by Steve Brennan

Created on: May 20, 2009   Last Updated: May 26, 2009

On 6th July 2005, Bob Geldof's Live 8 concerts were beamed out across the world to an estimated (potential) audience of three billion people, many of whom will have found the proceedings to be typically lachrymose and simplistically sanctimonious, as all charidee gigs tend to be. There were plenty of embarrassing misfires. Charity may well bring out the best in people, but why does it so often bring out the worst in rock stars who can't resist making global tits of themselves when standing in front of what is probably the biggest audience they'll ever have? There was Mariah Carey, carping on about poverty one minute then throwing a diva strop the next, and Pete Doherty's cringingly shambolic duet with Elton John, and the head-slapping moment when Coldplay's Chris Martin told the crowd, this is the greatest thing that's ever been organised in the history of the world, ever, which may have raised some eyebrows among, say, D-day veterans.

On the plus side, though, there were some classic moments, not least when Snoop Dogg repeatedly ordered the crowd live on TV at around 5pm to "put your motherf*ckin' hands in the air! Make poverty history!" But I digress. As many media watchers noted, Bob Geldof's greatest achievement will probably be remembered not as the man who crusaded to eradicate global poverty, but as the one who persuaded Pink Floyd to reunite with Roger Waters for one last waltz as the penultimate act of the day.

Sales of this best-of collection, originally released in 2002, jumped by a massive 1000% in the following week, returning it to the top 20 of the UK album chart. It's the only real Floyd compilation album available, and it contains most, though certainly not all, of their best songs, which makes it a good introduction for the casual listener. All of these 26 tracks, drawn from the band's entire career from the late 60's to their last studio album, 1994's The Division Bell, have been remixed and remastered, and with a good stereo system this sounds fantastic.

Most of the music on this album is beyond reproach. The Syd Barrett era is faithfully represented by his best songs, including the spookily spaced-out Astronomy Domine, the quirky cross-dressing saga of Arnold Layne, and the brilliantly constructed See Emily Play. Also included is Barrett's farewell song to the Floyd, written whilst mentally dissolving as a result of his constant LSD intake, Jugband Blues, in which he "wonders who could be writing this song" as a Salvation Army band

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