by Pink Floyd List Price:$29.00 Our Price:$26.00 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Product Details
Media: Audio CD
Release Date: Tuesday, November 06, 2001
Label: Capitol
Average Customer Review: 4 Based on 368 reviews.
Sales Rank: 53
Tracks
1.
Money
2.
Keep Talking
3.
Sheep
4.
Sorrow
5.
Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1-7)
6.
Time
7.
The Fletcher Memorial Home
8.
Comfortably Numb
9.
When the Tigers Broke Free
10.
One of These Days
11.
Us And Them
12.
Learning to Fly
13.
Arnold Layne
14.
Wish You Were Here
15.
Jug Band Blues
16.
High Hopes
17.
Bike
18.
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
19.
The Great Gig in the Sky
20.
Marooned
21.
Hey You
22.
Echoes
23.
Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)
24.
The Happiest Day of Our Lives
25.
See Emily Play
26.
Astronomy Domine
Editorial Review
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
Top Customer Reviews
Rating:
5 Oh By The Way, Which One's Pink?? Answer: Syd Barrett!!!
Echoes, that historical double-CD collection of the band's greatest numbers, can hardly be called a "greatest hits" collection by normal standards. Oh, sure, most of the Floyd classics are here: "Arnold Layne", "Money", "Us and Them", "Wish You Were Here", "Learning to Fly", etc. Also, there are songs missing that many of their fans wish were present: "Have a Cigar," "Welcome to the Machine," "Brain Damage/Eclipse," and any selections from Atom Heart Mother (aka, The Cow Album). Also, two of their greatest songs here have been edited: the title track and Shine On You Crazy Diamond. So why is this still-impressive collection worth five stars? In two words: unified concept. Pink Floyd have always been a thinking listener's band, and they have managed to take two dozen or so of their greatest songs, meld the tracks together, and juxtapose the tracks in such a fashion that the songs, when played in this order, reveal fresh, sometimes startling new layers of meaning concerning their unified concept. And what is this key concept, the hidden, madcap thread that weaves through most of the songs on this album? Answer: Syd Barrett!!! Yes, the band's original guitarist, acid-eating freak turned genius-lunatic either composed most of the songs on this album ("Arnold Layne," "Jug Band Blues") or is in fact the subject matter of songs composed by the band's other members on later albums ("Wish You Were Here," "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"). Barrett's real-life descent into near-madness runs throughout the band's later material, particularly affecting bassist Roger Waters, who also suffered from a particularly strict childhood ("Another Brick in the Wall") and loss of his father at an early age (the stunning, previously unreleased "When the Tigers Broke Free"; when this song is heard back to back with the very angry piece "One of These Days," the effect is absolutely bone-chilling.) Other such amazing song juxtapositions are "The Happiest Day of Our Lives" backed with "Another Brick In The Wall," and "Set the Controls For
Rating:
4 Nothing New
I've been aware of Pink Floyd for at least the last 30 years, and I can tell that there is no track here not heard before, except maybe for the Watersless Floyd ones. I rate this 3 stars for the tunes selection. I understand it's way hard to select the "best", coz each album up to The Final Cut were best on their own right. Any Pink Floyd fan have preferred tunes over the others, so it is impossible to make everybody happy, besides cutting the tracks from their albums context; but some missings are unforgivable, think of Piper's "Chapter 24", Saucerful's "Remember a Day", Ummagumma's "Grantchester Meadows", Atom Heart Mother's "If", "Summer 68", or "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast", Meddle's "Fearless", Obscured by Clouds' "Childhoods End", Dark Side's "Eclipse", Wish You's "Have a Cigar", Animals' "Pigs", Final Cut's "South Hampton Dock" or "Paranoid Eyes", etcétera and I'm skipping More.I know there's enough material for more than a third disc, but the Eugene doing the editing could've use the axe smarter and save space from Division Bell lame tracks adding some of the aforementioned ones.Anyway, the 4th star is deserved for the leaflet art and graphics, always a Pink Floyd strenght, if only the lyrics were more visible, but all of us already know them. Cheers.
