AUTHOR’S NOTE and WARNING: This is an extremely long read. Really, I could have written an entire essay on each album (and in some cases did). But I wanted to give each piece its due and situate it properly into context. Not that I underestimate your commitment nor reading comprehension; of course I would love for you to read and enjoy it. However I personally feel that it grew past its original scope and owe it to you to let you know that this isn’t a quick toilet read (unless you really have to go). I wrote this over a period of some time, and several threads emerged that weave in and out of the whole: how Syd Barrett’s breakdown influenced everything about the band subsequently; how Pink Floyd’s music, lyrical themes, and imagery come together to make a whole greater than the sum of its parts; how The Dark Side of the Moon is the ultimate encapsulation of all of this. Shine On.

What is the sound of space? How do we aurally capture the vast star-speckled expanse of the void, the intractable unknown? Just as the universe holds near infinite possibilities, there are countless ways to signify the feel of outer space: clear, high guitar; textured, effect laden electronics; pulsing, spacey rhythms; a beating undercurrent of menace, yet at the same time a touch of austere beauty. Not coincidentally, these same sonic touchstones also describe the music of that singularly monolithic institution: Pink Floyd.