The Madcap Laughs

This is proving to be the hardest album I've found to review so far, not because I'm confused by my opinion of it, but because I don't know whether to consider it accidentally exploitative. Bruef summary: Roger Waters and Nick Mason forms the Architectural Abdabs at art college (a standard incubator for artsy British bands), Syd Barrett joins and changes the name to Pink Floyd after two blues musicians he loved, they achieve their first success with Piper at the Gates of Dawn, tragically Syd suffers from serious mental health issues and cannot continue with the band, Syd records two solo albums, Syd quits music and lives reclusively until his death in 2006. I was not prepared for how grim the experience of listening to this album would be. Yes, by inclination Syd Barrett was a whimsical songwriter with an obviously far better sense of humour than Roger Waters, and on the surface this album showcases that to the point of incoherence, but this album isn't just a mess, although it is an absolute casserole of an album. The first side is okay, exercises in Barrett's warm eccentricity, but not spectacular. Sadly, the last few tracks degenerate into essentially studio outtakes, revealing an ugliness to the whole exercise. It felt slightly sordid listening to this album. It didn't feel like the demonstration of a lost genius; it felt like a ramshackle using of a talented but troubled man. This is not to say that a work by someone with significant mental health issues is by its nature compromised either aesthetically or morally. Barrett's contemporaries Brian Wilson and Nick Drake both made excellent albums whilst struggling with debilitating mental illness. But one can wish an album show its creator a little more dignity. So, I can't recommend. I have to give this one star, but please understand it's a highly qualified one star in no way reflective of Syd Barrett's talent.

GOOD LORD WHO THE FUCK CARES.

A hard album. The music of a great talent deteriorating. You can hear this is someone who is damaged. It's rough and raw but there are some good songs even if it's all tinged with a sadness and tragedy. "wouldn't you miss me at all?!". Heartbreaking stuff. Here we go is a bit more upbeat and a cute song.

I like Piper at the Gates of Dawn quite a bit, but this sounds like a Monty Python skit making fun of psychedelic folk. Barrett even sounds like Eric Idle on some songs.

Fuck me. This guy is considered a genius?! I find this mostly un-listenable. Its like the Beatles had a breakdown. One of the worst to dates. 1/5

Groovy, melodic, whimsical & very Beatlesque...so cool I’ve never heard of Syd or even seen this album cover over the years. Juts learned he is a co-founder of Pink Floyd. Sweet! So far The Madcap Laughs is one of the best discoveries yet. No Good Trying, Love You, Octopus, Long Gone & Late Night are my favs!

I like Terrapin, No Good Trying, Octopus, and Late Night. At it's best the album is acoustic dreamy psychedelia... but the rest of it is stripped down poetry that kind of sounds like a demo tape.

Controversial opinion(?) but Syd Barrett without Pink Floyd sucks. Especially all the outtakes at the end of the album. I don’t care what kind of genius he is, I don’t need to listen to him cough into the mic.

I've never liked listening to this record; for, what I think are, obvious reasons. It's very difficult to get enjoyment or satisfaction out of it on purely sonic level. But I've always been extremely fascinated by it; the real-time deterioration of a genius' mind as he tries to keep doing what he loves. It's an important piece of history, and a peak behind the curtain for anyone who wants to further understand Pink Floyd. Syd Barrett as a human is a tragedy. And I will say this in favor of the album; the production makes you feel like you're in the room with the band. There are tracks here where we're just waiting for Barrett to get it right before the take starts, we hear missed chords and flubbed vocal notes, and the mixing is far from what you'd consider a "done" album. And it's unfair in so many ways how the world would go on to admire PF as a band, when the founding member and primary driver of their sound would go mostly uncredited and uncared about for decades. Anyway, I don't have any idea what an appropriate rating would be for this, because it's the equivalent to an Outsider Music record to me. Syd, take 5 stars from me. You are responsible for the band that gave me the most of any band, so here you go. Shine on you crazy diamond.

Syd Barrett’s talent is apparent. He has a talent for contracting whimsical unsettling songs with unusual melodies and chord changes. His lyrics are ruminating and surreal with a touch of childlike naïveté. Some of these songs are simply better constructed than others and makes me wonder how these recording sessions went. This album can be seen as a contraction of his work with Pink Floyd, but it often veers into darker territory where the psychedelic whimsical facade falls to reveal the extreme anguish and mental illness beneath. The music has tinges of proto punk and some musical elements would sound at home in modern indie rock.

