The Madcap Laughs

So, in my recent review of The Beatles' White Album, I called it fragmented, but Madcap Laughs is fragmented times a hundred. Just look at the Wikipedia page for it: five producers, three sessions, a year and a half of on-and-off recording, PLUS Syd's progressively fragmenting mind. That's more than the Beatles could ever dream of being fragmented. Anyway, where does that leave the music? Despite being on the verge of ego death, Syd Barrett was still madly talented at creating music. The songs sound fractured and weary, but still very beautiful. The basis of most songs is that '60s sunshine, psychedelic twang, but with a twist of being hollow and as late to the party as it can be. Here I Go is a great song that highlights what I mean. It has that "love" theme, but sadder, like those simple Nick Drake songs he made. But he was also very aware of how alone he was, and he showed us that through a myriad of metaphors on "Golden Hair" and the direct "Long Gone" "Feel" and "Late Night". They have that sombre energy that I'm very fond of. But the album is not without its flaws, however. They're minute, but "If It's in You" annoys me, and those interlude-ish talks in the studio could be cut. I'm sure I could find outtakes that remove these, though. It's good, but I'm still on the fence about it. If this album found me a while back, I'm sure I'd like it more, and even put it in my library (which is still a possibility), but as it stands now, I'll say that it's good, but it's still missing something to bring it over the hump.

It's alright

Personal enjoyment fluctuates for various reasons.

I am a pretty big Pink Floyd fan, but never really enjoyed the Syd era. I think this album is more consistent then Piper, but that is mostly due to every song here practically sounding exactly the same. I am kinda surprised it took him this long to record when it is just him and an acoustic guitar. Nothing here comes close to Astronomy Domine though, that is his magnum opus as far as I am concerned. Mid 3.

Whilst its true that Pink Floyd were a better band with Syd Barrett as a member, on his own the songs lack a bit of the structure that the rest of the band brought. Nothing offensive here, I once heard that he used to dab LSD on light switches in his house when he had visitors, and having listened to this album I can believe thats true.......

The back story here is more interesting than the end result but there still ends up being some moments on here. Feels abit proto libertines in its ramshackle-ness

This ok, nothing too crazy but kinda cool to hear his music after pink floyd

Some of the songs are very childlike. It didn't feel like a full album, but more of a musical sketchbook of what was going on in his head at the time. I could hear hints of "The Wall" in here, but there wasn't enough similarity to pull me in. It all felt a bit chaotic. My Rating: 3/5

So Jeff Mangum really just listened to this and decided "This is what I want to base my entire musical career on".

I thought I would like this more but ultimately apart from the odd Floydesque songs, it was a disappointment. It felt disjointed.

Is what it is really; a bloke with some talent, struggling with himself and to get that talent out. Terrapin and Octopus are great and feel kind of fully formed. The there’s some where you can feel there’s a good song in there, but they’re not developed and it’s lost in the overly vocal focussed mix. Then there’s just some bang average/bad songs. But I’m a sucker for some eccentric British psyche whimsy, and I this is a decent exponent, albeit fairly extreme version thereof.

Not bad, and can definitely feel the pink floyd influence going back and forth

Alguna melodía se salva, pero se nota que falta un grupo que dé forma a las ideas de Barrett.

There are a few fucked up haunted well-made songs, but so much of this is not 'good' in the sense one usually might use the term. Only reason I think it has the pull it does is the super sad story of Syd.

not mad! i like syd’s voice. it gives a little indie rock almost?

The sad story of Syd Barrett and his descent into madness following his firing from Pink Floyd is the stuff of rock folklore. The short answer is he took too many hallucinogenic drugs and never left his state of psychosis, but there were clearly a series of undiagnosed mental health issues that greatly hampered Barrett. Some say schizophrenia, some say Asperger's, but it doesn't really matter. What does matter is Barrett struggled with these demons at a time when mental health wasn't really taken seriously, and it cost him his role as the creative leader behind one of Britain's most promising psychedelic rock band. With that out of the way, Barrett's solo debut 'The Madcap Laughs' sees him 'madly' trying a out a bunch of different ideas in the studio, stripped clean of the safe set of hands that was Pink Floyd supporting his creative vision, although David Gilmour (who essentially replaced Barrett in Pink Floyd) does play a few instruments on this record, including drums on 'Octopus', probably the most conventional songs on this record. Speaking of Gilmour, he and Roger Waters have production credits on roughly half the songs record, but even they don't seem to really know how to focus Barrett's whimsical, 'ping-ponging' ideas. It's almost like they were involved out of guilt for essentially letting him go from Pink Floyd. There are signs of Barrett's genius on 'The Madcap Laughs', such as the brilliant 'Octopus' and the unique 'Terrapin', but the album sounds very unfocused and unsure whether to stick to psychedelic rock or go full-blown folk. However, knowing Barrett was truly unravelling by this point does explain its unevenness. If the Barrett-era of Pink Floyd interests you, definitely check this record out (and let's face it, you probably have already). But honestly, if you need proof that Pink Floyd made the right decision to replace Barrett with Gilmour, 'The Madcap Laughs' is it. Best songs: Octopus, Terrapin

A couple good songs. A couple bad songs. Pretty much what I expected from Mr Barrett

Very 60’s and British-ey. Slightly tinges of early Pink Floyd

Jobbig lyssning med tanke på Syds historia. Gillar det mesta dock.

Den här nissen verkar ju ha varit helt vild! Fullständigt galen. Men ah rätt nice ändå va? Låter ju exakt som när han va med i Pink Floyd och det gillar man.

kändes lite som att ha någon sittandes i ens vardagsrum

Don’t do drugs kids

The Madcap Laughs ist das erste Soloalbum des britischen Musikers Syd Barrett. Die Aufnahmen entstanden 1969 in den Abbey Road Studios sowie den EMI Studios in London, betreut unter anderem von David Gilmour und Roger Waters. Musikalisch bewegt sich das Album zwischen Psychedelic Folk, frühem Singer-Songwriter-Pop und fragmentarischem Psychedelic Rock. Bekannte und stilprägende Stücke sind „Octopus“, „Terrapin“, „Dark Globe“ und „Here I Go“. Die Songs wirken oft skizzenhaft, teils bewusst ungeschliffen, getragen von akustischer Gitarre, einfachen Arrangements und Barretts eigenwilligem Gesang. Gerade diese Brüchigkeit prägt den Charakter des Albums und hebt es von zeitgenössischen Produktionen ab. The Madcap Laughs ist kein leicht zugängliches Werk, entfaltet aber über seine direkte, intime Atmosphäre eine nachhaltige Wirkung und dokumentiert Syd Barretts eigenständige künstlerische Handschrift jenseits von Pink Floyd.

vou ter que escutar de novo. me distraí.

Very similar to Piper at the Gates of Dawn - if you like that record, this will scratch that same itch. It features contributions from fellow Pink Floyd members and they try their hardest to steer the songs into something engaging. Barrett gamely sings his typical stream-of-consciousness off-kilter lyrics over psychedelic rock and folk meanderings. The final few tracks are just Barrett and his guitar almost like a deranged Bob Dylan. It's a fun and fluffy listen, just be prepared for some wackiness.

Ohhhhhhhh Syd... Mellow yellow psychedelia and Kinks-esque jaunty pop. I like the cut of your jib, but not enough to rate higher than a 3. I'm sorry x

Stream of consciousness lyrics and a first person POV of schizophrenia (Dark Globe). The album feels like random thoughts put to tape, and therefore as intimate as it is confusing.

Godt, minder meget om Beatles/ringo starr sange

Interesting album. Not quite enough to push it to a 4

Not particularly interesting to me but overall not an unpleasant listening experience.

Amazing tribute to the blues roots that influenced Pink Floyd and and entire generation!

some sentimental fondness for Syd Barrett - I thought Pink Floyd was boring, but a friend tipped me on to this, and I liked that it sounded genuinely pretty out there. the whining left speaker sound in No Good Trying is a cool way to put a pop song off kilter. it doesn't hold up as well when it gets busier. lots of good moments. doesn't hold up quite enough for me to listen much anymore. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)

Bit of a rough listen at times but I do really like the idea of performing catchy poppy songs in a low energy way, and those ones are really good. The important thing is: I think this is more compelling than any Pink Floyd album and that’s the truth.

