Relics (album)

Relics
Compilation album by Pink Floyd
Released 14 May 1971 (UK)[1]
15 July 1971 (US)
Recorded 1967–1969
Genre Psychedelic rock, prog rock, space rock, experimental rock, avant-garde
Length 49:38
Language English
Label Starline
Producer Pink Floyd, Norman Smith, Joe Boyd
Pink Floyd chronology
The Best of the Pink Floyd / Masters of Rock
(1970)		 Relics
(1971)		 Meddle
(1971)
Compact Disc cover
Storm Thorgerson created a new cover for the 1996 re-release, photographing a model inspired by the original line drawing.
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
Blender[3]
Yahoo! Music(favourable)[4]

Relics (subtitle: A Bizarre Collection of Antiques & Curios) 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. Initially released by Starline, the compilation was reissued by Music for Pleasure in the United Kingdom; Harvest and Capitol distributed the album in the United States.

Release

The release of Relics occurred because the band's record company, EMI, were concerned that they had gone into the studio to record what would become Meddle without any songs or ideas, effectively starting from scratch. This, combined with their ever increasing touring schedule, made EMI realise that no new product would be released for some time, possibly not until well over a year after completing their previous album, Atom Heart Mother. In order to issue some more "product" for fans, they decided to release a budget priced LP on their Starline label, combining early singles, B-sides, album tracks and one unreleased number, "Biding My Time".[5]

Relics 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 This led to the LP being withdrawn and the album as a result became a rarity.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 1995 meant that it could be purchased easily again.[6]

Contents

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. 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, part of Shine On), 1967: The First Three Singles (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 and The Journey" concert sequence.

The album was not a definitive collection of material previously only available as singles, and several A-sides were left out. Until this was rectified with the release of The Early Singles (1992), it was left to bootlegs such as The Dark Side of the Moo to plug the gap.

Cover and machine

The album cover was designed by drummer Nick Mason, and was inspired by his time studying architecture at the Regent Street Polytechnic. In 2008, Mason sold a limited edition of 195 signed prints of this cover.[7][8]

In addition to variations on the original design, the album was released in several countries with different artwork. The four-eyed face on the original US album cover was an antique bottle opener.

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 album sleeve of The Division Bell.

Track listing

Side one

No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Arnold Layne" (Single A-side released 11 March 1967)Syd Barrett 2:56
2. "Interstellar Overdrive" (from The Piper at the Gates of Dawn 1967)Barrett/Roger Waters/Richard Wright/Nick Mason 9:43
3. "See Emily Play" (Single A-side released 17 June 1967)Barrett 2:53
4. "Remember a Day" (from A Saucerful of Secrets 1968)Wright 4:29
5. "Paint Box" (Single B-side to "Apples and Oranges", released 18 November 1967)Wright 3:33

Side two

No. TitleWriter(s) Length
6. "Julia Dream" (Single B-side to "It Would Be So Nice", released 13 April 1968)Waters 2:37
7. "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" (Single B-side to "Point Me at the Sky", released 7 December 1968)Gilmour/Waters/Wright/Mason 5:45
8. "Cirrus Minor" (from Soundtrack from the Film More 1969)Waters 5:18
9. "The Nile Song" (from Soundtrack from the Film More 1969)Waters 3:25
10. "Biding My Time" (Previously unreleased, 1971)Waters 5:18
11. "Bike" (from The Piper at the Gates of Dawn 1967)Barrett 3:21

The Capitol Re-Issue of the cassette (4N-16234) is in original order.

Personnel

Pink Floyd
Additional personnel

Sales chart performance

Year Chart Position
1971 UK Albums Chart[9] 32
1971 Billboard Pop Albums[10] 152

References

  1. ↑ Povey, Glenn (2006). "The Sound of Music in My Ears 1970–1971". Echoes : The Complete History of Pink Floyd (New ed.). Mind Head Publishing. p. 142. ISBN 978-0-9554624-0-5. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
  2. ↑ Allmusic review
  3. ↑ Blender review
  4. ↑ Yahoo! Music review
  5. ↑ Povey, Glenn (2006). "The Sound of Music in My Ears 1970–1971". Echoes : The Complete History of Pink Floyd (New ed.). Mind Head Publishing. p. 124. ISBN 978-0-9554624-0-5. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
  6. ↑ "Relics@Everything2.com". Everything2.com. 3 April 2004.
  7. ↑ "Nick Mason "Relics" limited edition signed print". 8 March 2008. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
  8. ↑ "Nick Mason - Relics launch at Birmingham gallery". Brain Damage. 1 April 2008. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
  9. ↑ "PINK FLOYD | Artist". Official Charts. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  10. ↑ "allmusic ((( Pink Floyd > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums ))". allmusic.com.
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