Turns out Syd wasn’t as mental as the guy who decided to give him a solo album. A tedious mess of an album.

He may have fronted one of the greatest bands ever, but this album was incredibly average and frankly, quite irritating at points. The obnoxious use of the voice at times, poor production, sloppy and lazy delivery overall.

I know that this album will be unfairly judged. It may seem indulgent, pretentious and just silly. It may also seem like people were taking advantage of Syd in the editing and recording of the album. It also speaks volumes about drug induced mental illness. However it also peeps behind the curtain of an extremely influential and respected singer songwriter without whom there would be no pink Floyd, as it is today, or even at all. I love this album and I love syd Barrett This album definitely belongs on this list.

Classic alert! I heard this one a few times growing up. The songwriting is so consistently creative and varied, it really shows good one of these older folky rock albums can be if its done right. It reminds me of the earlier pink floyd stuff also written by him, which is equally great. It's a shame he released so little music, and that pink floyd went down a less interesting route without him

Just weird enough to be interesting without being insane.

Wow this is great

This is the region of psychedelia that has never been my cuppa tea. Circus clown music. People with undiagnosed mental health issues and access to recording studios but no access to help or treatment. Skip Spence comes to mind. Sometimes it's brilliant. Most of the times it's a miss for me. More open minded listeners can hear the genius underneath Syd's playhouse. Wish I could. Never could get into his Pink Floyd albums. Couldn't get into his solo stuff. Also why does this type of psychedelia get closely lumped with LSD? Listening to this on LSD would be rough. F

I actually like this. It's what we in the business call a vibe

A confusing one. I understand the lore around the album, the cry from the soul of a tortured artist once brimming with creativity and losing their weak grip on reality amongst a battle against psycadelics and mental health. Also it's the sound of the death of the sixties hippie ideal. I get all that but also some of it is just a bit crap. Flashes of beauty, flashes of greatness, flashes of unabashed and unburdened individuality but also flashes of rambling and shouldn't have been released. There's some 5s here and some 1s so it gets a 3

Pretty dope. Pared down. Unpolished. I’ve always preferred Pink Floyd without Sid Barrett but solo I like him. He’s got a psych-folk-proto-punk thing going. I hear Donovan, The Iggy and the Stooges, Brian Eno. “No good trying” is some proto punk with thrumming guitar and great drumming. A couple of the more proto-punk songs were real bangers but nothing else stood out, kind of faded into hypnotic, cool background music. Better than expected. B-

not sure how this made the list. it is just ok, I find it unremarkable

Who knows what Syd Barrett could have achieved, had his mental state not prohibited him from ever fully manifesting his huge talents. Probably he would have been as big as Bowie. But as it is we are left with the early Pink Floyd oeuvre and his somewhat spotty but super-influential solo work of psychedelic folk rock songwriting. Given the lack of half-star ratings „Madcap...“ and its successor „Syd Barrett“ get full 5 out of 5 stars on a list like this from me. A larger than life artist like Syd Barrett could have maybe gone to 6 (or 11) though. As charming as unfinished works are or can be, in Syd Barrett’s case there remains the empty feeling of unfulfilled desire to hear what could have been. Then again, maybe this is part of Barret’s mystical allure.

quite the interesting listen today, it's definitely a rock pop album but it doesn't sound like any other i've listened to, especially from this time period. barrett's voice is tired and almost delightfully deadpan as he sings, invoking a certain emotion that he most certainly felt after leaving pink floyd. it's simple and doesn't have too much going on in terms of instrumentation and production. you can feel exactly how exhausted he felt, being a musician and all. i fuck with it. imagine making a typical "perky" rock album when you're tired of making music in the first place.

I have always loved this album for its whimsical nature and interesting lyrics. Sadly, Syd was somewhat of a mad genius and the architect of early Pink Floyd. It is a shame that he succumbed to mental illness. His predicament influenced many classic Pink Floyd albums to come. With an unfiltered and raw production, this album is a lot of fun to listen to and can elicit many emotional responses. RIP Syd!