I’d been wondering when a Pink Floyd album would show up (Dark Side of the Moon?), but for now this is as close as I get. Syd Barrett brought a somewhat familiar style and sound to this album which made it an enjoyable enough listen, but the brief dialogue between tracks was probably the most notable part of this album for me… otherwise no real standout songs or lyrics prompting me to dig further.

Enjoyable

Great record, feels very close to later indie folk stuff on some tracks even if not a huge fan of all of them on first listen I have to commend it and I may be back

This album reminded me a lot of John Frusciante's Niandra LaDes and Usually Just a T-Shirt, particularly in how unconventional it is, but there are nuggets of melodic ideas. That said, this isn't an album to revisit continously every day, but once in a long while, it would be ok.

I'm not actually sure what to make of this album. I was never a huge pink floyd fan (and the stuff I know is the usual - dark side & the wall - all post Syd). I don't know anything about the story other than what's on wikipedia. Listenable but not a love ... some definite "beatles" vibe but the outtakes at the end are ... odd? putting it in the middle and moving on.

Good

So so

You can hear his thumbprint on Pink Floyd thoroughly.

Started out strong and then just slowly devolved.

Syd's music sounds less space-y here and more improvised and raw while having those early Pink-Floyd psychedelic lyrics. The music becomes more stripped down and the words free-flowing, as if we're observing his declining mental state in real time. Whimsical, nonsensical lyrics aren't really my thing however so not much stood out for me.

Pretty decent but so overbloated

That's not my taste in music - But ok

Strange. Almost like your weird friend who plays guitar at house parties. It’s an okay album. 2.5/5 Might listen again

VERY psychedelic. Syd Barrett is talented in making psychedelic + prog rock. I like the instrumental arrangements, though I'm not sure about Syd's vocal and melody. The album has that quirky and quaint characteristic, which is fun, but I have to say the music is a bit too ordinary and simple compared to what I am expecting. It's a nice album, I would probably give it a 2.5/5.

3/10 to slow, production and vocals lack.

There's something entrancing about the flat, almost disinterested way that Syd Barrett sings on this album. His style makes you lean in a bit. It makes you wonder, "Who is this guy?" As the former frontman of Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett is definitely worthy of recognition in rock history. I think the first Pink Floyd album, "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" is the one to check out if you're curious about Barrett's songwriting. I'm happy to have listened to this solo album too, but I'd file it as a curiosity of music history rather than an essential album. I thought it was interesting though that his vocals reminded me of Roger Waters on a few tracks. His influence on Pink Floyd must have been huge even after his departure, and looks like Waters and David Gilmour produced a few tracks here too.

Die meisten songs waren doch ganz okay zum hören

Unterhaltsam doch anstrengend

This was fine, surprised it’s the first time I’ve heard it.

Enjoyed large parts of this but threatened to get going and never did. Album of B sides

Favorite Track: Octopus

Decent 3,5

Pretty good. Relatively silly like some of the early Eno stuff but it was relatively catchy and fun to listen to. I probably enjoyed it more than Piper at the Gates of Dawn or Saucerful of Secrets from what I remember of those, which is impressive.

It's good yeah - not in the top 1k in my book

This is definitely an interesting album as a Pink Floyd fan but it isn’t fantastic. Some good moments for sure but it feels like a mess and very unpolished. This is both a good and bad thing but I am glad it exists.

Had overtones of British music at the time. Not sure I would have listened to this without the Pink Floyd connection.

This one is really hard to rate. It's honestly not very good. It's very ramshackle and mostly sounds like he's making it up as he goes along. His history of mental illness obviously comes into play here and there are some good moments where his talent is able to shine through.

Musical Genius spiraling into madness and kicked out of one of the biggest bands ever makes a solo album called "The Madcap Laughs", super awesome concept. but pretty rough product.

Shine on, you crazy diamond.

As far as this slow folk-rock stuff goes, one of the better albums I've heard on this list so far. The few Dylan records I've been able to dissect haven't provided me the emotion this effort has, and it's still not something I want more of. Sometimes silly, sometimes sad, not really my thing. I do appreciate the expression on his vocals, and how his voice feels naturally suited for the genre. Easy to appreciate, easy to forget. 2.9/5

Ironically, this is the first Pink Floyd adjacent album I’ve rolled so far on my journey through every album on the list, and man do I wish I was actually just listening to Pink Floyd instead. There are so many Pink Floyd albums they could have picked from that didn’t make the final cut, Animals being my favorite of the lot that didn’t make it, but instead they went with this. Listen, I get it. Syd was an integral part of the band and its history. Wish You Were Here is my favorite Pink Floyd album, and one of my favorite albums of all time, but putting this here as well next to that is just sad man. It honestly kind of hurts. Again, I get why they included this, but knowing the story behind Syd Barrett just makes it all the more painful. The way virtually half of the album on Spotify is outtakes is a weird decision. It feels like they’re making fun of him almost. In a way, it’s a rather brilliant way of looking into the mind of a man who is in the ongoing stages of literally losing his mind. And you know what? This album isn’t actually that terrible, outtakes included. And in a way, knowing how talented he was just adds to the sadness. This is a sad album man… Favorite song? I actually thought “No Man’s Land” rocked sufficiently hard. For the unique background this album has, as well as the fact that it still surprised me a few times and was never actively terrible, I’m actually going to give this one a very low 3 stars.

I liked this so much more than I expected to! Cute in places, psychedelic in others. A really good listen.

No real standouts on this album for me, though I didn't mind it. Apparently Syd Barrett was a member of Pink Floyd in their early days, and I can definitely hear that influence in the mix. The album sounds relatively unpolished and the songs are a bit odd/wonky. I honestly don't know how to feel about it, but it's kinda cool. 6.5/10.

It’s easy to make light of Syd Barrett being the archetypal 60s acid casualty or being the ‘lunatic on the grass’, but this is really a desperately sad story. He was clearly a very talented songwriter, founding the band Pink Floyd and writing most of the songs on their first album as well as inspiring their iconic early live performances which were as much about the light shows and the groovy vibes, as the music. However, he went through a mental health crisis that coincided with heavy use of LSD that caused his personality to change resulting in him being dropped from the band. The record company then pressured Barrett into working on two solo albums, presumably so they could cash in on some of the notoriety that now surrounded him, but the results were mixed to say the least. He was supported by former bandmates Dave Gilmour and Roger Waters who helped with the music but the lyrics ranged from whimsical 60s psychedelia to uncomfortably weird, and were very different from the sort of cosmic space rock that Pink Floyd had moved onto. He later retired completely from the music business and lived a reclusive life until his death from cancer at the age of 60. Rest in peace Syd.

An interesting listen.

Did not listen to all of it - knew it would be different, but less drawn in than I expected.

Not bad, but not super coherent

You can’t beat a good album made by a nutter

Interesting album, would’ve been interesting to see the direction of pink Floyd if he stayed with them. Very psychedelic, a bit over the place which makes sense considering Sid’s mental state during this time.

Started strong as a freak folk album but then it seemed like they ran out of ideas. The studio chatter was very distracting at the end and those songs were already pretty short, which I like.

This is a tough one to rate. There are parts that grate on me with the over the top Britishness and forced kookiness and there are some truly terrible vocals, but in amongst that there are some really charming Beatles-esque moments and catchy songs, and the whole thing sounds like it was written and recorded in a day. I can't help but think about what his mental state was like at the time. 3 stars feels like a bit of a cop out for an album that absolutely isn't run of the mill, but anything else feels wrong.

Dreamy, psychedelic, masterpiece from a massively talented music legend.

Was expecting much weirder, like solo frusciante. Some cool mod stuff

Well, some unusual guitar playing sounds. 2,8

Langsamer Start, zur Mitte kamen ein paar Songs die mir gefallen haben.

haven’t listened to anything by pink floyd yet so maybe I don’t fully grasp all the ideas i should, but i don’t think that i’ll remember this album at all. it’s not bad, just unremarkable

There’s something about it tbh. I wouldn’t listen on the daily but reading more about it made me appreciate it.

