IN SEARCH OF SYD

I can't say it thrills me to see our fine site including the free CD samplers from rock magazines as legitimate albums, but here we are. Being a huge Syd fan, I have to take a moment to warn fellow Syd fans not to waste their time hunting this down. The stated mission of the disc was to provide a collection of tracks which "seeks to present that elusive sense of...Sydness" and "encapsulates the spirit of the man." Yeah, right. Not exactly a modest goal. We'll be nice and just say that "the search continues."

The disc purports to include songs: A) Which influenced Barrett. B) Were the product of his contemporaries. C) Were the product of his "devotees." Parts B and C are pure conjecture and opinion as to their importance in understanding Syd. Part A is the only interesting part of the equation, and unfortunately only three of the 15 tracks fall under part A. Some of the music of his contemporaries and devotees is interesting of course, or would be in the full context of their albums. Here, by themselves, they are really pretty disjointed and not worth discussion---go get their real albums if interested.

The three tracks which supposedly influenced Syd are interesting to hear, although the extent these specific tracks influenced Floyd material is debatable. Certainly he heard these artists prior to writing Piper which makes them worthy of inclusion. The first two are tracks from the 1920s/30s by Pink Anderson and Floyd Council, the bluesmen who provided the spark for the band's name. These tracks are exactly what you'd expect, simple acoustic blues ditties, completely catchy and enjoyable from the first listen. The 3rd item of interest is a track by AMM from 1966. This was an experimental noise troupe connected to Floyd managers King and Jenner, and Syd was most interested in their recording process and the bizarre sounds they conjured. The song isn't what you'd call enjoyable, especially by itself, but is worth hearing. It's pretty wild and abrasive avant-garde music.

I rate this disc one star because the notes promise far more than they deliver. And because this is not the way to hear either the classics or the newer psych bands herein, all of whom should be pursued properly. Syd himself had the best line for anyone who thought they knew him, who thought they had him figured out, and who thought they could speak for him---including his former bandmates and silly magazines trying to make a buck off of selling myths about his life:

"I'm not anything that you think I am anyway." -Syd, '71

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