In Reply to: Someone help me. I really don't understand the appeal of this recording. posted by Dalton on March 16, 2007 at 11:37:56:
...you probably would've had to have lived during those times.>>> "To me - and I stress to me - the music and musicianship is average, the lyrics banal, and the recording nothing all that special. It seems to be a standard overdubbed studio recording, with some sound effects (heartbeats, clock chimes, cash registers, etc.) added. Bid deal." <<<
Taken in the context of music produced and released in 1972-73, it's quite sophisticated, and sound-wise it was audiophile, at least for any of the college crowd fortunate enough to hear an early pressing of the LP over top-of-the-line Acoustic Research speakers.
>>> "I recognize a few of the songs, but I never paid much attention to this music when it came out in the 70s and I'm not a Pink Floyd fan. I have only listened to the recording a couple of times after buying inot the hype surrounding the release of the SACD version. Both times I was stone cold sober. (Perhaps that's the problem?)" <<<
First time I heard this I was stone cold sober as well, and it was still a trip, ...without any recreational assistance! While visiting a couple of friends in their new off campus apartment I was asked "have you heard this yet?" and my bud proceeded to crank DSoTM up over his AR3A speakers while his wife lunged for the falling dishes. My jaw hit the floor before the plates. "Wow, who the heck is that?" was all I could muster.
>>> "I am wondering how much of the appeal of this recording is simply based on nostalgia - people returning to this music and remembering an old girlfriend, good times with friends in the smoking pit, that beloved muscle car, or the senior prom." <<<
Maybe you're just too young, but this album is one of the top sellers of all time, and has consistently sold well throughout the 70's, 80's & 90's, so I have to assume that this album has found new audiences again and again. Heck, even a modern prog-group like Dream Theater toured DSoTM as a tribute to Pink Floyd's classic album.
>>> "Is it possible for someone who is unfamiliar with the music to recognize it as this "masterpiece" that people who have extramusical associations with it deam it to be? Or is this just "comfort food" for 70s stoners?" <<<
I guess so; after all, you apparently didn't grow up listening to it and don't recognize it as a masterpiece! BTW, there's no reason to denigrate those who revere this album by hypothesizing that they must be stoned to appreciate it.
AuPh
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Follow Ups
- You are mistaken in some of your impressions, but to fully appreciate DSoTM ... - Audiophilander 14:00:16 03/16/07 (9)
- I always thought it was great, from the first note, BUT thought it was eclipsed - Duilawyer 17:23:25 03/16/07 (1)
- Your friends were right :-) (nt) - Christine Tham 23:14:32 03/16/07 (0)
- Likewise - Christine Tham 15:34:37 03/16/07 (6)
- Ah. Nostalgia. - Dalton 18:19:54 03/16/07 (5)
- No, not just nostalgia - Christine Tham 22:00:44 03/16/07 (4)
- "It totally blew me away." - Dalton 11:02:12 03/17/07 (3)
- Well, I think you either "get it" or you don't, as Metralla said - Christine Tham 15:44:39 03/17/07 (2)
- Thanks Christine. - Dalton 16:36:55 03/17/07 (1)
- Actually, it's best to listen to it with a clear head ... - Christine Tham 17:33:44 03/17/07 (0)