Pink Floyd - The Early Years 1965-1972 [11CD Box Set] (2016) (Repost)

As massive and hefty as a cinder block, Pink Floyd's The Early Years 1965-1972 is no conventional box set. It is an archive in miniature, offering 28 discs - 11 CDs with the remaining discs being DVDs and Blu-Rays that offer duplicates of the same audio/visual material - alongside replicas of original poster art, fliers, press releases, 7" singles and ticket stubs, all here to offer a deep, multi-tiered portrait of the years when Pink Floyd were fumbling around trying to find their voice. This isn't precisely uncovered territory - during the eight years covered on this box set, Floyd released eight studio albums, and their early singles have been compiled on several collections, including 1971's Relics - but what's available on this box is almost entirely rare, with much of it being unheard and unbootleged. This isn't limited to the audio tracks, either. The DVDs and Blu-Rays offer a cornucopia of stunning films, ranging from promo clips and BBC performances to interviews between Syd Barrett and Dick Clark, full live sets, documentaries, a version of "Interstellar Overdrive" with Frank Zappa from 1969, a ballet from 1972, rejected animations, and the entirety of More and Obscured by Clouds, two feature films Floyd scored.

The CDs are similarly loaded with remarkable discoveries, and many of them see light of day here: the Barrett compositions "Vegetable Man" and "In the Beechwoods"; a 1967 collaboration with artist John Latham, here split into nine continuous tracks; a full disc of outtakes from their soundtrack to Michelangelo Antonioni's Zabriskie Point; selections from their score to The Committee; music they made to accompany the BBC's broadcast of the 1969 moon landing. All this makes The Early Years 1965-1972 seem like something of a clearinghouse for rarities, which it is, to an extent - the producers rounded up every scrap of releasable audio and video, then put it in a box - but what turns this set into an extraordinary experience is how all of is that this audio material is designed to work in conjunction with the video. Together, this mixed media provides rich portraits of individual years in Floyd's progression - the entire set is broken into seven volumes with only the last, a collection of BBC Sessions and feature films, scheduled to be exclusive to this box - and, taken together, they provide an immersive experience that conveys how Floyd's ascension to classic rock royalty was by no means assured. Unlike Dark Side of the Moon and everything after, there is no sense of polish to the music on The Early Years 1965-1972, but there is a great sense of adventure. 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. Decades later, these recordings still feel boundless: this was music made without a destination in mind and the journey remains thrilling.

CD 1 Tracklist:
01. Lucy Leave (1965) [0:02:57.02]
02. Double O Bo (1965) [0:02:56.61]
03. Remember Me (1965) [0:02:45.45]
04. Walk With Me Sidney (1965) [0:03:11.01]
05. Butterfly (1965) [0:03:00.25]
06. I'm A King Bee (1965) [0:03:14.00]
07. Arnold Layne [0:02:56.07]
08. See Emily Play [0:02:54.52]
09. Apples And Oranges [0:03:04.21]
10. Candy And A Currant Bun [0:02:45.72]
11. Paintbox [0:03:47.32]
12. Matilda Mother (2010 mix) [0:03:59.31]
13. Jugband Blues (2010 mix) [0:03:02.19]
14. In The Beechwoods (2010 mix) [0:04:43.24]
15. Vegetable Man (2010 mix) [0:02:31.52]
16. Scream Thy Last Scream (2010 mix) [0:04:42.40]

Total time: 52:32

CD 2 Tracklist:
01. Introduction (Live In Stockholm 1967) [0:00:25.05]
02. Reaction In G (Live In Stockholm 1967) [0:07:18.12]
03. Matilda Mother (Live In Stockholm 1967) [0:05:33.68]
04. Pow R. Toc H. (Live In Stockholm 1967) [0:11:56.06]
05. Scream Thy Last Scream (Live In Stockholm 1967) [0:04:00.27]
06. Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun (Live In Stockholm 1967) [0:07:16.41]
07. See Emily Play (Live In Stockholm 1967) [0:03:15.38]
08. Interstellar Overdrive (Live In Stockholm 1967) [0:08:57.06]
09. John Latham Version 1 (Studio Recording 1967) [0:04:31.72]
10. John Latham Version 2 (Studio Recording 1967) [0:05:06.32]
11. John Latham Version 3 (Studio Recording 1967) [0:03:45.36]
12. John Latham Version 4 (Studio Recording 1967) [0:02:59.17]
13. John Latham Version 5 (Studio Recording 1967) [0:02:47.49]
14. John Latham Version 6 (Studio Recording 1967) [0:03:16.43]
15. John Latham Version 7 (Studio Recording 1967) [0:02:36.08]
16. John Latham Version 8 (Studio Recording 1967) [0:02:49.35]
17. John Latham Version 9 (Studio Recording 1967) [0:02:37.51]