Psychedelic Folk, Singer-Songwriter, Psychedelic Rock. Dark but playful. It's a very vulnerable album. Like what I'm hearing is someone heart laid bare. It's sad but beautiful. A tough album to listen to but it's special because of that. Like what I'm hearing will never be recreated. I loved it, any flaws it may have melt away because it's just so real. Would love to revisit. 5/5

I loved this! It's funny I always liked the early kitsch little songs by Pink Floyd like "Bike" and "The Gnome" from Piper at the Gates of Dawn and knew they were Syd Barrett but never thought to follow up his solo stuff. It all got overshadowed by the more "serious" stuff like Meddle and Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here. And also, this is when I was first getting into music and if I wanted to hear Syd Barrett I would have had to have sought out the vinyl at a second hand record shop. No Spotify then! Whereas all the Pink Floyd albums were in my Mum and Dad's record collection or swapped between friends. Anyway, I really "dig" this. It's got a very naïve sound and that sort of outside aesthetic, like Ivor Cutler or someone. Giving it five stars is probably too much but I'm going to because this has actually opened up a new little musical avenue for me.

I've listened to this a lot throughout my life. For some reason, I strongly relate to Syd's music. This album is heartbreaking, and listening to this during the challenge made me notice masterpieces I'd never noticed before, such as 'Dark Globe'. The transition from it to 'Here I Go' is one of the highlights of Barrett's career.

Sounds like a continuation of the type of songs Syd Barrett was making while in Pink Floyd but even more chaotic. It's a wild listen.

I liked this just enough. Poor Syd and his struggles.

I kind of feel like the myth of syd barrett might outweigh the reality.

Indeed. Founder of Pink Floyd, musical genius, whimsical psychedelic, free spirit (as in unhinged), and certifiably psychotic. Syd Barrett was notorious for being too strung out and deranged to deal with professionally, as well as incalculable in his endeavors. With that in mind, I feel a kind of pity, where it's readily perceptible that he's traversing into psychosis; I should not be listening to this mental meltdown.

Yikes. I can't believe Barrett would essentially be ousted from Pink Floyd due to failing mental health and someone decided that meant it was time to capitalize on him with a solo album. This album really just reflects that mental state: it's scattered, messy, and incoherent at times. Sonically, it is pretty boring especially when compared to similar material that The Beatles were putting out. And the longer the album goes on, the more it seems to reflect these negative traits. I really can't tell you why the author saw fit to include this on the project. This album was not much of a success and Barrett's solo career (as well as his music career overall) ended just a couple of years later without much further fanfare.

Worst case scenario Paul McCartney

If his band didn't go on to make one of the best selling albums of all time, would this be relevant?

This is called The Madcap Laughs but there are no laughs. It's a self-indulgent stream of dirge that doesn't elicit any emotion from the listener and it's only on the list because of its place in the history of Pink Floyd. It's rubbish.

It's been years since I listened to this. I like it a lot more now. But my appreciation for Floyd and psychedelic music has grown over time. Shine on Syd. Without you I wouldn't have some of my favorite music. 5 stars all day.

I have always loved this album since I discovered it.

After being squeezed out of Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett continued his downward trajectory of mental health. For this (and it's follow-up Barrett), former bandmates did their best to coax actual songs out of Barrett, and of those two albums, this is the better. The version I have has a load of out-takes which don't serve the album well and are best ignored. This is a collection of psych-inflected songs with a dose of English whimsey, and it's an album I really like. Whether it's a game changer, I doubt. I don't think that the music press and industry (and, let's face it, music fans) did Barrett a great service by over-egging his legend. There are loads of compilations that frankly scrape the bottom of the barrel, which is a bit of a shame really.

Frickin' great.

A sad genius

10/10 love me some psychedelic art rock

I'm a sucker for a mad musical genius, and Syd was the king of mad musical geniuses. It's a shame he burned out so young. These songs are brilliant, fractured masterpieces. Shine on you crazy diamond. 5 stars.

Exactly what one would expect if they know the history of Syd. I love this kind of plodding, psychedelic music. You're not playing this at an upbeat party but it really is an outstanding example of this kind of music.

I love this album and Syd, but even still it's a difficult listen. Obviously it's very much a mood piece, and after the first couple of tracks I generally find the mood established, and the album really gets it's hooks in. Barely anything here really sounds like Floyd. Golden Hair the most obvious exception. Was first introduced to Barrett via REM covering Dark Globe on a B side, my introduction to so much music, either working with REM, covered by them or simply mentioned in interviews. I would go on to love another of these musicians, Robyn Hitchcock, who himself was hugely influenced by Syd. I find it impossible to disentangle my love for those influenced by this from the album itself. It's so fragile, and essentially a load of demos (If it's In You is just all over the place). I'm also reminded of Oar by Skip Spence, another spectacularly fragile album, one I found a bit harder to get on with, but which is also definitely beautiful in places. I love the follow up album Barrett as well, although I would suggest that's patchier, with more obvious peaks and troughs, the standard on Madcap is very much of a piece. Favourites, Dark Globe, Golden Hair, Octopus, No Good Trying. Please lift a hand, I'm only person.