Is this an album?

A fragile, meandering glimpse into a brilliant but fractured mind, The Madcap Laughs mixes haunting lyricism with uneven production. Its raw intimacy and erratic charm are compelling, but the album often teeters between genius and disarray. A cult curiosity more than a cohesive listen.

Sad reminder of what could’ve of been if the world were a more forgiving place and compassionate to mental health. Floyd would’ve been perhaps greater or worse. We’ll never know. Not a bad album for what it was…

Syd Barrett's debut album after getting kicked out of Pink Floyd after he completely shut down mentally. Seems like this album was completed with much difficulty as well. I got to say, I am really not a fan of the 60's style, muffled, echo'd vocals. There are moments in many of the songs where he's just sitting there strumming with no vocals, which is so weird. I'm not sure if that's a stylistic choice or not, but it's really noticeable and makes it feel like there's something missing or he completely spaced out and they just didn't edit it. Golden Hair really stands out with a definitive psychedelic sound. Best song on the album for me. B Side......wow, why was this included? 《If It's In You》He is completely out of his mind and incoherent. Very hard to listen to. It's tough to grade this. It feels like we are looking back and almost romanticizing a man going through a several mental health crisis and being driving by the studio to complete an album. The other problem is the more I listen to it, the more it grows on me. At least side A does. I think if you're going lose your mind, there is something strangely poetic about losing it with psychedelic music.

Ehhhhhhhhh.

Honestly, it's fine. I really don't have much of an opinion either way. Pink Floyd wasn't a band that I was into outside of listening to Dark Side of the Moon in middle school. Having some background knowledge of Syd and the making of this album would probably help, but I have none so.... yeah.

Glad to get into this a bit. 6/10

Almost like a small intimate performance of early Pink Floyd B-sides and outtakes, which is a good thing! Favorite track: Here I Go

Can definitely hear some of the virtuosic abilities coming through but overall found it to be unfocused and a bit…messy? Having the rest of the band around him presumably gave some more of the melodic hooks that this seems to be lacking some of.

Some good songs, decent album overall.

His whimsical style made more sense for me here as a solo act than with the early Floyd that showed up on this list.

Definitely can hear some early rock influences in this one. Some of the tracks aren't bad, but overall it's not bringing anything novel to the experience for me.

This is a weird album. It feels at times really modern, and at others almost haphazard. I'm sure all of this is intentional, but I find it only works for me on some of the tracks. I won't spend much time on this review, but I think I'll likely return to this album in the future for another round.

Cool sound with some good tracks. I liked No Good Trying and Here I Go. Lyrically I liked it, even if the lyrics were quite cryptic at times. Not sure it’s an album I’d revisit but a good listen

Pretty good! Sounds basically like early Pink Floyd. But my preferred Pink Floyd is probably like mid-Pink Floyd.

Behagligt!

Bit dreary. Might have been good back in the day.

The inclusion of some of the songs with stops and starts is interesting. And then it kinda made sense reading the up and down backstory of the making of the album along with Syd’s demise. These were probably the best takes captured. I actually enjoyed this album quite a bit, and it was more put together than many reviews were reporting. I had no idea how much Syd was the main creative driver of the early Floyd. Pretty sad that his musical abilities faded away into a life of drugs, depression and…gardening.

A bit all over the place. Obviously some sounds like Pink Floyd. Octopus sounded like an imitation of the Beatles. What the hell was going on at the end of the album? I thought the guitar on She Took a Long Cold Look sounded very amateurish. Same on Feel. Then the studio commentary for If It’s in you was weird. That was not a good song. Maybe I’m missing the point? I’m probably sounding too negative. Not bad and I’m sure he was influential. Maybe tough to fully appreciate out of context. 2.75

Thought I would hate this based on some reviews but thought it was pretty good until the last few tracks. Interesting to pair with Piper to really understand that he was the creative influence behind early Pink Floyd. Shame how things turned out for him. Don’t do drugs. Well, don’t do Syd amounts of drugs. 3.25/5

Le nom claque comme un coup de fouet : Syd Barrett. Le mythe, la légende, le diamant fou, l'acide qui a mal tourné, le fantôme dans la machine Pink Floyd. Un nom qui pèse des tonnes, chargé de romantisme noir et de tragédie psychédélique. Alors, quand l'algorithme des "1001 Albums" m'a craché cette pochette à la gueule, j'ai ressenti un mélange de frisson et d'appréhension car t'as peur de dire une connerie, mais en même temps, t'as envie d'être honnête. Et l'honnêteté, c'est justement le coeur du problème avec "The Madcap Laughs" car la note que je vais lui donner n'est pas à l'image du mythe et j'aimerais tellement lui donner plus, mais il faut rester réaliste. L'album a vieilli, et ce n'est pas son petit côté lofi qui en est la cause. Avant de commencer, il faut rappeler que "The Madcap Laughs" n'est pas un album au sens traditionnel du terme. C'est un procès-verbal. Le constat d'une chute au ralenti, le document sonore d'un esprit qui se délite en direct. C'est à la fois sa force monumentale et sa faiblesse la plus criante. On connaît tous l'histoire. Syd, viré de son propre groupe parce qu'il était devenu ingérable, trop loin, perché sur une planète où personne ne pouvait le rejoindre. Et puis ce disque, enregistré dans la douleur, le chaos, avec une valse de producteurs qui se sont succédé à son chevet. D'abord Peter Jenner et Malcolm Jones qui tentent de canaliser le génie, puis, en dernier recours, ses anciens potes David Gilmour et Roger Waters, appelés à la rescousse pour tenter de sauver les meubles. Et ça s'entend. Bordel, que ça s'entend. L'album est bancal, schizophrène. On passe de comptines enfantines absolument géniales, tordues et poétiques ("Octopus", "Terrapin"), à des ébauches de chansons où tout semble sur le point de s'effondrer. La guitare acoustique de Syd est fragile, hésitante, puis soudainement brillante. Sa voix, autrefois si charmeuse, se brise, part dans tous les sens, chante faux, puis retrouve une clarté désarmante l'espace d'un couplet. On sent les musiciens derrière (les gars de Soft Machine, excusez du peu) qui rament pour le suivre, qui tentent de poser un cadre sur un tableau qui coule de partout. C'est fascinant et profondément malaisant. Et c'est là que ma remarque sur le vieillissement de l'oeuvre intervient, le son "lofi", on en a bouffé depuis les années 90. C'est même devenu une esthétique. Mais ici, ce n'est pas une esthétique, c'est une nécessité. Ce n'est pas le son qui a vieilli, c'est notre rapport au chaos. Le chaos qu'on a connu, celui du post-punk ou de l'indie-rock, était souvent une posture, un chaos maîtrisé, esthétisé. On faisait semblant de tout faire péter, mais on savait où était la sortie de secours. Chez Barrett, il n'y a pas de sortie de secours. On est enfermé avec lui dans sa tête. Et ce n'est pas le chaos créatif et joyeux d'un Captain Beefheart. C'est le son brut, sans filtre, d'une dépression, d'une déconnexion. Les faux départs, les moments où il s'arrête de chanter pour marmonner, les accords qui tombent à plat... Ce n'est pas un choix artistique délibéré, c'est la réalité d'un homme qui perd pied. Et c'est ça, je crois, qui rend l'écoute difficile aujourd'hui. On n'écoute pas "The Madcap Laughs", on y est confronté. On assiste, presque gêné, à la mise à nu d'un type qui aurait dû être protégé plutôt qu'enregistré. Alors oui, 3/5. C'est une note dure, mais c'est la note de la lucidité. C'est la note qui reconnaît les éclairs de génie absolu qui traversent ce disque, ces mélodies tordues et inoubliables que lui seul pouvait écrire. Mais c'est aussi la note qui admet que l'ensemble est une épreuve, une écoute exigeante, souvent frustrante. C'est moins un album de chevet qu'une pièce à conviction. Un document historique et psychologique inestimable, mais pas forcément un disque que tu te passes en boucle pour te remonter le moral. C'est un album qu'il faut entendre avant de crever ? Absolument. Parce qu'il est le témoignage d'une vérité brute, celle d'un talent immense consumé par ses propres démons. C'est la beauté terrifiante de la fragilité humaine gravée dans la cire. Et ça, aucun 5/5 ne pourra jamais vraiment le quantifier.

amugy ez nem rossz. lehet rosszkor kapott el.

