Fans of the legendary rock group Pink Floyd have pointed to the one song that feels like “the beginning of something else.”
Praise was levelled at guitarist David Gilmour, whose next-level work was heard on the song from 1968. Fans believe his quality here precedes what would become some of his all-time best efforts with the band in years to come, and some were left surprised at the quality which comes so early in the group’s discography. One user writing on the r/PinkFloyd subreddit suggested Biding My Time from the compilation album Relics is a sign of where the band were headed. The original poster writes: “Can’t believe not too many people bring up Biding My Time because the solo slaps.
“It’s so rare for a 1968 David Gilmour guitar solo to match up to the greats of the 70s, but this song seemed to be the beginning of something else. The guitar solo is masterfully done, and did I mention Nick Mason going crazy on the drums?
“All of these elements make a classic, but unfortunately, it never got a mainline album or single release, so it never really gained huge popularity. It is featured on the Relics compilation album, as well as as a live version from the Early Years collection. Really recommend listening if you haven’t heard.”
Fans were in agreement on the quality of Biding My Time and some suggested it should have been the basis for future album releases. The song instead went unreleased until it found a place on the Relics compilation album. One fan has called for the song to receive more appreciation than it does already, writing: “Strange how the studio version only ever saw a release on Relics. Is it on any other album? I don’t think so.”
The original poster replied: “Sadly not… in an alternative universe, it would’ve been included in a 1969 album that would’ve been a mix of More and Ummagumma, and would’ve been called The Man and The Journey, however the album was only ever performed live, and the live recordings weren’t released until recently in the Early Years compilation. It would’ve been Pink Floyd’s first concept album if it actually became a studio album.”
Fans have since called The Man and The Journey the most “underrated” sound Pink Floyd has ever released. Footage of the rehearsals for the show can be found below, while another user explained the context behind the recordings.
They wrote: “That late 60’s period where the band was adjusting from Syd to Gilmour has a lot of their most experimental stuff and sadly some of the best songs were never released on albums. Even for the songs that did make it to albums the earlier live version are often very different.”
