Harris (Britpop!
) provides a meticulous if rather circumscribed account of the talented people behind an enigmatic album that has sold so many copies (30 million) that, Harris notes, one British magazine speculated it was "virtually impossible that a moment went by without it being played somewhere on the planet." The author triumphs at using research and interviews with the Pink Floyd members to bring to life the dilemmas they faced while making the 1973 album, including the incapacitating mental illness of original leader Syd Barrett and the arrival of new member David Gilmour. Given Pink Floyd's dramatic, often challenging music and its undeniable air of mystery, the book also excels in humanizing the musicians through candid portrayals of their everyday highs and lows while The Dark Side of the Moon
evolved. But for all the wealth of perspective from those in and around the band regarding the album's creation, the book doesn't explain why Dark Side
has endured. With the album's poignant exploration of themes like insanity, human divisiveness and greed set to innovative sounds, Dark Side
's staggering (and continuing) sales are fascinating. As it stands, the book is richly detailed but hardly revelatory. 50 b&w photos. (Nov. 15)
