Pink Floyd Album: “Relics”

I'm not going to comment much on the music; you've probably been able to gather that "Relics" contains five tracks from the first three Pink Floyd albums plus six non-album tracks from the same time period (1967-69). It's somewhat of an odd collection that I'd give 3-1/2 stars to for just the music.

HOWEVER...I'd like to point out some issues that none of the previous reviewers have mentioned. First, this CD has obvious audio defects. "Interstellar Overdrive" has at least five audio dropouts. "Paint Box" and "Julia Dream" each have a moment where one channel loses the high end. To add insult to injury, the track times printed on the CD seem to correspond to the "More" CD, not "Relics", and the booklet is a complete waste of paper that omits the minimal information (recording dates) from the original US LP.

I bought this CD to replace the LP, but in this case the LP was better. Capitol Records should be embarrassed.

Released in 1971, Relics presents a great compilation of various studio tracks taken from the albums Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967); A Saucerful of Secrets (1968); and the soundtrack to the film More (1969) along with a few outtakes and tracks released as singles recorded during the 1967-1971 timeframe. Although the cover to this remastered CD is very different from the LP I had as a kid (with the grotesque, four-eyed heads on it) the music is the same and sounds as good now as it did when I first listened to it. Although I am not a huge fan of compilations, Relics holds together very well as a complete work and captures a much neglected period in the career of Pink Floyd.

Two lineups are represented on Relics including the 1967 group comprised of Rick Wright (mellotron, piano, organ, and vocals); Roger Waters (bass guitar, vocals); Nick Mason (drums and percussion); and Syd Barrett (vocals, electric guitar; slide guitar). After Syd left the band, David Gilmour (electric and acoustic guitars; vocals) joined somewhere around 1968.

My favorite tracks include the lengthy freak-out Interstellar Overdrive; the spacey, mellotron heavy, Julia Dream; the two pieces by Rick Wright (Remember a Day and Paintbox); the lazily drifting Cirrus Minor; and the scary track Careful with that Axe, Eugene. Of course, at the opposite end of the spectrum is the bone-crushing volume of The Nile Song. Biding my Time was recorded around the time of the Meddle recording sessions (1971) and is not bad at all - in fact, I wish it had been included on Meddle instead of San Tropez and Seamus. All in all, I think the tracks selected nicely sum up the alternately dreamy and frightening space rock "vibe" of Pink Floyd's pre-Dark Side of the Moon (1973) output.

This remastered CD is OK and features decent sound quality along with a glossy insert without any useful information at all. Come to think of it, this remastered CD is a bit sloppy - for example, the times listed on the CD for some of the tracks (e.g. Interstellar Overdrive) are way off. Notwithstanding, this is recommended along with Piper at the Gates of Dawn; A Saucerful of Secrets; More; Ummagumma (1969); Atom Heart Mother (1970); Meddle (1971); and Obscured by Clouds (1972). Ultimately, Relics should serve as a great introductory sampler for those folks that are curious about the early and extremely psychedelic phase of Pink Floyd.

not much i can say that hasn't already been said about Pink Floyd's 'Relics', except that every song on this particular tracklist flows extremely together well like a short, fun journey through The Floyd's shorter, early masterpieces. the obvious similarities with the tracks is that they were all recorded in a studio over a four year period, and that they all have the psychedelic, somewhat ambient imprint Pink Floyd was well known for at that time.

it is an absolute joy for me to hear the popular and often re-worked 'Interstellar Overdrive' book-ended by the then-rare singles 'Arnold Layne' and 'See Emily Play'... and Richard Wright's 'Remember A Day' from 'Saucerful...' pleasantly sets off the rest of the album.

another terrific component of this album is that we get to see a nice slice of Floyd's first four years without highlighting a single member over another; i.e., as most casual Floyd listeners identify 'Piper At The Gates...' as a Syd Barrett-led effort... 'Relics' showcases the talents of the entire band in short.

'Relics', to me, is not just a studio compilation of early favorite tracks and rare singles, but an important transitional album that clearly set the stage for the third phase of Floyd; taking the entire world by storm with a refined style and sound that was universally relative, but deeply introspective and cutting... i don't think there would have been an 'Echoes' (1971), 'Dark Side Of The Moon' (1973) or 'The Wall' (1979) if we did not see that Floyd first developed layered, intricate songs as 'Interstellar Overdrive' (1966) and 'Careful With That Axe, Eugene (1968).

it has been said before, but 'Relics' is ideally suggested for newer listeners that want an introduction to Floyd and enjoy some of their early, well-known tracks.

i enjoy it over and over again!

I first got Relics on tape, before it was on CD, and that was way back in High School when I was still exploring all that Pink Floyd did. The thing I like about Relics is its simplicity of sound. That's not to say that the songs are simple. They just aren't pure products of a studio with layer upon layer of sounds. My favorite track is Julia Dream. The melody is amazing. Other tracks like See Emily Play and Arnold Layne (which can be found on other CD's) are very good too. Actually, every track is good and it ends with Bike, which just confuses people that I play it for.

It's great to listen to these songs and be able to find the elements that were seeds for a lot of the later works. Hints at instrumentation, lyrics, and experimental sounds abound withing these songs. This is a very good CD that I highly suggest.

...I'll just say that the choices they made were excellent, especially Interstellar Overdrive and Bike.

However, the real reason to buy this album (or to go on iTunes and just buy specific songs) is the six other tracks that are hard to find elsewhere.

The first is Arnold Layne, an early Syd Barrett single, and possibly the best Barrett song with Pink Floyd. About a transvestite, this song captures the essence of Barrett's songwriting talents, those of creating a quirky set of lyrics to go along with excellent psychadelic rock music to back those up. 5/5

Next comes See Emily Play, a song that hit #6 on the billboard. This is also a Barrett work, and other than a five second interval form 0:48 to 0:53, the song has all the pluses that make Arnold Layne great. 5/5

The third new song is also a single, but this one is by Rick Wright (the keyboardist). It is called Paintbox, and it is another solid effort. It is more superficial than Pink Floyd generally was known for, but it sounds very nice. 4/5

Julia Dream is the fourth new song. It is absolutely, stunningly beautiful, with very good lyrics. However, the music is what really stands out, especially the flute(?) work in the middle. 5/5

Careful With That Axe, Eugene can be found live on Ummagumma, but this is the only studio recording. It is faster and takes less time to develop than the live version, making it much easier to get into. However, after listening to this version and getting a feel for it, go get the Ummagumma version, and then get Come In Number Fifty-One, Your Time is Up off of Zabriskie Point (the same song, but in e-minor rather than d-minor, drastically changing the feel of the song and the emotions evoked). This song earns the lower rating, not because of its flaws, but because the Ummagumma version is so much better. 4.5/5 (P.S. Listen to the Ummagumma version in the dark with your eyes closed. But be prepared to wet the bed).

Biding my Time is perhaps the most interesting of the six songs I will discuss. It shows their early blues influence (after all, they started as a blues band, and they took their name from two blues musicians). It starts off slow, with very good lyrics. Then the rest of the song is instrumental, with a very interesting riff. Takes time to get into, but worth it. 4.5/5

Don't start with this album, but once you've covered the essentials, you'll be aching for these six songs.