Syd Barrett - Madcap Laughs
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Free Music Notes for Madcap Laughs
Free Music Review: Quirky, Original...and BRILLIANT!
Hit: 5 Stars
As far as rock n' roll singers go, they don't come much more original than Syd. In fact, in my view, I don't believe he was disturbed, mad, or even bonkers. Everyone else simply didn't understand his genius. And his genius shines through on this album. All I have to say is, he didn't need the Floyd to help make a name for himself.
The album opens with "Terrapin." A sweet, slow paced love ballad, which makes my heart flutter everytime I listen to it. Using beautiful underwater imagery to describe his love for whatever girl he may be singing about. There's just something about Syd and his music that seems so personal. Like he's right there in the room singing the song.
"Love You" follows after "No Good Trying", both songs featuring Soft Machine. This song is like sunshine on a cloudy day. It perks you right up. If this song were a person it would say "I love you, you're a great person. You should feel good about yourself!"
Next, personally, my favorite Barrett song if I had to choose, "No Man's Land." More raw and electric than the other pieces on this album. There's not really any other words to describe it, except...BLOODY BRILLIANT!
But, the upbeat tone of the album is interrupted by "Dark Globe." Probably the most intense and heartbreaking of Syd's songs. It is assumed by most that this song was written to and about the Floyd. Syd cries out in a histrionic voice "Won't you miss me? Wouldn't you miss me at all?!" (Roger Waters' inspiration for his histrionic shouting in his later works?) But, to answer, yes, Syd, yes we would miss you.
Next is "Here I Go." This song holds a special place in my heart, for it was this song that turned me on to Syd and his music. An upbeat love story about Syd's girl leaving him, but then he luckily finds love and happiness in her sister. Scientists have proven that it is physically impossible to listen to this song without smiling.
Next is "Golden Hair." The lyrics were taken from a James Joyce poem, Syd created a mysterious, somewhat eerie, (but lovely, nonetheless) guitar riff to accompany it.
The song "Long Gone" almost shreiks "Bob Dylan" all over it. The acoustic guitar picking, Syd's somewhat montonous and melancholic vocals. However, some of the lyrics are genuinely beautiful. ("And I stood very still by the window sill/As I wandered for those I love still/I cried in my mind while I stand behind/The beauty of those in her eyes.") And, I don't know if anyone else noticed, but I noticed, particularly in this song, how great Syd is at harmonizing his own vocals. At the chorus there's like three of his vocals, all in different keys dubbed over eachother. Magnificent work.
Next, "She Took A Long Cold Look." The lyrics, like most of Syd's lyrics, are rather cryptic and surreal, but beautiful nonetheless. I often think it's sad that such a talented writer like Syd lived out the rest of his life in seclusion and mostly gave up writing his poetry and music. The best lyrics of the song are the last lines "And looking high up into the sky/I breathe as the water streams over me." Although, I have to admit, my favorite bit of this song is the very end when we hear Syd flipping the pages of music and then in a somewhat exasperated voice saying "That's short...".
And lastly, "Late Night" a sad love song about being so in love with someone but never being able to be with them. The lyrics boast a certain distinct and unique beauty. ("When I lay still at night/Seeing stars high and bright/Then I wanted to be with you/When the rooftops shone dark/All alone saw a spark/Spark of love just to stay with you/Inside me I feel/Alone and unreal/And the way you kiss will always be a very special thing to me...") No further explanation needed.
Syd may have been a difficult person to work with, but I think the Floyd made a huge mistake of discharging him from the group. He was the only band member, if not, the only artist in the whole world, who ever had any artistic integrity. He never wrote a single piece of music for the money, fame or recognition, he wrote it because it was fun and it was something he genuinely enjoyed doing. And, though many people claim that they are not in it for the money, as their records climb up to number one in the charts, I think Syd was one of the very few people who actually meant it. He defines the fine line between being a musician, and being an artist. People do not notice, but they are two completely different things. Lady Gaga, The Jonas Brothers, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Green Day, Fall Out Boy, they are musicians.
Syd Barrett was an artist.
Free Music Review: Syd Barrett Laughs
Hit: 5 Stars
Syd Barrett was the original Pink Floyd frontman, a witty, whimsical fellow. With Pink Floyd, he recorded "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" in 1967, a psychedelic album full of interesting sounds and evocative lyrics about everything from planets, to gnomes to bicycles. Sadly Syd lost his mind, his friends and his band soon after due to mind altering drugs. He was left with wild, staring eyes and an unpredictable temprement. He'd go on record a couple more songs with the Floyd, two solo albums (with enough material for a third, "Opel" which was released later), then he retreated back to his parent's house in Cambridge, where he spent the rest of his days. He's been an influence on everyone from David Bowie to R.E.M to The Coral.
