Syd Barrett - Barrett
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Free Music Notes for Barrett
Free Music Review: I enjoy this music
Hit: 4 Stars
I really enjoy this music and I hope that you will purchase it and enjoy it as well. The real reason behind this review is to say to those that rush to heap praise on Syd and denigrate Pink Floyd and/or Roger Waters. Puhleeze wake up, your pretensions are showing.Free Music Review: too many cooks in the kitchen.....
Hit: 4 Stars
the overwrought production waters down the stew, but this still provides a tasty slurp or two. get "madcap laughs" instead....Free Music Review: "Barrett" - Has Syd's Name All Over It
Hit: 3 Stars
"Barrett" was Syd Barrett's second solo studio album, and the results of his last truly fruitful studio sessions of 1970, and features some playing from Pink Floyd bandmates David Gilmour and Richard Wright. Though there are some classic Syd songs on this album, I don't think this album is as good as "The Madcap Laughs" or even Pink Floyd's "Piper at the Gates of Dawn".
I love Syd Barrett and his work, I really do, and I was devastated when he died just recently. He was able to put on a brave face, despite everything that was wrong, and though he struggled through the sessions seemed (from what I've read) always willing to make some more music while he still could. Though he played raggedly and sang off key at time, there was always a humour and warmth to what he played, plus a real honesty, even if you don't always understand what he's singing about. Like the album art (drawn by Syd himself) suggests, there are bugs all over this album. Still, like the album art also suggests, Barrett's name is clearly stamped on the work. Only Syd could sings songs like this. They're unique.
In these sessions, from both what I hear on the album and read in biographies, Syd was really struggling to make "Barrett". He sounds sadder than he does on "The Madcap Laughs", his voice cracking on the song "It Is Obvious", as if he was fighting back tears. He'd seemed to have been fighting his drug induced mental illness on that last album, but it seems to be getting the better of him here. His lyrics are vaguer than his last album too. Though there are a couple of songs about specific things ("Effervescing Elephant" is all about animals of the jungle, and "Love Song" is a... love song) you'd be hard pressed to guess what some of the songs are about. What's a "Gigolo Aunt"? What exactly does Syd mean when he says "our minds shot together" on "It is Obvious". I have my theories, but I don't think I'll ever really know for sure.
There's also a bit more in the way of production compared to "The Madcap Laughs". The extra production and arrangements have a bit of a mixed effect here. While it adds colour, and enhances the classic tracks like "Baby Lemonade" and "Gigolo Aunt", and add mood to the sparser songs like "Love Song", "Dominoes" and "Maisie", the overdubs and instrumental noodling can get in the way at times. "Rats", for instance, is pretty ragged, but the drums and things make it sound worse than it actually is, since everyone is struggling to follow what Syd is doing. I find it a bit hard to listen to "Wolfpack" too thanks to the production, with the layered Syd vocals and everything, a shame since apparenly there were some of Syd's favorite lyrics in that song. (What exactly IS a "magnesium proverb"?) The songs "Waving My Arms in the Air" and "I Never Lied To You" are put together as a medley of sorts, and they barely hold together by themselves. Plus, there's a lot of unneccessary lengthening of songs, like the sound effects at the start and end of the whimsical "Effervescing Elephant", the guitar solo at the start of "Baby Lemonade", repeated verses in a couple of the songs, etc. It's like David Gilmour, being the producer of this album, was really squeezing the material for all it was worth, perhaps a bit too much looking back on it.
If you can, see if you can get your hands on a version of the album with the bonus tracks (the European import version, or the Australian copy-protected "Madcap Laughs"/"Barrett" double pack). You get to hear what some of the songs were like in their purely acoustic form. There's the album's take of "Baby Lemonade" with just Syd and guitar, an intimate acoustic take of "Waving my Arms in the Air" (which I prefer to the original, cause he sings a little higher), a take of "I Never Lied To You" with a rather different vocal melody. You can hear where it could have gone if Syd had been well enough, could have been phenomenal. There's a peaceful take of "Love Song", a "Dominoes" blooper (David Gilmour: "What's it called?" Syd: "Don't know, no title. Suppose it's called Dominoes") plus an alternate version of that song. There's also a jangly rendition of "It is Obvious" at the end, which is one of my favorite songs. Does anyone know whose strange voice saying "It is obvious!" at the start of this version is?
It's worth getting for Syd fans, definitely, "Baby Lemonade", "Gigolo Aunt" and "Effervescing Elephant" are some of his best songs, I think. However, I'd pick up "The Madcap Laughs" and Pink Floyd's "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" first before you head to this one.
Rest in peace, Roger "Syd" Barrett. We'll miss you. Shine on! We'll keep those words you played with company from now on.
Free Music Review: A Momentary Lapse of Incoherence
Hit: 3 Stars
If "The Madcap Laughs" was (and remains) a jarring wandering through a disassembled psyche, Syd Barrett's second stab at a solo album seems to be a momentary lapse of incoherence. Maybe it's due mostly to the support musicians - Pink Floyd's David Gilmour and Rick Wright, plus Humble Pie drummer Jerry Shirley make damn sure that whatever Barrett has left, he doesn't go off the rail to deliver it. And Barrett has a little something left; "Baby Lemonade" is about as good as it gets for what was left of Barrett groping back to what he used to be, "Waving My Arms In The Air/I Never Lied To You" is an insinuating little combine, and "Wined and Dined" a striking little ballad with Barrett writing one of the least self-immolating lyrics of his post-Floyd life. He also recovers the better side of his formerly cheery absurdism (just listen to "Maisie" and "Effervescing Elephant") for a few brief and engaging moments. But you and I both know it couldn't last for more than a short while. Barrett had done too profound a job of feeding his fragile enough mind the wrong drug for that.Free Music Review: A must for fans, but not for everyone
Hit: 3 Stars
For syd barrett, pink floyd fans, this one is a must. The fancy lyrics are still here. "Wine and Dined", "Baby Lemonade", "effervencing elephant", "Dominoes", "love song" and "Gigoro Aunt" are standouts. But, it's not as high standard as "madcap laughes" because it's filled by mediocore work like "masie", "rats", ...etc, and even David gilmour (producer) admitted that his attempt to "transcribe" Syd's idea into audible musical form is a murder ... the best of Syd is still "Piper" and "Madcap"... but compare to "Opel", this one is still better... for beginners, try the compilation "octopus" first then buy "Madcap" if you like the former