Dark Side of the Moon
National Public Radio celebrates the 30th anniversary of Pink Floyd's album, Dark Side of the Moon.
There's a discussion, among other things, of the use of this album as a soundtrack for the movie, The Wizard of Oz. I tried that once; it really does work. You have to start the album at the right time (the third roar of the MGM lion), and let the album loop (because it isn't as long as the movie). If you get it just right, the transitions and associations are eerily accurate.
Listen to the short audio commentary at the above Web site for much, much more on this topic. The interviewee says he spoke with Alan Parsons (who was the sound engineer for Pink Floyd at the time the album was made). If you read between the lines and listen to what Alan Parsons did and did not say, you will notice that Mr. Parsons never actually denies that there is a connection or that the coordination of the album's music with the movie's scenes and themes was deliberate. To which I say, interesting, very interesting. I had always assumed it was a coincidence until I heard this audio commentary. Though of course it could be one of those things where an intelligent man (which Mr. Parsons is) wants to maintain a certain mystique.
Also, you absolutely must listen to the clip from Pickin' On Pink Floyd: A Bluegrass Tribute. I think I have to own that CD. For that matter, I also want the reggae cover and the string quartet cover of the entire album. Absolutely maximally cool.