You can hear is slow descent into madness here. Kind of sad actually. Syd had talent and there is craftsmanship here. But it is quite melancholic and depressing considering how he turned out. It's closer to the Beatles than Pink Floyd and I prefer the Floyidan sounds but overall, it's fine.

Pleasant but not mind blowing. I enjoyed it.

Not particularly good music but a fascinating look into a declining genius

5.5/10

Many of the songs sounded a lot like Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Not bad overall. Really interesting Wiki read - Gilmour and Waters basically forced this album to exist. Not great, but not bad. So I'll say 2.5 round up.

It's not clocking to you is it? Syd standing on business.

Not a huge fan of Barrett era Floyd, but this has its moments. There's a lot of subtle sadness mixed in with his usual flowery poetry, which spiced up the album. Long Gone in particular stand out for me. I will say, if Barrett performed If It's in You at any bar on this planet he'd receive a chorus of SHUT UPs.

Love the song Octopus. The other songs are ok

ну такое, не впечатлен...

Feels Pink Floyd - Led Zeppelin like

Pre-Pink Floyd

so far from PF's psychedelia

Just ok

Kept my listening to only the original album and honestly, while I can hear portions of pink floyd this whole album just feels like its missing something. Barrett's voice is hit or miss every song but Golden Hair and Dark Globe are standouts.

"Shine on you crazy diamond." Just some LSD-drenched psychedelic nonsense from the former Pink Floyd front man and not all of it works. But, when it does, you get a song like "Octopus," a deranged classic. I thought I was hearing Robyn Hitchcock on some of these songs and Barrett wa a clear inspiration for his work.

Not sure what to think of this album. Octopus is a true return to form for Barrett, capturing the playful whimsy that marked his brand of psychedelia in 1966/67 and even outshining many of the tracks on The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. For that reason, it's the best song on this record. Here I Go, with its fun chord progressions and unusually low vocal register, works so well as a collective that it can't help but stand out too. And No Good Trying should have been the first song on the album. People (hippies) are coming from Pink Floyd records like Atom Heart Mother and seeking out the artistic, talented psychedelia-virtuoso who started it all. They should get what they came for. The actual album opener (Terrapin) stands out for the wrong reasons. It's clumsy, out-of-tune, and harrowingly self-aware. Interesting choice to start the album, particularly in the context of Barrett's downward spiral. It began in 1967 with his overdosing on hallucinogens and emotional withdrawal, continued through the late 60s with his departure from Pink Floyd, and culminates here (or starts to culminate, anyway). The songs Feel and She Took a Long Cold Look are also passable but feel pretty detached from reality, even by Barrett's standards. If It's in You is an interesting but bad inclusion on the record because it shows some studio interaction – and we're once again reminded of how Barrett is been essentially exploited and touted as a "fallen hero". As another reviewer eloquently put it: "It didn't feel like the demonstration of a lost genius; it felt like a ramshackle using of a talented but troubled man." Despite all the British whimsy on The Madcap Laughs, there's an undeniable dark undertone. And though it's not pleasant to the ear, it gives context to the listener that they wouldn't otherwise have. Man, poor Syd. The guy had it rough. 3/5 Key tracks: No Good Trying, Here I Go, Octopus

I have meant to listen to this for a while. It was merely okay IMHO.

Really sad listening to this. Reminds me of what a big influence he was with Pink Floyd and personally to me. Sadly this album documents the decline of Syd. Not that anyone knew at the time how he would deteriorate and lead to his very untimely death at such a young age. Not a bad album at all but possibly illustrates the direction Pink Floyd could have gone in. So very sad and a waste of a talent who if he had made different life choices would have undoubtedly gone onto great things and be regarded as a musical icon much bigger than than the appreciation he gained during his short life. 3/5 12/7/25

2.75

I guess this album was okay. It was what I expected, part psychedelic part avante garde part acoustic. Makes you wonder how Pink Floyd would turn out to be if he was still in the group. Maybe still kinda big because Syd is talented, but not "rock gods" big like they are now, but Syd is a legend in his own right, and I hope he knew that before he passed.

⭐️Terrapin

Меня привлекает *странность* этого альбома при том, что песни-то хорошие, и даже кэтчи. Это чувствуется как такой банановый альбом Велвет Андеграунд (с которым тут мне слышатся явное сходство) всего антифолка на свете - супэр-влиятельный! Но каждый раз, когда я слушаю его, я думаю о том, что любовь к Pink Floyd делает такую себе службу этой музыке. Мне нравится Pink Floyd, но после Сида Баррета. Но воспринимать его вне контекста Pink Floyd просто невозможно. Лучшая песня - Late Night.

I liked a lot of the first half, but why was the second half a part of this album? Cut that and I would probably have given another star.

Pretty good, but too much if it felt like demo tapes, the unpolished sound waivers between cool and unfinished. But songs were good, just wish they were more rounded out. Dang imagine leaving a band that becomes one of the most famous bands of all time

Weirdness!!

For better and for worse, this sounds like a demo tape for early Pink Floyd. Makes sense, obviously. I can’t say that I loved it, but it was reasonably interesting.

Whether it was schizophrenia, too much LSD or some combination thereof, this is not great. Ranges from semi-enjoyable to rather irritating. Not my kind of psychedelia. Also, probably for the best that Syd and the rest of Floyd went their separate ways. 2.5*; rounding up

Clearly, Barrett is talented, his songs have hints of it, but it's never fully realized and his solo albums definitely don't help his case. It's a raw and uneven experience throughout this difficult listen which really amounts to songs that sound like outtakes or demos. I admit there are some songs I really like, but there are more songs that are a one-off listen that shouldn't be heard by anyone that isn't some kind of masochist. It's true that Sid Barrett leaving Pink Floyd was the best thing that happened to the band, but it might have been a whole more interesting if he stayed.

No es un estilo que me encante, sentí que todas las canciones eran bastante parecidas entre sí, así que me costó concentrarme o engancharme con alguna en particular. Aun así, tengo que decir que la guitarra me gustó mucho.

I was always curious to check out what it was like since I heard a lot of Pink Floyd as a teen, and it pretty much is what it looks like: psychedelic folk rock songs that have something a little wrong with them. It's a loose description obviously but that's also why I enjoyed it, it feels kind of like the most sloppily put together album that I've heard in the genre so far but it's endearing because of it. I think it might grow on me in the future (and also a great excuse to check out Piper at the Gates of Dawn already)

Decently entertaining psych folk. I think I would enjoy it more if I wasn't comparing it to Pink Floyd but it's still a fun listen, if a bit basic at times.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Quelques éléments intéressant, l’impression que l’album n’est pas achevé et aurait pu être plus orienté début du rock prog Plusieurs chansons qui se répètent sans amener grand chose de nouveau

J'étais pas dans le bon mood mais c'est cool

Pretty boring save some pretty solid songs

top songs: terrapin i really don't know how i feel about it

Surprisingly good

3 stars

This whole album feels like a B-side/Demo. Some of it could probably have remained unrecorded, but there was magic in there. I particularly liked “Love You”. He’s clearly creative, constantly trying new sounds and delivery methods, but the lack of polish holds him back a bit. But maybe that’s the point.

nothing super special its decent

Strummy guitar and voice, not the psychedelics I was expecting.

Good album but less like pink floyd more popnrock enaglish invasion early beatlesque.

Definitely the early Pink Floyd sound prior to their shift to progressve music. This is fine but doesn't really stand out. I thin k it's probably here because of the Syd Barrett mystique.

This sounds unfinished and feels more like a historical novelty than a real album. I feel like it is similar to the Beatles Anthology for Pink Floyd fanatics where it has value if you are trying to understand Syd Barret as an individual artist for historical or completist reasons, but its not fun to listen to on its own.

Love the lyrics more than the musical composition.