Syd Barrett died just recently, and I haven't been hit so hard by a musician's death since George Harrison. Syd Barrett's music is one of those rare bands (along with the Beatles and the Smiths) that I can truly say got me through some tough times. He's an inspiration, he really is. God only knows what terrible things he was hallicinating or hearing as he was playing, and yet he plays and yet he still has a sense of humour and warmth to his songs. I'm sure a lesser man wouldn't have been able to play anything at all under those conditions. He has sad moments, lonely times, but it never gets him completely down. He was always sure he could get better, than he could make another record, and even though it didn't happen after his second solo album "Barrett", I think it was a great attitude to have. It doesn't matter that a few notes or off, or the rhythms a little shaky at times, well not to me anyway. The music is as ragged as Syd was inside. It makes sense that the songs are this way, I think.
"The Madcap Laughs" (1970) is his first solo album and, in my opinion, his best work. Syd's opted for a more folky feel here. There's a lot of just him and guitar, like the tracks "Terrapin" and "She Took A Long Cold Look". That's not to say there isn't sonic variety, there's psychedelia on "It's No Good Trying", distortion and fuzz on "No Man's Land", organ and spine tingling harmonies on "Long Gone". There's just as much variety in the emotional department too. "Love You" is a silly, upbeat, ultra happy song, "Here I Go" is a whimsical, self-deprecating song ("This is a story 'bout a girl that I knew/she didn't like my songs and that made me feel blue"), while songs like "Late Night" and "Dark Globe" are lonely and tragic, you get a glimpse of what an awful time being mentally ill must have been for him.
Syd's lyrics are worth mentioning. Often they are scrambled, have bizzare descriptions ("an eskimo chain", "dodge a tooth", "borrowed a page from a leopard's cage", "trip, trip to a dream dragon", etc) but I love them, they're unique and suit his sense of humour. When Syd's a little more lucid, he's very straightforward and honest about his feelings, and it makes the songs very personal ("Inside me I feel/alone and unreal/and the way you kiss/will always be/a very special thing to me"). Speaking of lyrics, he also quotes a bit of James Joyce on "Golden Hair".
If you can, I recommend you get yourself a copy that includes the bonus tracks (either an import version, or the copy-protected re-release in the Madcap Laughs/Barrett double CD pack). There's an acoustic take of "Octopus" and "It's No Good Trying", two different acoustic versions of "Love You", an alternate take of "She Took A Long Cold Look At Me" and a rather different four-track stereo version of "Golden Hair", which Syd does harmonies on, unlike the original.
The booklet that comes in this CD is fairly good, apart from the annoying fact it doesn't have the full set of lyrics printed out. There's details of when each song was recorded and what take it was, as well as some liner notes documenting how the album was made, as well as hinting at some lost tracks (which I would really like to get my hands on).
If you only have one CD of Syd Barrett's stuff, I'd make it this one, rather than the Best Of available. There's diversity in both instrumentation and emotion, and his lyrics are less vague than they are on, say, "Barrett", a perfect taste of the man I say. If you get this CD, then the others, and start to get into Syd, I also recommend the band Gong, led by a chap called Daevid Allen, who sounds a little bit like Syd and sings about similar things (Gnomes, etc). Unlike Syd though, he'd eventually give up drugs, coming out relatively unscathed.
Rest in Peace, Roger "Syd" Barrett. I really wished I could have shaken your hand.
Free Music Review: five stars isn't enough... for a one of a kind experience...
Hit: 5 Stars
Want to hear something TOTALLY unlike any thing else you have ever come across? Want to see why Syd Barrett inspires an almost spiritual devotion in his fans? Even after not recording anything or even hardly uttering a WORD publicly for over 35 years? C'mon... admit it-haven't you always wondered about the Madcap?... here is your chance -while this album is still available... this is a MUST HAVE- if you consider yourself knowledgeable about rock music- and have a desire to expand into something that surpasses any classification- this is it, friends., I have listened to so much music in my life and times... and there is NOTHING/NO ONE out there like Syd Barrett- and particularly THIS album-The Madcap Laughs.
Each song (even the seriously frightening trainwreck that is "If it's in you")has a distinct ,different emotion, soundscape, mood, and lyric sensibility.. Here is a person exploding with creativity-and yet imploding from WHATEVER his inner demons are deciding to foist on him-and unself-conscioulsy taking us along for the ride....the lazy soft amazement of "Terrapin'("Well oh baby -my hair's on end about you"); The mocking guitar sounds of "No Good trying" (with the Classic line"I can tell/ that you can't be/ what you pretend"
"Love You"- such a jaunty sweet little love song... hard to believe he could seem so lighthearted...and having fun....
