Relics sure is the right name for the bits and pieces collected here. It was far removed from the band’s sound at the time, even if the material was, in some cases, recorded just two years before release. Pink Floyd’s change in tone following the departure of Syd Barrett marked a monumental change for the instrumental spirit of the band. Relics gets to grips with that brilliantly. Lesser-known B-sides are given some space to breathe on an album released just months before Meddle, an album that effectively changed everything listeners knew about Pink Floyd at the time. It felt like a tremendous send-off to the psychedelic-tinted material, and Relics is a more than worthy compilation of such songs. Classics like Arnold Layne and See Emily Play are featured here, but there are some rarities and gems which would derail compilation packages in the years to come. Thank you for that, Bike, but then, who listens to compilations now? Echoes is surplus to requirement; Relics is a celebration of what came before a whole new period.
Those who cannot get their hands on More are well-served here. So too are those who desire a listen of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn and A Saucerful of Secrets oddities. That’s what the A-side is dedicated to, with the Barrett-written pieces found there. The B-side is a drift into what the band had become without him, the writing of Roger Waters and David Gilmour especially dominant here. It’s not just a chance to hear the transition in sound and scope for Pink Floyd but a thoroughly brilliant display of Barrett’s greatest hits. An effective showcase of both his writing style and interest in the instrumentally chilling. Arnold Layne is a great opener, one of the earliest interesting snippets of the band’s psychedelic style, but pair that with Interstellar Overdrive and the compilation has a haunting tone suddenly embedded. It lasts well beyond the instrumental work, too, with the flood of fears present on See Emily Play and Paintbox, two songs which form a great core for Relics.
Both Paintbox and Julia Dream are essential listens for those wanting to learn that little bit more about the band. Incredible work all around. Once Relics begins featuring the Waters-written pieces, the change in direction becomes clear. A collective piece with Careful with that Axe, Eugene, is a nice spot, one of the more memorable pieces by the band in these early years. That More double with Cirrus Minor and The Nile Song is an outstanding but brief showcase of what the group could do when working on soundtrack albums. They had a deft hand for creating music that considered the mood of this film or that scene, and that becomes very clear on the deep cut Biding My Time, a masterclass of a song.
Truly one of the very best pre-The Dark Side of the Moon pieces the band would ever record. It’s a magnificent, swaying bit of jazz-adjacent rock. It bleeds many of the influences Waters relies on, even now, into one place. A truly magnificent piece of work and the standout moment of Relics. It makes this more than just a compilation, it’s the one place you can consider just how ahead of the times Pink Floyd were. They would revolutionise thematic rock and roll but, also, were keen to learn of new genres and inspire in all those genres which do not fall into their mainstream purview. Biding My Time is a piece of genius from the band, and it makes it all the easier to swallow the Bike ending to Relics. A truly enjoyable experience with a compilation is rare, but that’s what listeners are afforded with this transitional album.
