A Foot in the Door – The Best of Pink Floyd – EMI Records

by | Dec 6, 2011 | Pop/Rock/World CD Reviews

A Foot in the Door – The Best of Pink Floyd – EMI Records 50999 028966 2 5, 1.3 hrs. ****:
It all started in the early ‘60s, with a group of Cambridge boys jamming together. Out of this came the early versions of Pink Floyd. They became one of the leading progressive rock groups for more than 40 years, known for their extreme electronics and elaborate live shows, often downbeat philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation (including surround sound), and distinctive album graphics. They sold over 200 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Among their famous albums are: Atom Heart Mother, Meddle, The Dark Side of the Moon (alluding not to astronomy but to lunacy), Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Wall.
There is a current splash of Pink Floyd reissues in various formats, including the lavish boxed set of Wish You Were Here we just reviewed. This 16-track CD compendium was first released in Japan and is now made available in North America at a more reasonable price. It brings together some of the best tunes from the band, taking some of the top tracks from each of their important albums. There is one from The Wall, some from Meddle and Wish You Were Here—the latter including the amazing female wordless vocal on “The Great Gig in the Sky.”  It’s difficult to imagine Floyd fans wouldn’t already have multiple versions of many of these tracks, but some are so into it they must have absolutely anything Pink Floyd.  It seems to be designed primarily for the younger generation who haven’t been exposed to Pink Floyd before. Sonics are good, but of course nothing like the hi-res and surround versions in some of the reissue packages and videos.
—John Henry

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