Pink Floyd's Dark side of the Moon just turned 45 years old, and in my opinion it is the best studio album of all time.  It flows from song to song perfectly, like some one spent a lot of time thinking about it and planning for it to sound like one long musical movement.  Maybe it's a little too perfect.

When I was in high school, I heard a rumor from some of the older students about a secret soundtrack to the 1939 silver screen classic The WIzard of Oz These older kids always wore band t-shirts, had long hair, and smelled like they studied the "herbal sciences" - if you get my drift.  Apparently they had heard through the "herbal science network," that Pink Floyd had totally trolled all of their fans by arranging their mind blowing 1973 album Dark Side of the Moon into a secret, alternate soundtrack to the movie that chronicles Dorothy Gale's trip to an alternate dimension via a tornado.  I thought it was all crazy talk at first.  Why would a band who had pioneered so many sonic horizons, and really focused on pushing the edge of psychedelic and progressive rock music care at all about a 34 year old movie?  Officially, the band and audio engineer Alan Parsons says it is a coincidence.  I will go on record and say I think they are lying (or don't remember).

After I followed the instructions and tried it for myself, I am a believer.  It's way more than the mind trying to see a connection or a pattern - it's uncanny how well it syncs up.  During dramatic transitions in the movie, the album transitions songs seemingly to match the pace and styling of the movie.  Sometimes, like in the Munchkinland scenes,  it almost seems as if the characters are singing along.

To try it for yourself, you'll need a copy of the movie and the album.  Obviously the movie will need to be on the screen and the album will need to be played on a separate system.  Start the movie, and when you see the MGM Lion roar for the 3rd time, start the album.  If you need more convincing, check out some of the highlights below.

 

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