Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd

Track Listings
Disc: 1

1. Astronomy Domine

2. See Emily Play

3. Happiest Days of Our Lives

4. Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2

5. Echoes

6. Hey You

7. Marooned

8. Great Gig in the Sky

9. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun

10. Money

See all 13 tracks on this disc
Disc: 2

1. Shine on You Crazy Diamond, Pts. 1-5

2. Time

3. Fletcher Memorial Home

4. Comfortably Numb

5. When the Tigers Broke Free

6. One of These Days

7. Us and Them

8. Learning to Fly

9. Arnold Layne

10. Wish You Were Here

See all 13 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Echoes is a double-CD collection of some of Pink Floyd's best songs. It's also a fascinating document of the band's history. They began life as Syd Barrett's phantasmagoric plaything before clasping the wings of Icarus and ascending toward the sun on an epic space-rock odyssey, eventually turning left once they reached the dark side of the moon and burning up on reentry, crash-landing on every earthlings' home hi-fi. And it's all here--30 years of the Floyd's awesome back catalog trimmed down to two handsome CDs. It's worth remembering that, despite a fondness for pyrotechnics, Pink Floyd were never a prog-rock band. Sure, some of their songs are a bit long, and they never released singles (at least not for 11 years), but the same could be said for Led Zeppelin. Clinically devoid of the faux-classical overtures and vainglorious musicianship of that era, Pink Floyd were a pole apart; Meddle's epic maritime tone poem "Echoes" remains the Floyd's apogee. But here, on this collection, "the albatross" which "hangs motionless upon the air" has had its wings clipped--seven full minutes are missing, but you'd never be able to tell. The sonar bleeps, the screeching seagulls, the howling winds are all retained, and whoever wielded the editorial axe, Eugene, did so carefully.

Interestingly, the album's nonchronological track listing works--the summery, childhood enchantment of "See Emily Play" is right next to the school discipline of "Happiest Days of Our Lives"--and at least this way no one will switch off when material from A Momentary Lapse of Reason comes around. Despite the curious omission of "Atom Heart Mother," this really is the very best of the Floyd--from the throbbing "One of These Days" to the pop operatic "Great Gig in the Sky" to the genius silvery fluidity of Dave Gilmour's guitar work. This is timeless, as many members of Sigur Rós, Radiohead, and the Beta Band will attest. --Kevin Maidment --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Tracks:

Astronomy Domine
See Emily Play
The Happiest Day of Our Lives
Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)
Echoes
Hey You
Marooned
The Great Gig in the Sky
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
Money
Keep Talking
Sheep
Sorrow

Tracks:

Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1-7)
Time
The Fletcher Memorial Home
Comfortably Numb
When the Tigers Broke Free
One of These Days
Us And Them
Learning to Fly
Arnold Layne
Wish You Were Here
Jug Band Blues
High Hopes
Bike

Amazon.com

Echoes is a double-CD collection of some of Pink Floyd's best songs. It's also a fascinating document of the band's history. They began life as Syd Barrett's phantasmagoric plaything before clasping the wings of Icarus and ascending toward the sun on an epic space-rock odyssey, eventually turning left once they reached the dark side of the moon and burning up on reentry, crash-landing on every earthlings' home hi-fi. And it's all here--30 years of the Floyd's awesome back catalog trimmed down to two handsome CDs. It's worth remembering that, despite a fondness for pyrotechnics, Pink Floyd were never a prog-rock band. Sure, some of their songs are a bit long, and they never released singles (at least not for 11 years), but the same could be said for Led Zeppelin. Clinically devoid of the faux-classical overtures and vainglorious musicianship of that era, Pink Floyd were a pole apart; Meddle's epic maritime tone poem "Echoes" remains the Floyd's apogee. But here, on this collection, "the albatross" which "hangs motionless upon the air" has had its wings clipped--seven full minutes are missing, but you'd never be able to tell. The sonar bleeps, the screeching seagulls, the howling winds are all retained, and whoever wielded the editorial axe, Eugene, did so carefully.

