Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ turns 40

Pink Floyd's epic 1973 album, "The Dark Side of the Moon," one of the most influential and best-selling albums in rock history, will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a unique twist.

Please welcome: "Darkside, A Play By Tom Stoppard Incorporating The Dark Side of the Moon," which will be released in CD form on Nov. 25.

Yes, that's the same Tom Stoppard who is one of the most celebrated playwrights of the past 50 years. He won a 1998 Academy Award for co-writing the screenplay for "Shakespeare in Love." He also earned a Best Screenplay Oscar nomination in 1985 for the wonderfully surreal "Brazil," which he co-wrote with Monty Python alum Terry Gilliam and Charles McKeown.

Stoppard's new play was an original commission by BBC's Radio 2 in England to mark the 40th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s "Dark Side of the Moon." It was broadcast Aug. 26 and earned praise from two of the pioneering English art-rock band's two members.

"I found the script of Tom’s play fascinating," said former Floyd guitarist/singer David Gilmour. "I can’t think of a better way to celebrate 'The Dark Side of The Moon’s;'40 year anniversary."

Former Floyd drummer Nick Mason agreed, saying: "I love it. If anyone is going to mess with the crown jewel of albums, Tom is a very good choice."

Former Floyd bassist Roger Waters, who wrote nearly all of the lyrics for the "Dark Side" album has yet to weigh in. Two of the band's co-founders, guitarist Syd Barrett and keyboardist Rick Wright, are both deceased.

In a press release issued today, the Czech-born Stoppard said: "When 'The Dark Side of the Moon' was a new album in 1973, a friend of mine walked into my room where I was working with a copy in his hand and said ‘You really have to do a play about this album.’ So, when, roughly 39-and-a-half years later, Jeff Smith from Radio 2 asked me if I’d like to do some kind of play around the 40th birthday of the Pink Floyd album, it really wasn’t a very difficult decision.”

The release describes the upcoming Stoppard/Floyd CD in vivid detail: "Produced in collaboration with Sir Tom Stoppard’s publishers, Faber and Faber, the luxury package resembles a hard-backed book, including a CD of the 54-minute play, which includes the majority of 'The Dark Side of the Moon' album, plus a 56-page bound insert of the play’s script. The cover features artwork by Hipgnosis designer Aubrey 'Po' Powell in collaboration with Storm Studios, based on the specially-created Aardman Animations piece used to publicize the broadcast. The full play script includes all the dialogue and stage directions, plus Roger Waters’ original lyrics from the album. A second disc will feature text translations in German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Russian, Mandarin and Japanese.

" 'Darkside' incorporates music and lyrics from 'The Dark Side of the Moon,' which serves as the underscore to an abstract and compelling interpretation of the album’s series of grand themes, which are both thought-provoking and laced with Stoppard’s characteristic wit and humor. The play follows Emily, a philosophy student, through a series of thought experiments, which are vividly brought to life by a cast of characters portrayed by Bill Nighy, Rufus Sewell and others."

After an intro like that, all we have to say is (sorry, can't resist): Which one's Pink?

On a somewhat more serious note, we must express amazement that such a long press release about "The Dark Side of the Moon" does not include a single mention of either "The Wizard of Oz" or the munchies.

For those readers too young to get the reference, I refer you to this excerpt from my 2002 interview with Gilmour...

Pink Floyd's members have rarely commented on the urban legend that the band's epic 1973 album, "Dark Side of the Moon," was designed to be played in sync with the film "The Wizard of Oz." Gilmour laughed when he was jokingly asked if the album was, in fact, designed to be played in sync with the film "The Sound of Music."

"Not even The Wizard of Oz,' " he said. "I don't know where that (rumor) came from. I did, one sort-of drunken night, try to play the album and`Oz' together, and couldn't see any sense in it. It's a complete myth. People are strange -- the things they will do."

In a related development, Satirical TV host Stephen Colbert this week tied Pink Floyd's classic album to the legalization of pot in several states and expressed concern that some police in those states have encouraged pot-smokers to listen to their music at home at a "reasonable volume."

"Police should not be encouraging you to listen to 'The Dark Side of the Moon' at a reasonable volume!" Colbert said. "You miss all the depth from the song 'Money,' which goes from 7/4 to 4/4, and (David) Gilmour lays down a sick solo based on the pentatonic scale... is what i'm told by one of my editors."