Dark Side of the Moon 30th Anniversary Edition

By far the best version is the SQ Quadraphonic LP version, but as far as the stereo mix goes, the original UK Harvest CD (made in Japan) is still the high point.

Ten years ago, the fine engineer Doug Sax made a valiant effort, but it is clear listening to that XXth Aniversary Edition CD that the original tapes no longer have the same dynamics they originally had (magnetic analog storage slowly loses it quality).

Nevertheless, I decided to give this new 30th Anniversary CD a try. I should mention here that this is only a review of the standard stereo tracks - I don't yet have an SACD-capable player.

However this release doesn't make me want to run out and buy one. My worst fears have been realized as once again, the overall mix of the album has been lost in favor of "resolving power", ie the ability to hear little details. The problem is that after applying techniques to bring out such details, the engineers have done nothing to restore the original mix of the album.

The result is like a starving artist's copy of a Rembrandt painting - it sounds something like Dark Side of the Moon, but when you hear the real thing, you realize that it is only a faded imitation.

The problem is that few people these days have access to what it actually sounds like. Almost no one listens to their LP versions, and only a handful of people are lucky enough to own the original UK Harvest CD. Furthermore, it seems clear that the engineers of this 30th Anniversary Edition haven't listened to the original, either.

Interestingly, the original engineer, Alan Parsons, asked to be involved in this 30th Anniversary Edition project, but was shut out. It would seem that future listeners suffer as a result.

PS My qualifications: I am a California state certified Studio Recording Engineer. One of my instructors was the original engineer for the drum recordings for "Dark Side of the Moon". I compared the 30th Anniversary Edition, XXth Anniversary Edition, and UK Harvest CDs using AKG K240 Studio Monitor headphones (as used in many studio recording situations over the past 20-30 years).


Great SACD reissue...but...   March 26, 2003
P. Hamm (Virginia, USA)
346 out of 379 found this review helpful

This new remaster of Dark Side of the Moon is a wonderful sonic treat. The subtle sound effects and rich tapestry of sound is now surrounding you in DSD 5.1 glory (if you have an SACD player) and the clarity is outstanding. I read where they went back to some original "un-pre-mixed" tracks that hanever been heard "first-generation" by any of us before. Very nice...

...BUT...

I have a few beefs, some minor, some major.

1. The song breaks are in the wrong places. Generally they take you not to the next track, but a few seconds before the real song break takes place. It's REAL aggravating. Oops...

2. The mix seems to me to be subtly different from what I'm used to (I never had the 92 remaster, only the original LP and CD releases) and in some cases, I'm afraid it's noticably different (inferior?) Most notably is "Great Gig in the Sky" where the wonderful vocal solo is relegated to the background, fighting for attention with the organ. This is somewhat mitigated by the surround mix, but on a standard CD player it was noticable, and a little irritating. Since I do a lot of listening in the car, I'm just not sure I wouldn't prefer the original CD to this there. Or I guess I could just burn the old vinyl copy onto CD (see below)

3. I'm sorry, but the title of this album is "Dark Side of the Moon", not "THE Dark Side of the Moon" as it says on the spine of this reissue. Serious proofreading error, imho. Maybe it's intentional, to distinguish?

4. Nice new cover art, but the original was perfect. I wish that the book had been reversible, so you could have the original cover image. (btw, I didn't like the change they made in 92 either) I know it's nitpicking, but back in the days when album art was 12" square it wouldn't have been.

Ultimately, it's worth getting if you're a fan of the album, and if you're not a fan of the album...what is your problem? But to my ears, as a CD, this does not surpass the High-quality Vinyl Original Master Recording from Mobile Fidelity that I listened to in the 80s (on a really good turntable and stereo). Unless of course, you must have surround. And if you must, you MUST hear this. The 5.1 mix is exhilirating, and not as obnoxious and "un-musical" as others I've heard. I give it 4 stars, because the SACD portion definitely gets 5, and the CD gets about 3, so I split the difference.


Yes, It's Totally Worth Getting....   April 1, 2003
Alan Caylow (USA)
76 out of 85 found this review helpful

