Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd is the fourth compilation album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 5 November 2001 by EMI internationally and a day later by Capitol Records in the United States. It debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 album chart on 24 November 2001, with sales of 214,650 copies.[1] It remained on the chart for 26 weeks.[2] The album was certified Gold, Platinum and Double Platinum on 6 December 2001 in the US by the RIAA. It was certified Triple Platinum in the US on 8 January 2002, and Quadruple platinum on 10 September 2007.
Contents
The compilation spans the career of Pink Floyd from their first single "Arnold Layne" in 1967, through to "High Hopes", the final track from their 1994 studio album The Division Bell. Four of their albums—More, Ummagumma, Atom Heart Mother and Obscured by Clouds—are not represented whatsoever, though multiple tracks from Atom Heart Mother[3] and Ummagumma were planned to appear on the compilation. Each of the 26 tracks fades from one to the next with no break in the music, courtesy of longtime producer/engineer James Guthrie, to help recreate the concept album feel of the band's mid-period work. All 26 tracks were newly remastered specifically for this compilation and are not sequenced in chronological order.
The band's longtime guitarist, David Gilmour, said of the process of compiling the tracks themselves:
There’s been the occasional phone call but no great brainstorming sessions to get us all together. All our stuff [is] conducted through our engineer James Guthrie, who coordinated Echoes from his place in Lake Tahoe.[3]
Cover
Storm Thorgerson, who had done the majority of album covers for Pink Floyd, did the Echoes art which features recursive windows in an infinite regression as a nod to his own cover for 1969's Ummagumma, and the objects on each landscape refer to the Pink Floyd discography. For instance, there's the man on fire from Wish You Were Here, another wearing the Delicate Sound of Thunder lightbulb suit, dolls of the Atom Heart Mother cow and the Animals pig, a bike and both a brick wall and the hammers from The Wall. Eventually Thorgerson opted to make two images, with another used for the back cover. To create the idea on a photograph, various walls - which had varied measurements and angles to ensure that "nothing seemed to fit other than by eye through the lens." - were built and put in a country landscape in Sussex. Actors, props and fittings were set in and between those walls.[4] The original design was one of two sketches submitted for Dream Theater's 1997 album Falling into Infinity, with the original being framed and hanging in the home of former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy and is pointed out by Portnoy in his Hudson Music instructional drum DVD In Constant Motion.[5]
Release
Professional ratings |
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Review scores |
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Source | Rating |
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Allmusic | [6] |
Echoes is the first album released on Compact Disc that includes "When the Tigers Broke Free", which appeared in the film version of Pink Floyd—The Wall (the song later appeared on the 2004 re-release of The Final Cut in a slightly re-mixed form). It is the first compilation that includes songs from their previous three albums—The Final Cut, A Momentary Lapse of Reason and The Division Bell—and is also the only compilation album so far that includes "Echoes" from the 1971 album Meddle. A week after the band's one-off reunion at Live 8, HMV said the sales of Echoes rose by 1343%.[7]
Track listing
"We’ve been arguing about it [track selection] since May. Nick sent us a list right at the beginning, then he seemed to lose interest. Rick never seemed to want to get involved in it. It wandered along rather fitfully until recently, when I thought I'd better work out what we should be trying to do with it, whether we should try and represent every album or not, and on what basis we should be choosing songs. In the end we had to get everyone to vote on a list. (...) I agree [that most of the songs seemed to have picked themselves]. When I look at it, its bloody obvious really. It's amazing how long the process has been getting it sorted out."