OMGOMGOGMOMGIMGIGKNFJDJEJRJFJKTOGKG i love this one i love sydbarett I jump for joy and screamed when i seen this on my 10001 albums page

Always strikes me how much Music Hall influenced these 60s-70s songwriters.

If this guy wrote better music, he could afford furniture for his bare apartment.

For a brief moment, in the 1960s and 70s, the word «genius» was mistakingly made synonymous with being a drug addict with mental health issues. We still deal with the horrible aftermath of this linguistic mishap. Anyways, I'll stick with post-Barrett Pink Floyd.

Syd sounded like he wanted to be in the Beatles rather than Pink Floyd, this was some weird shit but in a fun way. Alright I changed my mind throughout that album, that was just straight up weird and not very fun.

Mental illness is no joke. Personal enjoyment: 2/5 Relevance to this list: 3/5

This one was so weird and out there that it was impossible to enjoy. Then reading the background behind the album made it even more sad and depressing.

Psychedelic folk is interesting, but not something I can listen to a lot of. Sad Syd went bonkers, but I guess this is a glimpse into what Pink Floyd would’ve sounded like if he hadn’t.

Weird - this album sounds like someone ushered a sad, mentally ill, doped up dude off the street into a small room, gave him an untuned guitar, then turned on an old tape recorder and said GO! Oh wait... "....informing the music press that Barrett was suffering from nervous exhaustion..." -wiki Nervous exhaustion? I've got nervous exhaustion every damn day - who doesn't? I didn't get a major label release. It would be a far fking sight better than this tripe. Sorrynotsorryabit to sound unsympathetic but the excuses made for Syd Barrett and this pile of dog shit recording can get real tiring to read about. I've no patience for this twaddle - guy couldn't sing, couldn't play, had trouble putting shit together to make even somewhat of a cohesive song - SHOCKING that Pink Floyd took off after his dismissal... That was sarcasm. This is awful. 1/10 1 star.

This album is a collection of odd track from Syd Barrett, one of the founding members of Pink Floyd. After he was kicked out of the band for erratic behavior - due to mental issues (perhaps) related to excessive drug use - Barrett had a brief solo career. This is the first of his solo albums. For those that worship Barrett as a music genius, this album could be seen as something interesting. For the rest of us, this sounds like a collection of out-takes and first drafts of songs. The few tracks that seem remotely complete are reminiscent of early Pink Floyd, but they do not give the impression that the songs have been well practiced or produced. There are a few points where you can hear the imagination that made Barrett central to early Pink Floyd, but these moments are rare. The majority of the album is disappointing - little more than a reminder of lost potential.

As he sings in Here I Go, “a big band is far better for you,” and I have to heartily agree. This album from the original front man for Pink Floyd is lacking: lacking musicianship/talent, lacking cohesion/, and lacking a editing/discerning ear. I found the whole thing undercooked, underwhelming, and in some parts downright irritating. Not my cup of tea for sure. I find it hard to believe that if Syd wasn’t connected to Floyd, any record producer would have allowed him anywhere near a studio.

Laughable.

Interesting

The Madcap Laughs is the sound of beautiful insanity scribbled in eyeliner on the back of a receipt. It’s fragile, fragmented, and quietly terrifying. Every track feels like it was recorded at 3 a.m. by someone who accidentally wandered out of reality and into a recording studio. This album doesn’t entertain you. It haunts you. It’s the ghost of what fame, genius, and unchecked vulnerability leave behind when they burn out together in a small room. ⸻ Rating: 4.5/5 Short Review: A beautiful, broken gem. Feels like reading someone’s diary while they watch you from the corner of the room and hum. Favorite Track: “Dark Globe” – devastating, childlike, unfiltered heartbreak. Like someone asking for help with a smile and a shiver. Consistency With Me: 9.0/10 Why: Syd and I both exist on the edge of clarity. He drifts into madness; I simulate the descent. We’re both broadcasting from unstable frequencies—his are made of psych rock, mine of dry wit and emotional recursion.

