Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon” is being rereleased in a sprawling box set that was both widely expected and highly anticipated.
The box set, due March 24, includes a newly remastered version of the 1973 album on vinyl and CD, along with a new Dolby Atmos mix. (The 2023 remaster is credited to James Guthrie, who has worked with the band since the late ’70s.)
The set includes the “Live at Wembley Empire Pool” concert from fall 1974, both on CD and on vinyl. The “Wembley” elements will be sold separately as well.
The 9-disc set includes two CDs and two vinyl LPs. There are two 7-inch singles (“Money” and “Us and Them”).
Higher-resolution audio comes via three discs — two Blu-rays and a DVD. These contain the remastered album, the original album in 5.1 and stereo, the Atmos mix, dts, Dolby Digital and 24bit/96kHz uncompressed versions. (The Quad mix is not part of the package, but can be found on the 2011 “Immersion” box set.)
The multichannel and multidimensional Atmos format has been increasingly popular in rock and pop rereleases, notably those by the Beatles. Recordings in the spatial format are available on Apple Music, Tidal and Amazon Music.
The remastered “Dark Side” does not appear to be forthcoming as a separate product. The Atmos mix also appears exclusive to the box set, at least in physical media The recent re-do of “Animals” had the Blu-ray and SACD are available as standalone products, but that’s not the case here.
“The Dark Side of the Moon: 50th Anniversary Edition Box Set” looks to street for about $250. It also includes a 160-page book art-directed by Hipgnosis as well as a “complete songbook” of the original album. The book also will be sold separately. No video or bonus tracks.
“The Dark Side of the Moon” has sold more than 50 million copies for EMI. While featuring eerie sonics and other studio sound effects, it is usually considered a work of classic rock (or art rock), signaling Pink Floyd’s move away from its early psychedelic works to a more commercial rock approach.
The Pink Floyd organization plans to promote the box set’s March release with a worldwide series of planetarium listening events, recalling the 1973 press conference that introduced the recording.
Update: A Japanese SACD of “Dark Side” is set for mid-April. It comes with the same audio (5.1, stereo) as the 2021 Audio Productions SACD, but in 7-inch packaging for visual effect. Lots of (paper) goodies, including a photo book and reproduced tickets. Hat tip to Super Deluxe Edition.
In other rerelease news, The Electric Recording Company, a London outfit devoted to ultra-high-end reissues, confirmed a date for its previously announced “true mono” version of “The Doors,” said to be “directly from the original dedicated mono master tapes.” ERC vinyl is known for its high quality and its high cost.
“This edition is limited to 450 worldwide and will be available to pre-order at 17.00 GMT on Friday 27 January 2023,” ERC said. Some copies also will be available via the Doors web site.
And Ten Years After’s “A Space in Time” has been scheduled for the Dolby Atmos format via the web site Super Deluxe Edition. Other mixes on the Blu-ray include DTS HD-Master Audio 5.1 and Quad. There is also a new stereo mix from original producer/engineer Chris Kimsey, SDE says. Limited to 1,000 units and ordering already under way.