CD version
Disc one
1. |
"Astronomy Domine" (The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)) | Syd Barrett | Barrett, Richard Wright |
4:10 |
2. |
"See Emily Play" ("See Emily Play" single (1967), with an early cut-off; appears on 1971 Relics (1971), and 1967 US/Japan versions of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn) | Barrett | Barrett |
2:47 |
3. |
"The Happiest Days of Our Lives" (The Wall (1979)) | Roger Waters | Waters |
1:38 |
4. |
"Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" (The Wall) | Waters | David Gilmour, Waters |
4:01 |
5. |
"Echoes" (Edited version; Meddle (1971)) | Gilmour, Waters, Wright, Nick Mason | Gilmour, Wright |
16:30 |
6. |
"Hey You" (The Wall) | Waters | Gilmour, Waters |
4:39 |
7. |
"Marooned" (First half only; The Division Bell (1994)) | Gilmour, Wright | Instrumental |
2:02 |
8. |
"The Great Gig in the Sky" (The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)) | Wright, Clare Torry | Instrumental, with vocals by Torry |
4:40 |
9. |
"Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" (A Saucerful of Secrets (1968)) | Waters | Waters |
5:20 |
10. |
"Money" (The Dark Side of the Moon) | Waters | Gilmour |
6:29 |
11. |
"Keep Talking" (Early fade-out; The Division Bell) | Gilmour, Wright, Polly Samson | Gilmour |
5:57 |
12. |
"Sheep" (Early fade-out; Animals) | Waters | Waters |
9:46 |
13. |
"Sorrow" (A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987)) | Gilmour | Gilmour |
8:45 |
Disc two
1. |
"Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1–7)" (Edited version; Wish You Were Here (1975)) | Gilmour, Waters, Wright | Waters |
17:32 |
2. |
"Time" (includes "Breathe (In the Air) (Reprise)"; The Dark Side of the Moon) | Gilmour, Waters, Wright, Mason | Gilmour, Wright |
6:48 |
3. |
"The Fletcher Memorial Home" (The Final Cut (1983)) | Waters | Waters |
4:07 |
4. |
"Comfortably Numb" (includes the coda of "Bring the Boys Back Home"; The Wall) | Gilmour, Waters | Gilmour, Waters |
6:53 |
5. |
"When the Tigers Broke Free" (The Wall film soundtrack (1982), also on 2004-present remasters of The Final Cut) | Waters | Waters |
3:42 |
6. |
"One of These Days" (Meddle, edited version) | Gilmour, Waters, Wright, Mason | Instrumental, with spoken words by Mason |
5:15 |
7. |
"Us and Them" (Edited ending, The Dark Side of the Moon) | Waters, Wright | Gilmour, Wright |
7:51 |
8. |
"Learning to Fly" (A Momentary Lapse of Reason) | Gilmour, Anthony Moore, Bob Ezrin, Jon Carin | Gilmour |
4:50 |
9. |
"Arnold Layne" ("Arnold Layne" single (1967); appears on Relics) | Barrett | Barrett |
2:52 |
10. |
"Wish You Were Here" (Early fade-out; Wish You Were Here) | Gilmour, Waters | Gilmour |
5:21 |
11. |
"Jugband Blues" (A Saucerful of Secrets) | Barrett | Barrett |
2:56 |
12. |
"High Hopes" (Edited version; The Division Bell) | Gilmour, Samson | Gilmour |
6:59 |
13. |
"Bike" (with bell intro; The Piper at the Gates of Dawn) | Barrett | Barrett |
3:24 |
Vinyl version
1. |
"Astronomy Domine" | Barrett | The Piper at the Gates of Dawn |
4:10 |
2. |
"See Emily Play" | Barrett | See Emily Play - Single; appears on Relics, 1971 and 1967 US/Japan versions of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn |
2:47 |
3. |
"The Happiest Days of Our Lives" | Waters | The Wall |
1:38 |
4. |
"Another Brick in the Wall (part 2)" | Waters | The Wall |
4:01 |
5. |
"Marooned" (Edited version) | Gilmour, Wright | The Division Bell |
2:02 |
6. |
"The Great Gig in the Sky" | Wright, Torry | The Dark Side of the Moon |
4:40 |
1. |
"Echoes" (Edited version) | Gilmour, Waters, Wright, Mason | Meddle |
16:30 |
2. |
"Hey You" | Waters | The Wall |
4:39 |
1. |
"Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" | Waters | A Saucerful of Secrets |
5:20 |
2. |
"Money" | Waters | The Dark Side of the Moon |
6:29 |
3. |
"Keep Talking" (Early fade-out) | Gilmour, Wright, Samson | The Division Bell |
5:57 |
1. |
"Sheep" (Early fade-out) | Waters | Animals |
9:46 |
2. |
"Sorrow" | Gilmour | A Momentary Lapse of Reason |
8:45 |
1. |
"Shine On You Crazy Diamond" (Parts 1–7, edited version) | Gilmour, Waters, Wright | Wish You Were Here |
17:32 |
1. |
"Time" (Includes "Breathe" (reprise)) | Gilmour, Waters, Wright, Mason | The Dark Side of the Moon |
6:48 |
2. |
"The Fletcher Memorial Home" | Waters | The Final Cut |
4:07 |
3. |
"Comfortably Numb" (Includes the coda of "Bring the Boys Back Home" The Wall) | Gilmour, Waters | The Wall |
6:53 |
4. |
"When the Tigers Broke Free" | Waters | The Wall film soundtrack, also on 2004-present remasters of The Final Cut |
3:42 |
1. |
"One of These Days" (Edited version) | Gilmour, Waters, Wright, Mason | Meddle |
5:15 |
2. |
"Us and Them" | Waters, Wright | The Dark Side of the Moon |
7:51 |
3. |
"Learning to Fly" | Gilmour, Moore, Ezrin, Carin | A Momentary Lapse of Reason |
4:50 |
4. |
"Arnold Layne" | Barrett | Arnold Layne - Single; appears on Relics |
2:52 |
1. |
"Wish You Were Here" (Early fade-out) | Gilmour, Waters | Wish You Were Here |
5:21 |
2. |
"Jugband Blues" | Barrett | A Saucerful of Secrets |
2:56 |