Total time: 01:19:13







Tracklist:
01. Point Me At The Sky [0:03:40.18]
02. It Would Be So Nice [0:03:46.22]
03. Julia Dream [0:02:34.16]
04. Careful With That Axe, Eugene (Single Version) [0:05:45.72]
05. Song 1 (Capitol Studios, LA, 22 8 68) [0:03:18.70]
06. Roger's Boogie (Capitol Studios, LA, 22 8 68) [0:04:35.06]
07. Murderotic Woman (Careful With That Axe, Eugene) (BBC 25 6 68) [0:03:38.32]
08. The Massed Gadgets Of Hercules (A Saucerful Of Secrets) (BBC 25 6 68) [0:07:17.63]
09. Let There Be More Light (BBC Radio Session 25 6 68) [0:04:32.36]
10. Julia Dream (BBC Radio Session 25 6 68) [0:02:50.27]
11. Point Me At The Sky (BBC Radio Session 2 12 1968) [0:04:24.64]
12. Embryo (BBC Radio Session 2 12 1968) [0:03:12.51]
13. Interstellar Overdrive (BBC Radio Session 2 12 1968) [0:09:36.60]

Total time: 59:14





CD 1 Tracklist:
01. Hollywood ['More' Non Album Track] [0:01:21.02]
02. Theme (Beat version) ['More' Album Alt Version] [0:05:38.34]
03. More Blues ['More' Album Alt Version] [0:03:49.05]
04. Seabirds ['More' Non Album Track] [0:04:20.12]
05. Embryo [from 'Picnic' Harvest Records Sampler] [0:04:42.32]
06. Grantchester Meadows [BBC 19690512] [0:03:46.36]
07. Cymbaline [BBC 19690512] [0:03:38.05]
08. The Narrow Way [BBC 19690512] [0:04:47.41]
09. Green Is The Colour [BBC 19690512] [0:03:21.01]
10. Careful With That Axe, Eugene [BBC 19690512] [0:03:29.02]
11. Interstellar Overdrive [live Amsterdam 19690809] [0:04:20.03]
12. Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun [live Amsterdam 19690809] [0:12:25.44]
13. Careful With That Axe, Eugene [live Amsterdam 19690809] [0:10:10.15]
14. A Saucerful Of Secrets [live Amsterdam 19690809] [0:13:01.54]

Total time: 01:18:51

CD 2 Tracklist:
01. The Man- Daybreak [Grantchester Meadows] [0:08:14.25]
02. The Man- Work [0:04:12.11]
03. The Man- Afternoon [Biding My Time] [0:06:38.52]
04. The Man- Doing It [0:03:54.49]
05. The Man- Sleeping [0:04:36.65]
06. The Man- Nightmare [Cymbaline] [0:09:14.33]
07. The Man- Labyrinth [0:01:11.65]
08. The Journey- The Beginning [Green Is The Colour] [0:03:23.22]
09. The Journey- Beset By Creatures Of The Deep [Careful With That Axe] [0:06:27.13]
10. The Journey- The Narrow Way, Part 3 [0:05:10.67]
11. The Journey- The Pink Jungle [Pow R. Toc H.] [0:04:56.22]
12. The Journey- The Labyrinths Of Auximenes [0:03:19.09]
13. The Journey- Footsteps/ Doors [0:03:12.50]
14. The Journey- Behold The Temple Of Light [0:05:32.02]
15. The Journey- The End Of The Beginning [A Saucerful Of Secrets] [0:06:31.55]

