, sonically. Oh, and what do I say about Gilmour’s tone! And the outro to the song. Although, my favourite Pink Floyd album is ‘Wish you Were Here’, this album too had a huge impact on me. In fact, all albums did, except ‘A Momentary Lapse of Reason’. None of the vocalists had great voices, and hence, Pink Floyd remains the classic example of how bands can achieve greatness despite lacking a great vocalist. To wonder if ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ had created a similar impact had it released today is futile. Pink Floyd’s albums have influenced the way music has been produced and composed now.”
Subir Malik (Parikrama)
“Almost everything about Parikrama was inspired by Pink Floyd. Right from the fire-works at our concerts to T-shirts falling onto audiences with the use of parachutes, which happened 25 years ago. ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ and ‘Final Cut’ are two of my favorite albums besides every other Pink Floyd album. ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ is a vital influence and an iconic record. In fact, I have bought a bass guitar that was signed by all four members of the band during the time of The ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’.
It’s one such album that I cannot listen to with the use of modern technology, and in my opinion, people who understand ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ are much more happy than the ones listening to the current day music.”
Uday Benegal (Indus Creed)
“I became the vocalist of ‘Indus Creed’ because of the composition ‘Time’. Mahesh Tinaikar (Indus Creed’s guitarist) heard me sing ‘Time’, and after just one jam, the band decided to make me the vocalist. How ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ impacted the universe is clearly evident. Their album art speaks volumes, and you do not have to be a Pink Floyd fan to recognise that art. A brilliant work of art, indeed. What makes ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ so timeless? Well, there is never one element, but the all the elements had excellence on every level – the production, the sound design, the management, you name it. ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ was remarkable despite its time. For me, ‘Us and Them’ offers a meditative state, and I love the track even to this day.
Chandresh Kudwa –
“In general, Pink Floyd’s influence on any guitarist is evident. The kind of reverb and delay used, the way the riffs and solos are constructed, and the song-writing and have had a great influence throughout. I got introduced to Pink Floyd when I was into a lot of ‘hardcore shred’ music, tracks like ‘Time’ and ‘Money’ from ‘Dark side of the moon’ were most inspiring and different from the kind of music, I was exposed to. Post that, I forayed into a classic rock sound, and my journey has been the other way round.”