Rating:
2 Because it's Pink Floyd
There should never be a Pink Floyd greatest hits. The songs are all good, true. But Pink Floyd is bigger than that. Their songs should be considered integral parts of each album as well as individual masterpieces. How could one listen to hits like "Another brick in the wall pt. 2" without preceding it with "In the Flesh?", "The Thin Ice" and "Happiest Days of our lives"? And mixing around the music in different time frames is another mistake. On the first disc they have "See Emily Play", a great song from an early album (Relics) to "Happiest Days of our lives" That's strange. Maybe it's just me, but I don't like hearing songs from the different albums being sequenced all together. For me I love Pink Floyd's albums as albums, not each song. I like to listen to an entire album at one time, especially the post-Syd albums. (maybe because they can be considered "concept albums" or maybe because it's just great music) If they had to do this (money-making scheme, most likely) they should've had two or three discs, divided into Syd Barrett and post-Syd songs. But still, I don't personally see Pink Floyd as a band to have their albums sliced open and select a few songs.
Rating:
5 the greatest compilation ever
please disregard all the one star reviews both past or future for this classic compilation from my favourite band.very highly recommended.
Rating:
5 Superb overview to Pink Floyd's history
Pink Floyd's retrospective Echoes was released in November of 2001. At first, I thought worthless but then after hearing that When the Tigers Broke Free was finally being issued on an album, I said what the hey. Echoes is not like many best ofs that go year to year which is what ex-member Roger Waters wanted, the songs go from one to the next like your average 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, stop whining or go to listen to the regular albums(the Floyd fans) or your Britney Spears 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 is between Us and Them and Learning to Fly. Classics like Another Brick in the Wall(pt.2), Money, Us and Them, Arnold Layne, See Emily Play, Wish You Were Here, Comfortably Numb and Learning to Fly appear as does lost classics like The Fletcher Memorial Home, Jugband Blues, Sheep and Sorrow. Some of the songs were edited like 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. 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. Marooned is reduced to two minutes to serve as a bridge between Hey You and 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. 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). Echoes did well when it was released debuting at #2 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) reaffirming Pink Floyd's place in history as the most successful art rock band ever. Highly recommended!
Rating:
5 Good compilation
I started out on Pink Floyd with this. This has most of Dark Side and a lot more. If you are starting out on Pink Floyd, pick this of Dark Side of the Moon up.
Rating:
4 Great retrospective, but could have used another disc.
"Echoes" serves as a terrific retrospective of Pink Floyd's largely illustrious recording career and will serve the newer or casual listener of Pink Floyd well. However, serious listeners will want to delve into the individual albums (which, if you are a Pink Floyd fan, you probably already own) to get the full Floyd experience. Of interest to long-time fans is the inclusion of "When the Tigers Broke Free," from "The Wall" film, not previously released on compact disc. Also, long time fans of Storm Thorgerson's Pink Floyd cover art will really appreciate the homage he's given to his own artwork of the past. Hipgnosis lives! This is not the first "greatest hits" package from the band (see "Relics," "Works," and "A Collection of Great Dance Songs") but it does cover the span from 1967's "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" up through 1994's "The Division Bell," the band's last studio album to date (two live recordings, "Pulse" and "The Wall" were subsequently released). Many, but not all of the band's greatest compositions are here on this two disc compilation, but there are plenty of omissions. Some of the more obvious are "Careful With That Axe Eugene," "Run Like Hell," "Dogs," (arguably, one of the greatest Gilmour/Waters compositions), "Welcome to the Machine," and even "One Slip" and "Take It Back" from among the last two studio albums made without the participation of Roger Waters. Still, it's a great compilation that only loses a star because the above weren't included. This is timeless music from one of the greatest rock bands of all time.
