Early years material may pale when compared to what Pink Floyd would do after Syd Barrett was booted from the band, but the psychedelic thrills are worth hearing. Not just the studio releases or live fragments, but the bootlegs which compile one-off appearances or sessions not easily accessed. BBC Sessions: Volume One is an excellent place for people with an urge to learn more about the Barrett-led days to start. Borderline revolutionary on some of these songs, where progressive rock meets psychedelic popularity. You can hear the effectiveness, the visceral act of creativity, at play here. It would be enough to guide Barrett through The Piper at the Gates of Dawn and this selection of bootlegged recordings. Pink Floyd would overshadow their own work with the likes of The Dark Side of the Moon and Animals but there is a still-present volatility at the heart of these psychedelic-tinged tracks. You can hear as much on Astronomy Domine.
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn track is a suitable opener for what is an effective showcase of the band’s strength in their early years. Barrett’s departure would not leave the band rudderless but would shake up their focus. BBC Sessions: Volume One is where you can hear more of what the band would have sounded like had Barrett carried on as frontman. These may be performances of songs already released or near enough, but the subtle differences will be a real joy for the dedicated Pink Floyd listener. Moody pieces like One in a Million are a real treat. It’s a quality piece of work, a song that’ll remind you why we seek out bootlegs in the first place. Matilda Mother isn’t quite as essential but it’s a follow-up that’ll make you appreciate One in a Million that little bit more. When Pink Floyd were in form during these early years, they provided some all-time great progressive rock songs.
Not all of it is a masterclass in music-making. The shortcomings of Barrett’s leadership of Pink Floyd are clear in that playful, ye olde England style. The Gnome is a clear example of this, a tone which would’ve fit onto David Bowie’s self-titled debut. That hapless, jolly sound never quite works, not because there is no suitable message to come from them but because the “hooray’s” and foot-tapping charm has not lasted the test of time. It feels somewhat dated compared to the songs that, even with that lighter tone, accurately or honestly depicted the 1960s and England at the time. The Scarecrow has the same problem. You can find joy and lightness in these songs but it never feels like it has much of a bearing, a longer-term impression, than the darker songs Pink Floyd were making.
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun following those two tracks is a clear example. Where Barrett and the band worked best was in that slightly demented, sinister sound. Scream Thy Last Scream into Vegetable Man is the tonal whiplash of a band in their early years, trying to work out which instrumental tone to take. It still works and BBC Sessions: Volume One is a valuable historic document, but it’s also a listenable experience that highlights a few strengths of the band as a live unit. It’s these early years that provide a little more context to the growth of the band from their debut up to the 1970s. There is still that Barrett style on albums like Atom Heart Mother and Ummagumma, though not nearly as much as these BBC demos offer, naturally.
