The Dark Side (aka 'Startalk - Pink Floyd')
Startalk Enterprises
1996

To start, I feel that the little product explanation/disclaimer notice shown on the back of 'The Dark Side''s distinctive clamshell package (the front shows a pic of David Gilmour playing guitar on a particularly windy evening) sums up pretty well what this tape is all about (as well as at least one of the two titles that follow it in this segment). Here's the notice ...

"The Interview Sessions have been carefully compiled from the rare and private footage of many collectors worldwide. The vast majority is of a high quality including many unseen and historically important decisions that affect a band's career and direction, both musically and of a personal nature.

Any collection that naturally represents a true reflection of an artist's highs and lows will differ in quality depending on the recording equipment available at the time. So as a collector please allow for this. We do however assure you that every modern day technique has been used in ensuring high quality viewing on the latest equipment, whilst maintaining the natural atmosphere and warmth of the original tapes."

As the earliest released of the three interview tapes we'll be reviewing during this final chapter of the Pink Floyd video story, 'The Dark Side' obviously suffers none of the "haven't we seen this before?" problems that make the other two titles such a chore to watch at times. Pay attention here, as a lot of this will show up again in the next two reviews (where you'll be told to refer to this one, heh heh).

We start off with a half-hour chat between Nick Mason and Pip Dann from the MTV Europe show "Rock Blocks." Taped in early 1993 (and in rather rough video/audio quality), this talk is more or less all about 'The Dark Side Of The Moon' twentieth anniversary celebration and thus includes all of the usual questions that (were I in Mason's shoes) would have driven me to grab a chainsaw and scream bloody murder years ago after being asked them for the fifty thousandth time. Of course, Mason is a far better sport about this kind of thing than I am, so he handles himself with the usual charm, grace and humor.

*Far* more interesting to the discerning Floyd geek are the assembled interview bits that follow the opening interview. I believe all of this is sourced from the 1994 BBC Omnibus special on the band, as the style of the interviews and the font used when the names of the participants appear onscreen are identical to those used during the recent Syd Barrett special aired on VH1 (which was edited down from another Omnibus special). Anyway, we get to hear from Joe Boyd, Andrew King, Nick Mason, journalist Robert Sandall (who also turned up on 'Behind The Wall'), David Gilmour, Storm Thorgerson, Roger Waters (via radio interview), Douglas Adams and Ron Geesin while we hop skip and jump through the band's career --leaping straight from 'A Saucerful Of Secrets' to 'Atom Heart Mother' to 'The Dark Side Of The Moon,' of course. Perhaps because of the removal of all musical bits from this tape, parts of this segment feel a tad disjointed as we streak through the years, and there is hardly any discussion on the music itself whatsoever - just a lot of "he said / he said" finger-pointing and "oh, what a mess" reminiscing from the three principal players.

From this point, the footage gets far more episodic in nature; with just tiny bits being offered up instead of coherent interviews or same-sourced footage. It also makes big leaps in time and space, so it's best to be prepared for the ride …

* Interview footage with Gilmour from 1988 - a brief discussion of madness, depression, and 'A Momentary Lapse Of Reason.' Insert your witty remark here.

* Syd Barrett talking to Hans Keller on 'Look Of The Week' (1967).

* A guy who looks a hell of a lot like a vacationing Santa Claus being asked about seeing Pink Floyd for the first time and then quizzed on Syd Barrett (1988 ?).

* Rick Wright introduces the band to Dick Clark on 'American Bandstand.' (1967).

* Gilmour talks to MTV about the history of the band before 'The Dark Side Of The Moon,' followed by Nick Mason and Rick Wright (ripped straight from the previously reviewed 'Over The Wall' special - 1988)

* Roger Waters and David Gilmour discussing the end of the Waters era and the post-'Dark Side ...' era of Pink Floyd (1992 ?).

And there's your lot. 43 minutes of just the chat, with a few things of interest scattered about to make 'The Dark Side' at least worthy of a look, if not a purchase.

And there's a lot more where that came from . . .