Rating:
4 An adequate look at a great band
At long last, Pink Floyd have released a best-of compilation, and for the most part, it's an excellent collection of timeless music, but it periodically gets bogged down in a couple of instances of Roger Waters' self-indulgence and the post-Waters Floyd's bloated, easy-listening tripe. Suitably, Echoes serves up 2 /12 hours of tunes, allowing for a fair look at each stage of the band's long career, and many of the great songs are there: Syd Barrett's great 'Astronomy Domine' and 'Bike', the epics 'Echoes' and 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond', and the requisite songs from Dark Side Of The Moon and The Wall that remain classic rock radio staples...there's so much great music on Echoes that you can't really complain, but when you take a step back and look at what was not included and what was, you have to wonder what both warring factions (Waters versus Everyone Else) were thinking.There's no 'Careful With That Axe, Eugene', no 'Welcome To The Machine', no 'Brain Damage', no 'Run Like Hell', no 'Mother', and in their places are two mopey Waters songs from The Final Cut and The Wall movie (why not something from Live At Pompeii instead of the Alan Parker film?), and most heinously, five songs from A Momentary Lapse Of Reason and The Division Bell, songs that are so muddled in slick overproduction and overwraught, lazy, phony FM radio sentiment that they sound more dated than even Barrett's hippy-dippy 'See Emily Play'. To make things worse, they picked the wrong songs from that dark period, overlooking 1987's 'On The Turning Away', which is a hidden gem. If all seven songs (okay, 'Learning To Fly' is half decent) had been replaced with more quality fare, Echoes would have been spectacular. But hey, an album with 75% great Pink Floyd songs is still worth buying, and is a suitable introduction for new listeners. Just skip past the garbage.
Rating:
2 Buy Floyd's albums, not songs
Although this album has some great songs, I recommend buying their albums, not their individual songs. The meaning is lost on songs from "The Wall" and "Animals," among others, because the entire album is more like one song, telling a story. Each song, like "Comfortably Numb" and "Mother," are only segments of these terrific pieces of art, so it appears that the songs have no meaning. And even if you disagree, where are other classic hits, like "Dogs?"
Rating:
5 Good for late-era Floyd fans
This collection contains songs from EVERY Pink Floyd album and really charts their career from '60's with Syd to the bleak Water's years in the '80's and all they way through 'Division Bell'.As a fan only since The Wall in '79, and only having their albums from '73 and later, it was great to hear their early singles from the '60's. Their sound then was very '60's psychadelic and melodic, not at all like their sound-effects-driven concept albums later on. There are at least half a dozen of these old singles here, which I'd never heard before. If you are a long-time Pink Floyd fan, then this is for you - it's all here. If you only like later Pink Floyd, then their early work is a wonderful discovery.One note: the label promises "mixed by the band as a continuous experience", but that doesn't mean there is lots of added orchestration bridging the songs. Quite the opposite. Only a few small bits were added to make the songs blend a little better, that's all. That's enough, too. So don't expect a lot of new sounds around your old favorites - you'll be disappointed if you do.
Rating:
5 Floyd Through The Years
Pink Floyd has released several hits compilations, but Echoes is the first to span the entire Floyd catalog. From the Syd Barrett led days to the more recent Roger Waters less incarnation, all their eras are representing including a previously unreleased song, "When The Tigers Broke Free" which is from The Wall movie. What makes the album extremely interesting, especially for Floyd fans who have these songs already, is the sequencing of the music. Not following the traditional greatest hits album track listing in chronological order, songs are sequenced to seamlessly flow into one another creating the effect of one long song suite per disk. All four band members were heavily involved in the song selection and sequencing, but unfortunately they never got into the studio together. Echoes is a great way for Floyd neophytes to be introduced to the band and for long time fans to get a new track and hear the music in a new and different way.
Rating:
4 Worthy Compilation of Pink's greatest
Now before I start, I write as a fan, so I'm aware of how each Pink Floyd album should be listened to in whole, to understand each song completely. But, if the band wants to introduce a whole new legion of fans by teasing them with their greats, then I support what they've done here. They've culled together some of their best work, from the Syd Barrett psychedelic years to the David Gilmour-led Pink Floyd of the 1990s. A HUGE contrast of music styles, which just shows how creative and talented the members of Pink Floyd were, and still are.I am not happy with the way they cut parts out of "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" and "Echoes"; that is the reason I gave this 4 stars. Cutting songs out of the albums was bad enough; "Shine" loses its effect to me without David Gilmour's second guitar solo in the first part (I-V). However, I'm happy they included Syd Barrett masterpieces like "Arnold Layne" and "Bike", as well as late Waters' works such as "Fletcher Memorial Home" and "When the Tigers Broke Free", which was off of "The Wall" movie soundtrack but not the album itself. I think the band put in too many songs from the later albums, but Gilmour probably had the largest say in this compilation so he wanted to represent "The Division Bell" a bit, even though it's rather weak in comparison to the 70's glory years.A lot of die-hard fans will be very critical of the band's release of a "greatest hits" album, and I have to agree with them that a best of album might not be in Pink Floyd's style. But after listening to the songs here, I can't help but admire the band again for their impressive talent and creativity. It's THE MUSIC that stays alive. If this brings a whole new generation of fans to appreciate Pink Floyd's music, which I hope was the band's intention (a bit too naive on my part), then I'm very much in favor of it. **Also, if this project was an attempt at Gilmour to patch things up with Waters and end this silly feud between two bitter old men, please do anything to bring back the good music.** For those who have NEVER listened to Floyd before, this is a good start.
