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The Madcap Laughs
Syd Barrett
1970
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!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!
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.
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.
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 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.
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-
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
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
honestly i wasnt expecting to ever listen to this. not much of a pink floyd fan and the whole album seemed a tiny bit exploitative to me? upon listening it's actually really good! lot of nice melodies and pretty guitar here.
As expected quite experimental but still not too eccentric. Should listen more closely again!
4.0 + This album probably isn't a crowd pleaser - definitely rough in parts ("If It's In You") but there are also so many catchy tunes here! Also, the bedroom recording vibe feels vital to me, especially for the era when so many bands were obsessively layering on the studio lacquer.
With Gilmour and Waters producing a good chinch of this one, you can really hear where they were heading as well. Great album, practically Pink Floyd
Uh, ovo je baš sirovo, baš se vidi droga na ovom albumu. Koliko je tužno u neku ruku (hehe), tako je zapravo dosta i dobro. Meni se sviđa, i to mi je ako ćemo već govorit, najbolji solo album od nekoga iz Pink Floyda. Amen.
Syd Barrett was a gifted musician and songwriter. Mental health is still poorly understood. But out of tragedy comes a great album.
To the best of my knowledge, The Madcap Laughs is the most comprehensive documentary of schizophrenia in music to date. Reading the background of this album make you cry.... similar to a bad trip... (7/10) Favourite Songs: Here I Go, Octopus
Great psychedelic rock album from the legend that started Pink Floyd. Shame he went crazy.
I really enojoyed this album. It was sort of weird. sort of engrossing. and in a very interesting way sort of lilted along. loved long gone.
Not sure when this album was released on the timeline of Syd's spiral into madness but this proves his songwriting capabilities outside of Pink Floyd
I loved how the psychedelic sound to this record is so lo-fi. I also loved the distortion at the end of No Man's Land. It was both fun and dark. Sweet and mad. Reading about the difficulty in producing this album was interesting, knowing how it came out. I really felt the lyrics in Dark Globe, with most of it feeling a little nonsensical, but then with that croon of "won't you miss me?" and "please."
Very interesting to hear from a historical perspective, considering his contributions to Pink Floyd. Knowing the history, however, I couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for Syd Barrett.
Syd Barrett is quite a story, and heartbreaking every time I learn more about it. Reminds me very much of someone I know who died at age 18 from an OD, and it haunts me. I can't hear 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond,' which from the music and lyrics alone already brought me to tears, without thinking of the story behind the song and, more recently, of the crazy diamond I knew personally, too. I tend to listen to post-Syd Pink Floyd a lot more than Syd-Era Floyd, but no matter what, Syd's influence on Floyd is forever. Syd's solo stuff is usually not to my liking, but I can deeply appreciate the artistry, poetry (although I'm not good at knowing what's absurdist humor in it...quite possibly all of it?), unusual melodies, and creative spark. This album might be my favorite of his solo work. There are some tracks I like here, like 'Terrapin,' and there are quite a few that sound sloppy and I'm not skilled enough to know how much is on purpose for effect and how much is due to his condition. It's all very textured and complicated and often jarring. I have a feeling it's a strong mix of intentional composition and just a straight-up reflection of him.
I'm listening to a brilliant songwriter who didn't give two cents about commercialism and that's abundantly clear. It's getting better with every listen. On the 4th listen I still hear more amazing transitions. It's a very curious album that is walking a thin line between unbridled creative genius and rambly outtakes that could've stayed that way. I'm putting it on 4 stars but wouldn't be surprised if I find myself coming back to this album in a few years and giving it the full 5
I know of the tragic story of Syd Barrett so I had some trepidation listening to this album but honestly I didn't think it was too bad.
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.
I don’t even care about the Syd Barrett story man, this is just wacky, totally nutty, absolutely bonkers.
a nice album. i enjoyed it a lot and it also inspired me to make a playlist so this is good.
Weird and fun - just like Syd! Not exactly my favorite but I respect the artistry, and how his unique way of thinking and writing sounded outside of Pink Floyd. Almost a 4, but I can't quite justify it, so we're sitting at 3.
"Isn't it good to be lost in the wood Isn't it bad so quiet there, in the wood Meant even less to me than I thought" (Octopus) Mejor de lo que esperaba pero aún así un poco de cortarse las venas.
Whilst Syd's history is undeniable as one of the founders of Pink Floyd, there is no denying that he went over the edge and past the ledge, waving at Keith Richards as he flew past it plummeting into his shiny place in the universe as the crazy diamond he will always be. AND let's not forget he's got a bike and you can ride it if you like... ;-)
some really good songs on here. i'd never really got Syd's style but after listening this time it became more clear to me why he's considered to be such a raving genius.
