Pink Floyd Album: “Works”

After dark side of the moon was recorded in 1973, the floyd was lured to another record company away from capital records for bigger money. They'd been with capital for all their early works.

Capital records, still owning the rights on all music dark side and earlier, decided to cash in on Floyd's new found fame by releasing a compilation.

"Works" was done without Pink Floyd's input, nor did any band members receive any dividends from sale. It is strictly a Capital Records investment. And to many diehard floydians, it's blasphemy because not only did Capital do it on their own, they remixed many of the tracks, such as Brain Damage.

Again, without the Floyd's consent.

A 1983 compilation from Pink Floyd, "Works" comes too close to repeating the track selection purposes of a previous best-of/gems package, 1971's "Relics." Singles 'Arnold Layne' and 'See Emily Play' had already been included on the former compilation, while 'Set the Controls For the Heart of the Sun' represents the album "Saucerful of Secrets," which had already been represented on "Relics." But there are a few tracks here that suggest "Works" could have been turned into a collection to document Pink Floyd's 1971-73 era (as "Relics" represented the 1967-71 years). Such tracks are 'Brain Damage' and 'Eclipse' (from 1973's "Dark Side of the Moon," here in an alternate mix), 'Fearless' (from 1971's "Meddle"), and 'Free Four' (from the 1972 soundtrack album "Obscured by Clouds"). 'Embryo' is a track left off of 1969's "Ummagumma," which was also represented here with the highly experimental 'Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving With a Pict.' Perhaps "Works" could have been a record of Pink Floyd's era with the Harvest label, sprinkled with alternate and unreleased tracks.

Along with Relics this cd is a great listen. From ambient electronic to tripped out psychedelic folk and rock this is very similiar to Radioheads Kid A and Amnesiac period. Yes its a comp that leaves out alot of essential early floyd stuff but all the tunes are great and i actually like the blending of the tracks. Even though this material is on most of their 67-73 releases its still worth having to pop it in and kick back especially with the rare "embroyo" track available only here. I happen to prefer early Pink floyd up until DSOTM so this and Relics are some of my favorites. I recommend Piper at the gates of dawn -Saucerful of secrets- *Obscured by clouds and *More. (*both movie soundtrack works). This set of songs in the order they are hold up well and make great late night rainy day listening!

In June of 1983, Capitol Records released a Pink Floyd compilation entitled Works.

The album was released as a cash-in on the band's success and at the time breakup.

Works is a collection of early Pink Floyd tracks from 1967 to 1973 and features excellent tracks like the Syd Barrett-era singles "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play" (both here in fake stereo mixes), a unique "One of These Days" (with the Speak to Me intro as a lead in into the track) and the rare quad mixes of Dark Side Of The Moon favorites "Brain Damage" and "Eclipse".

There is also "Fearless" (from Meddle), "Set the Controls For the Heart of the Sun" (from A Saucerful of Secrets), "Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving With a Pict" (from Ummagumma) and "Free Four" (from Obscured by Clouds) which appear on this collection.

The main reason for the adding Works to your Floyd collection is the rare song "Embryo" which is not available anywhere else but here (unlike the Syd Barrett singles, which you can also find on the CDs The Early Singles on the Pink Floyd box set in 1992, Relics finally issued on CD in 1996 and the Echoes retrospective in 2001). Embryo is a great song, a lost Floyd classic. Strangely enough,the band have always stated that this song was not ever actually finished, a claim which seems to be proven true by the live recording of it I've heard from the BBC in 1970. On record, Embryo is a soft, tranquil number with acoustic guitars. Live in concert, it was a powerful, amped-up rocker, featuring some awesome guitar work by David Gilmour. Even so, this early studio version of Embryo remains a hauntingly beautiful song, and one that demands to be added to your Floyd collection right now.

Works however stalled at #68 upon release but is still a good disc to have.

Highly recommended!

All right, first of all, Brain Damage/Eclipse was not remixed by capitol as part of thier attempt at making money. These are versions well work having, because they are actually taken from the very rare Quadrophonic version of the album, released back in 1973. I'm happy they are on this cd instead of the others, which probably every person who purchases this will already have. But it is Embryo that makes this well worth the price, as this is the only place you can get this studio version, originaly from "Picnic, A Breath of Fresh Air," a various artist compilation released by EMI's Harvest label in 1970. The track was not finished, but with no overdubbed guitar as heard in live shows of that period, it may actually be more effective in putting forth its bizzare, dark imagery. I only wish Capitol would remaster this, as it is the only material that hasn't been re-released with better sound.