THE MADCAP LAUGHS

The first SYD BARRET solo album has some really nice musical moments in it. My favorites are the songs "Octopus", "Feel" and "If it's in You". "Golden Hair" has to be mentioned separately, as it was done from a poem by JAMES JOYCE! The tunes are minimalist and they manage to create a strange atmosphere.

The picture on the album jacket was taken from Syd's home (what a way of furnishing). I must admit, that I feel little troubled about these Syd releases, as I'm not sure if he understood the way he was exploited. There are very good ideas in his songs, but the producers perhaps emphasized more his madness than his genius, and they didn't make very big efforts to help him doing good performances. There are takes, where he loses the beat, and these stoned wanderings are left here to be laughed at. The recording process was following: First Syd smashed his hits to the tapes, and after that SOFT MACHINE's guys were called to the studio to sweat over them. It's an impossible task to play rhythm over non-rhythmic playing, except for BILL BRUFORD perhaps.

Someone could hear this album and think that it's a joke, but it has great good musical stuff, as the changes of rithms. I would put 5 stars, but i don't think it's prog, so it can't be 'a masterpiece of progressive music'. You notice at once the mental health of poor Syd.

This album is almost all acustic, but some songs have a bit of drums, and other few bass. 'Love you' has a bit of piano, but it's not big deal. There few solos, but there are good riffs, though riffs are quite simple.

Simply the best poet to hit the rock world. Together with Don Van Vliet a 100% artist at the cost of everything else in his life. The only song on the album that has weak lyrics is Golden Hair & that was written by James Joyce. If you like true art in prog music you'll love this music. Be warned though the lyrics are real & the anguish they are sung with are only too real. This is mature music so if you're if you're looking for posing pop rubbish then forget it. The tracks are all quite short & to a certain extent feel incomplete. It's almost as though he was an artist with limitless talent who's so damaged he could only grab at small pieces of his genius. The agony he went through must have been horrendous. Long Gone is a song referring to the fact he'll never be loved again. Dark Globe is about the other members of Pink Floyd rejecting him.

"And I borrowed a page, from the leopard's cage, and I prowled in the evening sun's glaze..." - 'Long Gone'

I thought long about awarding this album a 4-star review, wondering if people will actually 'like' this album. In the end I feel it deserves this rating. I realised it is ultimately extremely creative and more a psychedelic collection of dreams than anything overtly 'progressive'.It DOES belong in progressive musical collections however, particular as an historical document, a stark example of what might have been.

Syd's music is not for everyone. His guitar style is straight rhythm after his US Blues heroes. His music is remarkably simple, yet lyrically dense. Syd Barrett is more of a poet/lyricist in the vein of Lennon or Dylan, than that of a Gabriel or even Waters for that matter. He had a rich singing voice, and a charisma lacking in too many of today's musican frontmen.

"The Madcap Laughs", Syd's first solo album after being unceremoniously disposed of by the FLOYD, is an attempt by his three producers (Malcolm Jones, Dave Gilmour and Roger Waters) to harvest what genius Syd had left in him. The result is naked beauty, in all its imperfections. David Bowie counts "Madcap" as one of his inspirations.

Many of the tunes present are works of marvel. Psychedelic adventures of a turtle ('Terrapin') fit right alongside lilting, almost ragtime, English 60's pop ('Love You'). Many of the songs present could have found a home on FLOYD's "Piper At The Gates of Dawn" as they have a lot in common with the likes of 'Lucifer Sam' and 'Flaming'.

Syd is at his absolute creative best on songs like 'Octopus', 'Long Gone', 'Dark Globe' and 'Late Night' and any who appreciate the wild, whimsical, yet haunting work of Syd from PATGOD will truly appreciate these works. With 'Octopus' being just as excellent as 'See Emilly Play' or 'Arnold Layne'.

This album is not without its blemishes however. Certain songs are truly painful to hear, as it is clear that Syd is starting to lose his battle with mental illness / reality.

Neil Young once wrote "it's better to burn out, than to fade away." This is the album where Syd begins to burn away, his music literally consuming him from within. 4/5 stars, a must for any FLOYD fan.

i really love this album. it has always been one of my favorite albums. it has some progressive qaulities and adventorous songs. there are also some solemn, calm, and at times quite silly acoustic songs as well. it has a very psychodelic sound to it and is definitely a unique sound. i have not heard anything like syd barrett. his mental history is very sad and painful. it hurts me to see such a promising artist be torn down because of his drug induced psychosis. i beleive that if you consider progressive rock to be music that stretchs the boundaries of normal rock and go where no musician has gone before (and certainly gone to since) then this is definitely an excelent addition to any progressive rock collection.

There is no denying Barret's influence on Pink Floyd and as also the co-founder along with Rick Wright, Roger Waters and Nick Mason. "Madcap laughs' is his only decent solo offering. This was released at a time when there was still a semblance of order in his musical repertoire. Brilliant tracks like ' Octopus', ' Terrapin' and ' No Man's Land' confirm this. There is still a mixed and chaotic feel to the album hence the title. I would recommend this album only from the late Syd Barrett as the others just seemed to fill gaps as he struggled to shake off that ' creeping malaise'. Also in the lienup are Waters, Gilmour, Wyatt and Hugh Hopper which made for a formiddable lineup. Good at best, historically of great value.

"The Madcap Laughs" is the first of two solo albums made by the now deceased Pink Floyd founder, Syd Barret. The news of Syd Barret's death brought along much sorrow to many people, but it also was a time of reflection as people all over the world listened to Pink Floyd in honour of Syd. In Australia Pink Floyd was played on the radio for the first time in many years. Pink Floyd sales also increased as people rushed to get a piece of Pink Floyd and Syd Barret. For me, I began to listen to Syd's solo albums and in particular The Madcap Laughs which impresses me at the fact that the simplicity of the music is strangely effective. It seems to me that Syd was able to just sit down and write lyrics on a whim, all the lyrics flow for a little while before Syd purposely brakes the pattern. Recorded after Syd went crazy from LSD, "The Madcap Laughs" is, to me is the man trying to reach out to his friends in Pink Floyd.

This period was a difficult time for all involved and the members of Pink Floyd wrote many tributes to Syd Barret which are a testament to their lost friend. "The Madcap Laughs" is an enjoyable album and is a basically a toned down version of 'Piper at the Gates of Dawn.' It retains the Syd Barret style of song writing, but seems to lose much of the space-rock moods reminiscent of early Pink Floyd. Best songs include "Terrapin", "Dark Globe" (a song for Syd's friends in Pink Floyd)," Octopus" and "Here I Go" all of which contain some Pink Floydish elements. The remaster of "The Madcap Laughs" comes with several 'takes' of songs as Syd was unable to play a song twice in the same way which made the album difficult to record.

