A Foot in the Door: The Best of Pink Floyd
Artist: Pink Floyd
Label: Pink Floyd Music/EMI
Website: pinkfloyd.com
Capturing
the best of Pink Floyd on one album
If I were
to request 16 die hard Floyd fans to make me a 16 track compilation, I
guarantee I would get 16 very different records. With that said, A Foot In The Door attempts to
accomplish the impossible, as it tries to capture Pink Floyd's career
in one single disc offering.
The
music of course is stellar and clearly this
Best Of is in connection with the reissue/remaster campaign of all
their material, so I don't hold that against anyone, as I even believe
the title is a perfect statement of what this is - an introduction. If
there ever was an album band, Pink Floyd is that group in rock history
but smartly this compilation does not list the songs in chronological
order.
This really does allow the listener to just
concentrate on the tracks. Most of the radio staples are here, along
with several odd selections like the included 1:32 "The Happiest Days
Of Our Lives" which is the intro to "Another Brick In The Wall (Part
2)" just like it is on The Wall
[1979] and maybe a different selection this time from The Final Cut [1983] would have
been nice instead of "The Fletcher Memorial Home" that was also on the
2 CD best of collection Echoes [2001].
Of course, A Foot In The Door
relies heavier on tracks from Pink Floyd's staple albums and I like
that it kicks off with "Hey You" and includes an 11 minute "Shine On
You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1-5)".
If you are looking for a nice sounding, quick take on Floyd then A Foot In The Door will work. I would always recommend a person diving right into their classic albums but in a world of shuffle, this compilation succeeds and showcases Pink Floyd as one of the most essential rock acts we have seen.
Christopher Anthony
For more of Christopher Anthony's music reviews, check out The Fire Note