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

You gave up that easily?

 

A very strong, intriguing record. Again I have to be in the right mood for it, but when I am it's a stellar one.

 

Syd so clearly wanted to change his personality from "music Syd" he reverted to Roger.

It's one thing if someone wants to still be recognised...

He changed his looks very significantly, intentionally or not, put down the guitar and went to ground.

If one wanted to leave fame behind, it is hard to think of a more demonstrative way of doing it (dark, this, but I'm glad he at least didn't take the method of Ian Curtis, Cobain, probably Richie Manic etc.)

 

Yep

 

Read a few accounts of the people who didn't give up and you'll understand why discretion is the better part of valor here.

Granted, I'm sure some of them meant well enough, but it sounds like enough morons who wanted to elevate the whole "acid casualty" thing were making that pilgrimage that you come away feeling slimy reading about the encounters.

 

Sort of glad too, as there's tabloid, doorstep or Out Walking or Biking pics of Roger where you can sort of imagine the LAST thing he wanted was being linked to Original The Pink Floyd.

I read Dark Globe and the last chapters haunted me.

There are odd gaps in his mythology. He was living with the Eskimo girl quite late who found him clean n serene. Almost like he played up some elements for the press, had a self awareness.

But STARS sounded terrible, and I think he had gotten OUT of music by that point.

Oh, there's no good trying...

 

You and me both. That was a painful sensation of a bubble being burst...

 

Indeed. I sort of got into Syd and his Floyd in a few frenetic weeks and the mythology was, he turned his back on the industry. That's the positive version.

But when you read his neighbours saying he'd smash household objects screaming, yelling ROGER! (Waters) so they could hear it through the walls... Oh, man.

I have toyed with the idea they exaggerated... Dark Globe gets a bit of a slagging in some circles as not being credible. Earlier chapters even... Abusive episodes, LSD in his tea involuntarily. Yikes.

But he wasn't a productive fellow in a way that faced the outside world. Personally, I think that's fine if you're in the right mind... But was he?

Mmm.

I'll never let Musical Syd leave me life. Even if the later day Roger might have disagreed, it's the only way I - as a member of the public - can possibly pay tribute.

Doorstepping retired troubled people just sounds square. Though I totally understand why you would try.

 

The biography by Rob Chapman is much better, even if Graham Coxon keeps popping up in it as if anyone cares what he thinks about Syd... or anything else.

 

If you don't mind the chapter that Chapman 'borrowed' from Paul Belbin without mentioning where he borrowed it from and his general attitude to look down on every biography written before his.

 

It's not perfect but it did have a lot of new stuff I hadn't read about before.

 

Some threads I try to stay away from because of a fanatical fan base, but the Barrett solo albums have always been a C+ in my opinion. Because of Syd's mental health issues, who is to say that these performances were a good or bad day for Syd. I consider them in the same category as Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica or Lick My Decals off Baby. Thought provoking, but you would have to be in a certain mood just to throw them on the turntable.

I love Syd Barrett's music, but I have always wondered that if somebody really took the time and patience to work with Syd on a production level, some of those solo efforts could have really shined. There tends to be a trend of music fans getting behind artists with a "tortured soul" syndrome. Although that can be interesting to investigate, it doesn't always translate into good music.

 

I've always preferred Barrett over Madcap if nothing else, as a more consistent record and David Gilmour's contributions in helping Syd to record and shape the songs into a presentable form which allows the listener to have a more accessible experience upon hearing the material. Despite Syd's mental state at the time of recording these songs, Dave, as well as Rick Wright and Jerry Shirley, provided him a base from which to work upon and thus gave him encouragement and support within a sympathetic atmosphere. Dave especially, took time and care, along with an extraordinary amount of patience to see his friend/ex- bandmate achieve and finish a goal that had been set. Madcap does feature some strong material, but the manner in which it was done was quite piecemeal with different producers, studios and musicians; and while it is an interesting album to listen to, knowing the background information of its creation does affect the record's overall impression, which, in my opinion, seems a bit disjointed and inconsistent.

My favorite tracks from Barrett would be Gigolo Aunt, Baby Lemonade, Dominoes, Wined and Dined and Effervescing Elephant, but I do enjoy the somewhat maniacal moments offered on Wolfpack, It is Obvious and Rats from time to time. I first discovered this album around my junior or senior year in high school and found it to be quite odd and extraordinary, but with the passing of time, I managed to appreciate it for its starkness, simplicity and yet, artistic attempt in displaying a faltering talent at work. In a way, Barrett is bittersweet because of these factors, as it would turn out to be his anti-climatic end as a songwriter/musician/performer. As a result, I find this album to be essential listening for serious Floyd fans, although, one could argue that if you took the best material from both releases, you'd have a fine, fine solo album from the ex-Floyd leader, but, as I've previously stated, Barrett is far more consistent of a fully realized solo effort, largely due to David Gilmour's involvement.

 

It’s a shame “Bob Dylan Blues” didn’t make it onto the album, but I still enjoy the album. I do think it’s telling that one of the best moments on the album, the intro to “Baby Lemonade” was apparently only recorded because Syd didn’t realize the tape was running.

 

*
Clearly one of his best works - essential listening for Floyd fans

My favourite of his solo albums

 

Wonder if we'll ever get to hear "Living Alone", which was recorded during these sessions as well (or maybe it was during Madcap). Gilmour reportedly left with the tape reel of this recording and never returned with it. Potentially he still has it somewhere.

 

You listed 3 of the best songs on the album.

Essential.

 

Before reading the book, I was of the "it was a put-on to leave the industry and live quietly" camp. It just fit enough of what I knew to think that he'd just done something eccentric, but not insane, took his toys and literally went home.

While I question a few of the accounts in the book, the general trend is a much darker one.

What's the title?

 

A very irregular head.

 

Not bad. A few good songs, but not as good as his solo debut or his work with Pink Floyd.

 

Rob Chapman book is "A Very Irregular Head". I don't know where this notion that Syd was 'putting it on' as some sort of ruse to get out of the music business came from or started. I don't remember that theory doing the rounds when I was first getting into Syd.

 

Honestly? It's more comfortable than "He did too many drugs and went nuts." I think most people (and I'm guilty as well) would prefer the rosy image of a happy, healthy Syd living out his days painting at his family home.

Also, he never went full Peter Green and wasn't photographed looking homeless with stringy, dirty hair and over-long, dirty fingernails, so it was plausible enough that he never really went fully around the bend.

And this isn't meant to be disrespectful to PG either. He sounds like he walked a very tough road.

 

And if you are "tortured soul" who manages to die before your 28th birthday, you are guaranteed at least a cult following for the next century.

 

This is the best Barrett related album, better than Madcap, and even better than Piper, IMO.

 

The narrative of "He did too many drugs and went nuts" might not be comfortable but it's been the prevailing once since the year dot. I'm not saying it's especially accurate, by the way, but let's not stray into the realms of wish fulfilment re: his mental state.