A behind-the-scenes, in-depth look at the making of one of the greatest sonic masterpieces and most commercially successful albums of all time.

In celebration of the 45th anniversary of The Dark Side of the Moon, Bill Kopp explores the ingenuity with which Pink Floyd rebranded itself following the 1968 departure of Syd Barrett. Not only did the band survive Barrett’s departure, but it went on to release landmark albums that continue to influence generations of musicians and fans. Reinventing Pink Floyd follows the path taken by the remaining band members to establish a musical identity, develop a songwriting style, and create a new template for the manner in which albums are made and even enjoyed by listeners. As veteran music journalist Bill Kopp illustrates, that path was filled with failed experiments, creative blind alleys, one-off musical excursions, abortive collaborations, general restlessness, and—most importantly—a dedicated search for a distinctive musical personality. This exciting guide to the works of 1968 through 1973 highlights key innovations and musical breakthroughs of lasting influence. Kopp places Pink Floyd in its historical, cultural, and musical contexts while celebrating the test of fire that took the band from the brink of demise to enduring superstardom.

The endurance of Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon on the Billboard Top 100 Chart is legendary, and its continuing sales and ongoing radio airplay ensure its inclusion on almost every conceivable list of rock's greatest albums. This collection of essays provides indispensable studies of the monumental 1973 album from a variety of musical, cultural, literary and social perspectives. The development and change of the songs is considered closely, from the earliest recordings through to the live, filmed performance at London's Earls Court in 1994. The band became almost synonymous with audio-visual innovations, and the performances of the album at live shows were spectacular moments of mass-culture although Roger Waters himself spoke out against such mass spectacles. The band's stage performances of the album serve to illustrate the multifaceted and complicated relationship between modern culture and technology. The album is therefore placed within the context of developments in late 1960s/early 1970s popular music, with particular focus on the use of a variety of segues between tracks which give the album a multidimensional unity that is lacking in Pink Floyd's later concept albums. Beginning with 'Breathe' and culminating in 'Eclipse', a tonal and motivic coherence unifies the structure of this modern song cycle. The album is also considered in the light of modern day 'tribute' bands, with a discussion of the social groups who have the strongest response to the music being elaborated alongside the status of mediated representations and their relation to the 'real' Pink Floyd.

(Guitar Recorded Versions). 18 of the most memorable songs from Pink Floyd's career in note-for-note guitar transcriptions in notes and tablature, including: Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2 * Astronomy Domine * Brain Damage * Breathe * Comfortably Numb * Have a Cigar * Hey You * Keep Talking * Learning to Fly * Money * On the Turning Away * Pigs (Three Different Ones) * Run like Hell * Shine on You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1-5) * Time * What Do You Want from Me * Wish You Were Here * Young Lust * and more.

Births, deaths and marriages, No1 singles, drug busts and arrests, famous gigs and awards... all these and much more appear in this fascinating 50 year almanac.Using a page for every day of the calendar year, the author records a variety of rock and pop events that took place on a given day of the month across the years.This Day in Music is fully illustrated with hundreds of pictures, cuttings and album covers, making this the must-have book for any pop music fan.

A blackly comic heist novel set in Glasgow’s famed underworld, reminiscent of early Christopher Brookmyre. Boddice, a crime lord looking over his shoulder for good reason, has assembled an unlikely band of misfit crooks. Their job is to steal a famous diamond worth millions, known as The Dark Side of the Moon. Despite the odds, the crew’s self-serving squabbles and natural incompetence, the plan progresses. As events build to an explosive climax no one really knows who is playing who. Full of twists and turns and laugh-out-loud moments, this is a hugely enjoyable romp from entirely the criminal’s point-of-view, with not a single cop in sight. ‘Neds, drug dealers, gangsters, molls, jakes, crazy old bag ladies, racketeering, and the biggest jewel heist ever seen in the UK. Welcome to Glasgow. No Mean City meets The Italian Job in this hilarious comic noir debut, as the dark underbelly of the city’s crimeland is spewed onto the page. With razor-sharp dialogue, superbly venal characters and a finely-tuned plot, The Dark Side of the Moon builds to an explosive firecracker of an ending.’ Douglas Lindsay, author of The Legend of Barney Thomson and Song of the Dead ‘Mix Irvine Welsh with Ocean’s Eleven. Set in Glasgow and BANG! Dark Side of the Moon is a fun and thrilling read with moments that will have you reflecting on life, and moments when you will be giving it LOLs. A boom-bastic read. Loved it.’ Michael Malone, author of Beyond the Rage and Bad Samaritan

Take a deep dive into one of the best-selling albums ever on the 50th anniversary of its release with this beautifully produced and authoritatively written slipcased edition. Veteran rock critic Martin Popoff leaves no stone unturned in taking apart Pink Floyd’s generation-spanning masterpiece, The Dark Side of the Moon, while exploring each of the album’s 10 tracks and their themes of madness, anxiety, and alienation. Chapters cover: The state of Pink Floyd as of 1972, with special emphasis on deposed founder Syd Barrett The recording sessions at famed Abbey Road Studios, including techniques used and the roles of personnel such as engineer Alan Parsons Song-by-song studies of each album side, including analyses of lyrics and the guitars, drums, keyboards, and synthesizers employed by members David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright The ground-breaking art and packaging created by design firm Hipgnosis and its founder Storm Thorgerson The continent-hopping tours that supported the album and also introduced the songs before its release The rock group’s trajectory post-Dark Side, including notable albums, tours, and the departure of Waters Popoff also takes you on side journeys examining each band member, session players, prog rock, the Live at Pompeii concert and film, Waters’ singular writing technique, Dark Sidecollectibles, awards, and more. There’s even a brief discography and complete LP tour dates. Pink Floyd and The Dark Side of the Moon is illustrated with stunning performance and candid off-stage photography as well as rare memorabilia. The result is a richly presented celebration and your ultimate tribute to the prog-rock masterpiece.