Mobtown Moon (2013)

I not only like this album, I like the whole concept behind it: get a bunch of local musicians from different musical backgrounds, form a non-profit collective, and record a cover album of Dark Side Of The Moon. From the (now defunct) Mobtown Moon website:

More than forty musicians, all from Baltimore. Classic Pink Floyd, thoroughly reimagined on a CD released just in time for the 40th anniversary of the original. This is not your typical “cover” project. Instead, it features fresh new arrangements: surprising grooves, eclectic instruments, gorgeous vocals. Glimmers of rock, jazz, classical, hip-hop, gospel, even opera.

This labor of love results in a unique combination of groundbreaking familiarity. This project was conceived by Sandy Asirvatham (now known as Sandhya) and ellen cherry; their attitude seems to be "if you can play something, come join us!" So we've got everything from banjo to bassoon to spoken word. And they're talented enough to pull it off. Familiarity with the source material is a plus, just so you can know how creative these guys are.

To me, the overall feel of the album is downbeat (think Roger Waters meets Zero 7) - stripped down, laid back, subdued, jazzy. Perfect for late night listening (preferably immediately following the Pink Floyd original). It's worth your time and money to go support the project with a download or CD purchase. Do it so we can get another album like this soon (I'm recommending Abbey Road for the collective's next project. Mobtown Road, anyone?).

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: It's definitely worth a start-to-finish listen, but my favorite "re-imaginings" are Breathe, Time, Any Colour You Like, and Eclipse. My least favorite track on the original album, Money, is given new life here by Cris Jacobs, and is wonderfully followed up by the original Dream/Counterfeit.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, although until now, I had no idea the one of Baltimore's nicknames was "Mobtown."

Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)

Note: the CD I listened to was the 1987 CD issue, not one of the subsequent reissues.

Per my idiosyncrasies, the three following conditions must be met for listening to this album:

1. It must be after 9 PM
2. I must have a snifter of cognac on hand
3. It must be heard on headphones

Check, check, and check. Let's do this.

Ah, that's the stuff. Never disappoints.

The legacy of this album is well-documented so I won't go into all that. I can't pick out any one thing that I like best about this album, because it's the overall soft, lush sound that is so attractive to my ears. It would seem Alan Parsons deserves as much credit as the band members.

Update: In its 2020 list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, Rolling Stone ranked Dark Side Of The Moon at #55.

Press of the time:

• Rolling Stone: "The Dark Side of the Moon has flash - the true flash that comes from the excellence of a superb performance."
• Stereo Review: "In between the huffings and puffings on this album, there are some comatose vocals"
• Record World: "extraordinary album"
• Billboard: "This is music for intense listening."
• Robert Christgau (B): "this is a kitsch masterpiece--taken too seriously by definition, but not without charm."

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #1
• CashBox: #1
• Billboard CD: #5
• CashBox CD: #1

Tracks:  There's really only two tracks, aren't there? Side one and side two. I prefer what was side one, especially The Great Gig In The Sky. Side two actually starts out with my least favorite track, Money, but the remainder rebounds quickly culminating with Eclipse that leaves me wanting more.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  Not having the kind of family members that would hip me to such things, I didn't hear this album until 1987. And that's probably for the best. I was visiting my buddy Richard and he had just purchased a CD player along with this CD. Late one night after some cognac, he put this on, handed me some headphones and said goodnight. My only previous experience with Pink Floyd had been limited to The Wall (the movie and the singles from the album). Of course, I had heard about the album for many years and just figured this album was a stoner thing that I didn't need to mess with.

I had no idea what to expect, but I certainly wasn't prepared for what came over the headphones. I sat in darkness as the experience washed over me. At that time, the digital CD experience was new enough to my ears, but add all this sonic depth and I was a little overwhelmed. I wouldn't say I loved it at first listen, but I was definitely intrigued. As such, I had my own copy of the CD within 3 months. I've never ripped it to iTunes because I want to hear the whole thing from start to finish under the conditions listed above. Even when the local classic rock radio station plays Money, I immediately switch stations because I don't want to hear that song out of context.

Your humble blogger & Richard, December 1987
There's a good chance this may have been
the very night I was exposed to this album.