Interestingly, the album's nonchronological track listing works--the summery, childhood enchantment of "See Emily Play" is right next to the school discipline of "Happiest Days of Our Lives"--and at least this way no one will switch off when material from A Momentary Lapse of Reason comes around. Despite the curious omission of "Atom Heart Mother," this really is the very best of the Floyd--from the throbbing "One of These Days" to the pop operatic "Great Gig in the Sky" to the genius silvery fluidity of Dave Gilmour's guitar work. This is timeless, as many members of Sigur Rós, Radiohead, and the Beta Band will attest. --Kevin Maidment

Customer Reviews:

If you only could have ONE Pink Floyd Disc, this is the one........2007-07-02

Most would think that would be DSOTM. It's a close call. But, since this set has most of the best cuts from DSOTM, and the best cuts from every other release, this would be my choice.

Disc 2 of this set has been my bedtime CD for over a year now.

Only two comments. I could do without "Bike". That song just creeps me out, especially the freaky noise at the very end.

Secondly, I'm disappointed that they cut Gilmours Blues solo in SOYCD.

I still give it 5 stars though.

EDIT: BTW... If you are a guitar player, there is what is probably one of the best TAB books ever produced for this album. It covers every song, exactly, and has every Gilmour solo.

http://www.amazon.com/Pink-Floyd-Echoes-Best/dp/0757908039/ref=pd_bbs_2/104-3072233-2244740?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184174143&sr=8-2

Unfortunately, it is out of print so you will have to go with a listed used copy.

I'd get it while you can.

Not the very best of Floyd.......2007-06-19

Even though this is supposed to be the "Best" of Pink Floyd I would beg to differ. Right now I have a list in front of me of Pink floyd songs that were unjustly omitted. On the other hand, there are a handful of songs here- mainly in Floyd's later years- that are mediocre at best and have no business being on this album. It's still a sure bet for die-hard Floyd fans, however. The best Floyd albums are The Wall, Dark Side of the Moon, and Wish you were Here.

Great Introduction to Pink Floyd.......2007-06-11

Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd, is a great introduction to this classic ahead of its time rock group. For those of you not born in the 50's or 60's that could have enjoyed the classic Dark Side of the Moon during its release, this is a tremendous way to find out what all of the fuss was/is about. I am certain that this great CD set will inspire people to purchase much of the Pink Floyd collection, especially some of the bigger hits like The Wall and Dark Side. Many of these songs are simply haunting, while others prove to show how versatile this super group has been over the years. An outstanding value. 5 Stars!
~ Pink Floyd

shine on.......2007-04-23

If you're gonna side-step the actual albums and simply dip into a compilation of this seminal band, then this is a safe bet for a solid primer. This collection is substantive, richly entertaining and demonstrates the enduring appeal of one extraordinary band.

A Saucerful of Floyd.......2007-03-24

Things I like about it:
The way the songs tie in with each other.
How it starts and ends with Syd's songs.
Great introduction to Pink Floyd
Cover artwork.

Things I don't like about it:
Some favorites and well known cuts missing. Welcome to the Machine, Final Cut, Pigs or Dogs, Have a Cigar, Young Lust... Would it have been better for David to have cut out Momentary (which has Sorrow but no Dogs of War or On the Turning Away) and Division Bell cuts (no Take it Back) and just kept it to the 67-83 material?
Echoes and Shine On You Crazy Diamond edited but if they're going to be on a collection, it's not that bad.

It serves me well on roadtrips and I'm not skipping any cuts, so I do listen to it all the way through.

Average customer rating:

4 stars for the music, a mere 2 for the execution
Not bad.
Floyd Forever
Pink Floyd's best non-box set retrospective gets a new look
Nothing new for old fans...

Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Wall (Deluxe Packaging Digitally Remastered)
Delicate Sound of Thunder
Wish You Were Here
The Division Bell
Pulse

ASIN: B000HIVQLW
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Tracks:

Astronomy Domine
See Emily Play
The Happiest Days Of Our Lives
Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)
Echoes
Hey You
Marooned
The Great Gig In The Sky
Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun
Money
Keep Talking
Sheep
Sorrow

Tracks:

Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1-7)
Time
The Fletcher Memorial Home
Comfortably Numb
When The Tigers Broke Free
One Of These Days
Us And Them
Learning To Fly
Arnold Layne
Wish You Were Here
Jugband Blues
High Hopes
Bike

Customer Reviews:

4 stars for the music, a mere 2 for the execution.......2007-06-13

Pink Floyd is arguably the definitive album band. Therefore, a compilation, even a two-disc one, won't really do them much justice. The new listener must exerpience The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and such in full if they want to really hear Pink Floyd. That alone is enough to defeat the purpose of Echoes. Another is the track selection. Seven tracks were picked from the 1981-1993 period that's by far the group's weakest. Out of those seven, I can justify none of their inclusions. If you must package Floyd, how can you do so without Interstellar Overdrive, Brain Damage/Eclipse, Run Like Hell or Mother? These are just a few of the bare essentials I'm talking about here, people. And in their place? Learning to Fly? High Hopes? Marooned? Keep Talking? The Fletcher Memorial Home? When the Tigers Broke Free? Sorrow? What was the thought process behind any of this? Okay, giving a complete overview of their career I get. But I'd rather hear all (or at least mostly) good songs. And most people who know Floyd just from the radio would be more familiar with, say, Run Like Hell or Brain Damage than Learning to Fly or Marooned. Another track I don't get is The Happiest Days of Our Lives, an interlude from The Wall. Again, who wants to hear that? Wouldn't you rather listen to Young Lust? I would.
I also feel that Animals is underrepresented. Sure, Animals isn't a compilation-friendly album. Which again justifies taking off some of the more recent songs. Let's face it, Dogs is a much better song than High Hopes. And an edit of the title track? Ha!
Mostly, though, they made the right selections. I really don't think I can justify all my complaining about Dark Side of the Moon, because that's an essential - but Money, Time, Us & Them and Great Gig were all good calls. Same with Wish You Were Here - the FULL Shine On must be heard - but that album's title track is my favorite Floyd song ever, and it's here, so cool. I've already whined about Animals and the Wall (though in truth I'm not a huge fan of that one). Good picks from Meddle, other than the shortened Echoes... PATGOD represented nicely, but no Interstellar Overdrive? A Saucerful of Secrets was nailed, Ummagumma (the only PF album I haven't heard) and Atom Heart Mother weren't represented at all (the latter's If would've been welcome, but whatever), I've already discussed Meddle through the Division Bell.
So that about wraps things up, I guess. This is an okay overview, but wouldn't you rather the real album?

Not bad........2007-01-25

The first couple of songs dint need to be there but the rest were cool.

Floyd Forever.......2006-11-01

Most "best of" collections for most groups seem to lack something. My expectations for "Echoes" were low. I was wrong about "Echoes." I have many "greatest hits" and many "best of," and this one, for one of the greatest progressive rock groups, is an absolute gem. While this album can never capture the greatness of Pink Floyd, it can intrigue you enough to go buy their albums.

I am least familiar with Syd Barrett's work in early Pink Floyd. The songs "Astronomy Domine," "See Emily Play," "Arnold Layne," "Jugband Blues," and "Bike," all written and sang by Syd Barrett, urged me to obtain Pink Floyd's early albums "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" and "A Saucerful of Secrets." This music is psychedelic and imaginative, and now I know why there is a "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1-7)."

I think it is a nearly bizarre truth that there is almost no such thing as bad Pink Floyd music. There is weak Pink Floyd music, and Pink Floyd music that is difficult to appreciate. However, Pink Floyd at their worst is still musically a force. When I listen to this music I remember the promise and potential of progressive rock through what many consider to be the glory years of progressive rock. Music from "Dark Side of the Moon," which set all sorts of longevity records on the charts, is represented, of course. However, Pink Floyd in the post-Barrett years has always been more than one album. There was the wonderful "Wish You Were Here," the epic "The Wall," and the bizarre and complex "Animals." Then there is the sonically pleasing "The Division Bell," and the often derided "A Momentary Lapse of Reason." There are also the albums "The Final Cut" and "Meddle." This album also includes one song from the movie "The Wall."

