The Early Years 1965–1972 is a box set that compiles the early work of the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 11 November 2016. It was released by Pink Floyd Records with distribution held by Warner Music for the UK and Europe and Sony Music for the rest of the world.
The box set comprises seven volumes over 33 discs, including CDs, DVDs, BDs, vinyl records, plus memorabilia including photos, posters and tour programmes. It contains early non-album singles plus unreleased studio and live recordings. Although Volumes 1–6 have been available individually since 24 March 2017, Volume 7 – 1967–1972: Continu/ation, remains exclusive to the set. A two-CD compilation, The Early Years 1967–1972: Cre/ation, was also released.[2]
Due to an error, a CD edition of Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii was also included in the box set in place of the 2016 mix of Obscured by Clouds which was placed inside the set in a cardboard wallet at the last moment. The standalone edition of 1972: Obfusc/ation contains both CDs as standard.
In 2019, a number of Blu-ray discs in the set began to fail due to manufacturing defects.[3][4] Warner Music and Pink Floyd announced a recall programme on 1 October 2019, which ran until 1 January 2020.[4]
Tracks 1–6 were recorded as The Tea Set around Christmas 1964.[5]
Tracks 1–11 are mono. Tracks 12–16 are stereo. Tracks 1–6 saw a limited release in 2015, first time available on CD. Tracks 7–8 & 12 were previously released on An Introduction to Syd Barrett (2010). Tracks 13–16 are previously unreleased.
Disc two (CD) – Live in Stockholm and John Latham sessions
Live in Stockholm has barely audible vocals, rendering the performance almost completely instrumental. It was mastered for this release with the stereo channels out of phase and a silent gap mistakenly inserted. The original recording is ambient, so it is of lower fidelity than a typical live release.[6]
The John Latham recordings are of one long extended improvisational piece split across nine tracks, it is similar to that of the extended improvisation often played during the middle section of "Interstellar Overdrive". The piece was recorded as the soundtrack for Latham's 1962 film Speak.[7][8]
Tracks 1–8 recorded live 10 September 1967 at Gyllene Cirkeln, Stockholm, Sweden. Tracks 9–17 recorded at De Lane Lea Studios, London, 20 October 1967.
Syd Barrett – guitars, lead vocals (appears on audio only of Tienerklanken’, Brussels, Belgium, 18–19 February 1968, as the band are miming to the original tracks)
David Gilmour – guitars, lead vocals
Nick Mason – drums, percussion, lead vocals on "Corporal Clegg"
Roger Waters – bass, lead vocals on "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" and "Roger's Boogie"
Richard Wright – keyboards, backing vocals, lead vocals on "It Would Be So Nice", "Paintbox", "Let There Be More Light" and "Remember a Day"
"More Blues" (alternative version) – 3:49 (despite being named "alternative version", it is actually an extended version of the track which appears on the album, More.)
"Seabirds" (non-album track) – 4:20 (despite being named "Seabirds", this is not the song "Seabirds" which appears in the film but is actually an alternative form of "Quicksilver" from the More album.)
"Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" – 12:25
"Careful with That Axe, Eugene" – 10:09
"A Saucerful of Secrets" – 13:03
Tracks 1–4; 6–14 previously unreleased.
Track 5 previously released on the Harvest Records sampler LP, Picnic – A Breath of Fresh Air (1970) and on the compilation album, Works (1983).
The Man and The Journey: Royal Festival Hall, London, rehearsal, 14 April 1969
"Afternoon" ("Biding My Time") – 4:22
"The Beginning" ("Green Is the Colour") – 2:55
"Cymbaline" – 2:59
"Beset by Creatures of the Deep" ("Careful with That Axe, Eugene") – 0:50
"The End of the Beginning" ("A Saucerful of Secrets") – 3:06
Essencer Pop & Blues Festival, Essen, Germany, October 11, 1969
"Careful with That Axe, Eugene" – 6:19
"A Saucerful of Secrets" – 14:22
Music Power & European Music Revolution, Festival Actuel Amougies Mont de L'Enclus, Belgium, 25 October 1969
"Green Is the Colour" – 4:36
"Careful with That Axe, Eugene" – 10:07
"Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" – 11:54
"Interstellar Overdrive" (with Frank Zappa) – 11:26
Personnel:Pink Floyd
David Gilmour – lead vocals, guitars
Nick Mason – drums, percussion
Roger Waters – bass, lead vocals on "Afternoon", "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" and "Grantchester Meadows", Spanish guitar on "Grantchester Meadows"
Richard Wright – keyboards, backing vocals, trombone on "Afternoon"
Pop Deux Festival de St. Tropez’, France, August 1970:
"Cymbaline" (sound check) – 3:54
"Atom Heart Mother" – 13:46
"Embryo" – 11:23
"Green is the Colour" / "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" – 12:21
"Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" – 12:07
Roland Petit Ballet, Paris, France, 5 December 1970:
"Instrumental Improvisations 1, 2, 3" – 3:28
"Embryo" – 2:39
Blackhill’s Garden Party, Hyde Park, London, UK, 18 July 1970:
"Atom Heart Mother" (with the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble/John Alldis Choir) – 21:15
Disc Five (Blu-Ray)
An Hour with Pink Floyd: KQED, San Francisco, USA, 30 April 1970:
"Atom Heart Mother" – 17:37
"Cymbaline" – 8:38
"Grantchester Meadows" – 7:37
"Green Is the Colour" – 3:31
"Careful with That Axe, Eugene" – 9:09
"Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" – 12:37
Pop Deux Festival de St. Tropez’, France, 8 August 1970:
"Cymbaline" (sound check) – 3:54
"Atom Heart Mother" – 13:46
"Embryo" – 11:23
"Green is the Colour" / "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" – 12:21
"Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" – 12:07
Roland Petit Ballet, Paris, France, 5 December 1970:
"Instrumental Improvisations 1, 2, 3" – 3:28
"Embryo" – 2:39
Blackhill’s Garden Party, Hyde Park, London, UK, 18 July 1970:
"Atom Heart Mother" (with the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble/John Alldis Choir) – 21:15 (Black and white video. Less than optimum video and audio quality. Included for its historic value.)
