Poll: How do you rate Syd Barrett's "Barrett" album?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Johnny Reb, Sep 20, 2017.

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  1. Johnny Reb

    Johnny Reb Résident du forum Thread Starter

    Location:
    MA
    Time for Syd's second album.

    The rules for this series: this poll is designed for people familiar with the album in question and with at least some familiarity with some of their other catalog (for comparison purposes). If the poll doesn't interest you, please kindly move on to a thread that does. Please simply consider how YOU would rate the album in question, in comparison with the rest of the Floyd's discography! And as always, a shout-out to member mrjinks for creating all the groundwork for this series.

    Note: please use the same criteria for rating these solo albums as you would Pink Floyd as a band albums, so we can compare the results of this poll to, say, The Division Bell.

    So, how do YOU rate this album?

    Album history: "Barrett is the second and final studio album of new material released by former Pink Floyd frontman Syd Barrett. Recording began at Abbey Road Studios on 26 February 1970, and lasted for 15 sessions until 21 July.[1][2] The album was produced by Pink Floyd's guitarist David Gilmour and keyboardist Richard Wright, who also contributed on bass guitar and keyboards respectively, along with previous Madcap contributor Jerry Shirley on drums.

    Barrett was released in November 1970 on Harvest in the United Kingdom and Capitol in the United States, but failed to chart in both markets; it was re-released in 1974 as part of Syd Barrett. No singles were issued from the album. It was remastered and reissued in 1993, along with Barrett's other albums − The Madcap Laughs (1970) and Opel (1988) − independently and as part of the Crazy Diamond box set. A newly remastered version was released in 2010."


    Tracklist:
    1. Baby Lemonade 4:10
    2. Love Song 3:03
    3. Dominoes 4:08
    4. It Is Obvious 2:59
    5. Rats 3:00
    6. Maisie 2:51
    7. Gigolo Aunt 5:46
    8. Waving My Arms In The Air/I Never Lied To You 3:59
    9. Wined And Dined 2:58
    10. Wolfpack 3:41
    11. Effervescing Elephant 1:52

    [​IMG]


    Previous polls:
    Pink Floyd (updated 9/14):
    The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Currently 595 people have voted, with an average of 4.26.
    A Saucerful of Secrets. Currently 363 people have voted, with an average of 3.78.
    More. Currently 291 people have voted, with an average of 3.36.
    Ummagumma. Currently 435 people have voted, with an average of 3.09.
    Atom Heart Mother. Currently 445 people have voted, with an average of 3.72.
    Meddle. Currently 522 people have voted, with an average of 4.70.
    Obscured by Clouds. Currently 445 people have voted, with an average of 3.87.
    The Dark Side of the Moon. Currently 621 people have voted, with an average of 4.75.
    Wish You Were Here. Currently 742 people have voted, with an average of 4.78.
    Animals. Currently 715 people have voted, with an average of 4.62.
    The Wall. Currently 842 people have voted, with an average of 4.01.
    The Final Cut. Currently 586 people have voted, with an average of 3.08.
    A Momentary Lapse of Reason. Currently 441 people have voted, with an average of 2.97.
    Delicate Sound of Thunder. Currently 256 people have voted, with an average of 2.89.
    The Division Bell. Currently 491 people have voted, with an average of 3.28.
    Pulse. Currently 307 people have voted, with an average of 3.34.
    Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980-81. Currently 252 people have voted, with an average of 3.67.
    The Endless River. Currently 474 people have voted, with an average of 2.53.

    Syd Barrett:
    The Madcap Laughs. Currently 218 people have voted, with an average of 3.77.
     
    lightbulb likes this.
  2. Wally Swift

    Wally Swift Yo-Yoing where I will...

    Location:
    Brooklyn New York
    Better than everything after Meddle.
     
    Chris M, Man at C&A, bhazen and 3 others like this.
  3. Rne

    Rne weltschmerz

    Location:
    Malaver
    It's essential for me, but I have a very special relationship with this album, so my subjectiveness is even more subjective in this case.
     
    DuctTapeTheory, Miriam and bhazen like this.
  4. elaterium

    elaterium Forum Resident

    On the surface it's a more together sounding album than Madcap Laughs due to consistency of production, though the song lyrics have become even more fragmented and obtuse. I mean, what does 'send a cage through the post, make your name like a ghost' mean? Or 'in a clock they sent through a washing machine' etc. Also, his lead guitar playing has pretty much shrivelled up. But I enjoy the album regardless. I think Dominos is particularly effective. BTW- it offends me that the OP seems to reference this as a Floyd album in the options.
     
    Lost In The Flood likes this.
  5. ShockControl

    ShockControl Bon Vivant and Raconteur!

    Location:
    Lotus Land
    One of the three essential Pink Floyd albums, along with Piper and The Madcap Laughs.
     
  6. dkmonroe

    dkmonroe A completely self-taught idiot

    Location:
    Atlanta
    I voted Pretty Solid Effort. The problem is, it has never really grabbed me the way that The Madcap Laughs did. Maybe that's because Madcap and I go back over 40 years, and Barrett only a few, or maybe it's because Madcap just seems to sound more like Syd-era Floyd. Barrett just seems a little dark and depressing, while Madcap is lonely, but playful and fun.

    Great cover though. Syd was wonderful artist.
     
  7. Rne

    Rne weltschmerz

    Location:
    Malaver
    The backwards guitar solo is wonderful, it has the unmistakable Syd sound.