Terrapin (4/5) 2. No Good Trying (3/5) 3. Love You (2.5/5) 4. No Man's Land (3/5) 5. Dark Globe (4/5) 6. Here I Go (3/5) 7. Octopus (4.5/5) 8. Golden Hair (2.5/5) 9. Long Gone (3/5) 10. She Took a Long Cold Look (2.5/5) 11. Feel (3/5) 12. If it's in You (3/5) 13. Late Night (3/5) Total = 41 divided by 13 number of songs) = 3.15 = 3 stars Good, but non-essential

In summary, "The Madcap Laughs" is a good album and give an insight into the mind of Syd Barret. I'd recommend "The Madcap Laughs" to all Pink Floyd fans, particularly fans of the band's earlier works like 'Piper at the Gates of Dawn.'

A true genius and an avant-garde poet and musician who was way ahead of his time and who influenced whole generations of wannabe artists. Although the solo material he delivered was "approximate" in terms of production and rendition, the true value of each song can be sussed and sensed and felt; even if he makes mistakes while performing, if he forgets the words, if he interrupts the playing to turn the page of a song he just wrote.., and if the additional instruments (added later) are struggling to catch up with the un-even time signatures. Everything this man has produced in his sadly short productive time should be WORSHIPPED. Therefore 5 stars for the 3 albums.

"I think he kind of had raw talent. Most people, you know, they'll have a tube of it, and they'll squeeze it out a little and then mix in some turps. But Barrett is like a kid who got hold of a tube of talent, the way that children would get hold of a tube of toothpaste - squeeze it all out." [Robyn Hitchcock]

It's unfortunate that so many in the press get hung up talking about Syd's private life, drug use, or mental state. What is relevant is his art. His music is not for everyone, but for those who can lock into his unique vision it is very rewarding. It is both complex and simple, ranging from childlike whimsy to some very dark places to oddities in between. It is acoustic music at heart with mostly quiet vocals and worlds away from the circus of Piper. While occasional mistakes are made by Syd and in the production I have no problem overlooking such technicalities to the wondrous and unique music at its core. The gentle rhythmic playing on some tracks here (and on his song Opel from the Opel compilation) can be meditative, while other songs have an upbeat cheery vibe. It is strange music and some Floyd fans who listen to this will be shocked by the difference, the unpolished rawness, the lack of cohesive image that his former mates rode to stardom. This is closer to a Nick Drake sound than it is to any Pink Floyd album, but much less calculated than Drake. One gets the feeling that often Syd was really just channeling what came to him on a given day which is a fascinating way to experience creativity. Think about it. I hope people can maintain an open mind to Syd because he deserves to be heard by a wider audience. I love all of his solo material, even the less successful stuff. For those who'd rather try Syd with a slightly different approach get his second record "Barrett" instead. You'll find similar material but instead of the various arrangements/musicians and producers, you'll get Gilmour on bass and Jerry Shirley primarily as well as Dave's consistent oversight. Madcap has a more outwardly adventurous sound while Barrett seems slightly more intimate and a bit insular. It's debatable which approach is better so do try them both.

And I love Syd's "my way or the highway" approach to his life and work. He lived it on his terms. He decided (or it was decided for him) that he should live a quiet life away from the music business and that's what he did without ever looking back. All of Syd's work never fails to make me smile and realize how rewarding it can be to thumb one's nose at the status quo both in life and in popular music. There's a deviant quality to this album and to his approach but behind it I believe was a simple and good person who just didn't fit into this society, or rather, society didn't quite jive with him. I think those who would label his existence a "tragedy" are frankly missing the bigger picture. True, part of his story is sad but according to his own family he lived his life as he wished, did the best with the circumstances he was handed, and was happy often. There are plenty of "normal" people out there who can't pull off those things.

Music's most simple triumph?

Let's start off with an analogy by saying that Syd Barrett's "The Madcap Laughs" is to musical complexity as a blank piece of paper is to a masterpiece of art. If you didn't catch my drift, what I'm saying is that this is a wonderfully simple recording. nothing flashy is needed to pull of the psychedelic sound. And what a psychedelic sound it is! The sound on this album is almost an acid trip in itself.

Now, since I mentioned sound, another thing I have to say is that you shouldn't listen to this album expecting the style of guitar playing that is commonly associated with late- 60's/early-70's British guitar musical acts. Syd's style of playing is strictly influenced by his idols in the Blues genre from over the pond, here in America. Lots of acoustic driven passages combined with gentle strumming is one of the things I enjoy the most about this album.

Another interesting tidbit is that with the exception of 4 songs, this whole album was produced by none other than Roger Waters and David Gilmour, the man that kicked him to the curb and the man that replaced him in Syd's famous prog/psych outfit, The Pink Floyd. Now as for the music, there is a very "this is what I'm thinking right now, so I'll play it" vibe to the album. One could almost compare "The Madcap Laughs" to a musical version of Syd's diary, or day-to-day thoughts, if you prefer. A very unpolished, raw and edgy sound covers all of the coats all of the music produced, and this might be a huge change from the polished and squeaky-clean sounds of the 70's Pink Floyd albums.

Like I just said, fans of the 70's albums from Pink Floyd that want to check out solo projects should probably find the works from David Gilmour or Roger Waters before taking on Syd Barrett. I have no second thoughts at all about giving this album 4 stars, it is a wonderful album and a benchmark for all later psychedelic albums/bands. Simplicity was never so complex.

One of the my favorite psychedelic albums of all time. His voice is wonderful in this entire album and it really shows what he could have done if he could have stayed in Pink Floyd. The trippy music and the way his voice melts perfectly in with it makes this a wonderful album.

Barrett's solo work is not (truly) a matter of albums, discs and spins; it's a full, short and rarely demanding moment of music and sheer taste. Pretty close to the idea, Syd Barrett isn't doing his plain private records; he's having his most powerful freedom of expression. The Pink Floyd approach is both consumable (two of his colleagues are present, as guests) and straightened away, given that Barrett influenced tremendously (with what he had as authentic writing, singing, playing and envisioning) the psychedelic debut of the great band (and it's best, Saucerful Of Secrets), yet didn't stay long in the great pink atmosphere, neither thrived on the same level as Floyd into his own doing. The juicy idea is that Barrett is, individually, the great and fascinating music talent, while his moment away from Pink Floyd hasn't got the slightest of a blur and a smirk: it's exciting and fun, it's consistent and stylishly abiding, it's elegant and interesting, it's deep and woozy. The moment lasts for two albums, Madcap Laughs and Barrett, neither too noticeably dissimilar, nor two sharply alike. Both meaning music, style, verse and a bit of appeal (being needed).