Audio only:
Atom Heart Mother album original 4.0 Quad mix 1970:
"Atom Heart Mother" – 23:42
"If" – 4:31
"Summer '68" – 5:29
"Fat Old Sun" – 5:24
"Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast" – 13:01
After the release of The Early Years 1965–1972 footage was found of the band performing "Astronomy Domine" at KQED,[9] but its discovery came too late for inclusion in the box. KQED were subsequently granted permission to publish the footage of "Astronomy Domine"[9][10]
Personnel:
David Gilmour – guitars, lead vocals
Nick Mason – drums, percussion
Roger Waters – bass, lead vocals on "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun", "If" and "Grantchester Meadows"
Richard Wright – keyboards, harpsichord, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Summer '68", "Crumbling Land" (with Gilmour) and "Embryo" (with Gilmour)
"Nothing, Part 14" ("Echoes" work in progress) – 7:01 (This is one of 24 demos known as "Nothing parts 1-24"; not all of which were used for the final song.[11])
BBC Radio Session, 30 September 1971:
"Fat Old Sun" – 15:33
"One of These Days" – 7:19
"Embryo" – 10:43
"Echoes" – 26:25
Disc Two (DVD/Blu-Ray)
‘Aspekte’ feature – 9:51
"Interview + Atom Heart Mother (extracts)" Hamburg, Germany, 25 February 1971 Brass & Choir conducted by Geoffrey Mitchell
"A Saucerful of Secrets (extract)" Offenbach, Germany, 26 February 1971
Cinq Grands Sur La Deux’, Abbaye de Royaumont, Asnierès-sur-Oise, France,15 June 1971 – 17.55
"Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun"
"Cymbaline"
‘Musikforum Ossiachersee’, Ossiach, Austria,1 July 1971
This CD was accidentally replaced by the Live at Pompeii stereo CD before shipping. This disc actually comes packaged outside the set in a separate white slipcase, on the reverse of which it says "Replacement CD disc for Obfusc/ation [...] (Stereo 2016 mix of Pink Floyd 'Live at Pompeii' CD supplied in error)" The standalone edition of this volume, however, contains Live at Pompeii as CD2 of the set.[12]
Disc Two (DVD/Blu-Ray)
Recording Obscured by Clouds, Château d’Hérouville, France, 23–29 February 1972
"Wot’s...Uh the Deal?": with recording session photos – 5:04
"Pop Deux": documentary – recording Obscured by Clouds + David Gilmour and Roger Waters interview – 7:14
Brighton Dome, UK, 29 June 1972 – 16:44
"Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun"
"Careful with That Axe, Eugene"
Roland Petit Pink Floyd Ballet, France, news reports 1972–73
"Actualités Méditerranée", Marseille, 22 November 1972 – 3:29
"JT Nuit – Les Pink Floyd", Marseille, 26 November 1972 – 3:04
"Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" – 10:24
"Echoes" – 26:10
This version of Live at Pompeii is notable for excluding "Mademoiselle Nobs", an instrumental version of the song "Seamus" found on the original film and the 2003 DVD, and for bridging "Echoes" which was originally performed in two parts for the film.
Personnel:
David Gilmour – guitars, lead vocals
Nick Mason – drums, percussion, vocal phrase on "One of These Days"
Roger Waters – bass, lead vocals on "Free Four" and "Set the Controls...", cymbals on "A Saucerful of Secrets", gong on "A Saucerful..." and "Set the Controls..."
Richard Wright – keyboards, lead vocals on "Echoes" (with Gilmour), "Burning Bridges" (with Gilmour) and "Stay"
Volume 7: 1967–1972: Continu/ation
This volume, unlike Volumes 1–6, is exclusive to the box set and is not yet available separately as a standalone edition. This volume is notable for containing three feature length films: The Committee, More and La Vallée and, despite the volume's subtitle, a live recording of "Echoes" from 1974.
Track listing:
Disc One (CD)
BBC Radio Session, 25 September 1967:
"Flaming"‡ – 2:42
"The Scarecrow"‡ – 1:59
"The Gnome"‡ – 2:08
"Matilda Mother"‡ – 3:20
"Reaction in G"‡ – 0:34
"Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun"‡ – 3:19
BBC Radio Session, 20 December 1967:
"Scream Thy Last Scream"‡ – 3:35
"Vegetable Man"‡ – 3:07
"Pow R. Toc H."‡ – 2:45
"Jugband Blues"‡ – 3:50
Other tracks:
"Baby Blue Shuffle in D Major" (BBC Radio Session, 2 December 1968) – 3:58
"Blues" (BBC Radio Session, 30 September 1971 - mistakenly listed as 2 December 1968 on box set) – 4:59
Not to be confused with 'Live at Pompeii', the David Gilmour live album and film.
On 5 November 2016 Pink Floyd announced, via their official Facebook page, that an extra CD would now be included in the set – Live at Pompeii.[13][14] The Pompeii performance had never been officially released on CD before. The Live at Pompeii CD was accidentally included in the 1972: Obfusc/ation set instead of the 2016 mix of the album Obscured by Clouds. Therefore, the 2016 Obscured by Clouds CD was included separately in a white slipcase;[14] on the front of which is written "Obscured by Clouds 2016 remix" and on the reverse: "Replacement CD disc for Obfusc/ation [...] (Stereo 2016 mix of Pink Floyd 'Live at Pompeii' CD supplied in error)". Warner Music has, to date, refused to provide replacement discs where copies of Obscured by Clouds were not included in customers' box sets (all Sony Music issues had the replacement CDs). When the 1972: Obfusc/ation was released as a standalone set in March 2017, the Live at Pompeii CD was included as Disc 2 of the set.[12] The Live at Pompeii CD track listing is as follows:
"Careful with That Axe, Eugene" – 6:45
"Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" – 10:35
"One of These Days" – 5:50
"A Saucerful of Secrets" – 12:49
"Echoes" – 24:56
"Careful with That Axe, Eugene" (Alternative Version) – 6:06
The Early Years 1967–1972: Cre/ation is a 2-disc highlights compilation of the box set The Early Years 1965–1972 which was released on 11 November 2016.[2]
The Early Years 1965–1972 has a score of a 97 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 8 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[38]Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic called it "a deep, multi-tiered portrait of the years when Pink Floyd were fumbling around trying to find their voice". He praised the tracks "Vegetable Man", "In the Beechwoods", the band's collaboration with John Latham, the soundtracks they recorded for The Committee and Zabriskie Point, and "Moonhead". "Because so much of this music is raw – it's alternately live, unfinished, and improvisatory – the box underscores how Pink Floyd were an underground band right up until Dark Side", he concludes. "Decades later, these recordings still feel boundless: this was music made without a destination in mind and the journey remains thrilling."[39]
Daryl Easlea of Record Collector described the box-set as "the sonic equivalent to background reading and extensive footnotes for their remarkable body of recorded work". He describes the band's earliest material from 1965 as "showcasing what a fabulous beat band they initially were. A quick grin is not something you associate with the Floyd, but these five early tracks from 1965 are tremendous fun." He also praised the John Peel concert from 1971 as being "a real treat, with a 14-minute-long Fat Old Sun displaying their improvisational might. A lengthy capture of Embryo demonstrates their glacial grandeur at its finest." He also singles out "the 20 December 1967 BBC session, just a month before Barrett’s departure" as "a revelation".[40]
Pitchfork named awarded the box set the week's "Best New Reissue". Jesse Jarnow wrote that "[a]s career periods go, the seven years of Pink Floyd’s Early Years don’t exactly match other intense eras of classic rock creativity, like Bob Dylan from 1961 to 1968 or the Beatles from 1962 to 1969 [...] this set illustrates something about both Pink Floyd’s own path and the rewards of resilience." He writes that "in the modern age of oversized vault-clearing and copyright-protecting box sets, there is something resoundingly human about The Early Years, which only makes the achievements more extraordinary".[43]
Alexis Petridis of The Guardian described the compilation as an "exhaustive document" that contains "some tantalising glimpses of the different paths they could have taken". He praised some of the material (noting, for example, the influence their "cyclical, hypnotic repetitions and weird, very un-rock-like atmosphere" of early improvisations like "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" had on "nascent" krautrock bands as well as their role in the development of space rock) but criticized the superfluousness of some of it (pointing out that the box-set contains "15 versions of Careful With That Axe, Eugene" and writing: "there comes a point where you suspect that even the most ardent fan of Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun [...] will heave a fairly weary sigh as its three-note bassline starts up for the umpteenth time").[41]
^Mason, Nick (2004). Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN978-0-297-84387-0.
^1965–1967: Cambridge St/ation (liner notes). Pink Floyd. London: Pink Floyd Records. 2016. p. 11.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ abUnterberger, Richie (14 November 2017). "EXCLUSIVE: Unseen Footage of Pink Floyd Playing in 1970". KQED. Retrieved 9 October 2018. After months of negotiations, KQED has been granted the right to exclusively premiere [...] one of those songs, "Astronomy Domine."
^"Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 47.Týden 2016 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved 30 November 2016.