Man, this is soooo boring... I don't hate it, I just don't care. This is the definition of meh

Feels like opening a door you weren’t supposed to. Something’s broken in here, and it’s still trying to sing. The songs wobble between lucid and lost. The rawness is uncomfortable, and it should be. But there’s a weird beauty in the wreckage. It’s all very tragic, but you can’t look away. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions: - Terrapin - Here I Go - Octopus

Rest in peace

Syd Barrett is a unique artist. He's distinct in both personality as well as his music. Terrapin is a calming, psychedelic song that stood out to me. But without a doubt, Here I Go is the best song on the album. The high points on this are great, the trouble is that the other songs are forgettable, and sadly, boring to listen to. I listened to Madcap laughs intensely 5 years ago, it was nice to return to the album today. Overall, a mixed bag, but worth checking out for the few very good songs on here.

In a poetic world there would be more to this. Syd Barrett may have cofounded Pink Floyd, but the best thing he did for the music world was leave it and let Waters take over. The Madcap Laughs is pretty okay. It's got a whimsy to it, the tracks that he was able to finish. I do think that the process of recording bleeds into the album too much. We didn't need to hear his inability to finish things or get things right. The music will often tell the tale of its creation and all the extras really adds very little. Just kind of bums me out. In a perfect world Syd would go on to do his own thing, make paintings and drift into old age and obscurity. Instead, he was ripped away from the band he loved, grasping at the ship as it left port without him. Sometimes music reminds you of the good times, but sometimes it just reminds you that the good times are gone.

I’ve heard most everything Pink Floyd adjacent including this one. It still has elements of the pop psych songwriting from early Pink Floyd but it is missing contributions from the others to make the songs more realized. This one is much better than his next album and I am glad to see it on the list.

A really influential oddball album full of cute and weird tracks. So influential however some tracks do come across as somewhat boring and despite being fresh at the time, rather stale now Favourite Tracks Terrapin Octopus Here I Go

Depends on my mood. I'll be generous and give it a 3.

The Madcap Laughs is a pretty solid album. Syd Barrett was apparently an ex-Pink Floyd member (the singer to be exact) and it seems he brought a lot of Pink Floyd's style to this album (as that is my assumption, i have not heard Piper At The Gates Of Dawn yet). It did feel like at a fair bit of points that Barrett was not really taking this album too seriously as this album included a lot of his pre-recorded takes which does feel kinda odd since this album doesn't appear to be satirical. Regardless, the typical psych-rock quirks are here and do make this album enjoyable to listen to and it does have a lot of stand-out tracks. I enjoyed my time with this album and can't wait to see his work with Pink Floyd. Best Song: Octopus Worst Song: If It's in You Best Song:

Some great moments.

Not bad, Syd.

Intime, dépouillé, imparfait.

This was interesting. I was expecting garbled nonsense but this was pretty easy to listen to - got a bit wacky towards the end but there were some touching lyrics and this wasn’t bad at all. David Gilmore took Pink Floyd to new heights but Sid did write astronmy domine. Every Floyd fan should listen to this Barrett record.

"Wouldn't you miss me at all?" Occasionally brilliant, sometimes difficult, overall kind of a bummer given its context. His ear for melody is unique and I did enjoy a lot of it. It eventually becomes a document of a musician's unraveling. The songs towards the end in particular border on unfinished. It does have a kind of proto-outsider music energy going for it. The outtakes included in the extended edition (which is the only one available on Spotify for some reason) do it absolutely no favors, and I recommend skipping them in favor of the standard tracklist.

A mix of fun, jaunty tunes like Here I Go and No Good Trying, hippie psychadelic stuff, and boring like Terrapin. No, I didn't listen to the extra outtakes.

Some songs capture early Pink Floyd in a great way. Other songs, Barrett is on the wrong side of acid burn - his mind is not what it was. The octopus song is good.

Fairly inoffensive but nothing exciting

Très plaisant

Whimsical psychedelia from ejected Floyd acid casualty. Lightweight and a bit sad.

Liked the overall vibe of the album, but the "gimmick" runs out in the middle of the album.

Just OK.

Favorite Track: Octopus

Muszę ocenić ten album bez sugerowania się stanem artysty. Słucham go w próżni, udając że nie wiem, w jakim był wtedy stanie. No i… to nie jest dobry album. Jest niedojrzały, momentami dziecinny. Chaotyczny i niespójny. Są na nim dobre utwory radosne i z Beatlesowkimi ciągotami, ale przeważającą większość jest naiwna i pozbawiona struktury. Wokal chociaż o ciekawej barwie momentami zmierza w stronę bełkotu i fałszu. Daję 4.5 i zaokrąglam w górę ze względu na to, że naprawdę było tam kilka dobrych piosenek o przyjemnej energii

Great discovery

It isn't an essential listen but I liked it front to back.

what a strange album. its good but im not too crazy about it Its pretty hit or miss. if its in you is terrible, might be one of the most dreadful songs i've heard in a while

It would be interesting to hear this album not knowing anything about who Syd Barrett is. Being able to strip away his past with Pink Floyd, his drug and mental health battles, the fraught recording sessions, the Soft Machine participants, and so on. I always try to listen to the records on this list from that viewpoint as much as possible, as that's how these records will be heard a hundred years from now, but when I have any history with a record, it's hard to do. Hard in this case because I'm reminded that I long ago grabbed my favorites from this and "Opal" and a couple from Floyd's 1st album and made a kind of Syd Best Of. A few of the tracks on "Madcap Laughs" seem to me like attempts to encourage Syd to flesh out a full LP of songs, but his mental state just wasn't quite there. The makers of the record could have, I suppose, released a pretty remarkable EP, but they went with the more difficult full LP with a few raw and demo-sounding tracks that maybe only the super-fan can fully dial into for repeated listenings. Is it exploitative? Again, staying away from any backstory, it doesn't matter, and it's not my call to make. It's fascinating and worth hearing and I remember why I cherry-picked a few songs and forgot the rest.

"Hi, Syd. Just stopping by for a visit. Oh sure, I'll be happy to back you up on a few tracks." - a bunch of guys, probably. It's semi-psychedelic with some pretty twee lyrics. Honestly, I found it to be a little tiresome, but it's Syd. Floyd was much more than the sum of its parts.

I had to listen to this like 3 times and every time I listened I enjoyed it a little more. The first half has some rippers on it for sure. Very solid. But then the second half sounds like someone making a psych album but their only reference is Norwegian Wood and they couldn’t even be bothered to get past the guitar part, to the point I forgot the first half even had drums. That being said, I didn’t HATE the acoustic stuff. It just felt very disjointed start to finish. I think criticisms that they sound like demos is valid (they have a more raw feeling with page turning and speaking that isn’t in the first half?) and wish Syd either fleshed them out a little more as acoustic tracks or kept them off of the album. Overall the songs are either great or are good bones of a great song. Good lyrics, fun songs, just half baked and not fully thought out.

To be honest, I didn't mind this album. Sure, the lyrics are pretty weird, but I like Barrett's voice and the musicianship was good. Not bad for a guy who was apparently mentally incapacitated.

Disappointed

Interesting one. Not much that engages me with the record, but I'm not turned off by it, per se. Has some decent melodies and vocals throughout, but on the whole, I don't think I'd visit this record again or remember to. It's mostly drab, but I appreciate the artist's effort and attempt on the solo front.

Not bad background music

Took me half way through the album to realize it’s the guy from Pink Floyd. Nowhere near the peaks of Pink Floyd but worth revisiting

I’ve been fascinated to learn a bit about the mythical Sid Barrett via the generator, first through Pipers at the Gates of Dawn and now this. I do wonder if this might be considered a ‘must-hear’ purely because of the artist in question and his mental state...? However, while I don’t think it’s a work of genius it does have a kind of ramshackle, surrealist charm that goes beyond the obvious disregard for music or technical perfection. Or, to put it another way, it’s an engaging listen in it’s own right - not *just* because it sounds like the ramblings of a ‘madcap’. When Syd sings ‘I woke this morning and remembered this song - kinda catchy’ I'm inclined to agree.

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would - a sad farewell to a significant talent who fell into the abyss of too much LSD.

