SYD BARRETT

Barrett's poetry is the focal point, and at this point he was as fluid as ever, possibly inspired by the events that had driven him out of the band to begin with. An interesting note: some of the vocals are surprisingly reminiscent of Roger Waters wailing vocals on The Wall.

In substance the humus that has invaded the mind of Syd is totally noticeable throughout the album. So the guitar parts are insane... The voice is insane... The music is insane... But the final result is an album that is really good but not really enjoyable.

I admit that 'The Madcap Laughs' is a magical album. But because this is a Syd Barrett album.

Syd Barrett was an excellent prog related artist. His relation to prog? Well, for anyone who doesn't already know - Barrett was the founder of Pink Floyd before they fired him during the recording of their second album. His artistic vision didn't fit in with the rest of the bands', and comparing this album to the middle era of Floyd it's easy to see why. Barrett's approach to his music is a lot different than before, there's no Astronomy Domine or anything of the like on the album - this one is a very pleasant, simplistic album that's quite good at soothing the listener with its calm and crazy moments.

There's two kinds of song on the album. There's the slow and calm songs such as the wonderful closer, Late Night, and the brilliant opening Terrapin - and then there's the crazy and up-beat songs such as the fun and jumpy Love You and the screaming Octopus. There's no lack of inspiration on the album as well as Barrett seems to be pulling all of this off the top of his head. Not making it up as he goes along - but singing his passions out for all to hear. Rumor has it that Barrett would record every song through many times, no two times ever sounding completely the same, and later pick which version he liked the best. The remastered cd versions of the albums contain some of these alternate takes, and though they don't really add to the package they're certainly fun, and different, to listen to.

All in all this is a pretty difficult album to comment on based sheerly on it's simplicity. Barrett plays guitar and sings along while some modest rhythm sections meander around in the background providing structure to the songs. Standouts on the album usually showcase Barrett doing something off the wall, or just plain odd. No Good Trying has Barrett in an almost grumbling voice while If It's In You has Barrett stop and restart the song from the beginning after talking to someone off to the side of the studio - and based on the way Barrett recorded that was probably not scripted. All these little quirky things add up for a very fun and enjoyable album. Some of the songs don't have what most people would call ''high brow'' lyrics such as songs like Love You and Here I Go, while others are simply eerie taken in context all these years later, case in point, Dark Globe (''wouldn't you miss me at all?'').

This is not a prog rock masterpiece, and this is not an album that people world wide will undoubtedly enjoy. But it is a forgotten, lovely, rough gem that can be loved by the people who really have a feel for it. It's an album that either reaches out and grabs you or lets you pass, depending on who you are. As far as Barrett's solo output would go he only had one more album left in him, the self titled Barrett which would prove to be a bit more even content wise, but the good material on this album stand above the best material on his second album by a wide margin. For rating this one gets a strong 3.5 for a prog album. Floyd fans should definitely check it out, although not all will fall in love with it. For people who fancy themselves fans of something a bit more simple this album really does have a wonderful personality to it, and if it's something you're into then you could probably add another full star. It's hit and miss for most people, but it's undoubtedly recommended, if even to see which category you fall into.

Nobody just starts listening to a Syd Barrett album "for the heck of it." Know what I mean? Nobody sees the name "Syd Barrett" on the prog-related list and goes, "Hmm, he sounds interesting. Think I'll pick up this here Opel album."

No. People listen to Syd for a couple of reasons, and they're all basically related. There is the Floyd fan seeking roots, the psychedelic fan seeking expansion, and the freak fan seeking fun. I myself was in the latter category; I'm not the biggest fan of early Floyd, but I'd heard that Syd was totally insane on these records. So, I gave it a shot.

And what I discovered was something that was...remarkable. No, Syd did not turn out to be a mini-god. And yes, Syd was still totally bonkers. But the man had talent, both in his song writing and guitar playing, and perhaps he honestly WAS a genius under all that LSD. But it's a special kind of genius.

"Terrapin" is a droning blues piece that'll either turn you off the album or welcome you into it. I find it kind of charming; it's so relaxing, and the lyrics are a cute mix of psychedelia and boy-girl stuff. "No Good Trying" picks up the psychedelic vibe though, with nice backing by the Soft Machine, and some interesting guitar work.

"Love You" is the first spark of real genius; a bizarre piano pop song with frantic keyboards in the background. Coupled with funny love lyrics and a bouncy melody, it's great. "No Man's Land" is just plain creepy, with the fuzzy guitar attack and Syd's bleak lyrics. The Soft Machine does a perfect job of backing the Crazy Diamond too. And when Syd just starts blabbering at the end? Spooky-cool.

Perhaps the best song on the album (it's kind of hard to tell) is "Dark Globe," just Syd and his acoustic. The first half is funny in a freak show kinda way, but midway through, the fun stops; and the second time Syd tiredly yells, "Won't you miss me, wouldn't you miss me at all?" it sounds like he's begging me, me of all people, not to forget him when he's gone. Gone from where? The studio? Sanity? Life? The room? With Syd, it's hard to say, but chilling all the same.