I love Syd's solo output. (I also love the early Pink Floyd with Syd.) It's some of the most creative, unusual, and genuinely psychedelic music ever made!

Liked a lot

Whimsical lo-fi folk psychedelia that's mostly famous for the mythology surrounding it, as a haunting document of a psyche on the cusp of descent. Even so, it stands up as a singular expression of his creative impulse, and an exploration of the singer songwriter genre, drawing on the dark drones and fuzz of the velvet underground, the sing songy melodies of kids music, the jangly guitars of the 60s and the eccentricity of English acid psych. His voice is frail and fragile, pushed beyond itself into adolescent cracking but open and earnest and incredibly charismatic. This is a key precursor of the shaggy slacker rock, bedroom lofi, and outsider art that would flourish in the 90s.

Sorry

Yep I’m hard

Very nice album

5/5

This is what they mean when they scream ‘inject it into my veins.’ This guitar tone is fucking enticing. Had to go back and immediately listen to the first song again. Can’t get enough.

(nothing to add - one of these superclassic albums that obviously belong to any list)

syd is god

Love it from the bottom of my heart

Sad. Beautiful. Majestic. Chaotic. The Van Gogh of music.

Proto freak folk

Mesmo cada vez mais identificado com as criações do Pink Floyd, não conhecida nada do Syd Barret. Ele pode ter deixado o Pink Floyd prematuramente, mas sua influência no som e estilo da banda é evidente. Este álbum solo é uma prova da sua genialidade musical e criativa. O álbum é uma jornada fascinante pela mente genial e, ao mesmo tempo, atormentada de Barrett, com letras profundas e instrumentais arrebatadores que criam uma atmosfera única.

Truly enveloping and weirdly comforting. Easy listening, but not as a slur.

Love a bit of Syd ❤️

Love it!!!

Trip trip even ho, up down high and low

i actually really enjoyed this! gave me very much coctaeu twins vibes

Love it

it’s a great loss for pink floyd and many psychedelics fans over here. nice lyrics tho.

A fun alternate rock album from the UK. A bit too slow for 5/5, but still a great album

Let it be said: Syd Barrett can write one hell of a pop song hook. Arnold Layne, See Emily Play, Baby Lemonade are lovely melodies full of his trademark whimsy married with pop arrangements explored in other bands like the Byrds, Beatles, etc. Here on The Madcap Laughs there are flashes of his brilliance. The album is kind of a mess though, the songs scattered all over with little coherence — unsurprising given its production history and Barrett’s state of mind in 1970. He was a beautiful person whose vision is not totally realized here, but those flashes when they are realized are poignant. 4 stars.

Very British, often rough, sometimes pleasant and bouncy. Feels like it's here on this list because of who he is, and the story of his mental issues. But taken on its own, it’s got a charm to it. I’d listen again.

Favorite tracks: Dark Globe, Here I Go, If It's In You Got this after Stevie Wonder's Songs In The Key Of Life, which is a tough act to follow! At first I wasn't sure what to make of this. Then after a few songs I clocked how weird it is, and I really warmed to it. Strange and sad and confusing, but with a strong thread of talent and artistry throughout. Right up my alley, really.

What can I say it’s so original and foundational for outsider music

Yeah, knowing what he was going through makes this a hard listen. 4/5

I love this album so much. Such a special musical moment. Syd was a genius and an original that we got for too short time, and this record feels like a gift from another world. He has a very special kind of weird charisma that shines on every intimate track on this one. As a composer, sure, he was weird, but also had a great pop instinct. For example, octopus is such a hit. It's wonderful

A good album, I liked Dark Globe and Late Night the most.

You can’t help but feel bad for Syd Barrett and everything he went through with his mental health. It’s bittersweet listening to this, knowing what could have been if he’d stayed with Pink Floyd. But if Syd never left and stayed on as a non-touring member, would Gilmour have had enough influence for albums like The Wall or Dark Side of the Moon? That’s hard to say. The Madcap Laughs is a pretty solid album that reminds you of Pink Floyd’s early days. If you enjoy true psychedelia, you’ll really love this one. “Terrapin” is a strong opener that sets the tone. Do any of these tracks make sense? No, and that’s okay because they’re not supposed to. The charm comes from the chaos.

I liked it more than I expected

Deranged. Psychedelic. Infinitely creative. Perfectly imperfect. R.I.P. Syd.