Madcap Laughs is no state of the art (it would wrong to think of it like that), but it surely a great album to sink in, figuratively or (rather) concretely. Worthy for its possessive pop-psychedelic, songwriting skills, acoustic rock challenges and mono-lyrical emotions, the album reflects Barrett in a supreme moment of feeling comfortable, strong ecstatic, sensibly expressive or weirdly complex. From 13 pieces, Madcap's beautiful, rupturing and succumbed qualities are part of Barrett's joy, precision and psyched waft, summing up a deeming creativity, a fearful cold manner, a bit of jovial rock pluck and a kind juicy fever of interpretation and improvisation. Barrett is the magician, wholeheartedly dedicated to his project, though other artists (include Gilmour, Waters and Wyatt) help on a couple of pieces or on more special acts.

The album is simple, eerily patient and skilled, but you can almost feel how complex the strut air, inside the music, really is. Madcap Laughs is essentially the brightest solo album, with the best pieces from the artist's entire saucerful collection, leaving Barrett in a state of fragile art rock, despite that the characters are much the same. In a transparent numbness and an eloquent expressiveness, the album is no frugal pill and no hazard of melodies and broken limb rhythms. The songs, almost all of them, are an individual study and concept, being also the most delightful quality. But Barrett crafts the chemistry deep into "lightmotifs" of stringing while singing, rocking while jocking and alternating the ambition of sour or dry lyrics with the hidden churn of poetry and "singing with a feeling". Madcap's tremendous subtlety is cut down to hearing simple, most short, feathery, various but stereotypical and light-darkened songs, all being powerfully reflexive on a psychedelic determined practice, that springs from chanting to dry scotch experimenting and healthy art wobbling. Sounds fine to say that, in the end, half of the material is made of gems, of songs so bright, lovely, interactive or blended that they're also something Barrett will never achieve in other recordings. The other songs, more brewed or mucked, have nevertheless the same values: not just tracks and tunes, but music; not just enigmatic soft/popular psychedelism, but a tenacious moment of rock emotion; not just singing, but performing, under the trademark of an unusual and (often) discrete flamboyance.

Madcap Laughs is not a veracious psychedelic/pop-rock/progressive tape, but it is all the same Barrett's fundamental solo volume, reflecting his breakthrough from Floyd and his one year of mastering a remarkable kind of art music.

I will not make this a long review because I will probably hurt a lot of people's feelings with this and also because there is not too much to say about it, at least if you leave historical aspects aside. When I bought it I only did that because it was for sale and I would never have payed the full price because I already had the feeling this was what it appeared to be. And I mean by that that I did not expect a very symphonical progressive effort but I did not know it would be like this.

The only positive thing I have to say about it is that it's always a special achievement if someone does the musical thing on his own, it's acoustic without other instrument than the acoustic guitar. But let's be honest, the songs and the vocals are below par. This album is a curiosity more than an album full of great music. And this fact added to the fact we are talking about the Crazy Diamond here causes the 4 and 5 star ratings in my opinion. And that's ok, we all have different approaches to progressive music and mine is that I judge the music I hear and for that this scores 1,5 star for me. I round it up because of the man's status (yes, even I do that) and out of respect for that. But really, I can't go further than two stars.

A collection of fragile, pure beautiful songs, especially Terrapin, Golden Hair (with a James Joyce poem for lyrics), Octopus, Dark Globe and Feel. With this sublime cover art, The Madcap Laughs is a magnificent album, the first of the two solo albums Syd Barrett made. Yes, he was a looney, but he was also a genius. Fragile dark poetry.

It's Syd's first album after his departure from Pink Floyd. Recorded in 1968 and 1969 and released early January 1970. Same year followed his second solo album simply called Barrett. This is a collection of really nice sing and songwriter songs. Not so psychedelic as most of his work with Floyd, but it is still clear that Syd was very unorthodox. The album backbone was Syd own recording with only him and a acoustic guitar and when arriving to the studio he insisted that the other musicians recorded over his very often faulty demo recordings. Therefore a lot of mistakes and out of key vocals can be heard on this record, but on the other hand it also creates a feel of being there at the moment it all happened and with Syd's childlike honesty it makes this album very unique and psychedelic in it's own way. Therefore most of the final tracks that made the album were completed with very few takes.

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!

Close our eyes to the 4.5!

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.

Going on without the Floyd

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.

'The Madcap Laughs' is the first solo album of Syd Barrett and the style is a mix between The Doors and Beatles with drops of Psychedelic Rock and Folk. And this is the best description of this album. For the rest the music not conquest me. Because Syd Barrett wrote good music but not perfect is the final result. That in this case is obvious.

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.

"The Madcap Laughs" was Syd's debut album released in January of 1970. The whimsical poet is helped by his former PINK FLOYD mates Roger Waters and David Gilmour, while SOFT MACHINE members (1969) also help out on two tracks. Actually Roger and David came to the rescue when EMI threatened to pull the plug on the sessions because of Barrett's incompetance. His former bandmates said they would help Syd finish it, which of course they did.

"Terrapin" is a catchy and relaxed tune with the focus on Syd's vocals.This is the longest track as well. "No Good Trying" is a top three for me mainly because of the instrumental work of the SOFT MACHINE members. Ratledge's fuzzed out organ and Wyatt's drumming talents really add a lot while Hopper's bass is also prominant. "Love You" opens with strummed guitar before vocals, drums and piano take over. Some silly lyrics here. "No Man's Land" is another top three with SOFT MACHINE backing up.This is darker and the guitar by Barrett sounds excellent. I can picture Wyatt pounding away. Spoken words after 2 minutes. "Dark Globe" features Syd crying out the lyrics as he strums his guitar.

"Here I Go" is a catchy little tune that reminds me of Kevin Ayers. "Octopus" has some energy as Syd strums his guitar and sings with passion. "Golden Hair" is slower paced and kind of dark with reserved vocals. I like it ! This is my other top three tune. "Long Gone" is another great track with those organ runs and psychedelic lyrics. The next three tracks all feature vocals and acoustic guitar leading the way.The final track is "Late Night" and it's better than the last three. Electric guitar, light drums and vocals all sound really good here.

A special album from a very special and talented man but when compared to his compositions when with FLOYD I find this is lacking. 3.5 stars.

The Floyd lunatic gives us this amazing and lonely album, the feeling and the sounds are quite acoustic-psychedelic; the lyrics, the music notices that poor Syd was on the brink of insanity ... Songs like "Love you" stand your party happy and cheerful while "Terrapin" and "No man's land" show the other side of the coin, deep, melancholic, able to float all their frustration, fear , pain and love in a few songs. A stark and disturbing album that offers quality in their performances which today are seldom can hear, with the help of Gilmour, Wyatt and Waters especially, concrete successes songs he wrote during his stay with Floyd. For me an acoustic and minimalist masterpiece.

Here is a somewhat eneven, but highly interesting album by the former Pink Floyd frontman. The songs are much more sparse than those on the early Pink Floyd albums, despite having David Gilmour, Roger Waters, and some Soft Machine members along to help out. But there is a definite early Floyd feel, however without the oddities and sound effects that helped make those albums classics in the prog world.

