1. Dark Side of the Moon was premiered in the London Planetarium. It seems an all-too-obvious place to hold the premiere, in retrospect. Dark Side of the Moon laser light shows have ruled late-night planetarium shows for decades now, including a memorable run at Houston’s Burke Baker Planetarium. At the time, however, it was an incredibly novel idea to listen to a rock LP in a dome-ceilinged theater under the fake stars.
The idea definitely didn’t come from Roger Waters. In an effort to shatter the band’s “space-rock” image, the lyricist had taken pains to write what he believed would be concrete, easily understood lyrics on common concerns. Audiences, of course, heard things differently.
To make matters worse, the album’s celebrated quadrophonic mix was played in stereo over a lousy PA for the assembled record execs and critics. Of the Floyds, only Richard Wright bothered to show up.