Retro Reviews: Pink Floyd: Relics

 

    I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. Some of the albums reviewed are lesser-known titles.

Pink Floyd - Relics (1971)

***

Producers: Norman Smith, Pink Floyd, Joe Boyd

Musicians: Syd Barrett, David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Richard Wright, Nick Mason

Songs: Arnold Layne, Interstellar Overdrive, See Emily Play, Remember A Day, Paint Box, Julia Dream, Careful With That Axe, Eugene  , Cirrus Minor, The Nile Song, Bike

Reviewed by Matthew Anthony Allair

    Compilations are always a dicey proposition until there’s some value for your dollar. On one hand, since the release of Atom Heart Mother, this is fine primer compilation for the uninitiated, it is a welcome place to see the “Arnold Layne” and “See Emily Play” singles in one place, and interesting to see such b sides as “Paint Box” and “Julia Dream”, the rest of the tracks are culled from The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, A Saucer Full of Secrets and More soundtrack. “Bidding My Time” is an unleased track, and an interesting, dark music hall number. But considering the baffling omissions with the singles, “It Would Be So Nice, Point Me At The Sky”, or “Apples and Oranges”, or even the Syd era “Candy And A Current Bun” track, and there’s other issues based on rumors.

    While, “Interstellar Overdrive” is a fine track, due to its run time, it’s omission could have allowed “Astronomy Domine” or a few other b sides included. There have been rumors of two Syd era Floyd tracks, “Vegetable Man” and “Scream Thy Last Scream” that Barrett fans would have clamored to get. There’s also the rumor of a recording for “Embryo” that could have made a fine addition. Record companies are always redescent to finance double album compilations, but it has been done. If a double album had been realized, they could have included a few tracks from Ummagumma, namely “Grantchester Meadows” or a segment from “The Narrow Way”, or from Atom Heart Mother “If” and certainly something else from Saucer, such as “Jug band Blues” or “Set The Controls For The Heart of the Sun”. The album art was drawn by Nick Mason.

    Of course, this is all second guessing, but for the casual listener, this would be an interesting find, or for completists.