RELICS

This album was originally released in LP format on the EMI's budget label "Starline", and cost about a third of the price of a full priced album. It is interesting to note that in an act of overt opportunism by the record company the CD version is now full priced.

"Relics" was released between "Meddle" and "Dark side of the moon" at a time when Pink Floyd were rapidly gaining popularity. Many of those who bought "Relics" after the release of DSOTM would no doubt have done so expecting to hear accessible music in a similar vein. Those who knew the history of the music of Pink Floyd however, were aware that DSOTM was the latest in a series of albums which saw the band metamorphose from the original Syd Barrett led experimental underground band into a premier league prog rock band.

The title reflects the fact that these were already old tracks when the album was released in 1971. New fans would therefore have been surprised and possibly disappointed with this album. For those more familiar with the original Pink Floyd, "Relics" is something of a goldmine of rare and not so rare pieces, offering a good cross section of their early work.

Tracks such as the at times psychedelic, and at times apparently very disorganised "Interstellar overdrive", and the trippy "Careful with that Axe Eugene" display the experimental psych rock side of the band.

"See Emily play" and "Arnold Layne" are simple pop songs which, while sounding very dated today, must have caused a few ears to prick up at the time, especially in respect of the latter's lyrics. Among the numerous others, there's a slice of thumping heavy rock in "The Nile song", a quite beautiful soft track called "Julia Dream" and an amusing finale in "Bike", with its chaotic ending.

As long as you bear in mind that this is not the work of the 1971 Pink Floyd, this album is a great collection of selections from their early years.

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