ARNOLD LAYNE

Pink Floyd

Psychedelic/Space Rock

3.63 | 104 ratings

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Conor Fynes
Prog Reviewer

'Arnold Layne' - Pink Floyd (Single)

Listening to one of my favourite psychedelic-era albums, I often wonder why 'The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn' never featured some of Pink Floyd' earliest gems. These including 'See Emily Play' and this, 'Arnold Layne', it seems counterintuitive that the band would leave off some of their catchiest and most charming early work from their official debut. In any case, Pink Floyd's early psychedelic pop is undeniably charming and fun. When Syd Barrett was in charge of the band's direction, they were a fairly different entity than the one they would become when David Gilmour joined the band. 'Arnold Layne' is a fun, three minute psychedelic relic that feels like a concise acid trip piled into a few short minutes. Although being very short, the song is very memorable, and not a second is wasted on filler. Unfortunately, the b-side for this single is not nearly as memorable.

'Arnold Layne' tells the story of a man with a 'strange hobby'- as to what that hobby is, may the listener venture to find out. Syd Barrett is the leading man here, and his quirk is what drives the song; the melodies here are strong and doused with psychedelic effects, most notably some vintage keyboard work from Richard Wright. Although it is perhaps not as great a song as 'See Emily Play', its charm makes the short journey more than worthwhile. To the single's misfortune, the b-side 'Candy And A Currant Bun' simply does not have the same level of strength to it, instead feeling like a loose attempt at a psychedelic pop song that truly lacks the melodic tact that 'Arnold Layne' did. That being said, this single is still a successful venture if even only for the first track.

Conor Fynes | 3/5 | 2011-6-5

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