I ordered last year. I assume it will show up at some point. First thing I will look at will be Scream Thy Last Scream to check it against my own transcription of the words. Other than that, I have no great expectations of the book and have little doubt it will end up at my local cat charity bookshop in due course. And I’ll sign it ‘Lucifer Sam’ at the front of the book before I send it on its journey...
And there’s nothing to expect or get excited about. They only managed to print full words to No Man’s Land.
I was watching my friends' group the Fire Dept at Strawberry Fair, late eighties. There was a bald guy in a jumpsuit dancing around enthusiastically on his own. I was told it was Syd. After that, I recognised him around Cambridge through the years. Generally just walking alone. Occasionally doing something like paying for his weekly shop in pennies, and making everyone wait. He was quite well known locally, it wasnt considered the done thing to approach him. I heard he would scream at people who did that. One look at him, and it was obvious there was no reason to approach him, he wasnt the same person. To be honest, there are other people similar to Syd on the streets of Cambridge at the moment. He wasn't part of a group, but there are other people suffering with mental illness who walk around Cambridge, as he did, who are obviously highly intelligent, but who are also suffering with this.
Check out recent Gilmour interview where he tell that Syd never carried with him lyrics and sing everything from the memory. Never mind that you can hear Syd turning the pages on She Took A Long Cold Look At Me or there's a Mind Shot paper with lyrics of It Is Obvious. They know how to do exciting Syd product, don't they? I cannot wait for reissue of Introduction To Syd Barrett on coloured vinyl. Maybe David will overdub bass on If It's In You this time!
Many people already recieved their copies. No lyrics for Living Alone. No rare pictures, in fact not much of them at all. The exciting surprise is not really exciting.
I dont think it promised to have that particular song or any of the other stuff you mention. The book description is quite clear: 'The complete lyrics of Syd Barrett - 52 songs written for Pink Floyd and during his subsequent solo career - are presented together for the first time. Compiled in collaboration with the Syd Barrett estate, and featuring a foreword from former Pink Floyd manager Peter Jenner and a comprehensive introduction by biographer Rob Chapman' I'm not sure what you are complaining about.
Where is that, Rob? Also, where is the handwritten/typewritten reproductions of Syd's lyrics ala Mind Shot picture? I'm not sure what's to get excited about. The lyrics are easily available elsewhere. Apparently Gilmour auditioned multitracks for words. Where is Living Alone, dammit?
Well, I for one am looking forward to the book. Whatever expectations one has or not, these lyrics/songs are an important part of rock/pop history and deserve to be officially assembled.
Why don't you just ask him? Because the description of the book on Amazon is as I reproduced it. I'm not sure what is to be gained by moaning here instead of going straight to the source of your troubles. I for one cannot bear these Syd Barrett threads because every time something Syd or Pink-Syd happens someone starts complaining about everything they are not getting and that they feel entitled to be getting. It's tedious beyond believe. And I'm out of here.
Is the surprise that madcap is mad cat? That’s one of the first things I heard mentioned when the project was announced so I would hope it’s something else.
You think he will reply? He will not. And yes, long time fans have full rights to expect quality, not another shoddily done product. I'm feel entitled getting good stuff for my earned money. That Chapman words had making me excited about it until in the end it turned out to be fraud.
If the fonts are appropriate (no goofy art department projects) and the book is presented well, I can appreciate it. I like lyric books. Syd's are online, but I like a physical product. I have internet lyric sheets printed out with creases and coffee stains. I just hope they treat it with respect, no Olde English fonts or cheesy Alice in Wonderland imagery seen in the Piper 40th set.
Thanks. Ok, it's pretty plain and clear. I was afraid of it looking like a children's book or something. And it's definitely bubbles and not bottles.
Hmm, so they've incorporated Mason's vocal stylings: "fat fat" and "telly time" Syd didn't sing those extra words, and almost certainly didn't write them in, either.
Another opinion: "Yes, I got my copy a few days ago. Expectations were high: I think many members had high hopes for a new Syd photo and definite/definitive/"final" (read: correct) versions of the lyrics of Syd songs. But, as it turns out, it has probably been much ado about nothing. No new pics. Some of the photos included in the book have slightly wrong captions. Above all, the new interpretations of lyrics raise doubts among Syd fans."
That’s disappointing to hear, that the book isn’t so good. I was expecting better, especially as it was supposed to be proof read by David Gilmour. What is the text like, excluding the lyrics? Are there any insights into his songwriting?
I'll reserve judgement until I have my copy, but luckily I didn't expect much from the extra text or pictures. The lyrics they provide will be taken very seriously by me though, and I hope they hear what I hear (or prove me wrong). I saw a post somewhere with just some of the transcribed jumble of words from the end of No Man's Land, and it was really cool to finally see some identifiable words to fit the mumbled sounds. Never thought that would happen. Heavily spaced. All the crockery, china, war, and spreading a spinning wheel. Opening, what a roll, but you open the door, some time, long ago. Stream cool shallow water. Seen a lot, seen a lot. I am bitter though about how DG casually boasts of having the multitrack's of everything and no real momentum to release the titles he's seemingly personally withheld. As far as I know, we are in or passed the 50th year for copyrights, so it may never leave Dave's cupboard. Dave's not here, man.