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.

I actually enjoy this album slightly more than The Piper At The Gates of Dawn, but that probably isn't saying much since the two albums have little in common. Both releases feature Syd Barrett and Roger Waters but musically and lyrically this is a whole different experience.

Most of these performances feature one man performances by Syd Barrett where he sings his original lyrics while playing his acoustic guitar. I find most of those compositions quite average, likely this isn't everything the album has to offer. There are a few compositions that are performed in a band setting and that's where Barrett's work really gets the treatment it deserves. Compositions like Octopus and Late Night are among the best that I've heard from both his work with Pink Floyd and solo so it's unfortunate that this album have so few of these magical moments.

Overall The Madcap Laughs features many different sides of this struggling young artist but leaves strong emotions out of the performances and therefore I doubt that anyone outside the already well established Pink Floyd fan-base will find this material all that impressive.

***** star songs: Terrapin (5:04) Octopus (3:47) Late Night (3:10)

**** star songs: No Good Trying (3:26) Dark Globe (2:02) Golden Hair (1:59) Long Gone (2:50) If It's In You (2:26)

*** star songs: Love You (2:30) No Man's Land (3:03) Here I Go (3:11) She Took A Long Cold Look (1:55) Feel (2:17)

After being considered too unreliable to remain a part of the Floyd, Barrett retreated from the spotlights and gradually alienated from the world around him. Considered as a genius by some or as an annoying lunatic by others, also his debut album can be looked upon from two different angles.

You can seek and find all confirmation you want in order to prove that Barrett was a hopeless heap of misery, writing unfocussed psychedelic ramblings and putting in a lousy performance while recording them. Sometimes that's also what I hear when listening to this album. There are plenty of moments where Barrett is completely out of tune, where his playing is sloppy, and the song-writing average at best.

But there's an alternative approach. When you look through the apparent lack of focus, you'll find the unpolished imagination and raw emotion of this breakable man and his bare guitar sound. Freed from the psychedelic flower-pop that somehow spoilt the Piper album for me, we hear a pure and delicate testimony of the man's genius.

The opener in particular is amazing, so seemingly obvious yet so subtle and inimitable Barrett. It's consists of apparently thoughtless guitar strumming and hazy unfocussed vocals but the effect is so gripping and unique. On No Good Trying and No Man's Land, Barrett is accompanied by a number of Canterbury friends that give the songs a fitting arrangement. But also the sparse Octopus is great. Around minute 2, there's a good example of Barrett's unique approach to guitar strumming, with that rhythmical pulse known from Instellar Overdrive that was so influential on space-rock and kraut. Other personal favs are Golden Hair, Long Gone and Late Night.

The album might have been better if the guest musicians had been given more room to pursue the instrumental themes here a bit further. But much of the charm of this album comes from its unfinished imperfection and the raw, unpolished feel. As if it was work in progress. Unfortunately things turned out to be at a dead-end for Barrett. 3.5 stars

The most important thing to realize going into listening to this album the first couple of times is that Syd Barrett really *was* a talented songwriter, and that even without his total mental breakdown he still would have amassed a pretty decently sized following. There are quite a few melodies and chord sequences here that would have worked just fine in a normal setting, with a lyrical combination of playfulness and self-confession that would make quite an impact on their own. The opening "Terrapin" is a great example of this, as it's a rather gentle acoustic ballad that combines playful (and only somewhat nonsensical) lyrics about being a swimming fish and simple (but still kinda clever to my ears) boy-girl lyrics like, "Well oh baby my hair's on end about you." Simple and poppy, yes, but high quality simple-and-poppy, if you ask me.

But of course, it's not the normal aspects of the album alone that ultimately draw people here, but rather the way in which they provide a context for the train wreck of Syd's mind. "Terrapin," by having such 'regular' appeal, is an extremely deceptive opener, as the evidence for this album's weirdness reputation begins in full force with track two. Witness the dark aggressive (and outright disturbing) cacophony of "No Good Trying", whose most revealing moment is the line about the person Syd is singing to spinning around in a car while lights are flashing all around. Witness the hilariously catchy up-tempo, nonsensical "Love You," where Syd and Co. conjure up a vaguely Kinksy piano number and let it linger in the astral plane just long enough to totally screw it up (meant in a good way). Witness ESPECIALLY when Syd's performance (singing, lyrics, guitar, everything) goes totally off the deep end in "Octopus," all culminating in the ecstatic chanting of, "Please leave us here! Close our eyes to the octopus riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide!!!" And so on.

The easiest way, for me at least, to categorize the rest of the album is to divide it into "lucid" and "less lucid." The less lucid parts sometimes happen within the songs themselves (like the weird mumbling freak-out in the second half of "No Man's Land"), but the most frightening one comes when Roger Waters and David Gilmour (the producers) share an outtake from right before Syd's 'proper' rendition of "If It's In You," where Syd starts into the number and ends up hideously off-key in singing, "Yes I'm thiiiiiiiiiiiNNNNNNNNNNKing" and follows by mumbling only semi-coherently. Poor, poor, Syd.

What makes his collapse even more frightening and sad in my mind, though, is the ways the lucid moments show he was fully aware of it. "Dark Globe" is playful and has somewhat off-key vocals, yes, but those are serious chills down my back when he sings, "Won't you miss me? Wouldn't you miss me at aaaallllllll??" Those chills stay when I hear Syd longing for a girl in "Here I Go," in the mournful "Long Gone," and even when he's slowly singing James Joyce poetry to an elementary melody.

Beyond these, there are some songs that aren't really that super, and that kinda negate my original hopes that, even in the wake of such heavy drug abuse, his songwriting abilities would remain completely unscathed. But really, I don't think that's the point. This is an album that can be extremely enjoyable at points, yes, but it's also very sad, and more than that really has no parallel in music of which I'm aware. It's messy, it's playful, it's sad ... it's Syd. And Syd was great, despite himself. This is why I like this album terribly much, despite that I almost never bring it out. If you don't like it, I can understand, but you must also understand that those of us who do like it get a feel from it that's largely indescribable, and thus you should not condemn us or this album.

PS: Somehow, I left out mention of the album's second best song, the closing "Late Night." It's probably the best example on the album of a semi-coherent love song, one that had a great song at its core but got tweaked more than a bit by being filtered through Syd's mind. It brings a tear to my eye each time I hear it.

I admit to having mixed emotions about the semi-legendary debut solo album from PINK FLOYD's original Piper and Crazy Diamond: it's a fascinating document of an artist's damaged psyche, but in a sometimes horribly voyeuristic sort of way.