3 I guess. I'd consider a 2.5, but I can't bump it down to a 2. "If It's in You" almost broke me, what a long 2 minutes.
Really loved parts of it and really hated others. I'm not crazy about Syd's vocal style and the rehearsal bits were annoying but there are still a handful of great songs to salvage
Overall I think I liked it. Listened a couple of times. Some nice acoustic work. Got kinda weird toward the end. I can see why it's on here but I'm not sure it's something I'll revisit that often.
Enjoyable! Not super memorable for me. I liked it more than than Syd Barrett era of Pink Floyd so I guess that is something.
Nothing particularly wrong with it, just thought it lacked energy and was a bit generic at times. Two songs that stood out to me personally were octopus and it's no good trying
Less polished, and much easier to connect with than any Pink Floyd music I've heard to date. 3/5.
3 stars due to some great raw material and its massive influence, but not an enjoyable listen!
This album gave me Beatles vibes in some spots, definite Pink Floyd vibes, and some Doors vibes. I found the album overall to be boring but I liked Octopus a lot, and have to appreciate Syd’s impact on Rock n Roll
I like his voice and style and the straight forward simplicity of the songs. Some parts were a bit trippy but I dug it!
More of a look into the freestyle mind of Syd after leaving Pink Floyd. You can hear where he has it together and where he doesn't. I suspect this is a must-hear due to it being Syd Barrett and gives a peak into what Pink Floyd would be doing had he stayed. 3/5
"The Madcap Laughs" is an inconsistent, often problematic, sometimes frustrating and occasionally dazzling insight into Syd Barrett's career after Pink Floyd. One year after his departure from the band- an event that fifty years of retrospective documentaries, press and interviews seem to have shrouded in mythos and poeticism- he was presumably in a fragile place and continuing to display concerning behaviour. This album is one of two solo records before he retired from music: in truth, we know much more of him as the "Crazy Diamond" or the man "behind the wall" than the singer-songwriter airing his fragmented solo material here. Intentional or not, it follows that many of the album's songs are distracted, free-roaming takes often with just Barrett's guitar and vocal. The melodies stumble around in search of something to ground them, often passing by unnoticed and sometimes making it through the fog to latch into memory. When Barrett's approach blossoms into something structured, like "Octopus" or "Here I Go", it's a heartening display of fully-formed music. The full band approach helps flesh them out: while they may not be as accomplished as his material with Pink Floyd, they sound relaxed, almost at ease with themselves. "Octopus" is full on psychedelic and "Here I Go" is grounded in a parallel reality, but both are compelling and well executed. Two more of the album's best cuts are its bookends, which strike a good balance between order and chaos: "Terrapin", a languid love song and "Late Night", which was mostly recorded before Pink Floyd's release of "Saucerful of Secrets" and would have fit in it quite nicely with its chorus of slide guitars. On the other end of the scale, "Dark Globe" is harrowing account of a man alone and afraid, punctuated by a wandering tempo and a pointed, anguished refrain of "wouldn't you miss me at all". Just as compelling, but much more raw and painful. It brings us to the chief dilemma at the heart of this album, around Barrett's former bandmates Roger Waters and David Gilmour handling most of the production duties. It becomes apparent they have control of the narrative, perpetuating the idea of Syd as a washed up, crazy diamond. The false intro to "If It's In You"- and the garbled timing errors going into a couple of different lines- are difficult to sit through knowing another take could have easily been chosen, that Barrett wasn't necessarily in favour of this rendition appearing on the album. Ultimately, "The Madcap Laughs" relies on the listener's morbid fascination with the myth of Syd Barrett, their investment in his story and his tragic downfall. And in truth, part of the album's appeal is this sense of unravelling, its unflinching intimacy. It's not always easy to listen to, and morally it's a can of worms to explore whether Waters and Gilmour were right to focus on producing this over ensuring Barrett had the help and support he needed. But while the album is distracted, fragmented, sometimes broken, there are glimmers of genius from a mind nobody can truly claim to understand fifty-five years on.
Wehklagend, selbstmitleidig, extrem intim und dadurch unverstellt narzisstisch ohne unsympathische Züge zu verheimlichen. Dabei schräg schön und erstaunlich aktuell - diese Musik hätte in fast jedem Jahr nach tatsächlichem Erscheinen entstanden sein können. 2.8
Mix aus genialem Psychedelic und eher Lofi Kram e.g. Daniel Johnston. Teilweise schwierig zu konsumieren, aber bestimmt nicht schlecht.