"No Man's Land"...Whoa... MENACING...and you will strain your ears out of your head after "tell Me Tell me Tell me" trying to figure out what he is really saying in the spoken part...."Heavily Spaced ", indeed....
but the quintessential Madcap song - (arguably,the most oft quoted one)Dark Globe" is so gut wrenching... one wonders how it must have felt to actually sing the line..."I tattooed my brain all the way... Won't you Miss me?"
"Here i go-" this song makes me wanna cheer for him at the end...
'Octopus"the song that gives the album its title(from a line in the song"The Madcap laughed at the man on the border")has such a funky rhythm and so many great lyrics.. you'll wonder how you can begin to memorize them, so quickly-and how much fun it is to sing along with!
Golden Hair is eerily beautiful...
and the song that blew my mind the first time i heard it "Long gone"- a Masterpiece!incredible harmonies.. and soaring soundscapes...Imagery...left me shaking my head at its perfection....
I of course -am a total Barrett fan..and it is THIS album that sealed the deal ,folks... i defy anyone to listen to "Feel" and not have a pang of empathy for the hurt in this man's voice when he sings..."you feel me- away far too empty/ OH SO ALONE"
"Late night" is a beauty .. a gem of a love song... which contains the classic Barrett line"Inside me I feel-alone and unreal-and the way you kiss will always be a very special thing to me"
and back to the song i called a Trainwreck... painful on first listen--- true.. until you realize he is singing the melody HE wants to hear or what he hears in his head... and i like that he is DETERMINED to do it -NO MATTER WHAT!!! it isn't a mistake to HIM- .. he doesn't give up or give in.. hardheaded lil soul he was!Gotta love him for sticking to his guns....
this album is a treasure ... at the time it was released Barrett was still , i believe, thinking of himself as actively being in the music business... and still being creative, and ambitious in his own way -on his own terms-and, to me- not as fragile or frail YET- as some may have thought...Someone asked me recently -"Who does Syd sound like?" Truthfully? cannot imagine ANYONE else like him... I believe most long term Barrett fans consider THIS album to be the definitive one...it is tough for me because i consider Madcap,Barrett. and Opel as one body of work by an extraordinarily intuitive, creative and fascinating artist...who paints tone poems as deftly as Van Gogh painted the night sky... and who could make you experience what he was feeling -without having to use anything but the most basic of words and ideas...deliciously simple...Follow his consciousness into the Madcap Laughs... you will be glad you did....and you will understand...
Free Music Review: Absolutely beautiful album from Syd
Hit: 5 Stars
When I first listened to Syd Barrett's "The Madcap Laughs," I was amazed by how different it sounded from his work on Pink Floyd's "Piper At the Gates of Dawn." No psychedelic freakouts, no whimsical lyrics about gingerbread men or gnomes, and no production flourishes to speak of. In fact, this album is quite stark with its minimalist production and predominately acoustic atmosphere. Syd seems very much alone here. Based on other reviews I've read, people either love this album or hate it. For those who hate it, I guess I can understand why. "Terrapin," despite being a great song, goes on for way too long without any real variation, Syd's vocals on "Dark Globe" and "If It's in You" are very warbly and even a little grating, and the guy's guitar skills aren't that great. In places he sounds like he is mentally falling apart (which he was). As for my personal opinion of this album, I LOVE it. Everything about this album to me is the epitomy of what makes a record great. Syd may not be able to play guitar like Jimmy Page, or even write coherent lyrics at times, but the atmosphere is so stark and intimate than I cannot help but love this album. Many songs here bring out emotions from me, and no matter what Syd is singing about, I really feel for him all the way through. Many people talk about Nirvana's Unplugged session being especially intimate, and it was, believe me, but "The Madcap Laughs" gives that album a real run for its money in that department. Despite his apparent madness, Syd displays a wide range in both the songwriting and the lyrical department. The verses in "Dark Globe" as well as the cheerfully kooky "Octopus" contain borderline schizophrenic lyrics. Don't bother to try and interpret these, Syd didn't always know what he was getting at, either. "No Good Trying" is a favorite song of mine. This song is one of the few on this album to contain backing tracks by the psychedelic/art-rock band the Soft Machine (who incidentally played with Pink Floyd during their fall 1967 tour with Jimi Hendrix). The lyrics on "Here I Go" are really quite special; in this song Syd tells a story (a rather amusing one I might add) about being in a bad relationship, going over to his girlfriend's house only to be informed by her sister that the girl isn't home. Syd is invited in anyway, and before you know it, he's stepping out with his girlfriend's sister. Amusing and charming. "Golden Hair" borrows its lyrics from a James