<P> The band's lengthy tour through Europe and North America gave them the opportunity to make continual improvements to the scale and quality of their performances . Work on the album was interrupted in late February when the band travelled to France and recorded music for French director Barbet Schroeder's film, La Vallée . They then performed in Japan and returned to France in March to complete work on the film . After a series of dates in North America, the band flew to London to begin recording the album, from 24 May to 25 June . More concerts in Europe and North America followed before the band returned on 9 January 1973 to complete work on the album . </P> <P> The Dark Side of the Moon built upon experiments Pink Floyd had attempted in their previous live shows and recordings, but lacks the extended instrumental excursions which, according to critic David Fricke, had become characteristic of the band after founder member Syd Barrett left in 1968 . Gilmour, Barrett's replacement, later referred to those instrumentals as "that psychedelic noodling stuff", and with Waters cited 1971's Meddle as a turning - point towards what would be realised on the album . The Dark Side of the Moon's lyrical themes include conflict, greed, the passage of time, death, and insanity, the latter inspired in part by Barrett's deteriorating mental state; he had been the band's principal composer and lyricist . The album is notable for its use of musique concrète and conceptual, philosophical lyrics, as found in much of the band's other work . </P> <P> Each side of the album is a continuous piece of music . The five tracks on each side reflect various stages of human life, beginning and ending with a heartbeat, exploring the nature of the human experience, and (according to Waters) "empathy". "Speak to Me" and "Breathe" together stress the mundane and futile elements of life that accompany the ever - present threat of madness, and the importance of living one's own life--"Don't be afraid to care". By shifting the scene to an airport, the synthesizer - driven instrumental "On the Run" evokes the stress and anxiety of modern travel, in particular Wright's fear of flying . "Time" examines the manner in which its passage can control one's life and offers a stark warning to those who remain focused on mundane aspects; it is followed by a retreat into solitude and withdrawal in "Breathe (Reprise)". The first side of the album ends with Wright and vocalist Clare Torry's soulful metaphor for death, "The Great Gig in the Sky". Opening with the sound of cash registers and loose change, the first track on side two, "Money", mocks greed and consumerism using tongue - in - cheek lyrics and cash - related sound effects (ironically, "Money" has been the most commercially successful track from the album, with several cover versions produced by other bands). "Us and Them" addresses the isolation of the depressed with the symbolism of conflict and the use of simple dichotomies to describe personal relationships . "Any Colour You Like" concerns the lack of choice one has in a human society . "Brain Damage" looks at a mental illness resulting from the elevation of fame and success above the needs of the self; in particular, the line "and if the band you're in starts playing different tunes" reflects the mental breakdown of former bandmate Syd Barrett . The album ends with "Eclipse", which espouses the concepts of alterity and unity, while forcing the listener to recognise the common traits shared by humanity . </P> <P> The album was recorded at Abbey Road Studios, in two sessions, between May 1972 and January 1973 . The band were assigned staff engineer Alan Parsons, who had worked as assistant tape operator on Atom Heart Mother, and who had also gained experience as a recording engineer on the Beatles' Abbey Road and Let It Be . The recording sessions made use of some of the most advanced studio techniques of the time; the studio was capable of 16 - track mixes, which offered a greater degree of flexibility than the eight - or four - track mixes they had previously used, although the band often used so many tracks that to make more space available second - generation copies were made . </P>

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