I started off really liking this album. I liked the chromatic melodies and psychedelic, poppy feel. The drums were incredible but didn’t show up as much as I’d like. Towards the end, though, I was frequently thinking to myself, “okay dude… I get it”. It seemed to become more and more a parody of itself haha. Good stuff, but falls off a bit. A high 3/5.
Well this is a fun one. Not very polished, full of mistakes, but quite emotional, like a show of Barrett's mind. From the lazy "Terrapin" to the playful "Love You" to the heavily distorted "No Man's Land," this is a record constantly on the move. I really enjoy Barrett's crisp sing-a-long voice and imaginative storytelling. Obviously not for everyone and not to be over-hyped in recommendations, it's a bit of a mess, and feels like a mental breakdown, but for fans of this kind of British psychedelia (Floyd's Piper Dreams, Small Faces, Kinks, Soft Boys), this weird entry is a pleasant surprise.
Причуды Сида Баррета достали участников Punk Floyd и ему пришлось их выразить в форме сольного альбома, который ему помогали дописывать...участники Pink Floyd. Альбом вообще интересен историей своего создания. Это настоящая хроника безумия затворника и гения. В плане же музыки - интересные вещи есть, но они не столь примечательны как сам автор и запись альбома
This is going to be a strange review. Prefacing everything with that. This was the first time I heard this album. Knew Syd from Pink Floyd, of course, but never heard his solo stuff. I was in a strange situation where I started the album and could t easily turn it off. So I listened to it three times on repeat. The first time through I was like, this is just weird. Didn’t really like it. Second time, I was like, oh, this is okay. Third time I started thinking it might be genius. I’m giving it a 3 only because I don’t know what it should get. Maybe if I listen a few more times it would go up. I could even see it being a favorite album in the future. But not yet.
As a fairly big Pink Floyd fan I've always struggled with the god like status of Syd Barret by the band members and others. Yes Piper at the Gates of Dawn is his masterpiece and the album is amazing, but I don't think he achieved that some creative output as a solo artist. I've listen to this album numerous times hoping to find what others seems to find in it and I just don't. I put it on and think I should have just listen to Piper instead.
I'm not really a huge fan of Pink Floyd but I know about Syd and his history. I was interested to hear this and I'm sure I could love it more on further listens but I'm not sure I'll revisit often.
Didn't care for Syd's nassaly vocals, songs were whimsical, but almost unpleasantly so. guitar work was very basic.
I liked some of the songs, but there were some total turds on here. I prefer Donovan when feeling these vibes.
The only value in this one is the historic documentation of Syd’s degradation. Some of the songs I know mostly from covers that Fishman would do before he played the vacuum. I’ll round a 1.5 up to 2 just being generous.
Sounds like an audition tape for a Beatles Act in Vegas. I am starting to think I have terrible taste in music. All of these "100 most influential albums" are like... nails on a chalkboard to my ears. The live recorded, and intimate vibe is cool and different. nasal flat vocals out of 5
I listened to some of this, and it was below average early Pink Floyd. This may be an unfair rating as I didn’t hear the whole album, but I just couldn’t fight my way through it.
A mixed bag of oddities. Love Syd’s voice with Terrapin, Octopus and Gold Hair being the most enjoyable tracks. The others I can take or leave. Mostly likely to leave.
There's a reason Pink Floyd's albums become more enjoyable after Syd's departure. That said, I was pleasantly surprised with this album. There are a few bangers, though the rest is somewhat hokey, silly, forgettable.
Didn’t dislike this but got the impression it was pulled together with some scraps and ideas - his story is a sad one and far more interesting than his music
Харизматичный наркоман открывает дорогу юношам с томным взглядом в следующую сотню лет. А гитару все же следует настраивать.
This is reminds me very much of The Kinks album. In that it reminds me very much of The Beatles but not as good. It has some silly nonsensical lyrics and a couple of tracks that I like. I like the lyrics in Love You for instance. It's not too bad but I do prefer that album to this though overall.
The only thing I knew about syd barret was this lyrics "Thou shalt not take the names of Johnny Cash, Joe Strummer, Johnny Hartman, Desmond Dekker, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix or Syd Barrett in vain" so was somewhat excited to hear his solo stuff but wasn't too impressed by it. Bit all over the place for me. 2, not for me but not bad, possibly could listen again but not worth a 3 for me.
Didn't really get on with this, dunno why, just found it a bit annoying, sorry I guess
For some reason I thought this was Syd Barrett and was expecting something very different
I would give this 1.5 stars if I could, but I'll round up. It's weird, but not actively offensive.