Then, in classic Syd role-reversal, "Here I Go" ends up being a tiny Britpop masterpiece. I dig the funny vaudeville melody and the self-depreciating, yet hopeful, lyrics. Too bad it fades out as the solo starts up. No such luck with "Octopus" though; Syd is total bonkers mode here, screaming out crazy lyrics with inhuman zeal, all backed by an over-the-top psycho pop melody that you can't get out of your head for days.

"Golden Hair" is probably the most "avantgarde" thing on the record; at least, purposefully. The musical backing is sparse, just an acoustic and some cymbal effects, and Syd reading the Joyce poem with mystical undertones. "Long Gone" one ups it though; just a depressing acoustic and a creepy organ that builds until Syd's screaming the chorus. And then, it plops back his soft drone and strumming. Creepy.

"She Took a Long Cold Look" is the album's only real misfire. Syd and his acoustic, which is nice, but it's fairly tuneless, and what's up with those pauses? Was Syd forgetting his place? "Feel" also feels a little half-baked, but it shows promise, with interesting, painful chord changes and interesting, pleading lyrics.

"If It's In You" opens with a bizarre start and stop Syd mumbling and off key singing. But somehow, when the song starts, Syd manages to pull off the high notes. That is, until halfway though the song when he starts abandoning weird rhymes in favor of inhuman jabbering. And then we close with "Late Night," a little strange after all the "Syd solo" spots with just the acoustic. Still though, the soft ballad is more together, with a cool slide guitar backing and introverted lyrics, and in a private sort of way, is very touching.

Now, I realize that a high four star rating is a lot for this mess-terpiece, but it's a special rating for a very special record. The Madcap Laughs might actually be the most unique record ever recorded. Syd is far from the world's greatest guitarist, but no one played like he did, electric or acoustic.

Also the lyrics; no one ever wrote lyrics like Syd, and probably never will again. I mean, half the time he's hardly there and it's psychobabble, but the other half, brrr. Syd has a way of really digging into you and making you care about his descent into madness (witness "Octopus," which goes from "Please leave us here, close our eyes to the octopus rise!" to "Isn't so good to be lost in the woods? Isn't it good, so quiet there?").

In fact, the reason that it's so hard to choose a best number off the album isn't that they're all so good; no, Madcap is definitely better than the sum of its parts. Alone, the songs are either bizarre curios, or bizarre "lost gems," but hardly masterpieces. But together? They create a single, moving, unstoppable monster of...of God knows what, but I like it.

Half the fun of Madcap is Syd's skill, and the other half is Syd's uniqueness. On the surface, this record sounds like a lot of other psycho-folkies out there. But underneath, it is a work of genius; a painful portrait of someone going insane, who pretends there's hope, but just wishes that we'll remember him when he's long gone.

Aw poo. This is a touch of a let down. You see, while some might argue that Syd only deserved to live on as a curio and let the Floyd get on to more "serious stuff," I feel that Syd's ole idea pot was far from empty. Hell, I thought that getting away from the Floyd helped him produce his finest stuff. But, oh well, this time around, we have the Floyd helping us out. And by helping, I mean "helping."

Take for example the opener "Baby Lemonade." At first, the twelve string guitar intro sounds cool, but repeated listenings make one realize that it has nothing to do with Syd or the song, which is too bad, since "Lemonade" is probably the best song on the album. I mean, it's catchy as hell, with cool lyrics and some interesting guitar work in the background (note those last three words there...).

"Love Song" is a fun, if not terribly lofty, piano ballad of sorts. "Dominoes" though really gets to me, or could. It's Syd at his most depressing, moaning about his loneliness through minor chords and backwards guitar. Sadly though, this eventually turns into a pointless organ exercise at the end. Very un-cool lads.

"It Is Obvious" is just sort of stupid. It's almost tuneless, and Syd is buried behind cheap organ effects. The more solo-Syd track "Rats" though hits the opposite end of the scale, featuring the man at his most schizoid. What else can we make of the bizarre, seemingly adlibbed, lyrics, howled just out of tune? Not terribly listenable, but fascinating in its own way.

"Masie" is pretty bizarre. A blues workout, but in Syd's twisted take on blues. It's demonically slow, making "Terrapin" seem like Bo Diddly in comparison. I can't quite condemn it though, since Syd, shouting out lyrics at random, actually sounds like he's having fun for a change. "Gigolo Aunt" is probably the most successful attempt to "normalize" the Barrett sound. What probably began life as a sort of Brit-pop tune is turned into a mini-epic, and it actually works. It might be a little long for what it is, but still, everything's solid enough to get by.

