This 1981 compilation album is a treat for collectors; it was released to hold off hungry fans waiting for a new Pink Floyd album while the band was on tour performing the infamous stage shows for their blockbuster "The Wall." And the wait would be prolonged further as self-appointed leader Roger Waters began turning "The Wall" into a feature film project. This six-track collection did indeed sell, but needless to say it didn't satisfy the Floyd fanbase. But now in 2004, collectors will enjoy this album as a forgotten curios.
1971's "Relics" was mainly an oppurtunity to package singles and some unreleased material into an album, so it doesn't qualify as a "best of" album. Then again, neither does this. Pink Floyd's trademark cynicism even carries into their compilation albums--Floyd were definitely not a dance band, which was part of the joke. The sarcastically (carelessly?) titled "A Collection of Great Dance Songs" is down to the bare essentials, packing only six of the group's most well known songs due to time constraints of vinyl at the time. The version of 'Money' however is a re-recording due to business reasons, in which guitarist David Gilmour plays all instruments, including drums, except saxophone, played by the loyal Dick Parry. This version is slightly more rough and raw than the original polished version from "Dark Side of the Moon," making it a must-have item for die hard collectors. This album also features a special seamless sequence of 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' into 'Wish You Were Here,' twenty years before the 2001 "Echoes" compilation could tinker with them. The version of the smash hit 'Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)' is the version most popularly used on radio at the time, without unnecessarily including the intro 'The Happiest Days of Our Lives,' which was the case with "Echoes." The album cover, featuring dancers tied down to a lonely field, is probably Storm Thorgeson's best artwork for Pink Floyd.
The whole attitude of "A Collection of Great Dance Songs" is much more honest than that of "Echoes." One can compare the titles and see that; one is cynical, one is nostalgic. Both were empty gestures, but this album was released at the right time due to the band's circumstances..."Echoes" however, is what many see as the closing chapter of Pink Floyd's career, which would be an acrimonious disappointment to end one of the most innovative bands of all time with an uninspired best-of set. And though "Dance Songs" was not exactly an inspired release, it is a great collector's piece, and still did not attempt to summarize the "best of" Pink Floyd in one album.

I can see how the Pink Floyd "greatest hits" album, "A Collection Of Great Dance Songs," originally released in 1981, may seem these days to be very obsolete, certainly in comparison to the 2-CD retrospective, "Echoes." A casual Floyd fan has no real need to buy "Dance Songs," BUT, for the diehard Pink Floyd fan who absolutely has to have it all, this CD is still worth getting. For starters, there's the re-recording of "Money" (which was reportedly done for legal reasons). Okay, so it doesn't sound all that different from the original version on "Dark Side Of The Moon", but it's still very rockin', and David Gilmour's re-done vocal and guitar solos still hit the spot. Also on "Dance Songs" is an edited version of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part One)" (pared down to 10 minutes 40 seconds), with the lead vocals coming in a couple of minutes earlier, which is interesting. And you also get the single version of "Another Brick In The Wall Part 2," with the nine-second intro not featured on the "Wall" album itself. Toss in "One Of These Days," "Sheep," and "Wish You Were Here" for extra measure, plus a classic album cover by Storm Thorgerson, and you've got yourself a pretty cool Pink Floyd disc. I've always enjoyed this Floyd collection, however scant it may appear to be, and I'm happy to have it. Casual fans should buy the more-expansive "Echoes" instead, but if you're a Pink Floyd completist like myself, then I do recommend picking up "A Collection Of Great Dance Songs."

First of all, most people reviewing this cd do not seem to realize how important it is. It's not really a greatest hits package. If it were it would fail as an album. But this cd contains some interesting versions of these songs not found anywhere else. The "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" is a special re-edited version. It is much shorter than the 30 minute origional, but it still contains all the parts with lyrics. This version of "Money" was re-recorded for this album, since they couldn't get the rights to use the origional from Harvest Records. And you won't find the single version of "Another Brick in the Wall part 2" anywhere else. This cd should be purchased after Dark Side, Wish You were Here, Animals, and The Wall, but it is still a great record.

Notable only for a weak remake of Money, and a version of Shine On that blends parts 1-4 (up through the lyrics) with the 3rd verse from part 7 and fades out with part 5, minus the sax solo.

For Floyd completists only. Everyone else, get the albums these tracks came from: Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Wall.

A Collection Of Great Dance Songs (1981.), a collection of 1970's Pink Floyd material

'A Collection of Great Dance Songs' 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'.