Relics (album)

Release

The release of Relics occurred because the band's record company, EMI, were concerned that they had gone into the studio to record what would become Meddle without any songs or ideas, effectively starting from scratch. This, combined with their ever-increasing touring schedule, made EMI realise that no new product would be released for some time, possibly not until well over a year after completing their previous album, Atom Heart Mother. In order to issue some more "product" for fans, they decided to release a budget priced LP on their Starline label, combining early singles, B-sides, album tracks and one unreleased number, "Biding My Time". The compilation contains material from the first three albums, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, A Saucerful of Secrets and More.

Relics has been rereleased on numerous occasions, and at times without the proper authority. One such incident involved EMI Australia releasing the album without the band's consent. This led to the LP being withdrawn and the album as a result became a rarity. The release of the album on CD in 1996 meant that it could be purchased easily again.

Relics (as remastered in the mid-1990s) was reissued on CD on June 17, 2016 with the original artwork.

Contents

Relics was most noted for its inclusion of Syd Barrett-era hit singles, "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play", as well as B-sides to three other singles. The Relics versions of "Paintbox", "Julia Dream" and "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" are mixed in stereo. Relics has the only CD release of "Paintbox" that has the same length (3:33) that the original single version had; on the albums The Early Singles (1992, part of Shine On), 1967: The First Three Singles (1997), and the 40th anniversary edition of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (2007), it fades out about 13 seconds later.

The album also includes a previously unreleased studio recording of a Roger Waters composition, "Biding My Time", which had otherwise only been heard by live audiences as part of "The Man and The Journey" concert sequence.

The album was not a definitive collection of material previously only available as singles, as several A-sides were omitted ("Apples and Oranges," "It Would Be So Nice" and "Point Me at the Sky"), as well as one B-side ("Candy and a Currant Bun"). Until this was rectified with the release of The Early Singles (1992), it was left to bootlegs such as The Dark Side of the Moo to plug the gap.

Cover and machine

The album cover was designed by drummer Nick Mason, and was inspired by his time studying architecture at the Regent Street Polytechnic. In 2008, Mason sold a limited edition of 195 signed prints of this cover.

In addition to variations on the original design, the album was released in several countries with different artwork. The four-eyed face on the original US album cover was an antique bottle opener.

When the album was released on CD, former Hipgnosis partner Storm Thorgerson had a real-life version of the contraption on the cover made and presented it to Mason. It still resides in Mason's office. Both Thorgerson and his assistant, Peter Curzon, came up with the idea after viewing the head sculpture which had been constructed by John Robertson and which appeared on the album sleeve of The Division Bell.

The 2016 reissue by Sony Music utilizes both photograph and drawing versions of the cover.

Side two

The Capitol Re-Issue of the cassette (4N-16234) is in original order.

Personnel