This was not my first time listening to Dark Side. I'd listened to The Greeat Gig in the Sky many times on playlists before - it being one of Floyd's most notorious songs. I'd also listened to the full album for the first time just over a month prior, as when this friend said I was "clearly not someone who listened to albums" I took that as a challenge to listen to the entire discographies of the world's greatest musicians. However, on vinyl is a different experience. The stereo sound and tactility, as well as being in the company of a good friend and avid Floyd listener, was new! Finishing side one with the aforementioned The Great Gig in the Sky sees my 4 favourite songs split across each side. I want to make Time my alarm one day (and give myself a heart attack), I find the intro gives me a juvenile hope before the singing kicks in, and don't I love how those men sound. The Great Gig in the Sky will forever grant a spiritual listening experience. I absolutely adore the inclusion of Abbey Road's doorman  Gerry O'Driscoll talking about death, which to me is almost as iconic as Clare Torry's vocals. Money is such a funky jam, guitars are so swag. Us and Them again features snippets of conversations. This is the longest song on the album and I love how much space is has to make so much noise. All the instruments (sorry my technical music knowledge is nonexistent so this is waffle based on vibes) are overwhelmingly good. The choir. The trumpet(?? saxophone? idk). Just a perfect middle to one of Floyd's best albums.

This is the first Beatles album I've listened to in full and what an experience! I chose it as it features one of my fave Beatles songs, and a current ear worm: Day in the Life. Turns out the version Jono has is a Greek pressing from the 80s?! So it's a little different than the 2017 remastered version of the song I'm used to. Again, listening with someone who knew so much about the songs and clearly loves the album was super cool. A lot of the songs I knew without realising they were from Sgt Pepper's like With A Little Help From My Friends and When I'm Sixty Four. I'm glad to have heard them in their proper context. I've never appreciated The Beatles properly, and this being my first Beatles album has humbled me. The historic significance of the album is fascinating to me and I hope to one day listen to it whilst tripping my balls off. The range on the album is fascinating, from proto-prog to Indian classically-inspired songs, it's an album I'm excited to continue to relisten to. I think my favourite song is still Day in the Life because parts of it scratch a sensory itch, so I'm glad it's the final song on the album.