Note that this CD is listed as a "Special Edition." Pardon my cynicism, but, big whoop. The only thing "special" about this edition over the previous version of "Echoes" is the biodegradable plastic cover. If you have the original "Echoes" and tossed the plastic wrapper into the trash, I think you can rest assured that it is too late to get that plastic back into a barrel of oil. Buying another copy may help someone's bottom line, but not yours. There are three reasons to buy this album.

(1) You have to have every album released by Floyd (the definition of Floyd fanatic).
(2) You are just getting into the group and you want an overview of their career to see if you should buy more.
(3) You absolutely have to have the song "When the Tigers Broke Free" from the movie "The Wall," which does not appear on the CD "The Wall."

Listening to these songs in the order on the CD is almost surreal as the album cuts back and forth between decades and band lineups. As I listen to this music I remember all that I love about rock, particularly progressive rock, and what I love about life and Pink Floyd, and then I wonder how we got here, and why David Gilmour thought Pink Floyd had run its course when it really had not. There is still time. We can only hope that one day the members of Pink Floyd realize that they were always greater than the sum of their parts. Until that time, cherish all the music from Pink Floyd you can get, because Pink Floyd is one of the few groups that managed to find the middle ground between art and entertainment. These songs and instrumentals will always be diamonds in my collection, and they will carry me forward and backward in time, until there is no time left.

Pink Floyd's best non-box set retrospective gets a new look.......2006-11-01

Pink Floyd's 2-CD retrospective entitled Echoes was released in November of 2001.
When I first got wind of Echoes at first, I thought it was going to be worthless but then after hearing that the then rare track When the Tigers Broke Free was finally being issued on an album (it then appeared albeit in a remixed form on the 2004 re-issue of The Final Cut), I said what the hey and took the plunge into buying Echoes.
Echoes is not like many best ofs that go year to year which is what Roger Waters wanted, the songs go from one to the next like your average Pink Floyd album which is how David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Rick Wright and longtime co-producer/engineer James Guthrie saw it. Many fans and Floyd bashers either stop whining and crying or go to listen to the regular albums (to the Floyd fans) or your Britney Spears and Beyonce records (some one star reviewers who bash this record for no reason)!
It was impossible to put a collection of Pink Floyd songs together that would please everyone. I think the non-chronological placing of these songs adds something new to the mix and the transitions between some of these songs create a mosaic of music just as these songs did on their original albums. My favorite segue is between Us and Them and Learning to Fly. The classics are here such as Astronomy Domine, See Emily Play, The Happiest Days of Our Lives, Another Brick in the Wall(pt.2), Hey You, The Great Gig in the Sky, Money, Keep Talking, Time, Comfortably Numb (with outro to Bring the Boys Back Home at the start), One of These Days, Us and Them, Learning to Fly, Arnold Layne and Wish You Were Here appear as does lost classics like Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun, The Fletcher Memorial Home, Jugband Blues (one of the late Syd Barrett's best pieces), Sheep (from the overlooked Animals), Sorrow (one of PF 197's best epics) and Bike.
Some of the songs were edited. For instance, Echoes is reduced to 16 and a half minutes like it was on the band's 1987 tour when they played it for three weeks and it works fine. Shine on You Crazy Diamond is edited into one long suite with a bit of the guitar solo from Part 3 missing and some of Part 6's lap steel solo shaved off and the intro to Welcome to the Machine missing and of course parts 8 and 9 are cut but a great edit. Marooned is reduced to two minutes to serve as a bridge between Hey You and The Great Gig in the Sky. Also, High Hopes has some of the intro effects, the ending lap steel guitar solo and the final bell tolls edited but most of this epic is left intact. The reason many hardcore fans bought this, including myself was the inclusion of When the Tigers Broke Free which was not on an album until this collection's release in 2001(now it is on the reissued Final Cut album but in a remixed form with part of The Wall film version for the first verse and the single mix for the second and third verses but the Echoes version was the melding of the film version).
Echoes did very well when it was released debuting at #2 in the US and selling over 3 million in the US alone (it was held off #1 by Britney Spears' Britney here in the States whilst in the UK Floyd outcharted Britney (a/k/a the skankaroo)) reaffirming Pink Floyd's place in history as the most successful art rock band ever.
In 2006, the album was repackaged with a biodegradable wrap which reminds me of the shrink wrap that they used with Wish You Were Here on the 1975 vinyl record.
Highly recommended!