3. |
"High Hopes" (Edited version) | Gilmour, Samson | The Division Bell |
6:59 |
4. |
"Bike" | Barrett | The Piper at the Gates of Dawn |
3:24 |
Rejected songs
According to James Guthrie, the following songs were considered for inclusion:[8]
- "Interstellar Overdrive" (Barrett, Waters, Wright, Mason) The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, 1967
- "Scarecrow" (Barrett) The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, 1967
- "Chapter 24" (Barrett) The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, 1967
- "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" (Waters, Wright, Gilmour, Mason) B-side of "Point Me at the Sky", 1968; also appears on Relics
- "Grantchester Meadows" (Waters) Ummagumma, 1969
- An edited version of "Atom Heart Mother" (Waters, Wright, Gilmour, Mason, Geesin) Atom Heart Mother, 1970
- "If" (Waters) Atom Heart Mother, 1970
- "Fat Old Sun" (Gilmour) Atom Heart Mother, 1970
- "Fearless" (Gilmour, Waters) Meddle, 1971
- "San Tropez" (Waters) Meddle, 1971
- "Breathe" (Waters, Gilmour, Wright) The Dark Side of the Moon, 1973
- "Brain Damage" (Waters) The Dark Side of the Moon, 1973
- "Eclipse" (Waters) The Dark Side of the Moon, 1973
- "Dogs" (Waters, Gilmour) Animals, 1977
- "Mother" (Waters) The Wall, 1979
- "Young Lust" (Waters, Gilmour) The Wall, 1979
- "Nobody Home" (Waters) The Wall, 1979
- "Your Possible Pasts" (Waters) The Final Cut, 1983
- "The Gunner's Dream" (Waters) The Final Cut, 1983
- "Paranoid Eyes" (Waters) The Final Cut, 1983
Credits
- Pink Floyd
- Syd Barrett – guitar and vocals on "Astronomy Domine", "See Emily Play", "Arnold Layne", "Jugband Blues" and "Bike"; guitar on "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun".
- David Gilmour – guitars; fretless bass guitar on "Hey You"; bass guitar on "Sheep", "High Hopes", and "One Of These Days"; keyboards; drum programming on "Sorrow", lead vocals on "Another Brick in the Wall, Part II", "Echoes", "Hey You", "Money", "Keep Talking", "Sorrow", "Time", "Comfortably Numb", "Us and Them", "Learning to Fly", "Wish You Were Here", "High Hopes".
- Nick Mason – drums, percussion, tape effects, vocalisations on "One of These Days"
- Roger Waters – bass guitar, rhythm guitar on "Sheep", tape effects, lead vocals on "The Happiest Days of Our Lives", "Another Brick in the Wall, Part II", "Hey You", "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun", "Sheep", "Shine on You Crazy Diamond", "Comfortably Numb", "The Fletcher Memorial Home", "When the Tigers Broke Free"
- Richard Wright – keyboards, organ, piano, synthesizers, clavinet, co-lead vocals on "Astronomy Domine", "Echoes", "Time", "Us and Them".
- Additional personnel
- Sam Brown – backing vocals on "Keep Talking"
- Jon Carin – keyboards on "Marooned", "Keep Talking", "Learning to Fly" and "High Hopes"
- Lesley Duncan – backing vocals on "Time" and "Us and Them"
- Venetta Fields – backing vocals on "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"
- Donnie Gerard – backing vocals on "Sorrow" and "Learning to Fly"
- James Guthrie – remastering, percussion on "The Happiest Days of Our Lives"
- Islington Green School – choir on "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)"
- Michael Kamen – orchestrations
- Carol Kenyon – backing vocals on "Keep Talking"
- Darlene Koldenhaven – backing vocals on "Sorrow" and "Learning to Fly"
- Tony Levin – bass guitar on "Learning to Fly"
- Durga McBroom – backing vocals on "Keep Talking"
- Dick Parry – saxophones on "Money", "Us and Them", and "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"
- Pontarddulais Male Voice Choir led by Noel Davis – choir on "When the Tigers Broke Free"
- Guy Pratt – bass guitar on "Marooned" and "Keep Talking"
- The Salvation Army (The International Staff Band) on "Jugband Blues":
- Ray Bowes (cornet)
- Terry Camsey (cornet)
- Mac Carter (trombone)
- Les Condon (E♭ bass)
- Maurice Cooper (euphonium)
- Ian Hankey (trombone)
- George Whittingham (B♭ bass)
- One other uncredited musician
- Phyllis St. James – backing vocals on "Sorrow" and "Learning to Fly"
- Barry St. John – backing vocals on "Time" and "Us and Them"
- Liza Strike – backing vocals on "Time" and "Us and Them"
- Storm Thorgerson – cover design
- Clare Torry – vocals on "The Great Gig in the Sky"
- Doris Troy – backing vocals on "Time" and "Us and Them"
- Carmen Twillie – backing vocals on "Sorrow" and "Learning to Fly"
- Gary Wallis – percussion on "Keep Talking"
- Carlena Williams – backing vocals on "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"
Charts and certifications
Charts
|
Certifications
Country |
Certification |
Sales |
Last certification date |
Australia |
Platinum[27] |
70,000+ |
2001 |
Belgium |
Platinum[28] |
50,000+ |
2002 |
Canada |
6× Platinum[29] |
600,000+ |
29 April 2002 |
Denmark |
Gold[30] |
15,000+ |
December 2001 |
Europe |
3× Platinum[31] |
3,000,000+ |
2007 |
France |
Platinum[32] |
300,000+ |
7 November 2001 |
Germany |
Gold[33] |
100,000+ |
2002 |
Greece |
Platinum[34] |
30,000+ |
2002 |
Italy |
Gold[35] |
25,000+ |
24 April 2015 |
