8-Tracks by Pink Floyd

But first, let’s briefly look at the album’s story.

After the psychedelic era of Syd Barrett and the early experiments, Pink Floyd lived through their magic moment. This anthology gathers songs from six albums of extraordinary importance from those years: Meddle (1971), Obscured By Clouds (1972), The Dark Side Of The Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977) and The Wall (1979).  The idea behind the record was to give a quick, well-made snapshot of how Pink Floyd sounded and what they meant, so even those who don’t know them can appreciate them.

Steven Wilson, a true modern master of contemporary prog rock, chose the songs and remastered them, working directly from the original tapes.

Summing up Pink Floyd’s incredible ’70s journey in just 43 minutes is surely a tough task, and it means giving up a few gems, like the longer suites.  Still, the result is a perfect blend of catchy songs and epic moments.  Wilson’s mix makes everything even more spacious and immersive.

Steven Wilson designed the tracklist to create a smooth musical experience, using transitions and sound effects taken straight from the original multitracks.  The first part of the record follows the familiar running order, while the second part reshuffles them in a completely different way.

Side A is in chronological order with

One Of These Days (from Meddle, 1971)

Wot's… Uh The Deal (from Obscured By Clouds, 1972)

Money (from The Dark Side Of The Moon, 1973)

Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2 (from The Wall, 1979)

Side B in non-chronological order with

5. Wish You Were Here (from Wish You Were Here, 1975)

6. Time (from The Dark Side Of The Moon, 1973)

7. Comfortably Numb (from The Wall, 1979)

8. Pigs On The Wing (8-Track Version) (from Animals, 1977)

The real treats on the record are basically two:

“Wot’s… Uh The Deal” is one of Pink Floyd’s most intimate and lesser-known acoustic songs, taken from the soundtrack to Barbet Schroeder’s film “La Vallée” (which also gave us the album “Obscured by Clouds”).

“Pigs On The Wing” on this record isn’t the classic ’77 vinyl version.  In fact, it comes from the Stereo 8 (8-track cartridge) sold at the time in English-speaking countries.  In that old format, due to the technical limits of the endless tape, the two parts of the song were linked by a guitar solo by Snowy White.

In the original ’77 version, on the album “Animals”, the song is split into two acoustic parts (Roger Waters’ guitar and voice) that open and close the record. 

In the ’90s, a unified version appeared on a Snowy White compilation (Goldtop), but it had a different mix, with Richard Wright’s organ and without David Gilmour’s acoustic guitar.

Wilson retrieved the original Stereo 8 master tape from the band’s archive. This mix restores the original 1977 version, keeping intact Gilmour’s acoustic-guitar backing under Snowy White’s electric solo. For the first time on CD and official vinyl, the track is now available exactly as it was conceived for that format.

The original songs come from six albums recorded in different studios and years, each with its own unique sound. In Steven Wilson’s mix, while keeping the placement of instruments in the stereo field as intended by James Guthrie and Alan Parsons, Wilson evened out the EQ and overall dynamics. The result is a more defined, detailed sound that highlights small elements like percussion details and synth nuances, removing the sonic gap you’d normally feel when moving from a 1971 song (Meddle) to a 1979 one (The Wall).

Now, a focus on the transitions.

Steven Wilson worked on the transitions by changing the song order and joining them with original sound effects taken straight from the archived multitracks.  The idea was to recreate that continuous audio flow typical of the band’s classic concept albums.

To connect tracks born in different years and contexts, Wilson used three main technical tricks:

The moves between tracks aren’t simple fades, but real sonic bridges in perfect Pink Floyd style. He recovered ambient noises and original-era samples to fill the silences.

To join the end of one track to the start of the next, he added synthetic sound beds (drones) and analog tape-manipulation effects, helping to mask changes in key and tempo between pieces.

The hardest operation involves “Pigs On The Wing”.  Originally split into two separate acoustic parts, Wilson fished out the electric-guitar solo recorded by Snowy White in 1977 for the old Stereo 8 cartridge. He used that solo as the perfect bridge to join the two halves into one continuous, fluid suite.

Many of these tracks were born on their own or placed at precise points in their concept albums (for example, “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2” faded into the school noises of “The Wall”, while “Money” began with the famous cash-register loop).

Let’s look at all the transitions

Side A

From One Of These Days to Wot's… Uh The Deal

The ending of One Of These Days, with that psychedelic wind and the killer bass, doesn’t cut off suddenly. Wilson turns down the wind, but leaves it there, underneath, like a continuous sound bed.  And right on that light breath the sweet acoustic arpeggio of Wot’s… Uh The Deal begins, creating a perfect link between the band’s more powerful side and its more intimate one.

From Wot's… Uh The Deal to Money

The last acoustic, melancholic note of “Wot’s… Uh The Deal” is left ringing for a long time, creating an evocative mood.  As the tail fades gently, Wilson expertly brings in the famous rhythmic loop of cash registers and coins from “Money”. The handoff is smooth and rhythmically precise, taking the listener from acoustic folk to more energetic rock.

From Money to Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2

This transition is truly incredible, since it links pieces six years apart! Instead of the usual cut that led to “Us and Them”, Wilson uses Roger Waters’ epic scream and the reverb of David Gilmour’s guitar to connect straight into the kids’ shouts and the helicopter noise of “The Wall”.  And then, BAM! The famous drum hit that opens “Another Brick in the Wall” lands right after, leaving you stunned.