Nothing new for old fans..........2006-10-23

I really enjoy virtually everything Pink Floyd has recorded, and my luke-warm rating shouldn't be taken as an indictment of the songs on this compilation. For anyone new to the band's music, this playlist is an interesting sampling of "classic" PF songs (that being materials written & recorded before Roger Waters' departure from the band).

However, for existing fans possessing many or all of their original regordings, this is a virtually redundant collection. What is more, I have always felt as though the whole of many of Pink Floyd's albums are greater than the sum of their parts and, not unlike many classical recordings or classic rock "operas" like The Who's "Tommy", listening to a Pink Floyd album in full provides additional context and enhances one's appreciation for the material. This strikes me as particularly true with the recordings between 1973 - 1983.

As a separate note, given that the collection is limited to songs recorded with Roger Waters, I wonder what/who selected the playlist.

Average customer rating:

The Definitive Pink Floyd 2-CD Set

Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Manufacturer: Toshiba EMI
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Supergroups | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Classic Rock | Imports | Stores | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The Wall (Deluxe Packaging Digitally Remastered)
Dark Side of the Moon 30th Anniversary Edition
Wish You Were Here
Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd - Pulse

ASIN: B00005QCG5
Release Date: 2001-11-12

Tracks:

Astronomy Domine
See Emily Play
Happiest Days of Our Lives
Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2
Echoes
Hey You
Marooned
Great Gig in the Sky
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
Money
Keep Talking
Sheep
Sorrow

Tracks:

Shine on You Crazy Diamond, Pts. 1-7
Time
Fletcher Memorial Home
Comfortably Numb
When the Tigers Broke Free
One of These Days
Us and Them
Learning to Fly
Arnold Layne
Wish You Were Here
Jugband Blues
High Hopes
Bike

Customer Reviews:

The Definitive Pink Floyd 2-CD Set.......2006-05-24

When you're low on dough and have to choose your first Pink Floyd CD, Echoes would be my recommendation. I tend to own mostly Best Of CDs of my favorite recordings. This 2-CD Set features Echoes, the song from the album Meddle, of course.

Average customer rating:

Echoes-Best of

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000GUK71Q
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Average customer rating:

The Best of Pink Floyd Part 1 {Import}
Pink Floyd
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000P57KD0

Product Description

Very Rare Import Pink Floyd Compilation CD. Producec in 2004. All Digitialy Remasterd and has some hard to find songs. Playlist Includes 1. Time 2. Fearless 3. One of These Days 4. The Great Gig in the Sky 5. Echoes 6. Money 7. Fat Old Sun 8. Narrow Way, Part One 9. Us and Them 10. Any Color You Like 11. A Pillow of the Winds 12. Breath 13. Crying Song 14. Childhoods End 15. Grand Viziers Garden. Part III

Average customer rating:

Echoes-Best of Pink Floyd

Manufacturer: Msi Music Corp
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000DEPOY
Release Date: 2002-08-27

Music Review:

Music Review

Music Review

1. Astronomy Domine
2. See Emily Play
3. Happiest Days of Our Lives
4. Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2
5. Echoes
6. Hey You
7. Marooned
8. Great Gig in the Sky
9. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
10. Money

1. Shine on You Crazy Diamond, Pts. 1-5
2. Time
3. Fletcher Memorial Home
4. Comfortably Numb
5. When the Tigers Broke Free
6. One of These Days
7. Us and Them
8. Learning to Fly
9. Arnold Layne
10. Wish You Were Here