Works (Pink Floyd album)

Last updated

Works
PinkFloyd-album-works-233.jpg
Compilation album by
ReleasedJune 1983
Recorded1967–1973
Genre
Length42:10
Label Capitol
Producer
Pink Floyd chronology
The Final Cut
(1983)
Works
(1983)
A Momentary Lapse of Reason
(1987)
Pink Floyd compilation albums chronology
A Collection of Great Dance Songs
(1981)
Works
(1983)
1967: The First Three Singles
(1997)

Works is a compilation album of songs by English rock band Pink Floyd, released in 1983. It features a variety of material, including two of the band's early singles "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play", alternative mixes of tracks from The Dark Side of the Moon and the studio outtake "Embryo". [1]

Contents

Release and contents

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]

The album was released by Pink Floyd's former American label, Capitol Records, to compete with their then-current studio album The Final Cut . The album is particularly notable for including the track "Embryo", an outtake from the Ummagumma album that later became a concert staple in a greatly elongated form. [4] Previously, the track had only appeared on a scarce various artists compilation album promoting Pink Floyd's UK label Harvest Records entitled Picnic – A Breath of Fresh Air in January 1970. [1]

Some tracks are crossfaded into one another, such as "See Emily Play" into "Several Species ..." and "Fearless" into "Brain Damage". The album also opens with a heartbeat similar to the opening of Dark Side of the Moon that fades into the wind intro of "One of These Days". This creates a bookend effect on side 1, which ends with the heartbeat fadeout of "Eclipse".

Cover

The cover art, illustrated by Ron Larson, was inspired by the c. 1948 poster "Nederland industrialiseert" ("The Netherlands industrialise"), [5] designed by Dutch graphic artist Wladimir Flem.

Track listing

Side one

No.TitleOriginal releaseLength
1."One of These Days" (re-mix; interpolates part of "Speak to Me" from The Dark Side of the Moon) Meddle 5:50
2."Arnold Layne" (Duophonic stereo)Single2:52
3."Fearless"Meddle6:08
4."Brain Damage" (Alternate mix) The Dark Side of the Moon 3:50
5."Eclipse" (Alternate mix)The Dark Side of the Moon1:45
Total length:20:25

Side two

No.TitleOriginal releaseLength
1."Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" (The album cover erroneously lists the track as from Ummagumma) A Saucerful of Secrets 5:23
2."See Emily Play" (Duophonic stereo)Single2:54
3."Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict" Ummagumma 4:47
4."Free Four" Obscured by Clouds 4:07
5."Embryo" Picnic – A Breath of Fresh Air 4:39
Total length:21:50

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1983)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [6] 64
US Billboard 200 [7] 68

References

  1. 1 2 3 Kellman, Andy (2011). "Works - Pink Floyd | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
  2. Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0195313734.
  3. "Pink Floyd: Album Guide | Rolling Stone Music". Rolling Stone. 2011. Archived from the original on 17 February 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
  4. Manning, Toby (2006). "Soundtracks, Compilations & Bootlegs". The Rough Guide to Pink Floyd (1st ed.). London: Rough Guides. p. 227. ISBN   1-84353-575-0.
  5. "Nederland industrialiseert - Wladimir Flem, ca. 1948". Iisg.nl. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  6. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 233. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  7. "Pink Floyd Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 June 2016.