New Zealand |
3× Platinum[36] |
45,000+ |
December 2001 |
Poland |
Gold[37] |
50,000+ |
16 January 2002 |
Switzerland |
Platinum[38] |
40,000+ |
2001 |
United Kingdom |
2× Platinum[39] |
600,000+ |
11 January 2002 |
United States |
4× Platinum[40] |
2,000,000+ (double disc) |
10 September 2007 |
|
Notes
- ↑ Stephen M. Silverman (15 November 2001). "Britney Spears Upsets Michael Jackson". People. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
- ↑ Joel Whitburn Presents The Billboard Albums, 6th Edition, Joel Whitburn, ed., 2006, p. 820.
- 1 2 3 "Have Pink Floyd Split Up?". Mojo Magazine. October 2001. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
- ↑ Thorgerson, Storm. "The Visuals". Pink Floyd. Archived from the original on 7 February 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-07.
- ↑ "Mike Portnoy: In Constant Motion DVD". Hudson Music. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
- ↑ Johnson, Zac (2011). "Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd - Pink Floyd | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
- ↑ Manning, Toby (2006). "Which One's Pink?". The Rough Guide to Pink Floyd (1st ed.). London: Rough Guides. p. 150. ISBN 1-84353-575-0.
- ↑ Guthrie, James. "James Guthrie: Audio: Building A Compilation Album". Pink Floyd. Archived from the original on 2 June 2010. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Pink Floyd – Echoes - The Best of Pink Floyd". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Pink Floyd – Echoes - The Best of Pink Floyd" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Pink Floyd – Echoes - The Best of Pink Floyd" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Pink Floyd – Echoes - The Best of Pink Floyd" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ↑ "Pink Floyd – Chart history" Billboard Canadian Albums Chart for Pink Floyd. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
- ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Pink Floyd – Echoes - The Best of Pink Floyd". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Pink Floyd – Echoes - The Best of Pink Floyd" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ↑ "Pink Floyd: Echoes - The Best of Pink Floyd" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Pink Floyd – Echoes - The Best of Pink Floyd" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ↑ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 45, 2001". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
- ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Pink Floyd – Echoes - The Best of Pink Floyd". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Pink Floyd – Echoes - The Best of Pink Floyd". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Pink Floyd – Echoes - The Best of Pink Floyd". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ↑ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLIS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
- ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Pink Floyd – Echoes - The Best of Pink Floyd". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Pink Floyd – Echoes - The Best of Pink Floyd". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ↑ "Pink Floyd | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ↑ "Pink Floyd – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Pink Floyd. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2001 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
- ↑ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – 2001". Ultratop & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
- ↑ "Gold & Platinum Certification – April 2002". Canadian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
- ↑ "Danish album certifications". IFPI Denmark. Retrieved 11 January 2013. Click on næste to go to page 50 if certification from official website
- ↑ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards Q4 2007". IFPI. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
- ↑ "French album certifications" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
- ↑ "Bundesverband Musikindustrie: Gold-/Platin-Datenbank". Bundesverband Musikindustrie (IFPI.DE). Retrieved 8 August 2011. Enter "Pink Floyd" in the "Interpret" field
- ↑ "Greek Albums Chart". IFPI Greece. 28 February 2002. Archived from the original on 28 February 2002. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
- ↑ "Italian Certifications". FIMI. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
- ↑ "New Zealand album certifications". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
- ↑ "Złote CD (2002)". ZPAV. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
- ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards 2001". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
- ↑ "BPI certified awards search". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 8 August 2011. Enter "Pink Floyd" in the "Search" field.
- ↑ "RIAA - Gold & Platinum - July 03, 2009". www.riaa.com. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
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