Interesting but not essential

meh

I thought it would sound more like Pink Floyd, but it's actually closer to something like Herman's Hermits or Hunky Dory era Bowie. It's just Syd and his guitar. Each song sounds very similar. Some bits are very off key! 😆 I couldn't wait for this one to be over after a few songs.

Terrapin 3 No Good Trying 3.2 Love You 3.2 No Man's Land 3.3 Dark Globe 3 Here I Go 3.1 Octopus 3.2 Golden Hair 3 Long Gone 3.1 She Took a Long Cold Look 3 Feel 3.1 If It's in You 2.8 Late Night 3.1 Score: 3.084615385

this was decent, reminded me of david bowie a bit

Floaty, odd, and twee.

Surprisingly pedestrian.

Meh

Not horrible, not good. I didn’t turn it off but wouldn’t care to listen to it again.

It was kind of interesting. Could have been a 3.5, but Tim did not particularly enjoy it.

Practically a sketchbook of loose ideas and concepts that could have been massive or impactful, had he only the chance to develop them more in detail.

Feels so early and this album is just as you would expect. Filled with quirkly lyrics and bouncy little instrumental moments. Seems familiar and foreign at the same time. Such a fascinating change in music as it entered into the psychedelic era.

It's... what you would have expected from a Syd Barrett album, completely out there. But somehow it works.

Talented guy, and sad story, but this album, while creative, is super uneven. I guess when your brain fragments into itty bitty pieces you have a lot of ideas. Definitely an album you should hear before you die, but not because it's a screamin' classic. I admittedly don't care for this kind of psych but there's enough here to keep me interested even if I don't think it's good. You know who I bet loved this shit? Jeff Mangum.

Ok

First half better than second half. No Good Trying was my favourite track. Overall was just okay, not really a fan.

I found this fairly uninspired. Not super familiar with Syd Barrett but from other reviews it seems like this is a complicated album to understand. I'm not going to try and just go based on the sound.

Cool album

Interesting album. Not what I expected. Lent itself more to Harry Nilsson than PF.

Bizarre and occasionally super interesting. Definitely influenced some '90s musicians.

I don't quite get it. 2.5/5

Album opens on a surprisingly minimal note with Terrapin. Just a few layered guitars and Barrett's haunting/detached (as always) vocals. The effect is both absolutely beautiful and incredibly bleak. No Good Trying turns in a decidedly upbeat/poppy direction, but is equally unhinged in its layering of elements; just wonderful. Octopus stands in the middle of the album as the most full-bodied sounding song. Given that this was the albums only single, I wonder how many fans were confused/disappointed by the rest of the album that surrounds it. Long Gone stands out from the second side. Its simple, but so well done -- especially like the super distant background vocal layers near the conclusion. Kind of weird how raw the production on Feel and If It's In You sound (complete with studio banter). But reading the wiki page, it seems this album's construction was a bit ramshackle and drawn out. Album closes on Late Night, which features suppressed drums and whining guitars in a similar vein to some tracks from Pipers at the Gates of Dawn. After a single listen I'm left a little unsure how to feel about this one. I really loved the intro and outro tracks, but found the midsection to be pretty spotty. I appreciate Barrett's early work with Floyd, but don't think I'll be back soon to listen to this again. For me this rests at a high 3.

This one reminds me of the Robery Wyatt album where it's super psychedelic in nature but something just doesn't flow right with it. Front half is much better than the second half. Seems like a lot of them aren't even remotely finished. Definitely some of the later songs are from a crazed man as he had already been kicked out of Pink Floyd at this time, and like early Floyd it's good, but doesn't even come close to scratching the itch that the middle albums do. Just wish some of these songs were fleshed out a bit and produced even seemingly at all.

Strange

I liked it a lot, not particularly original but good

It was fine. The scaled back raw vibe has never been my thing, especially without lyrics that feel arrestingly honest. This felt pedestrian.

"The Madcap Laughs" is the debut solo album by English singer-songwriter, musician and former Pink Floyd member Syd Barrett. The music can be categorized by mixing and matching any of the four genres: pop, rock, pyschedelic and folk. The recording process was long and appears to have various tedious given Barrett's state of mind over that time. Five different producers were used including Barrett, Peter Jenner, Malcolm Jones, David Gilmore and Roger Waters. Barrett sang lead vocals and played guitars. Other musicians included members from the Soft Machine, Joker's Wild and David Gilmore. The album was well-received critically and, commercially, hit #40 in the UK. Acoustic vocals and clear vocals by Barrett open the album in "Terrapin." An underlying electric guitar guitar. Interesting lyrics as he talks about two fish in love. Barrett brings the pyschedelic rock in "No Man's Land." Layered 60's-sounding electric guitars. Bass, drums. Barrett is talking fast. About WWI, I'm guessing. "Here I Go" is a nice acoustic song with bouncey drums. Barrett in a deadpan voice. The sole single was "Octopus." A hard strumming acoustic guitar. Soft drums. Echoing vocals. Pyschedelic pop. A man at the border... of madness? He talks about octopus rides too. The last four songs are short and acoustic. "She Took a Long Cold Look" caught my attention with lyrics thst appear to be about taking drugs and being in Pink Floyd. This album mostly worked work for me. Short, acoustic, catchy songs in the pyschedelic pop category. As one would imagine, the lyrics are all over the place. Some of these songs probably didn't need to be on an album but, hey, they are a documentation of Barrett at this time. It's an album that early Pink Floyd fans should like. I'm not sure about anyone else.

joo hulluus. he just went insane - roger waters. kammottava virne kasvoilla. painajaismainen hymy... "hahahahaahhahaha" - syd barret... ja kävelee nurmikolle...oliko hän hullu? vai olemmeko me kaikki hulluja? emme ole. vittu mikä kaheli kaveri "hahahahahahha bit of dark humor.. bit of anarchy..." -syd baretti.. kuka VITTU antoi hänelle luvan käyttää äänitysstudiota..eikus odota.. voimme takoa rahaa tällä heh.. kukas teistä on syd? u guys are superstar now hehe... no good trying

Similar to magnetic fields in that there is likely a very good like 8/9 track album in here, but different in that the extra tracks don't really expand the palette, they're just more of the same.

Decent

mid and weird

A fun enough and whimsical album that falls a part a bit at the end

Kind of depressing but... a little too much psychedelia for me in an album dose that is.

Really came around to this at the end. I especially liked the last 2 songs.

I find this one difficult to rate. While I did enjoy a large portion of the album it felt overshadowed by his work on Pink Floyd which I much prefer to this solo project. I also am not a fan of how the Apple Music links always pull up some deluxe version of the album and I forgot to check before playing this one and heard the same song about 6 different times. I can definitely hear how this may have influenced certain sounds that I really enjoy like Neutral Milk Hotel or even the Mountain Goats. This album crawled so those groups could soar.

it's not very pretty or even particularly good but there is something affecting and tragic about the whole thing, both in the story behind its recording and musically. octopus does actually kind of slap though

Dude was so unwell, would make such a crazy double listen with Wish You Were Here. Such a sad tale really, like what the hell happened to this poor dude?

This is worth knowing, though mainly for historical purposes, and for reference to "mad genius" mythos. It's interesting, but not necessarily enjoyable or ultimately that impactful. Does get tedious after a time.

I was kinda of excited about this one as I do love me some Pink Floyd. But then I was quickly reminded that I don't love all of Pink Floyd's work, least of all some of the early, uncomfortable psychedelic material. Seems like Syd Barrett was pretty much the early, uncomfortable, and psychedelic part of Pink Floyd, both musically and on a human level. While this album did have its good sides, this was rather disappointing.

Acoustic Psychedelia! I'm giving this one a 3 because I am a big fan of Syd Barrett's Pink Floyd. My favorite song off of this album was and has been Octopus. I feel like he tried to achieve the similar results with the rest of the songs but wasn't able to find the magic and they ended up sounded jumbled up.

I need a lot more time with this one.

Nothing to shout about.

Day267 - if you told me this was an early pink floyd album i wouldn’t argue

Pink Floydin perustajajäsen ja entinen keulahahmo. Erikoista folkkia. Parhaat: Long Gone, Late Night

Semi-psychedelic

His solo work is not as good as his work with the other members of Pink Floyd. Pipers and the other singles he produced with them is genius and truly pushed the envelope. On the surface Madcap is not impressive musically but its merits are found in its true originality. Syd’s music is unique. No one sounded like him. It’s as if he’s saying, “Here’s my music. If you don’t like it, oh well!” There’s a whimsical psychedelic nursery rhyme childlike quality to it. I like it.