"Waving My Arms in the Air" is a toe-tappin', but still dull, ballad of sorts, with lyrics that border between cute and stupid. This turns straight into "I Never Lied to You," which follows the same line, only worse. Luckily, we next get "Wined and Dined," a quiet...organ ballad? Either way, the melody is memorable, and the atmosphere is charming for a change, rather than scary or weird.

"Wolfpack" gets us back on track. It's largely unlistenable; it's far too chaotic for me to take anything from it. Which is too bad, since the electric guitar work sounds like some of the best on the album. Finally, "Effervescing Elephant" provides us with an all too brief glimpse at Syd's charming, childlike side. The instrumentation is perfect, and the lyrics are delivered with nursery rhyme-like ease.

Once again, Syd has hit us with a largely unpredictable album. The problem is, he's nowhere to be found most of the time. His guitar is muted, and his vocals are shoved way in the background. Why?

I dunno. Perhaps it's because the Floyd, who took a much more active hand in producing this one, were trying to normalize the sound. Unfortunately for us, "normalize" means "get rid of Syd and make it sound like contemporary Floyd" (unlike The Soft Machine on Madcap, who just tried to accentuate the natural Syd-ness, and pretty much pulled it off with flying colors). Of course, the other option is "push Syd too far forward," which is how we get "Rats" and "Wolfpack." Why?

Were the Floyders (led by the Dave "Depraved" Gilmour, of course) trying to make it sound like Syd actually liked the new Floyd sound? Or were they trying to make their record sound better-in spots, Barrett starts to resemble Meddle's snot covered little brother. Which is really a pity, because the material here is so much stronger than Meddle. Crazy as he was, Syd could still write a solid song or three. Some have argued that Barrett could actually be stronger than Madcap; dunno if I agree, but I know it's better than this.

Syd must have thought so too. Shortly after Barrett, he unplugged his solo career for good. Perhaps it's a pity, perhaps it's not; we'll never exactly know. Syd was so far gone at this point that maybe the Floyd honestly DID think they were doing the right thing in pushing themselves so far forward (I don't quite believe that though, and besides, it's no excuse for spoiling some good songs). The album is still good enough, but it's sad and quiet now. Rather than watching Syd struggle against his demons, we see him succumb. In fact, he's not even there.

Of course, there is a darker side to free with rental...like the odd DULL short indie, or, for example, Syd Barrett's first trip.

This is an utterly useless documentary of sorts; it's about as short as a four year old's attention span will allow, absolutely sound-free, and lacks any kind of...hell, you name it. Authenticity? None! Education value? Nary a drop! Insight into the artist? Yeah right!

There ARE some quick shots of the early Floyd tacked onto the end, but, whatever. The music that plays in the background isn't even them.

I was tempted to give this thing two-stars, but you know what? Why bother! It's not that good, and, what's more, it's somewhat offensive. I mean, this DVD (I think mine was a video, if that matters) just pushes into the faces of gaggle-eyed fans the whole Syd was a psycho drug user image without a drop of sensitivity or intelligence.

I care about Syd's legacy. A lot. A lot more than I should, in fact. And, in all honesty, I can deal with the fact that the poor bugger was a raving looney. But this is explotation without...anything. Sensitivity, payoff, whatever. A waste of time, and of Syd's name, and above all, utterly useless. Rent something else.

The album feature some cool guest musicians like Hugh Hopper, Mike Ratledge and Robert Wyatt from Soft Machine, Jerry Shirley from Humble Pie and Gilmour and Waters which also helped produce the album. You can also clearly hear the influence this album had on artists like David Bowie and I would guess also Lou Reed (at least there is this kinda New York feel over some of the songs on the album) and many others of course. Relatively often I meet people or hear about musicians being really into Syd's solo stuff and it kinda suprises me because I always thought that this was nothing but earcrap to most people, but it seems like the magic Syd created and the myth behind really makes these solo efforts interresting in many other ways than just the musical aspect of them.

So what do this album mean to me. It's a nice getaway from a lot of the other music I listen to and it puts me in a really melancholic, but still happy state of mind. The album has it's rocking tunes, but mostly the feel of it is very relaxed. The honesty of this album is also very pleasing like the track If It's In You where Syd has to start over again because he sings so much out of tune (just to sing out of tune again, but keeping the take anyway). Just the fact that they does not cut it out tells one something about Syd's state of mind, but also what this album is all about which is just the joy of playing, but most important the simple but great songwriting. In my book tracks like Terrapin, No Good Trying, Love You, No Man's Land, Here I Go, Golden Hair reminds me of Syd's glorious days with Floyd and they are all really well written and has this before mentioned magic feel that I think Syd's music carries. To this day Gilmour still play Terrapin, Dark Globe and Dominoes (from Barrett) so I guess that Gilmour also still feel the magic and genius behind Syd and I was very pleased when I heard him play some of those tunes live (and also Arnold Layne). So if you are a fan of early Floyd and particular Syd this album plus Barrett and the 1988 compilation Opel is a must have.

So yeah... Shine On!