1001 Albums Summary

To me, this album is an indisputable all-timer. For the vast majority of tracks I've listened to, the context of the original album doesn't really matter; I find it just as rewarding or enjoyable to listen to the tracks in isolation or on a playlist as part of the album. But, that's not the case for any track on The Dark Side of the Moon: the whole truly is greater than the sum of its parts. That was clearly the intention of Pink Floyd; hence, the album is self-consciously cohesive, with seamless transitions from track to track and an overarching soundscape. Of course, while each track stems from the same vision, there's still plenty of variation between them. For instance, the vocals on every track have a dreamy, echoey quality, but they have an airy and incorporeal(?) tone on "Us And Them" and "Breathe (In The Air)," whereas they sound piercing and ragged on "Time" and "Money." These vibe shifts are matched by other elements of the soundscape, like the wailing of the guitars. In terms of my favorite tracks, I'm a normie: "Breathe (In the Air)," "Time," and "Money" are everyone's go-tos, although I also love "The Great Gig In the Sky," "Us And Them," "Brain Damage," and "Eclipse." Honestly, this album is banger after banger, and I like them all; it's just that I like the more "transitiony-sounding" tracks like "Speak to Me" or "On the Run" a little less. One Album a Day linked me to the 2011 remastered version of The Dark Side of the Moon, which includes the "Live At the Empire Pool" version of each track. Normally, I strongly prefer studio versions over live recordings, since, to my ear, studio mixes sound better, but I'm quite fond of the included live recordings. The vocals seem gritty, rough, and flat, which injects a little more cynicism and disillusionment into the lyrics; it's no longer a dream. I also prefer the saxophone and guitar solos on the live "Money" over the studio version. I've never been to a Pink Floyd concert, so I wonder what their set lists are like: do they always play their albums in full, or do they sometimes bang out only the greatest hits? It'd be a shame if it were the latter, I think. (5/5)

Yesterday, I listened to this album for the first time, but I was feeling too dark and stormy to *really* listen, so the only sounds I registered were those of the shrieking falsetto vocals, which I hated. I would've been content to rate this album poorly and move on to the next, but I thought I'd give it a fair shake and listen intently today. I'm glad I did, because it turns out there's a lot to like in Deep Purple in Rock. The riffs are simple, yet catchy, and can easily become earworms. The lyrics, too, are simple, but have a bit of charm. I thought the first verse of "Living Wreck," about coming along for a weekend but only staying for one night, was especially clever. My favorite tracks were "Living Wreck" and "Flight of the Rat," though "Speed King" was also fun to listen to. (3.5/5)

I like the lack of subtext, and that every track is about sex, violence, or wanting to die: it's all very visceral, primal, raw. I like Gordan Gano's voice; it's nasally and whiny and full of indignation, but in a good way, or at least in a way that works. I like that half of each track is shout-spoken, and that the repeated choruses have a chanted mantra-like quality. I'd describe this album as cathartic, purging me of strongly held sentiments I didn't realize I had. A few of the tracks weren't noteworthy and felt sort of, scattered and meandering, but that's my only criticism, and despite that, I do think Violent Femmes is an album in which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, though there were a few parts that I really enjoyed: "Blister In The Sun," "Gone Daddy Gone," and "Ugly." (4/5)