Pink Floyd stands as one of the few bands in rock history to release two iconic albums regarded as masterpieces that also did amazing business. Dark Side Of The Moon, released in 1973, and The Wall, which arrived in 1979, are the twin poles in their incredible catalog. (Yes, Wish You Were Here is stellar as well, but not quite as well-known to the casual fan.)
So which of these masterpieces is more, um, masterful? Let’s look at the case that can be made for each before rendering our final decision.
The Case for ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’
Dark Side Of The Moon went beyond phenomenon status into another realm. It refused to leave the Billboard album charts, sticking around for year after year as fans discovered it anew. Consider that Pink Floyd was still somewhat of a cult band when they released it, and you can start to understand its special power.
It all came together organically, without much of the planning about themes and concepts that would go into later Floyd albums. The special effects and added touches (such as the bits of random dialogue that pop up around the songs) embellish the music without overwhelming it.
Musically, it’s the finest distillation of what the classic lineup of Pink Floyd could do when they were all pitching in with contributions. Lyrically, it effortlessly (and succinctly) delivers universal truths about the pressures facing us all and how we tend to internalize them instead of reaching out to others.
The Case for ‘The Wall’
The ambition of The Wall still stands as its greatest attribute. Roger Waters, who by that time had pretty much assumed artistic control of all Floyd product, built it up from his growing feelings of alienation towards his audience. From that, he extrapolated a massive story about how any one of us, when faced with stark reality, might want to retreat to insularity and paranoia.
This is very much a lyric-driven project, which means the music doesn’t float off into flights of fancy like past Floyd work. But Waters felt that he needed to grab folks by their lapels and shake them awake. The words accomplish that mission with their audacity.
The Wall also contains what we believe is Pink Floyd’s finest individual song in “Comfortably Numb” (with David Gilmour’s guitar solo after the first verse their finest individual moment). And the theatricality of the concept meant that it would have multiple lives in ways that Dark Side never could.
The Verdict: ‘Dark Side’ Bounds Over ‘The Wall’
If there’s one negative that sticks out with The Wall, it’s that it can feel exhausting. Two albums’ worth of songs devoted to one guy’s issues can be a bit much. One other downside is that it’s a lot of Waters, without enough contributions from Gilmour. (And none at all from Rick Wright, whose keyboards were so integral to past Floyd triumphs.)
By contrast, Dark Side Of The Moon, even with extended instrumental passages, comes across as concise. The concept is never driven home to the listener, so much as it gently wafts in a floating cloud. And it stays relevant in ways that The Wall, which is so intensely personal in places, can’t quite match.
Don’t get us wrong, you can’t go wrong with either. But pound for pound, Dark Side Of The Moon wins this matchup, just as it does against most other albums in classic rock history.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
