By condensing the sonic explorations of Meddle to actual songs and adding a lush, immaculate production to their trippiest instrumental sections, Pink Floyd inadvertently designed their commercial breakthrough with Dark Side of the Moon. The primary revelation of Dark Side of the Moon is what a little focus does for the band. Roger Waters wrote a series of songs about mundane, everyday details which aren't that impressive by themselves, but when given the sonic backdrop of Floyd's slow, atmospheric soundscapes and carefully placed sound effects, they achieve an emotional resonance. But what gives the album true power is the subtly textured music, which evolves from ponderous, neo-psychedelic art rock to jazz fusion and blues-rock before turning back to psychedelia. It's dense with detail, but leisurely paced, creating its own dark, haunting world…

Helen Merrill is in top form throughout this 1980 session, backed by pianist Torrie Zito's thoughtful arrangements. Merrill, who improvises like a member of the band, always knows the possibilities within each song she performs and finds a way to make it her own. A good part of the CD includes bossa nova tunes, highlighted by her deliberate lyrical treatment of "Wave" in which Zito is her sole accompanist. Her silken voice is wrapped in strings for the lush takes of "So Many Stars" and "Like a Lover," with Bucky Pizzarelli providing the perfect touch on guitar. "Natural Sounds" is an unjust obscurity, a touching ballad sung by Barbra Streisand in the mid-'60s on a live album, though Merrill handles it with far more finesse. There are also enjoyable renditions of standards like "Too Marvelous for Words" and "Close Enough for Love."

The Drop finds Brian Eno replicating the floating, trancy sound of Neroli, creating a shimmering collection of ambient music. Although The Drop illustrates that ambient doesn't all sound the same - it can be soothing and scary, sometimes both at once - the album doesn't particularly hold the listener's interest, as the shifting electronic soundscapes never reveal any substantial compositions. It's intriguing for a while, but by the time the 74 minutes of The Drop have finished, the album has made little lasting impression.