This was too raw and unfinished for my taste, he sounded like he slapped together these songs while high, or performed them stoned, or all of the above.
I’m not a fan of psychedelic folk, something I hadn't realized pre-1001, and this batch seems late to the game in 1970. It’s interesting historically based on who Syd was and the fact that his fellow Floyds “helped him out” on side 2, but it's not my cup of tea.
Discordant ramblings of a drug-addled brain. Maybe I’m being too closed minded but I think I’d need some serious chemical assistance to expand my mind far enough to see the appeal of this one.
The best of this album IMO: - No Man's Land - Here I Go Really not a fan of the voice (especially in If It's In You). Music is minimalist, calm, nothing big and feel-good. Not really my thing though? 2.4/5
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.
Può essere che io non sia il più adatto a parlarne, ma mi pare che questo disco abbia più fama per la sua storia che per altro. Mi paiono tutte canzoni scollegate e che hanno molto più senso per il cantante che per noi. 'Octopus' perché dovrebbe distinguersi?
Ah Poor old Syd, a little too much acid and a fried brain of a genius. You just have to listen to early Floyd to here his songwriting prowess. Whilst nothing on The Madcap Laughs compares with say
Sounds like a drunk Englishman performing karaoke... A massive lack of any melody in pretty much every song. Only redeeming quality might be that the silliness makes some of the songs kind of silly and memorable. 3/10
Didn’t care much for this album. Felt that this had little similarities to Pink Floyd. This was a few years before they got bigger but we’re still around. This album felt more like a recording session than an album. Some may like that but it wasn’t for me. 4.4/10
Kind of reminds me of a B-rate Beatles or Neutral Milk Hotel with lower sound quality. Don't really even want to finish it, but that may be because it's not great stuff for thesis work more than anything. Did not enjoy.
I can see how there were bands that maybe branched off of the Syd Barrett tree (possibly Pavement as an example, don’t laugh at me). A few songs I quite liked, and yet some of this just sounds like some guy with a tape recorder and a guitar singing nonsense.
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.
Highlights: Terrapin Lowlights: Dark Globe, If It's In You A hybrid of folk and psychadelic, nice guitar playing...Improvisational? I don't know, most of the album sounds sloppy and unrehearsed. Contains some of my least favorite tropes in music: The random conversation before/after a track is played because the artist felt it relevant to include it. I did not like this album.
never cared much for barrett-era floyd. it all kinda sounds the same. psychedelia on psychedelia. i think i'd have appreciated this more if it was something i had explored in my formative years. hearing it now for the first time its just sad and boring
Turns out Syd wasn’t as mental as the guy who decided to give him a solo album. A tedious mess of an album.
It goes against the spirit of the whole album-a-day thing but I stopped listening to this after "golden hair". I can see why some people might like it. Some kinks / small faces / Beatles vibes but overall depressing and folky. Not for me.
Still not over the Bert Jansch fiasco to get into more folk so this album needed to throw a few upbeat tracks my way. Recognised the name and obviously as he’s a founding member of Pink Flloyd. Reading he was kicked out for “perceived mental illness” and “excessive use of psychodelic drugs”. I’m getting massive Beatles vibes off this record in part. Particularly Ringo-ish. The lyrics are simple and juvenile. And the upstroke guitar style playing in infuriating. I am also sensing a disconnect between the audio quality and style between tracks and further reading shows it was recorded over a number of years and the album has various production credits. I’m feeling quite laboured getting thru these albums as of late so I’m needing something I already know and I’d already rate as a 5 star album. 17 albums in and only one song added to my various Spotify playlists is not a good sign.
1 Star - Don't know why it's on this list. It doesn't seem remotely psychadelic, which is what I thought his appeal to most people is.
The vocals ruin this album for me. It sounds like a drunk at karaoke complete with the shitty echo of a school gym. This effect could be used pointedly in a single song, but instead it's throughout the whole album.
Oof, this one was tough. Very all over the place and the songs seemingly kept repeating?? Or else the album was just making me crazy, which is entirely possible. I'm seeing in the other reviews that this album basically documents Syd's degradation and, yep, that tracks.
weird - aber nicht das gute weird (meistens). Golden hair und long gone sind hörbar, der rest eigentlich nicht.
The album is garbage. I realize Syd was in Pink Floyd but that doesn't make his music good. The album is best described a psychedelic folk music. It takes two separate genres that aren't good to create another genre that is worse. Maybe that is the noteworthy part of the album.