Total time: 01:16:36







CD 1 Tracklist:
01. Atom Heart Mother [Live in Montreux, 21 November 1970 Band Only] [0:17:58.26]
02. Embryo [BBC Radio Session, 16 July 1970] [0:11:09.51]
03. Fat Old Sun [BBC Radio Session, 16 July 1970] [0:05:51.69]
04. Green Is The Colour [BBC Radio Session, 16 July 1970] [0:03:26.44]
05. Careful With That Axe, Eugene [BBC Radio Session, 16 July 1970] [0:08:25.05]
06. If [BBC Radio Session, 16 July 1970] [0:05:46.54]
07. Atom Heart Mother (With Choir, Cello & Brass Ensemble) [BBC Radio Session, 16 July 1970] [0:25:30.02]

Total time: 01:18:08

CD 2 Tracklist:
01. On The Highway [0:01:16.29]
02. Auto Scene [Version 2] [0:01:13.13]
03. Auto Scene [Version 3] [0:01:32.41]
04. Aeroplane [0:02:17.55]
05. Explosion [0:05:47.12]
06. The Riot Scene [0:01:39.64]
07. Looking At Map [0:01:56.49]
08. Love Scene [Version 7] [0:05:03.27]
09. Love Scene [Version 1] [0:03:26.28]
10. Take Off [0:01:20.23]
11. Take Off [Version 2] [0:01:11.54]
12. Love Scene [Version 2] [0:01:55.47]
13. Love Scene [Take 1] [0:02:16.13]
14. Unknown Song [Take 1] [0:05:56.34]
15. Love Scene [Take 2] [0:06:40.19]
16. Crumbling Land [Take 1] [0:04:08.64]
17. Atom Heart Mother [Early Studio Version, Band Only] [0:19:26.64]

Total time: 01:07:09







Tracklist:
01. Nothing Part 14 [Echoes Work In Progress] [0:07:01.18]
02. Fat Old Sun [BBC Radio Session, 30 September 1971] [0:15:32.58]
03. One Of These Days [BBC Radio Session, 30 September 1971] [0:07:19.22]
04. Embryo [BBC Radio Session, 30 September 1971] [0:10:42.47]
05. Echoes [BBC Radio Session, 30 September 1971] [0:26:24.54]

Total time: 01:07:01





CD 1 Tracklist (Live At Pompeii (2016 mix)):
01. Careful With That Axe, Eugene [0:06:44.51]
02. Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun [0:10:35.36]
03. One Of These Days [0:05:50.16]
04. A Saucerful Of Secrets [0:12:49.23]
05. Echoes [0:24:56.26]
06. Careful With That Axe, Eugene [Alternative Take] [0:06:05.50]

Total time: 01:07:02

CD 2 Tracklist (Obscured By Clouds (2016 Remix)):
01. Obscured by Clouds [0:03:03.37]
02. When Your're In [0:02:30.70]
03. Burning Bridges [0:03:29.63]
04. The Gold It's In The…. [0:03:07.19]
05. Wots….Uh The Deal [0:05:10.14]
06. Mudmen [0:04:17.63]
07. Childhood's End [0:04:33.25]
08. Free Four [0:04:16.18]
09. Stay [0:04:06.08]
10. Absolutely Curtains [0:05:51.44]

Total time: 40:27







Tracklist:
01. Flaming [0:02:41.38]
02. The Scarecrow [0:01:58.47]
03. The Gnome [0:02:08.35]
04. Matilda Mother [0:03:19.42]
05. Reaction In G [0:00:33.48]
06. Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun [0:03:18.62]
07. Scream Thy Last Scream [0:03:34.73]
08. Vegetable Man [0:03:06.50]
09. Pow R. Toc H. [0:02:45.05]
10. Jugband Blues [0:03:50.22]
11. Baby Blues Shuffle In D Major [0:03:58.70]
12. Blues [0:04:59.61]
13. US Radio Ad [0:00:21.24]
14. Music From The Committee No.1 [0:01:06.03]
15. Music From The Committee No.2 [0:03:24.22]
16. Moonhead (Live On 1969 BBC TV Moon Landings Broadcast) [0:07:17.02]
17. Echoes (Live At Wembley 1974) [0:24:10.25]

Total time: 01:12:35



Thanks to gerrV

See also:
Pink Floyd - Meddle (1971) [MFSL, 1989]
Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of ...) [3CD Immersion Edition 2011]
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975) [2CD Immersion Edition 2011]
Pink Floyd - The Wall (1979) [6CD Immersion Edition Box Set 2012]