DARK SIDE OF THE MOON by PINK FLOYD

Although originally released in 1973, Pink Floyd's epic "Dark Side Of The Moon" is currently still the most successful album of all time.  Unbelievably it remained on Billboard's Hot 200 album chart for an amazing 15 years straight, having sold over 40 million copies worldwide.  It is said that one in every 20 people under the age of 50 owns a copy of this album.  It has truly transcended genres, and remains a timeless piece of work.  Long considered an experience much more than a mere album, "Dark Side Of The Moon" is the ultimate symbol of the spaced-out 70's.  Just about every person who bought this album at one point or another lit some candles, turned off the lights, smoked a doob, and with some good headphones truly went to a far off place somewhere in their mind.  Listening to this album is like an acid trip, and continues to this day to delight and astound newcomers to the band.  Like Stanley Kubrick's tripped-out masterpiece "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Dark Side Of The Moon" became one of the ultimate celestial vehicles for self-awareness and discovery in the 70's, as if all the mysteries of our existence are hidden among the lyrics and music.  

Many words come to mind when"Dark Side Of The Moon" is mentioned- spaced-out, trippy, deep, ethereal, obscure. The album is simply as far as you can get from traditional rock or pop.  Pink Floyd, very much like The Grateful Dead, made up their own rules as they went along.  "Dark Side Of The Moon" is odd in that the songs on it don't seem to work by themselves near as well as they do together- the album works much better as one piece of music.   If you can leave behind the Top40 mentality and decide to take a journey through space and time and open your mind as never before- this is one of the best albums to do it with.  There really isn't much to say about "Dark Side Of The Moon" that hasn't already been said.  The music and the cult speak for themselves.  Rare is the album that has the uncanny power to completely transcend time and remain as modern and fresh over 30 years after its release.  This is art, this is epic- you don't just hear Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon" for the first time, you experience it.  The album has permeated pop culture as an icon of classic 70's concept albums, and will never stop selling.  This is highly recommended for those music lovers who realize that music is not relevant to styles or genres.  This album is a rite of passage, and it's impossible to think of the 1970's and not think of Pink Floyd or this strange but brilliantly innovative album.  If we were ever to jettison into space a time capsule to represent art and culture from planet Earth, Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon" most certainly belongs inside it.

Sometime in the 90's, it became popular to watch "The Wizard Of Oz" but with the Pink Floyd album playing instead of the film soundtrack.  Amazingly, although the band has said that this was total coincidence, many times throughout the album and the movie mesh extremely well together.  It's as if Pink Floyd purposely designed the  album to flow with the "The Wizard Of Oz".  It has become almost an urban legend at this point, only adding to the album's overall mystique.  Overall, this is a must for music lovers of any genre.  It is a masterpiece of experimentation and creativity.  One of the most classic and beloved concept albums of all time, "Dark Side Of The Moon" remains consistently cool.  This album still has the power to reduce me to chills at times.  It truly is a total head trip, and is so associated with the psychedelic culture that even today I instantly smell pot and incense whenever Pink Floyd is mentioned.

THE STEPFORD WIVES

     One of my favorite movies of the decade and of all time is "The Stepford Wives"- the infamous 70's shocker based on Ira Levin's delightfully diabolical novel.  It's about Joanna Eberhart, a big city photographer, who very reluctantly moves with her family to Stepford, Connecticut- a small, picture card town.  Though beautiful, there is something a bit off about Stepford, and Joanna soon realizes something is horribly amiss as she uncovers a deep, dark secret of the little town. And that's where the fun begins.

     The women of the town, all glowing in beautiful gowns, act very strange- as if they all wandered off the set of a television commercial.  They seem very fixated on cleaning, cooking, and other "wifely" duties.  Joanna, a die-hard feminist, feels completely out of place amongst the Stepford Wives.  She thankfully ends up meeting wacky Bobby (perfectly played by Paula Prentiss by the way...) and bands together as they soon discover the sinister plot behind the Stepford Men's Association, which their husbands coincidentally have joined...

      The movie is a razor sharp look at the Women's Lib controversy of the early 70's.  But underneath the slyness, there is an eerie vibe to the movie.  Director Brian Forbes purposely chose bright colors and lots of white, cheery scenes to create a "thriller in sunlight"- which counteracts with the dark and foreboding elements of the story.  And it works perfectly.  This is a movie that does require a little something called an attention span, and offers no gore or cheap scares, if that's what gets you off,  But if you're looking for a restrained, eerie little movie, that will haunt you afterwards, then this is the one for you.  "The Stepford Wives" weaves a creepy little spell while watching,  as it slowly and suspensfully builds to its chilling and unforgettable climax.   The term "Stepford Wife" has became a staple in pop culture, and it did spawn two sequels and a terrible remake-  and boy, when I say terrible, I mean terrible.  I was appalled...

      No, stick with the original gem from the groovy 70's that shouldn't be missed by horror fans or 70's fans, for that matter.  Like "Rosemary's Baby" (which Ira Levin also wrote), "The Stepford Wives" is quietly haunting and chilling. It gets under your skin.  And once it does you'll never forget it.  An infamous 70's horror classic!