Syd Barrett - Opel
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Free Music Notes for Opel
Free Music Review: Good collection if you like Syd
Hit: 4 Stars
I like this album very much. There is some very interesting music here. I am not crazy about every song here, but most tracks are good. If you like classic Pink Floyd, you may not like this too much. I would recommend this to any Syd Barrett fan. The audio quality is quite good on many of the songs. Some of the tracks are rough demos.Good collection if you like Syd.Free Music Review: Wild inconsistency obscures a few lovely gems
Hit: 3 Stars
The collection "Opel" was released in the late 1980s and consists mostly of outtakes from Barrett's two solo albums as well as a few alternate takes. Most of the tracks had not even seen the light of day for years before their release, and the fact that Syd had this many songs left is really quite surprising considering that he only recorded two albums during his solo career. First off, I am a huge Syd Barrett fan (see my reviews of his other albums for proof of this), but I feel that this outtakes collection is extremely inconsistent. Many of these songs weren't finished at the time of recording, and it shows as Syd fumbles through a few of them. "Opel," despite being the long-lost cult classic, is a great song in theory, but it just goes on for way too long while Syd fumbles around aimlessly with the chord progression. Some of the lyrics are very chilling and evocative, but overall this isn't his best work. "Clowns and Jugglers" (aka "Octopus"), presented in a slightly faster electric version here (again featuring the Soft Machine on backup) is just plain painful to listen to. The overdub-less version of "Rats" is interesting, but still doesn't represent Syd at his best. "Let's Split" starts off really well, but falls apart somewhere in the middle, "Birdie Hop" is embarrassing, while "Word Song" just doesn't do it for me.
Most of the songs that I just mentioned are the only real "rocky" spots on the album that warrant skipping, everything else should be smooth listening from here on. "Swan Lee" is another one of Syd's "storytelling" songs (see "Here I Go" form "The Madcap Laughs"), and is very interesting because Syd relates the story of the title charcter, who is a Native American warrior. Among all of the references to "wigwams" and "canoes," it is interesting to point out that some of the guitar work here is very reminiscent of the Ventures with its echo-laden surf-rock twang. A curious listen indeed. Syd makes a complete left-turn on the instrumental piece "Lanky (Part 1)." Rather than use an acoustic guitar and a simple strum like he tends to do sometimes, here he picks up his electric again and actually attempts to play it in a lead guitar jam fashion not heard since the Pink Floyd days. In fact, "Lanky" is highly reminiscent of two of the Floyd's best Barrett-era jams: "Stoned Alone" (aka "Reaction in G") and the now classic "Interstellar Overdrive" from the "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" album. The closing track, an instrumental take on "Golden Hair" is a bit inessential but a fascinating listen nontheless.
Here are the real gems that make owning this collection worth it. "Golden Hair," although not too different from the version used on "Madcap" (save for the lack of keyboard and cymbal embellishments) still sounds great. The demo version of "Wined and Dined" here features Syd unaccompanied, and works really well. "Wouldn't You Miss Me" (aka "Dark Globe") is by far the best version of this song ever, and outdoes the "Madcap" version by a long shot; this track alone is well worth getting this album for. Outside of the alternate versions that I just mentioned, two previously unreleased tracks stand out here as being two of the best that Syd ever did: "Dolly Rocker" and "Milky Way." "Dolly Rocker" in particular is an absolutely beautiful song, one that's definitely worth singing to your girlfriend (she'll instantly love it). When Syd stops to turn the page, and then goes into the "Oceans may travel" section, it beautifully affecting, and truly makes me want to cry, it's just that beautiful. A must listen. "Milky Way" is one of Syd's best kept secrets; unlike some of the material here, this is Syd at his absolute best! Great chord progression, great rhythmic guitar playing from Barrett, and above all, a joy to listen to. One of Syd's best songs, hands down.
As I've said, this affair is extremely hit and miss in the truest sense, and should only be approached AFTER you have already bought Syd's two proper solo albums. The handful of really great tracks ("Dolly Rocker," "Milky Way," and "Wouldn't You Miss Me" in particular) make up for any lackings elsewhere, and show proof that even at this stage, Syd could occasionally pull it all together and create a song that is just pure magic. Even casual listeners would be smitten with songs like "Milky Way," but as an album I can only recommend this to the diehards who have everything else Syd ever did. Approach "Opel" with caution, but don't pass it by, either.
Free Music Review: nice and easy
Hit: 3 Stars
not, great or original
but easy and nice to listen to as background
i was trying it
this artist was recommendedto me by a fiend
so i tried it out
not overwhelming
but ok
Free Music Review: I am a Syd Barrett Fans but...
Hit: 2 Stars
Syd Barrett is not for everyone, and this record is not for every Syd Barrett Fans. In fact compare to the "completed work" in Madcap and Barrett the demos found there are quite under his standard. Of course, Syd Barrett Fans Like me will love the songs like "Opel", "Swan Lee" and "Crowns and Jagglers"(Octopus) as well as the incompleted song "Let's split" and "Milky way". But the biggest Evil is that the closet classics like "Vegetable Man", "Scream thy last Scream", "Two of a kind".. are NOT included here, make this album not quite worth such price. OH...Free Music Review: As the man said....
Hit: 2 Stars
... the drugs don't work.One listen to this and you'll be hesitant about taking an asprin. It's not bad, its simply a bit scary. Be thankful that John Lennon's constitution was a bit more robust.