''Darkside'' is the first solo comedy album released by the Australian musical comedian Tim Minchin. It was recorded during Minchin's show at the Spiegeltent in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

during 2005. It contains early versions of some of the songs Minchin still performs now, such as "Inflatable You", "Rock N Roll Nerd", and the title song "Dark Side". The show and particularly the song "Rock N Roll Nerd" are described as "kinda biographical" by Minchin, as they tell of his dreams of being a rock star and how he failed to take himself seriously.

Track listing

Reception

Scotland On Sunday ''Scotland on Sunday'' is a Scottish Sunday newspaper, published in Edinburgh by JPIMedia and consequently assuming the role of Sunday sister to its daily stablemate ''The Scotsman''. It was originally printed in broadsheet format but in 2013 ...

'' described the show as "a mix of satirical song, bleak humour and demon piano-playing" when assessing the show's performance at the

Edinburgh Festival Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...

in 2005. ''Chortle'' said of the show that Minchin is "such a brilliant virtuoso pianist" and also "a bright, quirky and hugely entertaining comedian". A reviewer for the ''Metro'' newspaper said that Minchin's strengths lie in the "inventive detail and witty wordplay" of his songs.

Notes

"Inflatable You" features a section which takes direct inspiration from

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

' " Don't Let Me Down". "Rock N Roll Nerd" finishes on a tune similar to

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

's "

Seven Seas of Rhye "Seven Seas of Rhye" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was primarily written by Freddie Mercury, with Brian May contributing the second middle-eight. The song is officially credited to Mercury only. A rudimentary instrumental versio ...

", and then a chord sequence similar to the starting chords in

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

's "

Stairway to Heaven "Stairway to Heaven" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in late 1971. It was composed by the band's guitarist Jimmy Page and lead singer Robert Plant for their untitled fourth studio album (often titled ''Led Zeppelin IV'') ...

" (in reference to one of the song's lyrics). In "Mitsubishi Colt," after being compared to

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

, Minchin completes the song with a chord progression based on "

Song for Guy "Song for Guy" is a mainly instrumental piece of music by English musician Elton John. It is the closing track of his 1978 album, ''A Single Man''. Musical structure The song opens with an octaved solo piano, which is then accompanied by a l ...

." The song "Dark Side" contains a quick reference of

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...

's " Für Elise" and another to

Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guita ...

's " Jeremy".

References

External links

Tim Minchin Reviews
{{Tim Minchin Tim Minchin albums 2005 live albums 2005 debut albums