The Soundtrack to My Life

The Dark Side of the Rainbow

One of my ambitions in life is to see Pink Floyd in concert. In 2005, the entire band reunited to perform at the Live Aid concert in London. It was the first time in over twenty-four years that all four band members played together. I was hoping they would announce a tour shortly after, and even though almost three years have passed, I am still optimistic that David, Roger, Nick, and Richard will come to terms and realize that I need one more Pink Floyd tour!

 

As indicated in my first blog, I grew up listening to Pink Floyd. I had never heard music that surrounded me with intricate guitar licks, wordless vocal solos, and sound effects such as clocks chiming, alarms ringing, coins jingling, airplanes landing, and a heart beating. I can still remember the day my Dad got the VHS tape, The Delicate Sound of Thunder; all of this elaborate music that had been only reaching me through sound was now a visual experience of flashing strobe lights, colorful lasers, flying pigs, and a guy in a suit made of light bulbs.

 

When I was a teenager, I heard through friends that when you played Pink Floyd’s album The Dark Side of the Moon along with the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz, the synchronization of the music with images from the film eminently match.  The best way to try this is to put in your copy of The Wizard of Oz with the volume muted. Have your Dark Side of the Moon CD ready to play on the third roar from the lion at the beginning of the film. Fans have dubbed this visual-audio experience The Dark Side of the Rainbow.

 

For now, the closest I will come to experiencing the quadraphonic surround sound of The Dark Side of the Moon and the intricate guitar solos from Wish You Were Here in combination with a mesmerizing light show, is by watching the DVD, Pulse. I will also continue to watch and listen to The Wall, imagining the concept of self-imposed isolation that is symbolized by the metaphorical “wall.” I am still hopeful that someday in the near future, I will attend my first Pink Floyd concert and have the much anticipated experience of a lifetime.