Joyce poem, which is accompanied by a simple, yet haunting acoustic guitar part. I really like this song and its dark atmosphere; in fact I learned the guitar part (which wasn't too hard) so I could work on a cover version of this song. "Dark Globe" is one of my favorite Barrett songs, but I have to admit that the version found on the outtakes collection "Opel" is far superior to the one here. However, the real highlight of this album is the closing track "Late Night." This is probably one of the best songs Syd ever wrote and it's one of my favorites. Syd really holds it together here, his lyrics convey much imagery, and he sings them in a subdued, yet knowing way. The slide guitar overdubs really add to the quiet, psychedelic feel of this piece, and they also prove that Syd was still capable of the psychedelic slide work that he always used to great effect in his Pink Floyd days. All in all, this is a must have. I can't imagine my life without this album now. Syd's music really touched and inspired me, and I think that he was not only a great songwriter, but also a beautiful person. This album may sound completely different than "Piper At the Gates of Dawn" on the surface, but no matter what style of music Syd plays (be it freak-out psychedelia or stripped-down acoustic pop-folk) he is still capable of producing the same charm and magic that he always has. Take a chance with this album, and I guarantee you that you will have found a new favorite.
Free Music Review: This album may change your life, it did mine.
Hit: 5 Stars
I've put off reviewing this album for a long, long time. This album changed the way i view music forever about 8 years ago. I had read about Syd Barrett in a guitar magazine when i was about 19 and they described him as the floyds original brilliant singer/guitarist/songwriter, i thought WHAT?, there was a guy before Waters?, Gilmore?. Being a casual PF fan at the time I was intrigued to find out about this Syd guy wrote all of the bands early singles ( "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play" great songs ), the first album, then basically nothing, until i found out that he done 2 solo albums. Living in the smallish town i did, there was no real alternative style record stores and the internet was still just begining to become a house hold thing, but one of the record stores we did have was able to order in the Syd Barrett solo albums, so i took a gamble as often people do with music and ordered in the box set, featuring TMCL, Barrett, and Opel. THEN upon recieving this the first cd i listened to was The Madcap Laughs, at first, i was extremely dissapointed, yeah, listening to this guy sing out of tune, bad production, out of time, i thought this is just a mess. NEXT cd Barrett, same, Opel, worse, then left it for a couple of days, maybe it was weeks, not sure, then came back and thought it can't be as bad as i first thought, and i was right. In goes TMCL and though there was no lyric booklet i began listening to these strange but intensely captivating and original lyrical twist and turns, every song had them, pick any song. "Oh where are you now pussy willow that smiled on this leaf" Dark Globe, and then sing with perfect clarity, "inside me i feel , alone and unreal, and the way you kiss will always be a very special thing to me" on late night, there are so many different lyrical approaches, one must have repeated listens to fully appreciate. The moods too, are all here, the funny story which is "Here I Go" and sad and desperate "Long Gone". Not to forget even though Syd would go out of time and tune sometimes, he would keep perfect tune and key for songs at a time, "Love You ", Terrapin", "Octopus", but then when recorded on a bad day, he couldn't nail a thing, "If it's in you" is a funny and sad in the same song example. This is about as honest as music can get in both a good and bad way, but always honest, Syd was no fake, even if this was unintentional, yeah sure people can say his instabilty musically and personally was due to drugs or whatever because on Pink floyds debut PATGOD, the bad timing, out of tune vocals, were non existant cause his drug problem hadnt affected him noticebly and thats a valid point, and to think if he was in better shape mentally at the time, and the production and playing had more time these could of been even better, but Syds solo albums were what they were because of the faults, because the talent is obviously there, but the faults stand out just as much. Though Syd was falling apart at the time he still had the drive, talent, and passion for his music, in which he had only one more album left in him after as this, ("Barrett" a different but equally brilliant album). Once being captivated by Syd Barretts "The Madcap Laughs" album, you will be changed forever on what music can be, and is. Whether that remains a postive and experience of growth as mine was or worthless experience is up to you and who you are, But this album is timeless, whether you like it or not. Syd Barrett achieved what he did before he was 25, which was, come in say what he had to say, make your mark, and be done with it, now he's recently past away, his story is finalised, R.I.P Roger "Syd" Barrett, you and your music will not be forgotten.