Echoes - The Best of Pink Floyd
(2001)

NOTES
Date: November 6, 2001
Label: EMD/CAPITOL
Genre: Rock
REMASTERED/INCL. BOOKLET 2 CD/2 CASS SET

REVIEWS
November 6, 2001
On the surface, the notion of a "Best-of" compilation would seem to fly in the face of what Pink Floyd is all about. After all, what other group in rock history has so fully embraced the concept of the unified album as its artistic canvas? Fortunately, in addition to serving as a Floyd primer, this two-disc set comes off an artful entity in its own right.
Fittingly, the set kicks off with a pair of psychedelic gems that highlight the songwriting genius of founding leader and legendary flameout Syd Barrett. Despite the brevity of his tenure with the group (he was ousted not long after the band released its debut album), the Barrett-era is represented by five songs on Echoes -- a measure of the singer's enduring impact.
These vintage recordings then give way to a song sequence based less on chronology than being aurally seamless. Hence, for instance, while 20 years separate "Marooned" and "The Great Gig in the Sky, the former segues into the latter with needle-nose precision.
With regard to track selection, the inclusion of such classic-rock titans as "Time," "Comfortably Numb," and "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" was a given. To their credit, however, the Floyd members (including ex-compatriot Roger Waters) managed to agree on a handful of lesser-known songs as well. Notable among these are "The Fletcher Memorial Home" (from 1982's otherwise abysmal The Final Cut) and a pastoral ballad from The Wall soundtrack, "When the Tigers Broke Free," which appears here for the first time on CD.
Russell Hall
CDNOW Contributing Writer

Tracks

1.01. Astronomy Domine (Barrett)

1.02. See Emily Play (Barrett)

1.03. The Happiest Days Of Our Lives (Waters)

1.04. Another Brick In The Wall, Part II (Waters)

1.05. Echoes (Waters, Wright, Mason, Gilmour)

1.06. Hey You (Waters)

1.07. Marooned

1.08. The Great Gig In The Sky (Wright)

1.09. Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun (Waters)

1.10. Money (Waters)

1.11. Keep Talking (Gilmour, Wright, Samson)

1.12. Sheep (Waters)

1.13. Sorrow (Gilmour)

2.01. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Waters, Wright, Gilmour)

2.02. Time (Mason, Waters, Wright, Gilmour)

2.03. The fletcher memorial home

2.04. Comfortably Numb (Gilmour, Waters)

2.05. When The Tigers Broke Free (Waters)

2.06. One Of These Days (Waters, Wright, Mason, Gilmour)

2.07. Us And Them (Waters, Wright)

2.08. Learning To Fly (Gilmour, Moore, Ezrin, Carin)

2.09. Arnold Layne (Barrett)

2.10. Wish You Were Here (Waters, Gilmour)

2.11. Jugband Blues (Barrett)

2.12. High Hopes (Gilmour, Samson)

2.13. Bike (Barrett)