The disarming innocence and literate whimsy that made those early Floyd pop songs like "Matilda Mother" and "Lucifer Sam" so memorable is still very much in evidence, from the jaunty "Here I Go" to the haunting "Golden Hair", the latter borrowing its text from a poem by James Joyce. And the naked simplicity of the songwriting and arrangements, often featuring Barrett alone on acoustic guitar, stands in welcome contrast to the increasingly baroque avant-garde experiments his ex-bandmates were designing at the same time, in albums like "Saucerful of Secrets" and "Ummagumma".

But too much of "The Madcap Laughs", from the album's title and cover photo to the inside sleeve art and layout, arguably exploits Barrett's chemical dependence. In a more cynical sense the album might almost be marketing his mental illness.

To cite one obvious example: compare the song "Dark Globe" as it appears here with the more accomplished earlier take released years later on the "Opel" compilation. The discarded original was a gentle, bittersweet ode to unrequited love ("Oh where are you now, pussywillow that smiled on this leaf?"). But in the version ultimately chosen for the album poor Syd had to frantically reach for notes several octaves above his natural vocal range. And including the ragged false starts to the song "If It's In You" does nothing to illuminate the creative process, beyond encouraging an unhealthy measure of embarrassment and pity.

At its best the album reveals something of the same inadvertent Outsider Music quirkiness and purity of expression heard in The Shaggs' "Philosophy of the World" LP (referenced in my PA avatar, and by coincidence recorded at around the same time as "The Madcap Laughs"). But the enduring myth of Syd Barrett as a visionary poet destroyed by the callous demands of the music industry is just that: a myth and nothing more, built from years of sentiment, sympathy, and rose-tinted revisionist history.

His actual recorded legacy is a little more ambivalent. In the cold light of hindsight this first album has to be considered only a fossil of Barrett's once vital talent, but like any surviving fossil it remains either an invaluable artifact or a unique, blue-moon curio, take your pick.

Fishing dreams into an endless river.

The endless river is at the end of High Hopes. The last Pink Floyd's song closes the circle but Syd was already in the river catching dreams and putting them into songs until his mind decided to follow the stream so he became a dream, too.

The slow tempo of Terrapin and the dreaming lyrics send the listener to this magic and disconnected world. It's clear that the original recording was done just by Syd on acoustic guitar and the rest was added during the production. Gilmour's background is not invasive and the song works fine. I have to say that this simple version is still better than the cover done by Gilmour in his last tours.

"No Good Trying" has a Beatlesque theme, but the short chaotic interlude in the middle sounds like the old good psychedelic times. Mike Rattledge seems Wright and the sound reminds clearly to The Piper.

"Love You" has still tracks of the original genius. The alliterations and the rhymes in the lyrics are typical of the best Barrett.

"No Man's Land" start beat-bluesy, but then turns into the soundscapes of Interstellar Overdrive on which Syd says something that I can't catch.And all in 3 minutes only!

"Dark Globe" is not chaotic. The chaos seems to be in Syd's mind here. Voice and acoustic guitar for a 2 minutes song on which I think I hear a passage that makes me think to what Waters did after.

"Here I Go" is probably a reminder of Syd's old passion for American Blues coming from the 50s, even though it's very British at the same time.

Now, there's a reason for my nickname. I don't remember if this song or Gentle Giant were more influential on it. However this is one of my favourite songs in this album. Surely the one easiest to remember. "Octopus" I mean.

"Golden Hair" is probably the most Floydian song. It could have been included on The Piper or on Saucerful of Secrets.

"Long Gone" has a good arrangement, probably thanks to Gilmour. It contains a choir, It's likely Syd overdubbed, but now who knows?

"She Took a Long Cold Look" is still containing pieces of genius, but it's the song I like less here. It's another vocals-guitar solo by Syd.

On "Feel" it's still possible to find a structure, but it's like the producers were looking for materials to fill the album. It was a good decision leaving "If It's in You" as it was, with the Syd's vocal error and the song's restart after Syd's apologies, but the genius is almost gone now.

"Late Night" was probably chosen as closure in advance as the quality of the song and the arrangements are back in line with the best tracks. Gilmour here sounds like he did later on Zabriskie Point.

There is full of regret for what hasn't been, and it's the same feeling that Gilmour instilled into High Hopes. He still plays Terrapin and Arnold Layne.

This album is a great document about Syd and early Pink Floyd, too. For this reason, even if not a masterpiece it's a must for every progger so I rate it 4 stars.

Produced from torturous sessions - with much help from fellow Floydians Roger Waters and David Gilmour, as well as the Soft Machine guesting on a couple of tracks - Syd Barrett's first solo album conceals within its fairytale lyrics a harrowing insight into mental illness. In the themes of isolation, alienation, and separation pervading songs like Dark Globe or Late Night, Barrett acknowledges - if obliquely - the stresses and torments that had overtaken his musical career, and in doing so offers an insight into that strange and troubled place his mental state had brought him to.

Whether Barrett was schizophrenic, deeply depressed, or simply stressed out and confused from a drug-filled and frenetic lifestyle will be a matter of speculation for as long as his career is remembered; what cannot be denied, though, is the genuine feeling communicated in these simple, stripped-down, beautiful songs. It is tremendously difficult to understand, for those who have not experienced issues similar to Syd's, exactly how mental illness feels from the inside, and it's often extremely difficult for sufferers to express it. There are those who would consider this album exploitative of Syd's condition, but I think on balance it would have done Syd a far worse disservice to silence him by discouraging the production of the album. If it sometimes makes for uncomfortable listening, it's because it opens our eyes to ideas and issues which we all too often prefer not to acknowledge. I think it's Syd's finest musical statement.

I remember getting this album ages ago when I was young and in my "discovering Pink Floyd" phase. Man, I had a crush on 'Iggy The Eskimo', the girl seen in the background on the back cover. It certainly wouldn't be the only time Pink Floyd members would prove their fondness for female derrieres, but I find the photo session that came out for The Madcap Laughs the most memorable and coolest with some serious sweet cheeks displayed while Syd remained in the foreground looking oblivious and a bit lost in general. Even a fine rump couldn't save this man.

The music itself has aged surprisingly well, and today plays like some proto-alt-folk rock with psychedelic touches that indie rock fans and side-burned hipsters could even appreciate. It certainly feels a bit more contemporary than his former band's stuff from that time (Atom Heart Mother & such), and I personally just dig it more than what Floyd were doing during the same period. The songs have lots of acoustic guitar playing, and have lyrics that focus much if not more on love and personal feelings than, say, brooding interpretations of insanity. It's often whimsical and unpretentious as well. Of course, there's also some wacked out lyrics tossed about, such as the howling "Octopus" or how the sweet opener "Terrapin" starts off cute but gets odder in the verse department as the song moves along.

The playing is skillful enough for the material, with some interesting bits aided by The Soft Machine dudes such as on "No Good Trying", which plays like an acid drenched rock tune on the verge of chaos. "Dark Globe" should be mentioned for Syd's strained and almost manic delivery, particularly near the song's end. Yeah, Roger Waters had to have taken that cue for his "The Wall" persona. "Late Night" is a gorgeous closing track, atmospheric and sorrowful with some nice slide guitar.

