Pink Floyd

The Best Of Pink Floyd

ECHOES (the song) should not have been edited!!!!!!

Review Score:

(8/10)
The main reason I don't like this compilation is the fact that they took ECHOES, a 23 minute-long, moody, chill-out, absolutely brilliant song, a fan favorite, and cut it up so that it is five minutes shorter. The editing job was expert; unless you know how the song ought to sound, you won't be able to hear the numerous splices at all. It was in the various instrumental sections with pretty much repetition that they chopped out one or two phrases here, three phrases there. For example, in an instrumental section where there was, let's say, six drawn out phrases totaling, let's say, four minutes was edited in such a way that now there are four phrases lasting 2 and a half minutes. They did this for just about every instrumental jam in the song. That was the only part of the song a casual listener might not miss, they thought, and that was their reason. However, I consider this blasphemy!!! They can't just edit a song that has been perfect for the last 30 years. And why? so they can fit that throwaway track from "Division Bell," KEEP TALKING onto the CD?!?!? If you buy this CD, be sure to buy the "Meddle" album along with it. "Meddle" has the only version of ECHOES anyone should ever hear.

On a related note, I'm not entirely against editing songs to make them more concise. ECHOES has been perfect for 30 years, and editing it only reduces its glory. However, the song, ATOM HEART MOTHER (AHM) could benefit from a professional editing, provided that the band members were involved, and only the tedious parts were cropped to a shorter length. AHM has several moments of utter brilliance, but there are other sections of the 22 minute song that are too rambly and distract the listener from the magnificent melodies and beautiful orchestration of the rest of the song. If they edited AHM from 22 minutes down to 15 or 18 minutes, you can bet that I would be praising this "Best of" CD for brilliance right now instead of bashing it for negligence.

I gave this 4 stars because although the music is extraordinary, it really doesn't capture the musical genius of Pink Floyd, which is really what greatest hits collections are supposed to do. Also, the song selection is at times quite questionable. A "Best of" is suposed to be aimed at new fans, but what person has ever enjoyed BIKE, JUGBAND BLUES or THE FLETCHER MEMORIAL HOME on first listen, or ever? WHEN THE TIGERS BROKE FREE is another one that is very hard to enjoy, being a depressing minimalist ballad about Roger's childhood. Also, there's too much showcase from the band's last two albums, when more songs from "The Wall," "Wish You Were Here," and "Dark Side of The Moon" are wanting (where's HAVE A CIGAR?!?). SHEEP is an interesting choice too; I think PIGS (THREE DIFFERENT ONES) is far more newbie-accessible, and less weird (something newbies consider about Pink Floyd. Hitting a newbie with one of the weirdest songs isn't going to get that person more interesteed in the band), but both SHEEP and PIGS have their merits. CHILDHOOD'S END really should have been included, since it is a really great gem from the most ignored album in the band's catalogue. Also missing are any tracks from the "Atom Heart Mother" album (SUMMER '68 especially ought to have been on here), and the song CAREFUL WITH THAT AXE, EUGENE.

If you're unsure about whether or not you like this band, and you want a sampling from each album, this is a good place to start. However, it's very possible that this will be very scattershot for the first-time listener. You may like half the tracks, but not care for the rest.

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