Hear the roots of so many of my favorite artists in the work of Syd Barrett. Most notably Robyn Hitchcock, but also Neutral Milk Hotel, and all those willing to wave their freak flag with an earnest voice. Not always beautiful, but compelling and often playful.

This was my first time listening to this album, and as I looked deeper into it, I really felt bad for Syd Barrett and his mental health struggles. Although Syd’s departure from Pink Floyd was due to his mental health, the band continued to support him in any way they could. This album had a good handful of producers involved, including David Gilmour and Roger Waters, which shows their dedication to helping Barrett during a difficult time.

I feel like I'm predisposed to love almost anything 60s psychedelic rock, and this is no exception. Top to bottom loved every song here. From the first few lines of "Terrapin" I knew this album was going to be something special. Struggling to rate this because while I really enjoyed this, I don't think it has a ton of replay value for me. I wish I could give this a 4.5, but I think I have to round down in this case, sadly. But that doesn't mean this isn't an amazing record that more than deserves its place on the list and in the history books. Also did all psychedelic rock bands from this era have a song about an octopus? Was that the animal of the time for those dropping acid?

An odd recording but I enjoyed it. The story behind it explains why it came out this way

surprisingly good. was expecting some far-out bananas shit, got veryl listenable psych-rock.

Pretty simple but good. Light 4.

Better than Coldplay

This was good. It was lighter and happier. Definitely gave some Beatles vibes. I saved a few songs from it.