Rating:
3 A confused compilation
Compiling an anthology of the best of Pink Floyd is a fool's errand at best. Many of the band's best moments are just not as compelling when removed from the context of the albums that spawned them. Not to mention the fact that the band has had at least three seperate and distinct eras that don't necessarily compliment one another. The early days (pre-"Meddle" 1971) feature original leader Syd Barrett and his psycadelic influence even after he left the band. From 1971-1983, Floyd was a Roger Waters dominated concept album band. After Waters left in 1983, the band has been led by guitarist David Gilmour, and has been merely a shadow of its former self.Though to be admired for liberally including songs from the early days, the album makes a tactical error in not being programmed chronilogically. For example, the previously unreleased track "When The Tigers Broke Free" appeared in the movie version of "Pink Floyd The Wall." It's a fine song, but standing alone outside of "The Wall's" story line it doesn't have the same impact.Overall, there is nothing wrong with the music on this collection. Of course, it could also have included about a dozen more songs, but then it would be of unweildy size. Hardcore fans probably already own most, if not all, of the material. Those just getting to know Floyd would be better off purchasing the original albums, starting with "Dark Side of the Moon" and "The Wall."
Rating:
5 Don't let the rating fool you.
I gave this collection 5 stars because it obviously contains some incredible music. Theres one thing that needs to be understood though. Pink Floyd has never been a band that is about songs, or hits, or anything like that. Floyd is THE definitive album band. Each one of the songs on this collection loses much of its effect when taken out of the context of the album that it was originally featured on, with the exception of some of the Barrett tunes. This collection is NOT good as an introduction to the band. Newcomers should begin with Dark Side of the Moon or Wish You Were Here. Otherwise, you are missing the point of what Pink Floyd has always stood for and tried to accomplish. What this collection IS good for is Hardcore Fans of the band, and here is why:1. "When the Tigers Broke Free" - Undoubtedly the holy-grail of Floyd songs (at least to us Floyd-heads). This incredible song is featured in The Wall (the film), but this is the first time it has been released on disc. Worth the price of the disc alone for the hardcore fan.2. The remixes of the longer songs - A good chunk of "Echoes"has been cut out, mostly from the creepy wind blowing middle section. Good to listen to if you don't have 22 minutes to kill, but need your fix. Also, the two bookend parts of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" have been pasted together (much like on "A Collection of Great Dance Songs"). Its dissapointing that they cut out so much for time, but the main themes of the song are still intact, making for a pretty good abbreviated version.Now on to the complaints: 1.) I don't know why they even bothered putting the shortened version of "Marooned" on this compilation. It is one of David Gilmour's finest moments as a guitarist and they omit almost 3/4 of the song. So what was the point? 2.) Of the 5 tracks they could have taken from Animals, why do they always feel the need to choose "Sheep" (as they did on the "Dance Song" collection). "Dogs" or "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" are both better songs and better examples of Animals as an album. 3.) I don't think it was really neccesary to include 3 songs each from "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" and "The Division Bell" and not include anything from "More", "Atom Heart Mother" or "Obscured By Clouds". 4.) Why not include "What Shall We Do Now" from The Wall film, especially if they dug up "Tigers"? 5.) How can you omit "Brain Damage" and "Eclipse" from a Pink Floyd collection? Can anyone argue with the fact that it really was the only correct way to close out disc 2?To summarize, if you are new to Pink Floyd, skip this for now and get Dark Side or WYWH. For the hardcore fans, this isn't perfect, but its good enough to be worth the cash.