There are a few songs that don't match up to the best tracks here, but as a whole it's a fascinating document of a musician and former star losing his marbles. It could be considered as exploitive concerning the album title, imagery and a few of the takes used for the album (the disastrous but hilarious "If It's In You"), but I'm sure Syd was still quite in on the whole thing and wasn't ready to give up recording music yet. It wouldn't be too much longer though for him to withdraw completely, leaving behind strange ditties like the ones on The Madcap Laughs that are playful, weird, fun, and yet more than a little sad.

I have to agree with fellow reviewer Chris H. when he says that this is one of rock music's most simple triumphs, it truly is a great record by a very fragile individual and that fragility is laced throughout the psychedelic folk of The Madcap Laughs.

Barrett at this point was an absolute wreck to work with and David Gilmour and Roger Waters had what is said to be a real heck of a time trying to get Syd to create something they could work with. In a way, that's the true genius behind it, only Syd really knew what he was trying to do. The seemingly simple folk songs Barrett creates here that at times have a psych edge never fail to captivate me and also have an emotional effect on me. The Madcap Laughs is as the title suggests, a madman in a fit of laughter, but what is madness? Genius in disguise?

Simply put, many prog fans will have a hard time with this because it's a pretty raw recording but there are some of the best songs ever written on this album. Barrett was the human symbol of an artist and true fans of music can see the imprint the man left on his band members and other artists to come.

Aloof and enjoyable, serious and yet not so serious, The Madcap Laughs is a great album.

Painter and Interior Decorator

So beautiful and strange and new! Since it was to end all too soon, I almost wish I had never heard it. Nothing seems worthwhile but just to hear that sound once more and go on listening to forever. No! There it is again!' he cried, alert once more. Entranced, he was silent for a long space, spellbound.

from The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham

There is a still warm drool flecked altar in the Church of Sydology that pilgrims swarm to some 45 years after their Savior uttered his last unwitting sermon to an adoring flock. This one man Lysergic Skiffle sect bequeathed to the world just two solo albums, neither of which could be described as fully formed, coherent or in places, even competent but despite that, somewhere through that thick lo-fidelity fog and cringe-worthy indolent amateurism, there is an abiding light that doesn't look like being extinguished any time soon. The continuing fetishisation of mental illness that Barrett has come to represent does little service to either his abilities or resilient influence as a songwriter. His 'deadpan jestery' practically defines the English psychedelic imprint of the late 60's on both popular music and the popular consciousness which is the reason I've reproduced a quote from one of Syd's favourite books (Wind in the Willows) as it could be describing, entirely presciently, the profound spell that Barrett's exquisite delivery could cast on so many receptive listeners. It's also probably the main reason why I seem to have spent the last 30 years listening to singers, when faced with a remit of emoting 'derangement of the senses' without exception or even knowingly, resort to imitating him.

The Mad Cap Laughs is not a communal activity either in execution or appraisal. It probably belongs to a tradition of tousle haired bedsit troubadours like Leonerd Cohen, Tim Hardin, Nick Drake et al whose devotees tend to believe he is addressing them alone. Unable or unwilling to play along to a backing track or synchronise with the assembled studio musicians, Syd's songs inevitably suffer from an accompaniment that is either trepidatious or half a beat behind a composer who could never play any number the same way twice. Either way, a Syd album at full blast is an infallible way to empty your house of unwelcome guests (including termites).

'There's nowt queer as folk' as northerners say but it's even odder that his music is so often routinely shoe-horned into the ill fitting sandals of 'Psyche Folk, Acid Folk and Folk Rock' Let's not however bicker about the vase when Cambridge's most celebrated gardener has given us this many beautiful blooms to oggle. I mean, there is hardly a sliver of traditional folk vocabulary in Barrett's entire songbook. His melodies and chord progressions certainly have anticipated cadences and obey the basic conventions of harmonic resolution but you wont find Jug Band Blues Bm to F#m and ending on F# major sequence in any busker's three chord trick. There are numerous examples of such departures from the norm in the Barrett/Floyd oeuvre: Candy and a Currant Bun's verse is unequivocally A major but Syd's melody is A minor pentatonic where the ambivalence of the clashing C# is exploited to memorable effect. That momentary frisson of the Bb major during Terrapin which is otherwise, anchored squarely in E major. Ditto It's No Good Trying where A# major gatecrashes a G major party and ends up snogging the host. Octopus doesn't appear to have a tonal centre at all but instead a shifting and fluid arbitrary sequence of possible suburbs leading away from the metropolis. (Ab major?) Arnold Layne's melody switches stealthily between G natural and G# on a tune that seems to be grounded in the key of Bb. The latter song probably holds the key to unlock the Escher architecture of Barrett's constructions and might very well serve as a template for the psychedelic pop song. Gravity is the enemy of flight and similarly, the gravitational pull of the tonic is the enemy of the acid head space cadet. Listen to how Barrett delays the inevitable denouement of the Bb major 'bully' and earns himself a reprieve by tripping up the tyrant with one of the most astonishing and brilliant creations in popular music ever thus:

Bb Fm6 G F# F7

Arnold Layne, had a strange hobby collecting clothes etc

The effect is a thrilling albeit neurotic and unnerving weightlessness which clearly alludes to the heady euphoria of its author. So many of Syd's songs step outside the comforting capsule of our diatonic tonality but are somehow never less than 'kinda catchy' Maybe if Schoenberg has grown his hair, bought some bongos and learned to muzzle his yin these are the sort of treasures 12 tone serialism could have unearthed. Syd's imitators merely confirm that writing a 'Syd Barrett song' is a damn sight harder than they sound. The efforts of Robyn Hitchcock, David Bowie, Marc Bolan and Robert Smith are uniformly unconvincing. The jury's out however on Messrs Kevin Ayers and Ray Davies as both might be the only contemporaries I can think of who even remotely inhabit the Syd realm. I will concede that Barrett's phrasing, rhyming and overwhelming preference for descending chromatic movement shares common ground with English nursery rhymes (although he manipulates these features to create entirely new song forms much like Bartok's use of gypsy peasant scales and modes from Eastern Europe)

And here he is!

Excuse me! I ask the spherical figure who's just ambled past me, head down, chuntering.

I'm writing a piece about Syd Barrett

Who?

Syd Barrett. He used to be in Pink Floyd

Never heard of 'im. Is he one of them rappers?

No - he was a psychedelic genius. Are you Syd Barrett?

