It was a sight I'd never seen before and one that I doubt I'll ever be fortunate enough to see again — 20,000 people listening to their all-time favorite album being performed live onstage.

The record was Pink Floyd's 1973 masterpiece, "Dark Side of the Moon," considered by most to be one of the crowning achievements in rock history. It stands tall next to the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" or Led Zeppelin's fourth album or the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds" or, really, any classic disc you want to mention.

"Dark Side" was both a commercial and artistic success of nearly unequaled magnitude. It spent a record 741 consecutive weeks on the album charts and sold more than 20 million copies. It also likely spurred more dorm-room discussions over bubbling lava lamps than any other single album.

Thirty-three years after its release, "Dark Side" obviously hasn't lost one iota of its appeal. The capacity crowd that turned out to see former Pink Floyd mastermind Roger Waters re-create the album in its entirety Tuesday night at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View was the largest the venue has seen in 2006.

Many of the fans had waited decades for this occasion. Once they arrived at the Shoreline, Waters made them wait a little longer before rocketing off to the "Dark Side." The album, performed from start to finish and nearly note for note, constituted the singer-bassist's second set.

The first half of the show was dedicated to other highlights of Floyd's mighty catalog and Waters' solo material.

The image that greeted fans was of an antique radio shown on a big screen at the back of the stage. It remained static while the crowd members found their seats. Then, suddenly, a hand came into the picture and began fiddling with the knob, resting for bits of Elvis Presley and Chet Baker. The dial was adjusted one more time and Waters and his 10-piece band launched into the traditional opener, "In the Flesh?"

The tune, originally found on 1979's "The Wall," was full of so much Wagnerian drama and power that classic rock fans couldn't help but scratch their heads and wonder why they don't make music like they used to back when Floyd ruled the earth. That unanswered question remained relevant throughout the evening.

Sticking with "The Wall," Waters sung and strummed acoustic guitar through a moving take on "Mother." He then unfurled his freak flag and waved it in the air on a highly psychedelic version of the comparatively obscure "Set Your Controls for the Heart of the Sun" from 1968's "A Saucerful of Secrets."

The biggest concern was over Waters' ability to compensate for the absence of David Gilmour, the Pink Floyd axe man who juiced up so many of the band's best numbers with amazingly passionate leads. Wisely, he put our worries to rest by having his two electric guitarists, Dave Kilminster and Snowy White, stick as close as possible to Gilmour's original efforts on such tunes as "Mother," "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and "Have a Cigar."

Following solid versions of "Southampton Dock" and "The Fletcher Memorial Home" from Floyd's hugely undervalued 1983 effort "The Final Cut," Waters began to stumble a bit as he dragged fans through some politically charged solo material from 1992's "Amused to Death" and the awkward new song "Leaving Beirut."

He recovered nicely by closing the first set with a powerful rendition of "Sheep" from 1977's "Animals," which opened the door for Floyd's most famous mascot, the huge flying pig, to take to the air above the crowd.

After a short break, Waters and company returned and began playing a version of "Dark Side" that sounded so close to the original album that it was downright eerie. The crowd first sat in rapt attention, barely singing along to songs they all know by heart, as the band opened with "Speak to Me," "Breathe in the Air" and "On the Run." Later, fans leapt to their feet as backup singer Carol Kenyon took center stage and delivered a true vocal clinic on a mesmerizing "The Great Gig in the Sky."

On disc, "Dark Side" lasts some 43 minutes. It probably lasted roughly that same length in concert. Yet it doesn't feel that way. It feels much shorter; Waters put the finishing touches on the masterwork with "Brain Damage" and "Eclipse" well before the audience was ready.

If there had been a repeat button, these fans would have pushed it.

Waters returned with a five-song encore taken entirely from "The Wall," the album that competes most fiercely with "Dark Side" in fans' hearts. The music sounded grand and triumphant, so unlike anything being released today, as Waters pushed his band through "The Happiest Days of Our Lives," "Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)," "Vera," "Bring the Boys Back Home" and "Comfortably Numb."

In all, it was a magical night of music — one these fans may never be fortunate enough to experience again. The closest they may come is when the acclaimed Australian Pink Floyd performs Oct. 25 at the Paramount in Oakland and Oct. 26 at the San Jose Civic.

Those shows won't measure up to the experience of "Dark Side of the Moon" — but, then again, nothing does.

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