Rating:
2 Buy Floyd's albums, not songs
Although this album has some great songs, I recommend buying their albums, not their individual songs. The meaning is lost on songs from "The Wall" and "Animals," among others, because the entire album is more like one song, telling a story. Each song, like "Comfortably Numb" and "Mother," are only segments of these terrific pieces of art, so it appears that the songs have no meaning. And even if you disagree, where are other classic hits, like "Dogs?"
Rating:
4 Good production, great sound
Hello there. Whether you are a diehard fan or a newcomer, this album should be welcomed onto your music shelf. The songs are not necessarily in chronological order, rather they are set in order of continuity and mood. From the opening track to the last, the production is flawless, Pink Floyd as always are way ahead of their time. Who would have guessed how naturally the songs flow into one another. There was obviously a lot of time spent in constructing the album as a whole piece as opposed to songs in no particular order.Even the early songs sound good. This is by no means comprehensive but for those who wish not to delve deep into their pockets, this is a great alternative. I would suggest buying the whole catalog but that would definitly be an expensive venture.When the Tigers Free is a good song and will be worth it for completists, but buy it for the concept of a 2 & 1/2 hour Pink Floyd experience. This is a way for older Floydians to listen to Pink Floyd in a different light. As an introduction to new listeners, it is a way to experience Floyd and see if it is worth it to dig deeper into their catalog.All in all, worth the pounds, dollars or schilling necessary to buy it.
Rating:
5 "Surely worth double its price tag"
Pink Floyd: one of the most influential bands of all time. Never heard of them? Put on a Radiohead or Beta Band CD and you'll hear what is essentially a direct take-off of their music. Their influence is so huge that they practically started the whole 'Swinging London/Flower Power' scene back in the 60's with their debut The Piper At The Gates of Dawn and then went on to release such record-breakings albums like Obscured By Clouds, Wish You Were Here, The Wall and, of course, the classic Dark Side of the Moon (surely you've heard of it). Now, after countless compilations, collections and box sets we finally get the essential Best Of Pink Floyd in the two-CD Echoes set. Including 26 landmark tracks, Echoes hears the band at their best with tunes ranging from their 1968 debut with original former Syd Barrett all the way to their 1994 final studio recording The Division Bell. Listing tracks from practically every one of their albums, the compilation has something for everybody; for casual and new listeners, tracks like "Money", "Time" and "Comfortably Numb" will pull you into the surreal world created by the band, while die-hard fans will kill for hard-to-find tunes like "Arnold Layne", "Astronomy Domine" and the never previously released jewel-in-the-crown "When The Tigers Broke Free". The much hyped "all in continuous play" doesn't disappoint either, with Floyd's fascination with the non-stop method (think of the Wizard Of Oz/Dark Side of the Moon synchronization) coming into play outstandingly yet again. Including a fascinating inlay filled with psychedelic pictures, caricatures, lyrics and hints for fans, the 160-minute collection is surely worth double its price tag. If you liked Three E.P.'s or OK Computer (the "Fitter Happier"/"Keep Talking" comparison is amazing), then pick up Echoes.
Rating:
5 Superb overview to Pink Floyd's history
Pink Floyd's retrospective Echoes was released in November of 2001. At first, I thought worthless but then after hearing that When the Tigers Broke Free was finally being issued on an album, I said what the hey. Echoes is not like many best ofs that go year to year which is what ex-member Roger Waters wanted, the songs go from one to the next like your average 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, stop whining or go to listen to the regular albums(the Floyd fans) or your Britney Spears 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 is between Us and Them and Learning to Fly. Classics like Another Brick in the Wall(pt.2), Money, Us and Them, Arnold Layne, See Emily Play, Wish You Were Here, Comfortably Numb and Learning to Fly appear as does lost classics like The Fletcher Memorial Home, Jugband Blues, Sheep and Sorrow. Some of the songs were edited like 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. 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. Marooned is reduced to two minutes to serve as a bridge between Hey You and 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. 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). Echoes did well when it was released debuting at #2 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) reaffirming Pink Floyd's place in history as the most successful art rock band ever. Highly recommended!