Leave me alone. I've got to get some coleslaw

I take this as a no. (Tom Cox - the Observer)

As amusing as the casual reader might find such media coverage, there is a stubborn misunderstanding at the heart of the Syd cult: As if mind altering substances could mine talent that never existed in the first place. Hostels, hospital beds, graveyard waiting lists and certain parts of Serbia are full of such feckless disciples who believe that madness is somehow glamorous, that external chemicals beget a muse that can be coaxed into taking possession of their soul for benign purposes. You cannot score talent and these beautiful songs still resonate beneath the shoddy execution and were created in spite of their author's disintegrating mental condition not because of it. Can we now please kick firmly into touch that redundant notion perpetrated by the likes of the late Bill Hicks who would have us throw out our entire album collection if we hold that drugs don't facilitate the creative process but merely provide a surrogate for a mundane reality the user cannot handle. Enough already grateful dead hippy, and lose the smug grin, Osmonds and Bread fans.

Schizophrenia? There is no evidence that Barrett was ever diagnosed or treated for mental illness. His sister Rosemary attests that he did agree to some sessions with a psychiatrist at Fulbourn Psychiatric Hospital in Cambridge but neither medication or therapy were considered appropriate. Tales of the late RD Laing insisting Syd was incurable on hearing a tape of him speaking appear to be at best, like so much Sydology, apocryphal kidology. Art is therapy in so far as it might have a limited ability to distract us from an inexorable disintegration.

Like so many other celebrated talents that emerged from the late 60's Syd was a visual artist first and a musician second e.g. Ray Davies, Keith Richards, Bryan Ferry, Dick Taylor, Phil May, Captain Beefheart and Pete Townshend all attended art schools and would probably admit that they were enthusiastic dabblers rather than die hard careerists in Pop music. Syd seemed particularly ill suited to the demands of celebrity and the scrutiny afforded to pop star fame. It's an enduring irony that those best equipped to withstand such invasive pressure are the sorts of ruthless and ambitious critters who turn out to be the least talented members of any creative association. Step forward one Roger Waters who had the unedifying task of having to learn to write songs in lieu of Syd's sacking/abandonment. It took him until Dark Side of the Moon to master this and it's no happy accident for this reviewer that the albums Floyd released in the interim were possibly the most experimental/avant-garde and least satisfying of all. After leaving Floyd, Syd left the myopic public eye forever. Always the transmitter, never the receiver (apart from the generous Piper royalties). His life thereafter appears to have been a bucolic idyl spend pottering around his art studio and garden, writing an unpublished History of Art and cycling to the shops on his bike. (but no, we couldn't ride it if we liked)

If we'd parted with him earlier, we'd have sunk without trace. But I don't think we could have saved him. Almost certainly the drugs drove him into a state but we don't really know. And there was no cry of help from Syd

Nick Mason washes Floyd's hands squeaky clean of any culpability. No 'I' in team but two in schizophrenia and not a single 'U' in blame. Is crushing mandrax tablets into your entirely brylcreamed head prior to going onstage to play just one note for the entire set while staring blankly straight ahead waving not drowning?

Roger (Syd) was unique; they didn't have the vocabulary to describe him and so they pigeonholed him. If only they had seen him with children. His nieces and nephews, the kids in the street, he would have them in stitches. He could talk at length and he played with words in a way that children instinctively appreciated, even if it sometimes threw adults (Rosemary - Syd's sister)

Those of you familiar with the idea of threshold consciousness i.e. hypnagogic/hypnopompic states (that exist on the cusp of waking and sleeping) will recognise a kindred spirit in Ivor Cutler who, like Syd Barrett, doesn't so much return you to your childhood as reprise those moments where the learned filter of rationality hasn't yet kicked in and you are free to enjoy uninhibited, unfettered and uncontaminated ideas straight from their otherwise untapped unconscious source.

As far as lyrics go, I haven't the faintest idea what Syd is banging on about most of the time but I can happily report he never lapses into 'surrealism by numbers' a la Beefheart or Lennon. The adhesive 'whimsical' tag gets a little flappy when you consider that the formative inspiration is Hilaire Belloc, Edward Lear, CS Lewis, AA Milne and erm..Tolkien? (I'm at a loss as yeah, that's wee beige trad pixieland maaan) It's illustrative that Syd chose James Joyce's poem V from Chamber Music a.k.a. Golden Hair to set to music. I've tried to read Finnigan's Wake on several occasions but given up in exasperation every time. The imagery where things are unglued from their names and causality is abandoned altogether clearly appealed to Barrett. The only other instance of him using another's words was Chapter 24 (from Piper) an extract from the I-Ching

Along with Ray Davies, (and erm....Anthony Newley) Syd Barrett was one of the first internationally successful singer/songwriters to sing in an English accent. Why is this important? Well maybe the pivotal point of Psychedelia was reached in the late 60's when UK musicians decided: let's stop pretending to be Americans (this is also manifest in UK jazz a la Neil Ardley, Mike Taylor, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Ian Carr, Joe Harriott, Stan Tracey etc)

When people called him a recluse they were really only projecting their own disappointment. He knew what they wanted, but he wasn't willing to give it to them (Rosemary - Syd's sister)

Of avowedly middle class origins and upbringing, Syd's demise was not that of a bluesman's romanticised death. Never on the run from the sheriff riding a boxcar about to jump the county line with buckshot in his bottom, Syd ended up a wealthy man, doing what he wanted, when he wanted. He chose his fate. I imagine him happy. His portrayal as a sad, pitiful and tragic figure is therefore somewhat wide of the mark. Descriptions of his solo work being tantamount to an audio nervous breakdown are crassly glib and bear no relation to the recorded music. He was the only Rock 'quitter' who actually had the stamina and resilience to stay true to his word. I love Syd for that alone - he wouldn't play the star game and had the brazen effrontery to tear up his membership card for the 27 Club in front of the door staff (who wanted to throw him in) We never had to endure the pitiful spectacle of an orotund balding septuagenarian squeezed into leather pants singing See Emily Play to coach parties from Rhyl. There was no floating turd in the swimming pool. Syd was the real uh deal.

No mere warning.

For those that can't, or refuse, to recognize that artist's such as Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot, and even the acoustic duo of Simon and Garfunkel, are folk rock artists, with massive hit folk rock songs like Cowgirl In The Sand, Sundown and The Sound Of Silence, which owe nothing to traditional folk music such as historical instrumentation, traditional instruments, atypical chord voicings, playing motifs like alternate tunings and finger picking, along with the typical subject matter, whether topical or traditional.

Basically, all of the folk music attributes that were jettisoned when The Byrds (An American group) created the folk rock genre (an American genre) after bastardizing Dylan's folksong Mr. Tambourine Man and placing it into the rock format of the times. Or to those that further think that folk rock grew organically out of folk music without the afore noted American genre establishing events having come first, it's important that those who do recognize the folk rock that permeates The Mad Cap Laughs receive a review with the album placed back into it's correct context, along with it's creator.

