Friday Fun with YouTube - Synchronicity

Because Fridays generally suck on here anyway, from now on they will be designated thematic YouTube day. To kick things off, let's look at all things synchronic.

First, the obvious. I have Virgil to thank for introducing me to this as a pledge ("make sure it's the clamshell edition"), but I've seen it so many times by now that The Dark Side of the Rainbow has become an integral part of my existence. I am personally of the opinion that the album was not recorded to purposefully sync up with the movie. It is far too perfect in itself to have been written to revolve around something else.

If you've never seen it, or have no idea what I'm talking about, watch an iteration now on YouTube. Of course, for maximum effect you should set it up manually, crank the volume, and then burn through no fewer than two bowls per song. Just wait until you get to "The Great Gig in the Sky"...

Many people, after watching Dark Side of the Rainbow, decided to look for the same phenomenon in other movie/album combinations. I've heard of several, but the only one I've ever actually tried is Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Rush's "2112." You start the album when Wonka exits the factory to greet the Golden Ticket holders. In all honesty, I don't remember a lot of the detail that is focused when you sync these two up, except that "2112" is a fucking badass album to listen to whilst stoned out of your gourd, and that you may or may not have a seizure when Wonka takes his ferry down the chocolate river.

YouTube doesn't have a synched version for us to watch, but they do have Neil Peart performing an amazing drum solo. I guess the real question is: does he even compare to Portnoy? Probably not. (Personal aside, I've seen Dream Theater live - it was completely life changing.)

Other alleged syncs: The Pink Floyd song "Echoes" with 2001: A Space Oddysey, the Rushian Matrix, various Floyd, Beatles, Radiohead, and countless others.

For something a little more lighthearted, and that will possibly convince you that perhaps synchronicities really are random, make sure you watch Barney does Tupac. It's more than a little amusing.

And of course, Synchronicity II.