It felt like I was inside his mind, wandering around. I can see how, when mixed with others, he puts sparkle into a song.

Whimsy. Or more accurately British whimsy. Well recorded British whimsy. Roots of Robyn Hitchcock, Love and Rockets and the wanderings of Alex Chilton. Not so much an album as capturing a moment of someone before they disappear.

Did I enjoy listening to this album? Not really, but I still think it’s an important album, the issues Barret was facing are laid bare in this album making it a hard listen, but one any Pink Floyd fan should give time to.

Yet another psych-rock type album, the vocals remind me of the Beatles a bit. Not bad, but it doesn't stand out to me, this market has been dramatically oversaturated to the point that I just smile and wave at these late '60s, early '70s psych rock albums. Favorite tracks: No Man's Land, Here I Go. Album art: Guy squatting in a room with a cool lined floor style. It's a decent picture, not super memorable but I like it for what it is. 3/5

first half is better

I liked some of these songs quite a bit, and others didn't really do much for me. The history of the album is interesting. Barrett seems like the type of artist who just was never well adapted for performing his art on anyone else's terms. I might occasionally come back to this.

I would have guessed that this was older than it is. Sounds very much like a traditional album between Beatles and 70s rock. A lot of what sound like impromptu songs at the end of the album?

What a strange album by a strange and interesting dude. It kinda sounds like if David Bowie had a breakdown with Mick Jagger and they recorded a bunch of madness in a kitchen or something. After I listened to this I looked at Syd's life, and wow! I wonder what really happened to him. All that I could really find was that he disappeared for a few days and when he came back, he was a completely different person. Everyone speculates too many drugs at too young of an age, but that feels too convenient.

this one is all over the map. some songs are ok, some sound like unreleased demos, and some are borderline unlistenable. as the story goes, syd barrett was in pink floyd until he went crazy and they fired him from the band, and parts of this album do sound like someone who is going through some mental issues.

Weird guy indeed.

What even is this?

No Good Trying No Man's Land Dark Globe

There's a little man, in a little house, With a little pet dog, and a little pet mouse, I know where he lives, and I visit him, We have Sunday tea, Sausages and beans. I only really know the legend of Syd Barrett not any of the music. This was a pretty bog standard album. Nothing particularly good or bad about it, with the exception that the only version on Spotify is a crappy deluxe version with outtakes tacked on the end which add nothing other than annoyance. Thanks record companies, on your hands at last a dead star.

i like the percussion from the pick its a little too mellow for me god i love how you can hear the pick the music is good just not for me unfortunately my favorite song: /

very beautiful very powerful

The original frontman for Pink Floyd showcasing his unique take on music.

some great, some meh, compelling tho. With some gems

Just kind of a sad album. The slow fading of a musical genius. It's not really a great album, but there are still hints & moments hidden throughout makes it still worth the listen.

Syd barret few songs approved, love you is interesting.

First few cuts offer substantial charm and interest, and seem pretty much coherent, if odball-y creative, cosmic and cool. But it gets steadily weirder, more uneven and less rewarding (the more it's unaccompanied Sid, basically) as if we're charting a breakdown of sorts. It starts to sound like Eric Idle after a time (perhaps manifesting the man's considerable influence). It's good to hear some of the content behind the legendary status (even if it's not convincing evidence of genius), it seems harder to romanticize this man's druggy madness as time goes by, even if one appreciates his paving the way for the likes of Robyn Hitchcock.

I don't know man. This feel like a bit of a redundant pick. I mean, did we really need a Syd Barrett solo album on the list? Is his career noteworthy enough to be here? Is his debut album "The Madcap Laughs" really necessary to listen to before you die? I'm not sure. Is the album bad? No. I wouldn't say that. If you really liked Piper at the Gates of Dawn, you'll like this album. It is a well made album. I'm just not super invested in it personally. The sound is good and I appreciate the variety between each song, both in terms of the sound as well as the writing. The writing is certainly interesting. The singing is good sometimes but not always. The album goes on for a decent length. Overall, while I'd still call this a good album, I probably wouldn't include it on my own personal 1001 Albums list over albums that are better and more important in my eyes. 3/5.

I liked him better when he was part of that more famous band. I seem to recall it was the Beach Boys

As a lifelong Pink Floyd fan I honestly think Syd Barrett was somewhat overrated. The first PF album was important and a pivitol part of the UK adoption and variation of psychedelic music. But it's not that amazing really. This is an album with some real glints of originality and song writing quality in 'Terapin', 'Octopus' and maybe 'Long gone'. But the rest is patchy and stumbling. Is a bit of a hard listen in places as he's clearly not enjoying himself. Though Syd's influence generally on alternative music and even the like of Bowie can't be overstated, this is an interesting document, more for Floyd fans and investigators of the London psyche scene rather than a truly essential album.

Liked Love You, not the additional takes, just Love You.

There’s something kind of weird and unpolished about this album that elevates it a bit above other psychedelic rock - a genre which is never one of my favorites - by nature of being interesting, but it’s still not something I actively enjoyed. Favorite track: Long Gone

Had he obtained medical help I wonder if could have continued his career successfully. Pink Floyd would be completely different.

I listened out of curiosity. I know the stories and this really was a good album. Reminded me of the Beatles. And I do hear early Floyd in there.

Weird to have this and Wish You Were Here back to back on this list. musically there's no comparing the two. sad really

I have listened to this a couple times I find it interesting but not entralling. I do like its unique lyricism and free feeling musicality. Seems of its time but not commercially constrained

Gave me Beatles vibes. Def fits the era's sound. Pleasant and calm. 3.5

Little all over the place. Sounds really good though

Fine but only last song a stand out.

not as crazy as I remember his albums being

Big Pink Floyd fan here.Obviously and sit Barrett as well.However, this is just a 1/2 of an album.First half is pretty much 4.Star material the second half as well.It's below three

One of the best examples on the 1001 site of a album cover that fits the music. Syd spent too much time in the backrooms and lost his mind. A few songs on this album I rather liked. I enjoy his style at its better moments. I think I'm predisposed to appreciate it becaues I love Pink Floyd's first two albums. But the majority of the album is just Syd and his acoustic strumming so it's not one the same level for me. I liked this album well enough but don't need to hear it again for a while. I'm gonna go watch the music video for Jugband Blues now because that always one puts me in a weird mood. Maybe listen to Interstellar Overdrive after that

This album was playful - the tone of the songs, the silly (but still amusing) lyrics. I kind of enjoyed it. I did a lot of background reading because Syd Barrett's story is so unusual. I didn't expect this style given the first couple Pink Floyd albums and given that Barrett had supposedly fallen off the deep end already. So the laughs yes, but this doesn't sound like a guy who had gone mad. Especially if you listen to the takes on later songs like If It's in You. He's with it. But I guess maybe he came and went. Anyway, I don't know that I'm necessarily going to go back to this album over and over, but it was a pleasant listen and the education I got learning about its recording was worth it. Favorite songs for their playful mix of amusing lyrics and upbeat pop were Terrapin, Love You, Here I Go, Octopus, and Long Gone.

enjoyed more than i thought i would!

I was never a big fan of early Syd Barret era Pink Floyd. The man inspired better music than he made, which I feel a little bad about saying. This album sounds kind of like a disjointed Kinks.

Solid

Obviously reminiscent of early Pink Floyd, think "Arnold Layne" and "Bike", a piece of hsitory, but slightly depressing, with little hint of the subsequent greatness that Pink Floyd would achieve.

3.6

Like happily frolicking in a mushroom forest with a microwave on your head. Musically not the best thing you'll ever hear, but there's just something special about the way Syd Barrett writes his songs that keeps me coming back to this. Strong 3/5.

I kind of enjoyed this, but I certainly didn't love it. Somewhat whimsical but uneven as far as I was concerned. Got a little weird there towards the end...