Long gone are the psychedelic blitzes of Astronomy Domine, Interstellar Overdrive, and outre avant-garde dada of Pow R, Toc H from Floyd's debut album, Piper At The Gates Of Dawn. What remain are Barrett's whimsical story songs and ballads that are more akin to the Gnome and The Scarecrow that featured predominantly on Floyd's break through album.

With only a few psychedelic rock songs on offer like Octopus and Terrapin, Syd plummets into musical ground that's neither hard rock or acid rock. The minor psychedelic flourishes, on songs such as Long Gone barely raise these strickly low key verse/chorus songs into pure archetypical British psychedelic rock with it's many, at the time, distinguishing characteristics, and confined the songs to a boring folk rock style that is further devoid of the lyrical impact necessary to carry such music and raise it above it's mundane song structures.

This may have been Barrett's last true hurrah as a recording artist and, as a select few opine, even a musical and lyrical genius. I, for one, see only a fraction of the man's former talent, which was on the wane due to reasons that are fully known to all of us. I have no problem finding the folk rock in TMCL. I'd just like to know where the progressive rock is, of which this artist is said to be related. 2 stars. Proceed to the other reviews with caution. You have been not been merely warned, but informed.

Exactly dispersed, dissected, distorted authentic acid folk. 'The Madcap Laughs' is kinda vertigo accelerator for me, that cannot be removed by antihistaminic agents. Am I wrong?

A transcendent musical madness 'The Madcap Laughs' has been created by Syd BARRETT, the frontman of Pink Floyd and at the same time the emotional support for their debut album / the progressive rock masterpiece 'The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn', and been released as his debut solo album in 1970. 'The Madcap Laughs' features Syd's acoustic guitar and lazy voices with a couple of simple rock instruments in collaboration with some session musicians like Roger Waters, David Gilmour or a producer Peter Jenner. Obviously such a simple formation should highlight Syd's composition or soundscape, each of that synchronizes with the other.

13 songs all are short and primitive, filled with downtempo, drone essence launched up via Barrett psychic world, where is no polyrhythmic footprint nor complicated melody line. But crazy, his terrific acoustic discharge based upon his own acid folk vision should drive the audience mad definitely. 'Here I Go' sounds like sorta mediocre folk song but in this track are lots of hallucinogenic or adrenalized melodic, rhythmic elements. 'Golden Hair', one of my faves, is full of Krautrock-ish acidity and antiviral activity. Even one of the most acceptable stuffs in this album 'Octopus' has melodically cynical atmosphere and weird symphonies of sickness. We the audience should digest this madcap enough to make ourselves schizophrenic. Yes enough is enough.

This incredible creation notifies us of the reason Roger could not exceed Syd in a musical and emotional career. Yes because he lived in another world, another dimension of musical and real life. Anyway who is 'Madcap' he mentioned in this album. I do not consider it might be Syd but be all people around him, who would have thought himself decent I guess.

2.5: The first solo album from Syd barrett. After leaving or left behind for his addiction problem, Syd dedicated to make two albums, and create a lot of unreleased material. After really making a lot of investigation of the life of Barret, I got very interested to know more about his material. As a fan of Pink Floyd, I liked the first album, but really didnt think that it was the Pink Floyd I really love, however a different taste that I also like. So I re heard the Piper album and analyze the lyrics of every song, and really enjoyed more. As the other members of the band said, They will never started, if he wasnt there. So, although I like the style of Syd Barret with PF, I am not the PF fan that thinks that after Syd, there was not PF anymore. So, I began to hr in hearing more material of Syd Barret, first, with Pink Floyd and his unreleased songs, I liked them too, and then decided to get into his albums. The best of having a band with talent members is that the songs are filtered and improved for the contributions of the others, I say this because it applies to any of the solo works of any PF member. Musically you are going to find a folk album with really simple songs, not prog at all, sometimes funny and catchy lyrics, while a few having oustanding meanings, but some of them being really forgettable, in fact, some look unfinished or out of tune. Most of the song are about love, other about his acid trips and maybe about Pink floyd leaving him behind. I think most of the people try to find incredible meanings to his lyrics, I agree that sometimes he shines like diamond with his powerful lyrics, but I also think that his better work was made with Pink Floyd. So, I considered an average album, and recommended to any who love his style in composition, but if you dont listen to it, you are not going to miss too much.

I have always loved the quirky songs Syd Barrett made with Pink Floyd in the early years especially Arnold Lane, See Emily Play and Bike. However the truth is, what made these songs so much fun to listen to were the supremely clever musical backings they were couched in and for that Rick Wright should be given a lot of the credit.Anyone looking forward to more of the same on Syd Barrett's solo offerings especially the Madcap Laughs is in for a particularly rude shock. I am going to come right out with it and say it- this album is simply terrible.The songs are accompanied primarily by himself strumming crudely for the most part on a guitar and his singing is dreadful.I am not going to describe each song individually but one song in particular is so bad I honestly cannot believe it was allowed on the record at all such that it is.The song I am referring to is of course "If It's In You".It would be funny if it was not so sad. Clearly this is the work of a seriously unraveling mind but whatever- it is utterly cringe-worthy.I am not easily seduced by the concept of the "damaged genius" or whatever sacred cow like tag people inevitably assign Syd Barrett but for me the phrase "The Emperor's new clothes"springs to mind.

Unfortunately there is not much of interest going on here, besides an harrowingly raw display of Barrett's talent.

Half of the album is comprised of acoustic tracks with only Syd's voice and guitar. On the other half of the tracks, Syd is helped by a handful of musicians including Soft Machine's Robert Wyatt, Hugh Hopper and Mike Ratledge. The former tracks sound more like demo versions of unfinished songs, but are also the tracks where Barrett's talent shines more brightly, especially in the disturbing dark psychedelia of "Terrapin", "Dark Globe" and "Golden Hair". The "band" songs are more refined and polished, but are also less interesting, dabbling in a sort of primitive psychedelic blues that feels outdated already for 1970.

Overall, The Madcap Laughs is a hard album to listen to: it leaves the listener with glimpses of Barrett's talent and the regret of the greatness that it could have led to, but sadly didn't.

The Madcap Laughs. The first time you listen to this album you could say, what is this? A joke? Of course you have to know Pink Floyd's story, especially the first years with SYD, to understand better his situation, his musical thoughts, his style, to understand HIM. A difficult moment for the mastermind of Pink Floyd at that time, when he left the band (or he was "fired"), but he was still in the mood to write songs. Helped by his bandmates Gilmour and Waters, he barely could record this album (as they said in the documentary "Have You Got It Yet?", very recommended). He was not able to record two takes in the same way. However, knowing these facts, you have an album of acoustic solo songs and some produced tracks, that let you sail a bit more into SYD's incredible world. The lyrics are even better than in The Piper at The Gates of Dawn, deeper meaning and even sad. For Pink Floyd early years fans, this is a must.