    Yes, that aspect of the poll should be changed.
     
  8. John Porcellino

    John Porcellino Forum Resident

    Location:
    Beloit, WI
    When you're an absolute musical genius and you only have three albums to your name, each one of them is automatically "essential listening."
     
  9. JamesLord

    JamesLord Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    To me this is a wonderful record with some of his best songs.
     
  10. Dave Thompson

    Dave Thompson Forum Resident

    "Lower tier Floyd"? Well yes, because it's not one of their records.

    But it's better than "Wet Dream" and "On an Island"; although not as good as "Madcap," and probably isn't essential for the majority of (post-Syd) Floyd fans.
     
  11. dkmonroe

    dkmonroe A completely self-taught idiot

    Location:
    Atlanta
    In defense of the OP, the Floyd members' solo works do usually seem to be relevant within the context of Pink Floyd so I don't think it's inappropriate to consider them in that context. Especially Syd's albums, which are so few and which reflect Syd's very crucial role in the development of the Floyd.
     
    ShockControl and Johnny Reb like this.
  12. bzfgt

    bzfgt The Grand High Exalted Mystic Ruler

    It is good.
     
  13. Johnny Reb

    Johnny Reb Résident du forum Thread Starter

    Location:
    MA
    Right. Changing the poll options to "Clearly one of his best works" would be absolutely stupid since there are only two (three counting Opel). A poll like this only makes sense rating the few albums of each solo member against something else - the logical choice is their works as a band. Sorry if some of you can't handle this, but it makes sense to me! :)
     
    hazard, Big Pasi, bzfgt and 1 other person like this.
  14. ShockControl

    ShockControl Bon Vivant and Raconteur!

    Location:
    Lotus Land
    For many of us, Syd Barrett IS Pink Floyd.

    Plus, the album features two of the musicians who continued to use the name subsequently.
     
    bzfgt likes this.
  15. Chrome_Head

    Chrome_Head Planetary Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA.
    Again, I don't think any of the Floyd member's solo albums stack up to most of the key Floyd records themselves, pound for pound.

    Having said that, I think this is a wonderful album, right up there with Madcap (if not better in some places) and certainly essential for Syd solo fans. As an album, I voted "solid, worth recommending".

    Love "Dominoes", "Baby Lemonade" (I learned on guitar the opening riff Gilmore plays, and I can still play it), "Wolfpack" and "Rats". Even "Maisie" I find to be an interesting blues-throwaway.

    Picked this reissue up on vinyl a few months ago, sounds great.

    I have always loved this acoustic version of "Dominoes" by Robyn Hitchcock from the Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story documentary DVD (fast forward to 9:38).

    "this is a great one to play when it starts to rain.."

     
  16. bzfgt

    bzfgt The Grand High Exalted Mystic Ruler

    I always thought that Barrett played the intro to Baby Lemonade, according to Wikipedia Gilmour recorded him warming up:

    Baby Lemonade - Wikipedia
     
    Nick Dunning and DTK like this.
  17. Chrome_Head

    Chrome_Head Planetary Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA.
    I'd read elsewhere it was Gilmour, but it could very well have been Syd.

    If it is Syd, it's an incredibly lucid performance and a very good take.
     
    Joti Cover and bzfgt like this.
  18. elaterium

    elaterium Forum Resident

    Gilmour did not play any guitar on the album. That's Syd's intro.
     
    Chris M and DTK like this.
  19. DTK

    DTK Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    Yes, Syd's intro. And it's very well played and inventive, amazing for a warm-up.

    Barrett is essential listening. I do prefer The Madcap Laughs, which feels more vital. But there's still plenty of great material on Barrett.
    "Maisie" and "Rats" are spooky. I think Syd's mumling on the former is more unsettling than the false start on "If It's In You" on the previous album. And "Rats" sounds like a bad trip.
     
    Chrome_Head and ash1 like this.
  20. ash1

    ash1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    bristol uk
    some excellent tracks, some middling tracks, a couple of so so tracks. Hearing the out take versions of for example, It Is Obvious it makes you realise how hard Dave Gilmour had to work to get something out of these sessions. The guy deserves huge credit for helping Syd out then and later regarding cash flow.
    Not as inspired as Madcap. I always particularly liked Dominoes, Waving My Arms and Wined and Dined. It's good. I like it.
     
  21. SurrealCereal

    SurrealCereal Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    While I don't think it's as good as Madcap or Piper, Barrett is certainly worth recommending to someone who likes Syd's work, though not necessarily to just any Pink Floyd fan.
     
  22. bzfgt

    bzfgt The Grand High Exalted Mystic Ruler

  23. Jason Pumphrey

    Jason Pumphrey Forum Resident

    Love Jerry Shirley's wicked drumming on Maisie, my guess it was double-tracked, or a delay effect, because Jerry did not play double bass drums.
     
    Chrome_Head and DTK like this.
  24. Vangro

    Vangro Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    Essential. Another great album. There's definitely an effort to make a more conventional album than 'Madcap' and rein in some of the waywardness but it bursts out gloriously on "Wolfpack", which is probably my favourite Syd Barrett track of all time.
     
    Chrome_Head, bzfgt and DTK like this.
  25. Rfreeman

    Rfreeman Senior Member

    Location:
    Lawrenceville, NJ
    Some decent tunes. But such a bare bones production and haphazard performances that I can't rate it better than lower tier.

    Overdubbing a rhythm section on performances that do not stay in tempo is a recipe for disaster.
     
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