A nice voice and a whimsical style. There were a few songs that stretched the definition of "song" but I liked a lot of it.

I once heard a friend refer to a band as "very Syd Barrett-y". I don't remember the band he was talking about, but I remember the music feeling fairly jarring and "herky-jerky", if you will. After finally listening to this record, I can say with confidence that I now fully understand and will be using that phrase comfortably in the future.

Strangely compelling, first side is quite good, unravels a little bit on the second side. Feels like the aural equivalent of watching a car crash in slow motion.

Lonely, deeply strange, at times irresistibly charming; a kaleidoscope of bright disjointed images. A complicated album to listen to especially towards the end. I'm struggling with what to think. The album cover pretty well captures the spirit of the album.

A mixed bag - didn't mind Long Gone

Great voice.

I dont know seems like standard 70's experimental rock to me. I liked it. Like Pink Floyd more. 3

Finr

He was tripping just abit too hard when he made this, Syd is a legend regardless and you can see it in some of these tracks. But overall a bit too incoherent and messy for me.

I am so back and forth on this album. Some songs were amazing and I enjoyed them a lot (Octopus for example) but others were just weird (and not a good way). One person was off tempo, off beat, off pitch, off tone, too long or something else.... For me it was not cohesive and very scattered, which is maybe the point. Because of that and the few songs that I connected with I will give it a 3.

Stretching from Chaucer, through Shakespeare, to swift, to Lewis Carroll, to Edward Lear, James Joyce, the goons, the Beatles, Monty Python, Syd Barrett gives that whimsical nonsense beloved of those English and Irish writers. To be fair, the idea of Syd was always more appealing than the existence of the music. I wonder if he’d be as remembered if it wasn’t for the tragic circumstances he found himself in. The early Floyd stuff is essential. This is interesting but not awfully essential. Historically important? Ask me tomorrow. My mind might change.

First contact. He has a certain stylistic and song writing genius. And such a massive following. I see the talent. It's a pity such huge figures collides with the Pink Floyd and it didn't end well. This is interesting and after I leaned in past the the tinny " demo tape jamming " soundscape I was quite impressed. I won't listen to this a great deal ... But it's very good. A warmer voice and recording would have made this album and showcase but maybe not his style to be commercial. More than a curio and history show his importance but I'm not close enough to it all to feel it strongly. Thanks for the introduction.

In the early daze (early to mid 80’s) of Scratches Record Shop in Newtown, we would be visited regularly by a long-haired, often bare-footed young man named Hugh. He usually had a couple of written/drawn handbills that he wanted displayed in the shop - one for either the Sydney Peace Squadron or Paddlers For Peace (they took to Sydney Harbour whenever U.S. or British nuclear ships came to town) & the other for meetings of The Syd Barrett Appreciation Society. I knew the story of Syd & the Floyd, but this was when I first realised just how much of a following Barrett had. It was also around this time that I first heard this album. I didn’t quite know what to make of it, but it got played so often in the shop that familiarity bred some kind of feeling for it. It opens with the best track on the album - Terrapin. And after that, you just make of it what you can. I think Robert Christgau in the Village Voice summed it up pretty well : he praised some of the music as "funny, charming, catchy – whimsy at its best. I love most of side one, especially 'Terrapin' and 'Here I Go,'" but he also opined that some of the material was "worthy of the wimp-turned-acid-casualty Barrett is."

I can appreciate the somewhat hesitant approach with unstable vocals, especially in the first part, while toward the attention gets lost.

#20 Syd Barrett - The Madcap Laughs (1970) Psychedelic Folk, Singer-Songwriter, Psychedelic Rock Psychedelic Pop Barrett's solo work has the same issues that I have with his music with Pink Floyd. It's too weird and yet too normal at the same time. Meh. Favourite Tracks: No Good Trying, Love You, No Man's Land Least Favourite Track: Octopus

My first solo Syd Barrett record. I never really heard any of Pink Floyd's earlier records that featured him before he left. I just know "Wish You Were Here" was in part dedicated to him. I know Syd's mental health issues (rumored to be related to schizophrenia) are often projected onto his works, so this is something I tried to avoid doing when listening to this album. This album feels like an uneasy 60s or early-70s Beatles-esq pop record if it were recorded in some sort of uncanny alternate dimension. There's just something so off about so many of these songs, be that the strange stuttering instrumentals or the off-key singing. This album is also highly intimate with many of the stripped-back, skeletal, and rudimentary cuts here consisting of nothing but acoustic guitar and Syd's vocals. This folkier style works in the album's favor on a song like "Here I Go" which I like quite a bit, lyrically and melodically. The simplicity of these songs doesn't go over so well on a song like "Love You" which borders parody. The dronier track "No Good Trying" was probably my favorite track here. I wish there were more songs like it. The series of acoustic tracks nearing the end bog the album down generally, although I enjoy the songwriting on certain tracks. "Octopus" has pure imagery-based storytelling relating to a trip to an amusement park. It's a very jovial and partially surreal cut with Syd's all-over-the-place vocal style working in its favour. I also really enjoy "Feel" with a longing sense of loneliness being portrayed in the lyrics. Overall, I'm relatively indifferent towards this album. There were a few interesting psychedelic moments here, but I can't say I was too fond of Syd's approach to the more folkier tracks. If there's anything I can praise endlessly though, it's Syd's standout personality that's put on full display here. His songwriting, whether simplistic or abstract, was the undeniable highlight.

Says Barrett basically managed to get 13 demo recordings on this list. Probs. I’m not onboard with Syd giving it his best as The Bad Beatles on the forgettable “Love You” and its sister track “Here I Go”, but the peak into his troubled and deeply weird mind on e.g. “Dark Globe”, “Long Gone” and “Feels”. Is it a good album? Not really. Is it interesting and deserving of a spot? Sure.

2.6 Im going to give it the benefit of the doubt and take another listen. Nothing really stood out to me as ground-breaking the first go-around

The man suffered but he gave great fragments of capability and his own emotional musings. It' s not great music, it' s not great craft, but its great vulnerability and I enjoyed listening to the takes and variations that were recorded. It feels both like a teenager's first album and it feels like a tired echo of a master. I read up on this finding that it has many musicians I really adore putting this on their favourite album list. Probably because the process of creation and the clear psychedelia elements of a past master, with all flaws and attempted healings, are on display. With that in mind, knowing who Syd Barrett is, I would happily listen to it again, and enjoy the process. It's a great find. Thanks for letting me find something that could be magical, in all its flaws. 3 stars.

Very interesting listen. I appreciated the very raw and uncut studio audio of Syd later in the album, but overall the quality of the songs are pretty rough throughout. That realization kind of brings down the fun of the album, because I get into the “why?” and have to concede it’s because Syd was someone who was likely neurodivergent in some manner, likely had some form of developing mental illness, and who was not treated for amy of it nor understood by anybody in his life. He got into psychedelic drugs which left him in a more unstable state mentally (since I’m sure for someone who was already losing their grip on reality in their everyday life the onslaught of mind altering chemicals didn’t help the world make sense) and according to stories seemed to be enabled, manipulated, and used by the people around him. So yeah, definitely a tough emotional trip to hear someone who society had completely failed trying to convey happy bouncy lovey dovey music. Interesting listen, but probably going to be difficult to revisit given the spiral it sent me down trying to analyze. Also, it seems like the weaker tracks for me were the ones the Pink Floyd members helped produce? Very strange. Top tracks: Terrapin, No Good Trying, No Man’s Land, Here I Go, Late Night

Not great, but weirdly entrancing. I think this could get better on relistens but I’m not sure I can say I like it yet

This is a strange album, which makes sense as it was made by someone who had lost his mind in the preceding years. It's an interesting album to be sure. It's somewhat uneven, but there's lots of neat stuff in here. I do not love his voice, which counts for some of the unevenness in my opinion. 3/5

3.5

Another guy who sounds like John Lennon. A bit meh.

The story of this album makes it hard to listen to except with sadness and sympathy for the toll that mental illness took on Syd Barrett. There's some good stuff here but it just made me sad and uncomfortable.

Worrying.

nix

Not crazy about the music on the album, but it is an interesting and important album for Pink Floyd and Rock n Rolll fans.