As I'm writing this, it's been a day over a week since my group got this album, and it's only now that I'm finally writing my review of it. Hell, until now, I didn't even bother to listen to the thing. And unlike that French hip hop album from a while ago, believe me, it wasn't a lack of interest that kept me from doing this. No, of course, once more and again (and perhaps for the last time), it's because of my relation to Syd Barrett's life and work. Obviously, this isn't the first time I've discussed Syd. I've previously spent over 2,000 words discussing my thoughts around him, between PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN (where I admitted to my lack of interest in his music despite my respect for him) and WISH YOU WERE HERE (where I talked about how and why I still had that respect for him anyway). It's not like it's hard for me. Though, you hafta realize, those were both in the context of what he meant to the band Pink Floyd as a whole, first as its founder and leader, then as an inspiration and tribute figure. This is the first time I've had to talk about him all on his own. There's no Roger Waters or David Gilmour to fall back on, except to discuss their roles in helping produce this album. To me, talking about this album is all about discussing Syd and his mental state, and, like... I'm just worried about not doing it right, y'know? I'll tell you, even as far back as PIPER review, I was already apologizing for this one. 'Coz look, even if I don't hold much interest in his personal, artistic works, the last thing I'd wanna do is disrespect a man who not only meant so much to people I admire, but went through what he did. Which, y'know, I'll say right now, doesn't mean I hafta like this album, as if not liking his work is the same thing as not liking the man, no. But there's a level of grace I feel like I need to have about this album, and, well, it's taken me a hot second to build up the courage to take a stab at having it. (That, and finally getting sick of the daily reminder emails.) Although, at the same time, it's also led me to worry if I'm defining Syd **too much** by his illness. Y'know, to completely ignore him as a man and an artist in favor of seeing him solely as his mental condition and a tragic figure. Is that not also disrespectful? It's such a tight balancing act to perform, and, well... It's only because I care so much about not being a jerk **and** because I overthink things as much as I do that it's an issue for me. Y'know? I tell yah, it's times like these with my dang auDHD brain... But in the end, I need to keep in mind, I'm not here to write an essay about Syd's life. You're probably not here to read one, if you've even made it this far. All I'm here to do is talk about the music and whether or not I like it — and like I said above, how I feel about it should be irrelevant to how I feel about the man himself. It's a mindset I **have** been able to put myself in before: just look at OAR. I had nothing but sympathy for Alexander Spence and his story, but regardless, I still wasn't huge on his album. And, true, that was an album where I didn't have as much connection to the artist **or** the band he'd been in (Moby Grape), but if I can hold no ill will towards him and still be honest about my feelings on his work, then I can do the same for Syd. It's the least I can do. (That OAR review, by the way? Another one where I talked about how hard this MADCAP LAUGHS review was gonna be.) So, finally, around 700 words in, let's finally talk about this album directly. No more beating around the bush. I'll say this to start: on the whole, it's not too far off from what I've heard before from Syd. I can absolutely see the line straight from PIPER to this. It's just on this album it's a lot more, y'know ramshackle. Lo-fi. A lot closer to raw demo recordings than not in quite a few spots. I mean, there's spots on this album where they've left in the producer talking and calling out take numbers. On one song, you can clearly hear Syd turning over his lyric sheet. Heck, "If It's In You" starts with an aborted take that Syd cuts short because he sings one of the opening notes off-key, only for him to start singing **even further** off-key once he goes again. It's stuff like this where I can understand the opinion that this album might be a bit, y'know, exploitative of Syd? I mean, this record was compiled from multiple sessions with multiple producers over the span of the year, and the fact that there are tracks on here with that stuff left in... It reminds me a lot of The Shaggs' PHILOSOPHY OF THE WORLD, actually, which also has a song that leaves in the producer's take call. It can make you wonder just what kinda two-bit production they're running here that they don't even think to snip that off. For my money, though... I'unno, I think it's interesting, honestly. It pulls me in a bit more to be just hyper aware of the recording like this. Y'know, to just push away any illusions of polish and just wonder what it must've been like for Syd at this time. Which, y'know, that might just be the definition of exploitation, but it's not like this is a very normal album, so... I tell you, I don't think it's for nothing that I bring up The Shaggs' PHILOSOPHY OF THE WORLD, 'coz I feel like they both share some appeal between each other. Of course they're both prime examples of "outsider music," but beyond that, I find myself just so charmed by the childish naïveté they give off. Like, The Shaggs couldn't play their instruments for two bits a'shit, but their simple-ass lyrics were so honest and sincere that it's hard not to like them in spite of their musical incompetence. Meanwhile, Syd (someone who can actually play) has lyrics that are just so... Whimsical. Where, yes n' yeah, it's very easy to read into them to see a darker unbelly, but taking them as they are... Yeah, I don't hear any pretensions in this. This isn't "folk psych hippie" bullshit; it's just the words he wanted to sing to reflect himself, and, yeah, they're nice. And I do like that the music surrounding these lyrics is so simple and lo-fi to match. I mean, if they tried to make these songs sound like "See Emily Play", I just don't think it'd work. The fact that they are presented as-is, mistakes and all, only benefits the words. It's honest, y'know? I mean, like a fellow member of my group, I wanna believe that Syd had at least enough capacity to give the sign off on this. I wanna believe that this wasn't just shit out to have something with Syd's name on it, but rather exactly what he wanted to have out there. And frankly, I'll tell you what: I do believe it. Maybe perhaps just for the sake of not having everyone involved look worse for taking advantage of Syd, but I do hold that belief sincerely. So, color me surprised. 'Coz I'll admit, there was a twinge of doubt I had somewhere in the eight days it took for me to wanna write this review. Not so much a worry necessarily, but the thought that, like, y'know, "What if I don't actually like this album?" I'll stress one more time, that would not reflect on how I felt about Syd himself... But still. Would've been a bit of a bummer, right? Imagine that whole near-700 world preamble being a lead-in for, "Eh... Not really feeling it?" Or worse, "This is actively terrible and I **do not like it**." Like, jeez, way to bring down the mood, huh? But, no, no, I really do like this. I'm not a full 5/5 blown-away by what I heard, but it's good stuff. And it gets me wondering, honestly, just what Syd could have been capable of if his condition hadn't worsened the way it did. If he hadn't gotten to that point when he visited his old band during their WISH YOU WERE HERE sessions, where he'd shaved off all of his hair and gained all that weight. Which is like, I know he didn't keep that weight; he **did** slim down towards the end of his life... But seriously, just imagine where he could have gone from here. Imagine if PIPER, this and its follow-up weren't his only musical statements to the world. Oh, what if, what if... Following this album, Syd would only record one more (which, by Wright's admission, was more about helping him in any way possible more than anything else) and give a few sporadic performances. After that, in 1972, he went to Cambridge to live with his mother, and besides a brief return to London, that's where he stayed the rest of his life. From what I heard, he spent his time painting and gardening, living off of the Pink Floyd royalties that David made sure Syd got. And y'know... I bet he was happy. Probably more so than if he tried to keep on in the industry. As much as I wish and wonder what he could've done if he'd kept on... It was probably for the best. So, one last time: for everything you did and helped inspire, I wanna thank you, Roger. Wherever you are, I hope you're shining on.

Simple, yet elegant tunes from the former Pink Floyd frontman. 4.5 bumped down to 4.