Relics | 
| Artist: Pink Floyd
Label: Capitol
Category: Music
List Price: $17.98
Buy New: $8.47
You Save: $9.51 (53%)
New (48) Used (23) Collectible (2) from $6.65
Rating:  82 reviews
Sales Rank: 9702
Format: Original Recording Remastered
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 35603
UPC: 724383560325
EAN: 0724383560325
ASIN: B000002U0D
Release Date: August 6, 1996
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Arnold Layne | | • | Interstellar Overdrive | | • | See Emily Play | | • | Remember a Day | | • | Paintbox | | • | Julia Dream | | • | Careful with That Axe, Eugene | | • | Cirrus Minor | | • | Nile Song | | • | Biding My Time | | • | Bike |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
This compilation and "greatest hits" package has the odd distinction of being released well before the band hit its stadium-filling prime in the mid-to-late '70s. This album essentially bridges the considerable gap between original leader Syd Barrett's baroque psychedelic pop-single bent (exemplified here by the band's first chart hit "See Emily Play" and the cross-dressing mini-epic "Arnold Layne," both stellar singles left off the band's debut album) and the more ponderous musical pretensions of Roger Waters, the band's de facto leader after mental illness sidelined Barrett early on. It's a good introduction to the band's foundations for Floyd novices, and the inclusion of the early singles and two early outtakes ("Julia Dream" and "Biding My Time") make it a must for aficionados. --Jerry McCulley
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| Customer Reviews: Read 77 more reviews...
 Pink Floyd: The Early Years April 22, 2005
Alan Caylow (USA)
48 out of 48 found this review helpful
"Relics" is a collection of very early Pink Floyd singles and rare tracks, covering the band's first couple of years from 1967 to 1969. Consider it "Pink Floyd: The Early Years," if you like. Five tracks come from the group's first three albums: the classic, trippy instrumental "Interstellar Overdrive" and the half children's song/half freak-out number, "Bike" (both from "Piper At The Gates Of Dawn"), the breezy "Remember A Day" (from "A Saucerful Of Secrets"), and a pair of tunes from the "More" movie soundtrack: the eerie "Cirrus Minor," and the thunderous rocker, "The Nile Song." All superb stuff, but the main selling point of "Relics" are the six rare Floyd tracks that make up the remainder, such as the classic early singles "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play," both great little blasts of late-60's psychedelic pop, the jaunty "Paintbox," and the lovely, mysterious atmosphere of "Julia Dream." Also included is the original studio version of "Careful With That Axe, Eugene," an outstanding Floyd instrumental that's probably more famous in it's live version from the "Ummagumma" album. Although the live version of "Eugene" IS more monstrous and powerful, as the Floyd were able to slowly build it up and expand on it in concert, the slightly-faster studio version is nothing to sneeze at either, and the band give it a studio performance that's very impressive, skillful, and passionate. And finally, there is what is quite possibly the happiest, most upbeat song in the entire Pink Floyd catalog, "Biding My Time." Although the song starts out softly, before long the band turn it into a full-throttle jazz-rock rave-up, complete with horn section! Sounds to me like the Floyd had a grand ol' time in the studio when they recorded this number, and it shows. Love it! Pink Floyd's "Relics" may indeed be, as the album cover says, "a bizarre collection of antiques & curios," but oh, is it good. Floyd fans everywhere should definitely add this album to their collection.
 The LP was better August 29, 2004
Steven L. Grace
69 out of 79 found this review helpful
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.
Unearth this Relic March 21, 2001
The Minister of Martinis (Olive Grove)
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
During the early days of Punk, Johnny Rotten was famed for his "I hate Pink Floyd" T-shirt. Ironically, the Sex Pistols tried to enlist the band's founder, the elusive Syd Barrett, to produce their first album. Why? Because the '67-era Floyd were every bit as groundbreaking as the Pistols were in '77.
Proof comes in the form of Relics, re-released as part of Capitol's remastering of the group's back catalog. A collection of singles and album tracks, this disc kicks off with three Barrett diamonds, "Arnold Layne," the awe-inspiring "Interstellar Overdrive," and "See Emily Play." Barrett's drug-induced psychological breakdown led to his replacement by David Gilmour in 1968, but not before he graced Rick Wright's "Remember a Day" with mournfully loopy slide guitar work.
Relics' Roger Waters-era highlights include "Cirrus Minor," "The Nile Song," and a personal favorite, "Careful With That Axe, Eugene." The disc closes with Barrett's "Bike," further proof that Syd wasn't like the rest of us anymore.
Relics surprises at every turn, mixing pop songcraft, avant-garde deconstructionism, and eerie melody. It's a much-needed boarding pass to a place few minds have dared journey.
Nicely captures the 1967-1971 timeframe July 1, 2007
Jeffrey J.Park (Massachusetts, USA)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
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.
 Missed Opportunity May 17, 2002
11 out of 13 found this review helpful
When the folks at EMI reissued Pink Floyd's Relics on CD they missed a great opportunity to make the definitive Pink Floyd obscurities release. Had they included such gems as Point Me At The Sky, It Would Be So Nice, Apples & Oranges, Nick's Boogie, and Candy And A Currant Bun, this collection would have been as essential as Dark Side or The Wall. This CD is another example of record companies trying to milk as much money out of fans as possible by releasing a few rare songs alongside album tracks.
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