Save Your Money, Buy Echoes

'A Collection of Great Dance Songs', a collection Pink Floyd tracks from the 1970's, released in 1981 is quite simply a compilation whose continued production is no longer really justified. At the time of its release, it was definitely better and more meaningful than it is now as CDs had not come to the fore and your 45 min approx max. length LP was the main source of music media. Since then, a few Floyd compilations have been released which supercede it in selection and length, most notably, the 2001 double CD 'Echoes' compilation. For just a little more than the price you can pay for this CD (yes thats how much a rip off this CD really is now!) you can get Echoes and enjoy over 2 and a half hours of extensive Pink Floyd brilliance which gives you tracks right across the band's career spanning 4 decades. This CD instead gives you just a 45 minute effort which contains just the best of their 70's stuff - the compilation should be just made obsolete.



So what is on the album? BY NO MEANS am I knocking the music on the album; Pink Floyd are one of my favourite bands and the music you are capturing on here is excellent, timeless stuff from their golden era, the 1970's. The album contains just 6 tracks. 'One of These Days' is from the 1971 Meddle album, which starts off this compilation. Following this is a 1981 version of 'Money'. Perhaps the idea of obtaining a different version of this 'Dark Side of the Moon' track is the only reason for possibly buying this compilation - it annoys me that it is always 'Money' that seems to be the flagbearer track for 'DSOTM' though when it is bettered by at least 4 tracks on the album - why isn't 'Time' on this compilation???? The other tracks on the album are 'Wish You Were Here' and 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' from 'Wish You Were Here', very much the Syd Barratt tribute album. 'Sheep' from 'Animals' is on here, as is 'Another Brick In the Wall Part II' from the Wall (why not Comfortably Numb instead??).



So the music is excellent BUT the compilation is a rip off by todays standards when you match it against the 'Echoes' compilation. The CDs of this work basically act now as an enticer to new listeners to the Floyd who may think it is one of their albums and fall into the trap of wasting their money on it. Capitol Records should withdraw this compilation and stop potentially exploiting buyers with this overpriced outdated compilation and instead should solely promote compilations such as 'Echoes' or even 'Relics'.

THIS ALBUM HAS THE BEST VERSION OF MONEY

My ex brother-in-law gave me this cassette for Christmas in 1985. From that moment on, I started to acquire an interest in PINK FLOYD. I have all the remastered edition of their studio albums, including this album. I got this album because of the remake version of their classic hit MONEY that outdoes the orginal version from THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON (my favorite PINK FLOYD album). I heard this song was rerecorded because of problems between CBS and their first record label HARVAST that is part of the CAPITOL RECORDS division. This version has a whole lot more better arrangement and it is also played at the same pace throughout the song. Furthermore, the vocals, the sax (played by DICK PARRY) and guitar solos sound a whole lot better too. I suppose after hearing this version for 3 years and then listening to the original version that I do not like, I am just used to listening to this version on this album. I am also half way surprised and not surprised about DAVID GILMOUR playing all the intruments on this version, considering the dark moments at this time. The only other song I comment on is the acoustic classic WISH YOU WERE HERE, which happens to be the first song I learned how to play on my guitar. I love the way the 12-string guitar sounds through a background speaker, or whatever, and the 6-string guitar.

Wak-A-Dactyl

I usually have a problem with greatest hits albums, but this is pretty good. The selection isn't plentiful, but it it is good. Now I'm typically one to get the original albums unless their is stuff unavailable anywhere else. One Of These Days, Sheep, and Wish You Were Here are all the original versions. The real reason to get ACOGDS is for Another Brick In The Wall (Part II). On a normal day, I like to hear The Happiest Days Of Our Lives and Another Brick back-to-back...but sometimes I don't. This version is the edited radio remix thing with the wak-a-dactyl intro. I like it. The 1981 version of Money is crazy too. That's the second reason to get this. The third reason is for Shine On You Crazy Diamond. I think most will agree that the original version is better with it opening and closing Wish You Were Here, but it's sort of neat anywho. If you are new to Floyd, don't get this. I know I wouldn't be able to appreciate this as a beginner. The first Floyd album I ever bought was The Wall. Then get Dark Side, Wish You Were here, Animals, and then you should get ACOGDS.........or maybe not. Actually, this was like the very last one I got. Probably only for hardcore Floydians only.