....even if you *can't* access the surround-sound mix! I won't bother reviewing the album itself---we know already that Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon" is an immortal rock masterpiece. The big question about this special 30th Anniversary Edition is, is it worth getting, especially if you've already shelled out money for the original CD version, the Mobile Fidelity gold CD version, AND the 20th Anniversary Edition from 10 years ago? Could this landmark album be worth buying yet again? The answer is a resounding *YES*! The funny thing is, I don't even own a proper home theater system, so I can't play the special surround-sound mix, only the regular stereo mix. And that alone has totally blown me away. Believe me, you've NEVER heard "Dark Side Of The Moon" sound this good. This 30th Aniversary Edition of "Dark Side" is a complete package all the way around. The new, updated prism cover art by Storm Thorgerson & Peter Curzon is very colorful & cool to look at, and the new CD booklet, 30 pages long with 30 assorted photographs, gives an excellent history of the "Dark Side" album itself (I never knew that the Russians got a slightly different album cover than the rest of the world). The CD itself is gold-colored, which, before you even play it, is already a good sign of the new-and-improved sound quality. I played this new "Dark Side" back-to-back with the older 20th Anniversary version, and yes indeed, this new "Dark Side" CD definitely sounds better---bigger boom, stronger sonics & clarity, and the bass has more bottom to it (you can totally *feel* that opening heartbeat, to name one example). The band literally ROAR out of the speakers. The instruments, the vocals, the taped speaking voices and sound effects sound even clearer & sharper than ever before. You can definitely hear notes & other bits that weren't previously detected. The bottom line: the sound quality on this new "Dark Side" CD is just plain astonishing. My compliments to Doug Sax & James Guthrie for an outstanding remastering job.I'm sure we can expect another CD upgrade of this classic album in 2013, when "Dark Side" turns 40. Until then, you owe it to yourself to pick up this 30th Anniversary Edition, and hear "Dark Side" as you've never heard it before, even if you don't own a home theater system. The fabulous new stereo mix alone, along with the impressive new packaging, makes this purchase a total keeper. Let's face it---you can *never* have too many copies of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon."


Not the original but excellent for a new generation   June 19, 2003
42 out of 61 found this review helpful

I cannot compare this version to the original LPs, as I have never heard them. I actually recently aquired an older special edition LP copy of DSOTM, but still have not heard it. However, I do have 5.1 SACD player with a DTS decoder, and it makes this album sound exactly as I always dreamed it would. Its one of my favorite albums of all time, and the obvious time and effort into making it sound spectacular in surround sound are worthy of 5 stars. Even the stereo track sounds much better than the other more recend US CD releases I'm used to (as a yonger generation Floyd fan).

Of course, being remastered from original masters 30 years old, it will not be as good as a remaster of those same copies made 15 years ago. But most of the easily accessible versions of this album are recorded from 3rd, 4th, and 5th generation remasters. Compared to those, this edition is wonderful in stereo. And the 5.1 surround sound is a completely new kind of experience under any circumstances.


30th Anniversary Dark Side SACD Dual layer- CD Layer Review   April 4, 2003
Christopher Henrici (Washington, DC United States)
29 out of 33 found this review helpful

30 years on, Dark side still seems to have a hold on audiophiles like no other, of course regular folks like it too(quite a few of them)...as a result, this is Pink Floyd's Cash Cow, and this one did'nt have a cow on the cover. We all know the songs without even hearing them- the mark of a true mainstay. I have owned and heard many times over the years most of the versions mentioned by other reviewers- the mobile fidelity master tape Lp and CD, the 20th anniversary cd and a japanese pressing of the cd. I have always thought dark side was just a bit over rated as a floyd album and as regarding sound quality..don't get me wrong it still reigns as a classic on both accounts. I prefer their earlier work, or even "wish you were here" to DSOTM. As far as sound, There has always been a bit of sibilance on some of the vocals, slightly fizzy cymbals, and occaisional distortion due to mild analog tape overload...Parsons did an excellent engineering job, but this is still what it is- a 16 track, early solid state recording. Considering that, it is something of a miracle- but there are several rock recordings I consider to have better overall sound compared to DSOTM. However, some of the stereo effects on Dark Side make it the all time audiophile favorite it is. I have a cd player, so will review the cd layer only. As mentioned by another reviewer this version benefits from being taken directly from the 16 track master reels, and therefore is the lowest generation version of it ever (a generation less than the mobile fidelity 2 track master tape versions, but taken from tapes that are much older than either mofi version). As a cd this is the best overall version I have heard of it(though I have'nt heard the Japanese Harvest CD some rave about). What struck me was the clarity and the distinct character of each voice and instrument, the seperation and delineation of the music on the cd is the greatest improvement- and the most obvious product of the laborious remix- as a result you hear stuff that you might not have heard before. The cd benefits from the dsd mastering even if you don't have an sacd player (I'm not getting one until I hear one that sounds better than my current cd player when playing cd's). While the 20th anniversary edition seemed to emphasize the recordings weaknesses, this version seems to reduce them. So this is basically a no brainer...go for the dark now, because even as a cd it rules, and the sacd layer will be there for when and if you get an sacd player. There are still some things about the mofi Lp that no cd version, including this one has.....on the other hand this version brings the most to digital's virtues and it is readily available. A totally top shelf project all the way across the board- agree with everyone else that this 30th anniversary issue is stokin'...