BARRETT

Contrary to what most people say, I actually like this better than "Madcap", as it is more upbeat. I know the lyrics are full of pain - it seems to me mostly from lost love and loneliness - but you do have to look for the pain amongst the lyrics (they aren't immediately obvious).

The really nice thing about this album is the fine effort of production (and backing) from Dave Gilmour - at last, and really for the only time, the two were playing together and there was no hard feelings. With Rick Wright contributing too, this is really another Pink Floyd album - and for those who have all the Floyd albums from their early days will do well to get this.

A word of warning - this is a Prog rock site - and this is not Prog rock, and such fans will be disappointed - that's why I can only give it 4 stars. If it was on a general music site it would be undoubtedly 5 stars.

I would say that Syd actually plays some of his best guitar on this album (maybe he was getter even better by this stage - such a shame he had to stop). However, it's the unusual tunes that Syd writes that nobody else could really do (even Bowie would struggle to compete with this). Why do the tunes sound so very different from anybody else - is this the mark of genius?

One of my favourites (unexpectedly) is "Rats" - so so different! When Syd suddenly raises his voice in this song, it is so alarming and brings me out in goose-pimples.

But the very best is Dominoes. A lovely haunting track, with fabulous backing from Gilmour and co. In this song, you can almost understand his loneliness and his endless wiling away of his time for very little. Considering when the rest of the World cannot write a melody as good as this in their right minds.

Such a shame he didn't really do anything else after this, but then there would have been no legend. Maybe if Stars hadn't happened, and someone (maybe Gilmour again) had worked hard with him if might not have happened????

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