The Dark Side Of The Rainbow

For those of you who don't know, if you watch The Wizard Of Oz and listen to Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon your head will explode.

Okay, now that we've gotten hyperbole out of the way...

In the early nineties, some stoner watching television and listening to Dark Side Of The Moon, too baked to find the television remote control realized that there were certain synchronicities between the music and the movie Wizard of Oz. (You have to start the album when the MGM lion roars for the third time.) Most of them rely on lyrical references that can be twisted to apply to what's going on on-screen. (A complete listing of coincidences are available here.)

However, there is one section of the whole thing that does give me the willies. It's so good that I really can't stand to watch this section of Wizard Of Oz without the music. The movie, with it's original soundrack intact seems lifeless and boring. This point in the synchronicity is the only reason that I still hold a little bit of scepticism as to whether the band planned it when they made the album (they deny it.)

It begins just as Dorothy decides to return home after running away and it coincides with the album at the specific point when things just don't seem to belong. Now, don't get me wrong. I love Great Gig In The Sky. But it has always seemed as though it didn't belong on the album. It originally fell at the end of Side 1 and I suppose it was meant to draw you to Side 2. But the fact that it really is out of the context of the rest of the album, coupled with how well it fits it's particular section in the movie make you wonder if it really wasn't all planned.

The best argument against this is that if it was planned then the whole album would fit as well as this portion does. Anyway, for those of you who haven't seen it before, someone has posted the whole thing to YouTube. And if you want more explanation on the whole synchronicity allegations then check out the Wikipedia article.

Whether you agree on the whole synchronicity or not, this is at least an opportunity to revisit some incredible music and a really fun movie that has some moments of true brilliance (read: the special effects for the tornado and "Surrender Dorothy" skywriting.)