RELICS

"Relics" represents a major crossroads for me - the listener. My previous listening experience had been limited to what I found on the airwaves - pop/rock and my leanings at the time were towards bands like Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Jethro Tull, Black Sabbath etc. I was lent this album by a friend and, as far as I can remember 35 years on, through it the world of prog opened up before me. Given the indelible mark it left on me it will come as no surprise that I loved it to death. I immediately went and bought a copy (in the days of limited funds the budget price was welcome indeed) and it was barely off my turntable for the next few months. From "Relics" I bought "Piper.." and "Saucerful" and then on to "Meddle" and "Ummagumma". (p) I have just listened to it again to refresh my memory and it is impossible to distance myself from all the old feelings and associations from those early listenings. The overall feel is one of a band progressing from the psychedelic Syd period to, what was at the time, a band finding their feet and their own style. It was a dreamy, ethereal style which, sadly for me, would change drastically and forever upon the release of "Dark Side.."(p) Put simply, "Relics" is full of my favourite period Floyd and has some of my all-time favourite tracks - "Interstellar Overdrive", "Julia Dream","Cirrus Minor", "Remember A Day", "Careful With That Axe..". This was the golden age of Pink Floyd and a golden age for me - at my most formative and receptive, with many of my absolute favourite albums coming in the period 1969-1973. Wonderful!