AN INTRODUCTION TO SYD BARRETT

This was a refreshing little compilation.

Only one new thing, I know, (and Rhamadan was an amazing little piece of work too) but he old stuff has never sounded better. Whatever David Gilmour did in producing this really gave the classic tracks some new life and that's always a good thing when it comes to Syd.

Among the greatest tracks on here are the newly mixed Apples & Oranges which I never like at first but this version has made it grow on me and Dark Globe which has much better sound quality than previously.

The new instrumental, Rhamadan, was a great track too. Frankly I didn't know Syd was coherrent enough to make music this good but his guitar abilities are really showcased with this and it is actually a very good track.

For those hardcore, and maybe not so hardcore, Floyd fans.

As of this writing Syd Barrett now has four times more compilations of his work than actual studio albums: not a bad ratio for a burned-out acid casualty who released only a pair of solo LPs over four decades ago.

This one is a winner, however, and not just for new fans wanting what the title promises: a one-stop primer to the brief, troubled career of PINK FLOYD's original crazy diamond. The songs here have all been re-mastered (and in many cases entirely remixed) by none other than David Gilmour...that's right, the same guitarist who took Syd's place in his own group and then went on to international superstardom is ironically now the caretaker of Syd Barrett's legacy.

Thankfully so, I might add. Geriatric chestnuts like "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play" have never sounded better, and other tunes are greatly enhanced by the sympathetic remixes. The whimsical early Floyd nursery school daydream "Matilda Mother" is the most radically different, using an alternate take with unfamiliar lyrics and an extended instrumental coda.

I still question the inclusion of the ragged false start to "If It's In You": the song by itself reveals more than enough of Barrett's disintegrating psyche without the voyeuristic look at his struggling attempts to find the right key. And the absence, once again, of the still unreleased but widely bootlegged Barrett classics "Vegetable Man" and "Scream Thy Last Scream" is a disappointment: both are essential to any understanding of Syd Barrett's fragile genius, for reasons beyond even the obvious implications of the song titles by themselves.

Instead we get relative rarities like "Apples and Oranges" and the stinging Folk Rock parody of "Bob Dylan Blues", neither one completely unknown, but welcome additions to this set. And buyers of the CD (or borrowers, like me) will be allowed to download the bonus track "Rhamadan": a rambling twenty-minute (!) jam from one of Syd's more desperate studio sessions.

As a cultural artifact it's a fascinating (but failed) attempt at instant composition. But as a piece of music it doesn't add up to anything more than a rather pathetic group improvisation by players obviously unskilled in the art of extemporaneous music making (notice how little Barrett himself actually contributes to the track). I suppose it deserves to be heard for historical (if not quite for aesthetic) perspective. And for armchair Barrett archeologists in particular the experience will be like striking a rich vein of glowing pyrite.

If nothing else the extra track is a generous afterthought to an already well-rounded compilation, maybe the best of the many Syd Barrett collections on the market. Until the next one, at least...

Great Barrett days!

Most people know that Syd Barrett was the first lunatic inside Pink Floyd; that his work with the band produced the most psychedelic tunes; but only a few people know his solo work, and that's a fact. Given that fact, I think it was a good decision to release a compilation album from his work, because it is a nice way of reliving him, of giving him a deserved credit, of spreading his tunes with new listeners. It is a nice tribute to someone who changed rock history.

And though I am not fond of compilation albums, I received this one with open arms; and though I don't regularly listen to it, I think it deserves exposure and a word from us, the fans. It was a pretty cool decision to begin this 18-song album with some early Floyd tracks, of course, Pink Floyd songs composed by Barrett whose sound has his truly personal touch, so you will smile and sing with songs such as "Arnold Layne", "See Emily Play" and "Bike", which are representative from those early years.

From track 7 to 17 the album has songs from his solo career. The first batch has music taken from "The Madcap Laughs", with tunes such as "Terrapin", "Dark Globe", "Octopus" and "If it's in You", songs that show his melancholic, depressive and crazy elements, songs that one can sing and enjoy, because his voice and guitar were good enough to enjoy. The second batch contains songs from "Syd Barrett", there you will listen to "Baby Lemonade", "Dominoes" and "Effervescing Elephant", among others. It is worth mentioning that some of the songs featured here were remixed in 2010.

Last but not least, track 18 is "Bob Dylan Blues", a kind of tribute that Syd composed for Bob, and that was lost somewhere and found several years after its composition by David Gilmour. I think this was a good choice for finishing this great compilation. So if you would like to explore a bit more about Barrett, this is a great way to start.

Enjoy it!