Box sets are difficult phenomena. Their cost is often prohibitive, and the weight of outtakes, alternate takes, chronological corrections, and myriad other completist elements make them sometimes less listenable than the original recordings. But this mammoth nine-CD package is a different breed of cat. It collects a smattering of early Pink Floyd, including the great hits and misses caught on Relics, A Saucerful of Secrets, and Meddle, and then moves into the band"s great period, with Dark Side of the Moon and their first Sony titles, Wish You Were Here and Animals. Their development from early psychedelicists to producers of suite-length musical ponderings is great to witness. And it"s even more fascinating to see where the band went with what they"d learned by 1977. To that end, the set includes The Wall in its entirety as well as A Momentary Lapse of Reason. No doubt about it, this is a huge investment, but the packaging, thoroughness, intent, and impact all warrant that even casual fans should make the leap ahead into the fullness this box offers. --Andrew Bartlett