Side B

From Wish You Were Here to Time

Wilson wanted to keep the vintage feel of the analog radio that introduces “Wish You Were Here”.  When the song ends and the acoustic guitars drop, the radio hiss returns as it searches for the frequency, just like at the start.  This white noise slowly turns into the ticking of different clocks, setting up the right mood for the explosion of alarms and chimes that opens “Time”.

From Time to Comfortably Numb

The ethereal, dreamy tail of Time (the famous reprise of Breathe) fades into a long synth chord (a drone). Wilson stretches this atmospheric note and links it straight into the dark, orchestral synths that kick off the verse of Comfortably Numb. The shift is so smooth it almost feels like the two pieces are part of one huge suite.

From Comfortably Numb to Pigs On The Wing (Full Version)

After the legendary, towering second guitar solo of Comfortably Numb, the song doesn’t stop dead. Wilson removed the industrial and background noises of The Wall so they can melt into the pig grunt and the pastoral sounds that define Animals.  On this sound bed sits the acoustic guitar of Pigs on the Wing, which then unfolds into its very rare version, joined by Snowy White’s electric solo.

The cover is a collage that blends into a single image the most iconic and historic Pink Floyd symbols, especially those from the ’70s.  Bottom right, the silhouette of two businessmen shaking hands stands out, with one of them on fire: an unforgettable image representing the 1975 album “Wish You Were Here”.

On the left, in red and dark tones, we see Battersea Power Station, topped by a stylized pink pig flying among the pyramids: the central theme of the 1977 album “Animals”.

A multicolored strip runs horizontally across the lower part, echoing the light spectrum and heartbeat of 1973’s “The Dark Side of the Moon”. Top left, a panel in warm shades (yellow and orange) shows the pyramids of Giza, another strong nod to the iconography and inner posters of “The Dark Side of the Moon”.

There’s also a blue circular element recalling the light refractions of “Obscured by Clouds”, and a bright pink circular shape that evokes the psychedelic style of 1971’s “Meddle”. Above the men shaking hands, a cut-out shows the march of the Hammers from “The Wall”.

On the back cover, the historic image of the band’s four members (David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Roger Waters and Richard Wright) pictured from behind. 

Steven Wilson reorganized the whole album to create a smooth, continuous listening experience.  While the songs keep their original balance, Wilson added new transitions and improved the audio, making them different from the original versions. With access to the original multitracks, Wilson pulled archival sound effects to create new crossfades, letting the songs melt into each other with no pauses. For instance, you might hear the ambient noises of one track overlapping the start of the next, creating a continuous Pink Floyd-like flow, but completely new.

An album from 2026, but one I keep out of the rankings—not only because it’s a compilation and not new tracks, or because most of the songs are masterpieces so huge they’d push the album to the top of any chart, but because, as splendid as it is, it’s a technological and engineering exercise, an album more relevant in Wilson’s discography than Pink Floyd’s, in my view. As an old prog dinosaur, I love original records, even the grime he removed. An album for fans. 

My Version

Label: Sony Music – 19958443851, Columbia – 19958443851
Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Stereo, Blue
Country: Worldwide
Released: 5 Jun 2026

Tracklist

A1        One Of These Days
A2        Wot's… Uh The Deal
A3        Money
A4        Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2
B1        Wish You Were Here
B2        Time
B3        Comfortably Numb
B4        Pigs On The Wing (8-Track Version)

LineUp

• David Gilmour
  • Lead vocals and backing vocals
  • Electric guitar
  • Acoustic guitar
  • Lap steel guitar (resonator/slide guitar)
  • Pedal steel guitar
  • Electric bass (in One Of These Days)
• Roger Waters
  • Lead vocals and backing vocals
  • Electric bass
  • Acoustic guitar (in Pigs On The Wing)
  • Tape effects (Tape effects)
  • Vocalizations
• Richard Wright
  • Hammond organ
  • Farfisa organ
  • Piano (Steinway Piano)
  • Wurlitzer electric piano
  • EMS VCS3 synthesizer
  • Minimoog synthesizer
  • Prophet 5 synthesizer
  • Tape effects (Tape effects)
  • Backing vocals
• Nick Mason
  • Drums
  • Percussion
  • Rototoms (tunable drums)
  • Tape effects (Tape effects)
  • Vocalization (his is the only line spoken in One Of These Days)

Guest Musicians and Collaborators (Guest Musicians)

• Snowy White — Electric guitar (in the special central solo of Pigs On The Wing)
• Dick Parry — Tenor saxophone (in Money)
• Lee Ritenour — Rhythm guitar (in Comfortably Numb)
• Lesley Duncan — Backing vocals (in Time)
• Barry St. John — Backing vocals (in Time)
• Liza Strike — Backing vocals (in Time)
• Doris Troy — Backing vocals (in Time)
• Pupils of Islington Green Primary School — Background school choir (in Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2)
• Noel Davis — School choir director
• The New York Philharmonic — Symphony orchestra (in Comfortably Numb)
• Michael Kamen — Arranger and conductor
• Bob Ezrin — Orchestral arranger

Listening links on the main streaming platforms at the following links:

Spotify: Full album "8-Tracks".

Apple Music: Official artist profile.

Amazon Music: Catalogue and digital streaming

Note: All links to the musicians’ works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists"