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.

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. Warner Music and Pink Floyd announced a recall programme on 1 October 2019, which ran until 1 January 2020.

Contents

Volume 1: 1965–1967: Cambridge St/ation

Track listing:

Disc three (DVD / Blu-ray)

• "Chapter 24" (Syd Barrett, Live, Cambridgeshire, 1966) / (Live at EMI Studios, London, 1967) – 3:40
• "Recording Interstellar Overdrive and Nick's Boogie" (London, 1967) – 6:36
• "Interstellar Overdrive: Scene – Underground" (London, 1967) – 4:15
• "Arnold Layne: promo video" (Wittering Beach, 1967) – 2:54
• "Pow R. Toc H. / Astronomy Domine: plus Syd Barrett & Roger Waters interview: BBC The Look Of The Week" (BBC Studios, London, 1967) – 9:22
• "The Scarecrow" (Pathé Pictorial, UK, 1967) – 2:05
• "Jugband Blues: London Line promo video" (London, 1967) – 2:58
• "Apples & Oranges: plus Dick Clark interview" (Live, Los Angeles, 1967) – 4:51
• "Instrumental Improvisation" (BBC Tomorrow's World, London, 1967) – 2:11
• "Instrumental Improvisation" (Live, London, 1967) – 4:32
• "See Emily Play: BBC Top Of The Pops" (Partially restored BBC Studios, London, 1967) – 2:55
• "The Scarecrow (outtakes)" (Pathé Pictorial, UK, 1967) – 2:07
• "Interstellar Overdrive" (Live, London, 1967) – 9:33

Personnel:

Volume 2: 1968: Germin/ation

Track listing:

Personnel:

• 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"

with:

• John Peel – DJ for the BBC Sessions

Volume 3: 1969: Dramatis/ation

Track listing:

Disc three (DVD/Blu-ray)

• Forum Musiques, Paris, France, 22 January 1969

1. "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" – 6:31
2. David Gilmour interview (in French) – 1:18
3. "A Saucerful of Secrets" – 12:03

• The Man and The Journey: Royal Festival Hall, London, rehearsal, 14 April 1969

4. "Afternoon" ("Biding My Time") – 4:22
5. "The Beginning" ("Green Is the Colour") – 2:55
6. "Cymbaline" – 2:59
7. "Beset by Creatures of the Deep" ("Careful with That Axe, Eugene") – 0:50
8. "The End of the Beginning" ("A Saucerful of Secrets") – 3:06

• Essencer Pop & Blues Festival, Essen, Germany, October 11, 1969

9. "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" – 6:19
10. "A Saucerful of Secrets" – 14:22

• Music Power & European Music Revolution, Festival Actuel Amougies Mont de L'Enclus, Belgium, 25 October 1969

11. "Green Is the Colour" – 4:36
12. "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" – 10:07
13. "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" – 11:54
14. "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"

with

• Frank Zappa – guitar on "Interstellar Overdrive"

Volume 4: 1970: Devi/ation

Track listing:

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)

with:

• EMI Pops Orchestra – brass and orchestral sections
• Hafliði Hallgrímsson – cello
• John Alldis Choir – vocals
• John Peel – DJ during the BBC Radio session
• Alan Styles – voice and sound effects on "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast"

Volume 5: 1971: Reverber/ation

Track listing:

Personnel:

• David Gilmour – guitars, lead vocals, bass on "One of These Days (French Windows)"
• Nick Mason – drums, percussion
• Roger Waters – bass
• Richard Wright – keyboards, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Embryo" (with Gilmour) and "Echoes" (with Gilmour)

with:

• John Peel – DJ for BBC Session

Volume 6: 1972: Obfusc/ation

Track listing:

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:

Personnel: Pink Floyd

• Syd Barrett – guitars, vocals (only ‡)
• David Gilmour – guitars, vocals (except ‡ and track 13)
• Nick Mason – drums, percussion, vocals on "Scream Thy Last Scream" (except track 13)
• Roger Waters – bass, vocals (except track 13)
• Richard Wright – keyboards, vocals (except track 13)

with

• Dick Parry – saxophone on "Echoes"
• Venetta Fields – backing vocals on "Echoes"
• Carlena Williams – backing vocals on "Echoes"

Bonus CD: Live at Pompeii

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. 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; 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. The Live at Pompeii CD track listing is as follows:

1. "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" – 6:45
2. "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" – 10:35
3. "One of These Days" – 5:50
4. "A Saucerful of Secrets" – 12:49
5. "Echoes" – 24:56
6. "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" (Alternative Version) – 6:06

Replica vinyl singles

The Early Years 1967–1972: Cre/ation

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.

Track listing

Disc one

1. "Arnold Layne" – 2:57
2. "See Emily Play" – 2:55
3. "Matilda Mother" (alternate version, 2010 mix) – 3:58
4. "Jugband Blues" (2010 mix) – 3:02
5. "Paintbox" – 3:47
6. "Flaming" (BBC Radio session, 25 September 1967) – 2:42
7. "In the Beechwoods" (2010 mix) – 4:43
8. "Point Me at the Sky" – 3:41
9. "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" – 5:48
10. "Embryo" (from Harvest Records sampler Picnic) – 4:42
11. US Radio advertisement for Ummagumma – 0:22
12. "Grantchester Meadows" (BBC Radio session, 12 May 1969) – 3:46
13. "Cymbaline" (BBC Radio session, 12 May 1969) – 3:39
14. "Interstellar Overdrive" (Live at the Paradiso, Amsterdam, 9 August 1969) – 4:24
15. "Green Is the Colour" (BBC Radio session, 12 May 1969) – 3:21
16. "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" (BBC Radio session, 12 May 1969) – 3:28

Disc two

1. "On the Highway" (Zabriskie Point sessions) – 1:17
2. "Auto Scene Version 2" (Zabriskie Point sessions) – 1:13
3. "The Riot Scene" (Zabriskie Point sessions) – 1:40
4. "Looking at Map" (Zabriskie Point sessions) – 1:56
5. "Take Off" (Zabriskie Point sessions) – 1:19
6. "Embryo" (BBC Radio session, 16 July 1970) – 10:13
7. "Atom Heart Mother" (Live at the Casino de Montreux, 21 November 1970) – 18:01
8. "Nothing, Part 14" ("Echoes" work in progress) – 7:01
9. "Childhood's End" (2016 mix) – 4:33
10. "Free Four" (2016 mix) – 4:16
11. "Stay" (2016 mix) – 4:08

• Disc 1, tracks 1–5 & 7 are taken from 1965–1967: Cambridge St/ation.
• Disc 1, tracks 6 and 11 are taken from 1967–1972: Continu/ation.
• Disc 1, tracks 8–9 are taken from 1968: Germin/ation.
• Disc 1, tracks 10 & 12–16 are taken from 1969: Dramatis/ation.
• Disc 2, tracks 1–7 are taken from 1970: Devi/ation.
• Disc 2, track 8 is taken from 1971: Reverber/ation.
• Disc 2, tracks 9-11 are taken from 1972: Obfusc/ation.

Personnel

• Syd Barrett – vocals, guitars (only disc 1, tracks 1–7)
• David Gilmour – vocals, guitars (except disc 1, tracks 1–7, 11)
• Nick Mason – drums, percussion (except disc 1, track 11)
• Roger Waters – vocals, bass (except disc 1, tracks 11–12), acoustic guitar (only disc 1, track 12)
• Richard Wright – vocals, keyboards (except disc 1, track 11)

Charts

Credits

• Aubrey Powell of Hipgnosis – creative director.
• Lana Topham – curator, producer and archivist for The Early Years films.
• Pentagram – package design.
• John Whiteley – 1960s psychedelic paper design.
• Peter Curzon of StormStudios – photo memorabilia curation and design, assisted by Lee Baker; artwork for 7-inch vinyls.
• Glenn Povey – additional memorabilia.
• Tracey Kraft of Pink Floyd Archive – photo stills.
• Andy Jackson of Tube Mastering – audio mastering CD and 7-inch vinyl.
• Ray Staff of Air Studios – audio mastering 7-inch vinyl.
• Peter Sykes – The Committee director.
• Barbet Schroeder – More and La Vallée director.

Reception

The Early Years 1965–1972 has a score of a 97 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 8 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". 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."

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".

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".

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").

Accolades

References

External links

• Pink Floyd performing "Astronomy Domine" at KQED

Articles connexes

1. List of songs recorded by Pink Floyd
2. The Early Years
3. Careful with That Axe, Eugene
4. Vegetable Man
5. The Later Years
6. 1965: Their First Recordings
7. List of unreleased songs recorded by Pink Floyd
8. Pink Floyd discography
9. Embryo (Pink Floyd song)
10. Scream Thy Last Scream
11. Live at the Empire Pool
12. Syd Barrett
13. List of songs recorded by Syd Barrett
14. One of These Days (instrumental)
15. Green Is the Colour
16. The Man and The Journey
17. Echoes (Pink Floyd song)
18. Point Me at the Sky
19. David Janssen
20. Childhood's End (Pink Floyd song)