Relics (Pink Floyd album)

Infobox Album
Name = Relics
Type = compilation
Artist = Pink Floyd


Released = 14 May 1971
Recorded = 1967–1969Recording dates taken from back cover of "Relics" album, USA edition]
Genre = Psychedelic rock, space rock
Length = 49:38
Label = Starline then MFP (UK)
Harvest/Capitol (U.S.)
Producer = Pink Floyd, Norman Smith, Joe Boyd
Reviews =
*Allmusic rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=A3bkvu3u5an5k link]
*"Blender" rating|4|5 [http://blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=2305 link]
*Yahoo! Music (favourable) [http://music.yahoo.com/read/review/12030666 link]
Chronology = Pink Floyd compilations
Last album = "The Best of the Pink Floyd"
(1970)
This album = "Relics"
(1971)
Next album = "A Nice Pair"
(1973)
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate covers
Type = Compilation album


Lower caption = Cover of the 1996 CD issue Extra album cover 2
Upper caption =
Type =


Lower caption = Cover of the first LP reissue Extra album cover 2
Upper caption =
Type =


Lower caption = Cover of the American Harvest LP release Extra album cover 2
Upper caption =
Type =


Lower caption = Cover of the Australian LP release Extra album cover 2
Upper caption =
Type =


Lower caption = Cover of the 1996 LP reissue

"Relics" is a compilation album by Pink Floyd released in 1971. The album was released on 14 May in the UK and 15 July in the United States. A re-mastered CD was released in 1996 with a different album cover; a three-dimensional version of the original sketch drawn by drummer Nick Mason for the initial release.

History

The release of "Relics" was sparked by the success of Atom Heart Mother which peaked at #1 on the British charts. The album has been released on numerous occasions, and at times without the proper authority. One such incident involved EMI Australia releasing the album without the band's consent. This led to the LP being withdrawn and the album as a result became a rarity. A reissue of the album in 1996 meant that it could be purchased easily again. [http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1529377]

Until the more definitive release of "The Early Singles" (1992), "Relics" was most noted for its inclusion of Syd Barrett-era hit singles, "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play", as well as B-sides to three other singles. It is notable that the Relics versions of "Paintbox", "Julia Dream" and "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" are mixed in stereo. "Relics" has the only CD release of "Paintbox" that has the same length (3:33) that the original single version had; on the albums "The Early Singles" (1992), "" (1997), and the 40th anniversary edition of "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" (2007), it fades out about 13 seconds later.

The album also includes a previously unreleased studio recording of a Roger Waters composition, "Biding My Time", which had otherwise only been heard by live audiences as part of "The Man/The Journey" concert sequence.

Songs previously released on albums are identical to their album versions.

"Relics" reached #34 in the UK and #153 in the US. When re-released in the UK on 9 March, the album reached #48.

Track listing

#"Arnold Layne" (Syd Barrett) – 2:56
#*Single A-side released 11 March 1967
#*Lead vocals: Syd Barrett
#"Interstellar Overdrive" (Syd Barrett/Roger Waters/Rick Wright/Nick Mason) – 9:43
#*From "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" 1967
#*Instrumental
#"See Emily Play" (Syd Barrett) – 2:53
#*Single A-side released 17 June 1967
#*Lead vocals: Syd Barrett
#"Remember a Day" (Rick Wright) – 4:29
#*From "A Saucerful of Secrets" 1968
#*Lead vocals: Rick Wright
# "Paintbox" (Rick Wright) – 3:33
#*Single B-Side to "Apples and Oranges", released 18 November 1967
#*Lead vocals: Rick Wright
#"Julia Dream" (Roger Waters) – 2:37
#*Single B-Side to "It Would Be So Nice", released 13 April 1968
#*Lead vocals: David Gilmour
#"Careful with That Axe, Eugene" (David Gilmour/Roger Waters/Rick Wright/Nick Mason) – 5:45
#*Single B-Side to "Point Me at the Sky", released 7 December 1968
#*Instrumental
#"Cirrus Minor" (Roger Waters) – 5:18
#*From "Soundtrack from the Film More" 1969
#*Lead vocals: David Gilmour
#"The Nile Song" (Roger Waters) – 3:25
#*From "Soundtrack from the Film More" 1969
#*Lead vocals: David Gilmour
#"Biding My Time" (Roger Waters) – 5:18
#*Previously unreleased
#*Lead vocals: Roger Waters
#"Bike" (Syd Barrett) – 3:21
#*From "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" 1967
#*Lead vocals: Syd Barrett

The audio cassette release featured the songs in a different order.

Cover

The album cover was designed by drummer Nick Mason, and according to him is the only concrete product of his years at architecture school in the Regent Street Polytechnic.

When the album was released on CD, former Hipgnosis partner Storm Thorgerson had a real-life version of the contraption on the cover made and presented it to Mason. It still resides in Mason's office. Both Thorgerson and his assistant, Peter Curzon, came up with the idea after viewing the head sculpture which had been constructed by John Robertson and which appeared on The Division Bell album sleeve.

In addition to variations on the original design, the album was released in several countries with completely different artwork (see illustrations at right). The four-eyed face on the original U.S. album cover was actually an antique bottle opener.

Personnel

*Syd Barrett – lead and rhythm guitar and lead vocals on "Arnold Layne", "See Emily Play", "Interstellar Overdrive" and "Bike"
*Roger Waters – bass, lead vocals, backing vocals
*David Gilmour – lead guitar and rhythm guitar on all tracks except "Arnold Layne", "See Emily Play", "Interstellar Overdrive" and "Bike", lead vocals, backing vocals
*Richard Wright – organ, piano, lead vocals, backing vocals
*Nick Mason – drums, percussion, original cover design
*Norman Smith – drums and backing vocals on "Remember a Day"
*James Guthrie – remastering supervision
*Doug Sax – remastering

Charts

Album

References

External links

* [http://www.pinkfloyd-co.com/disco/relics/relics_album.html Lyrics and trivia]