The Madcap Laughs

This wasn’t for me

Annoying

just feels like poetry reading. very bland and uninspiring especially the last songs

mid

Meh, it was alright. Nothing too memorable here. Kinda chill 60 feel

not my jam

My neurospicy brain doesn’t love the way he strums the guitar. It was giving some folk/indie Beatles vibes though

- i do like it more for what it is. still have really no inclination to return to it again really. i suspect this is more for the fans who are already into Syd Barrett with all the multiple takes included. Had a nice rock edge but his voice was just so annoying in some parts. prob would give 2.5 if i could because i did find some it charming but since don't have desire to relisten will give it a 2 stars.

There's something about this sound and period of time that tends to not always gel with my personal tastes. I don't know what it is; I actually like the looseness, the edgy rough-around-the-edges performances, and his voice is pretty nice too. But at the same time on some tracks it sometimes feels like a group of musicians are surrounding him who are hearing these songs for the first time and playing along, and then that's what makes it on the album. His lyrics feel like that too, and reading more I get that he's going for a "stream of consciousness" thing but the final result isn't a great listen for me. By the time I'm at the third track, "Love You", I feel kind of annoyed to be honest? It's sort of draining in a way? The scene of: a former member of a much more famous band freestyling lines into a mic while a band behind him just kind of "figures it out along the way" isn't a great recipe for something I'd be interested in. It's not so bad to be a 1 for me, it's in between a 1 and a 2 and enough for me to give it a 2. Not really for me.

Tedious

Quite boring. I struggled a bit to get through this but wasn't so offensive to get a 1.

A mixed bag, but overall not really worth a relisten.

Super hard listen especially knowing he troubled Syd Barret was. Felt like distilled psychosis.

On s’ennuie, non ? J’ai pas fini

Boring, j'ai pas kiffé 2/5

Not on spotify. Also like dude has some interesting lyrics but not interesting music. Pink Floyd is Pink Floyd cause he wasn’t there and the band was allowed to rock.

Feels like more of an essential listen for Pink Floyd fans than a general audience. Some of the songs here feel more like sketches of an idea that an actual finished recording. Not entirely unlistenable (which is why it gets a 2) but I won't be revisiting this any time soon.

Meh

Not a big fan, 2, sorry Syd

Not sure I am a fan of psychedelic rock. None of it caught my ear, everything felt unsecured to anything and sounded a ton like the Beatles. Not a fan.

Syd was already on his way out of his mind here.

Beige Floyd.

Very strange Sad story for the creation of the album

If Syd can make two albums, so can i.

Best thing that happened to Pink Floyd was Syd leaving. 2/5

Big meh.

There are elements of Syd Barfett’s 2 records i really like (the whimsy, the almost freeform chaotic nature that is still holding some structure - the timing in Dark Globe) but elements i dislike (i find them a bit self indulgent and difficult to listen all the way through, almost like listening to someone who is just learning guitar fucking about with a four track - Dark Globe again), and finally there is something written in song and quite evident that is sad and a little uncomfortable in the way this and the next album shows a guy with incredible talent descending into mental health problems. The album reminds me of a better backed outsider artists like Wesley Willis. In the same way, is it fun, funny, sad, genius, rubbish - likely it is all these things.

Proper madlad

Interesting reading around this album and what troubles Syd Barrett was going through at the time. Not surprising therefore that the album is a bit of mess of different ideas and half finished songs.

The Madcap Laughs This is one of those albums and artists where it's tricky to separate the music from the myth and legacy, but on a pure musical level I struggled to get into this beyond a few songs. Terrapin is great, the funereal tempo and slide are lovely, and I quite liked the off kilterness of Dark Globe, No Good Trying is a nice bit of droning psych and the organ on Long Gone is excellent. But outside that it all kind of merged into a pot of similarly tempoed, similarly strummed songs, with similar melodies. A bit of a shame as I was quite looking forward to hearing it, but ultimately I didn’t really connect with it, and I can’t think I’ll revisit, so I’ll go with a 2. 🧢🧢 Playlist submission: Terrapin

The woozy guitar and melody of 'Terrapin' is a dead ringer for Blur's 'Miss America', and it struck me that maybe this album has a breadth of influence more than its own value. The influence/crossover with Bowie's early stuff is startling, and oftentimes equally as jarring. A cheeky music hall cadence and unintentionally humorous lyrics ("Close our eyes to the Octopus ride, isn't it good to be lost in the wood") is often like a Bowie pastiche. The false start of 'It's in You' is pure Nigel Tuffnell. By this point the nonsensical lyrics are extremely grating. "Puddletown Tom was the underground yummy yum yum" my hairy arse. 'Love You' is my favourite for this - "ice cream scuse me, whoops don't abuse me, blimey how's your father, going down the lido, ticklea-a-tickle-a-dildo". Or something like that. The lyrics are all from a childlike perspective, and not as in childlike wonder - as in a 30 year old who's been kept back in Year 4 for 25 years. On Piper at the Gates of Dawn the band bring this madness to life, such as on the atmospheric 'Pow R. Toc. H' an atmospheric build complete with zany mutterings from Syd. 'Bike' on that album is classic Syd, but transformed into a classic piece of psychedelic rock. Without these band embellishments, I fear the material to be extremely trying. There's potentially an odd genius buried in here somewhere. But you really have to be very generous indeed to ascribe such an interpretation. It feels influential on lo-fi folk rock and others For most bands this would the anthology, posthumously released as a curio.

No Good Trying has the highest degree of overlap with my taste and if this album had been filled with more tracks like this and a couple others then there'd be a different ratings outcome. Alas, a bit too many Terrapin-styled tracks on Madcap Laughs. As Syd announces with the album cover's symbolism this is a record of the light and the dark. Here the light slightly wins, but it's too infused with hippie melodies a la Love You, etc. that to me are sickly sweet and folkified even if of a fried mind. I find it's hard to enjoy the circus music in its entirety but can acknowledge some of these tracks will last another 55 years.

I thought the instrumentation on the album was cool. But i really did not like the singing on most of the songs. 5/10

I was going to write a mean funny review here, but I think I should change my perspective knowing the backstory to this album. Syd Barrett was the front man for Pink Floyd for 3 years before ending up with health issues due to overuse of LSD. Look up the backstory, pretty wild and also very sad as he slowly lost his marbles. This was the album he released after getting the boot from the other members. The album I feel slowly falls apart the further you get into it, although there are moments that actually sound alright. Its an interesting album to listen to knowing the context of what happened, a very sad album to listen to as well, especially knowing how good Pink Floyd went on to be. However it was not very enjoyable to listen to unfortunately. 4/10 sorry Syd.

Didn't know this was the person behind Pink Floyd

Best Track - "Octopus"

Good album lots Southern English pastoral whimsy. Far better than the pap his erstwhile colleagues pumped out. It’s easy to see how this album influenced greats like the Television Personalities. But you’d be better buying a TVP lp than this. The songs are good but much of it is Demo-y. Basic minor chords strummed on an acoustic with minimal overdubs. His next lp showed what he was capable of better.

Well you can certainly hear the influence he had on the early Pink Floyd. It's definitely an album of its time, but it needs the Floyd collaboration. If Pink Floyd is the cake, this is a bowl sugar without the flour eggs and milk. Really want to give it a 3, but I all honesty it's a mid-range 2.

This seems like the origin album for GBV and that kind of thing. Not really my taste.

“Madcap” is a little misleading. I was hoping this would be really off the wall. Unfortunately, without drugs this is just boring, even with the goofy moments. There’s no way a Syd-led Floyd would have been commercially successful, and this is unfortunately a sad reminder of his decline.

Boring list filler

Moody and trippy and just disturbed/disturbing. I used a lyric app to follow along. As poetry goes, some tracks made sense. Others just left me blank. Need another gummy onboard before I give this one another go. Please don't let this artist appear on this list again... my anxiety cannot handle it. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): Love You. Here I Go. ⭐⭐: Didn't like it. Didn't hate it. Saved no tracks.

Oof. This was mostly a rough listen. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): Here I Go, Octopus ⭐⭐: Didn't like it, didn't hate it. Saved no tracks.

It's kind of fun, but he's doesn't really have a very good voice.

Dislike this type of music - like discount Beatles, but with the uninteresting style of Beatles music

Difficult to listen to.

He's just singing about some girl he's sad about, how original.

Look, I know I'm far from the first person to complain about this, but the amount of 60s/70s white british guy rock on the 1001 is starting to get to me. There's too much of it. Anyway this was pretty boring.

I'm honestly not a huge fan of Syd Barrett's work after Pink Floyd. It's a lot more eery, spontaneous and unpredictable, and it's lost the dreamlike, whimsical edge I appreciate. LSD is a hell of a drug.

Two tracks in, already prefer it to Piper At The Gates Of Dawn. Here I Go is good. Lots of unfinished tracks, especially on side two. Some pompous people try and demonstrate how smart they are by never finishing anything. "Please hold on to the steel rail." Late Night is charming. I'm at the end, some of the tracks work but a lot of them don't and are just irritating. I'm still not hearing a genius here, though I did listen to Joni Mitchell's Blue before this so maybe that's skewing my ears here.

Amateurish and a bit childish; not worth a second pass. 3/10

Ah yes. It was only a matter of time when I got my first 'on the list for cultural importance rather than quality'. Syd Barrett undoubtedly had an influence on 20th Century music and beyond. What that influence is though, is less than tangible. We know he was a founding member of Pink Floyd, and that his spectre hung over the band long after he left. But when you think of Floyd's best albums - even their less than great albums - Barrett is not directly involved. The Madcap Laughs is very typical of the sort of late 60s zany freak-outs which you saw from the likes of Frank Zappa. It was a new and exciting scene, but while it accentuated freedom and inspiration, musical and melodic ability was something of an after thought. Hence the end result of this album being a curio rather than something your average person is going to choose to listen to. In essence, there's very little stopping you or I or anyone going into a studio today and making a 'better' album than this, assuming you had the money and backing. What this album does showcase is the evolution and descent of Barrett. It's not clear where his songwriting would have gone if things had turned out differently. Many songs sound like they could have been lifted from Piper, and many have a similar vibe. Whimsy is the word you'll see most often when people with half a brain talk about this album. Some of the songs are fine, but the repetitive rhythm and the recurring cadence and limited melodic tics of Barrett mean that you can listen to any two or three songs and understand/avoid everything else. Three stars for being a historical record of a man who could have been a genius, or could have been exposed as a fraud. Two stars for the music.

Wannabe like The Beatles.

Not very good

1.9 Fucking hell. I think everyone should actually listen to this album, it's a great advert why psychadelics should be used only sparingly, with long pauses in between. Admittedly, poor Syd if the biographies are true, in that he was effectively spiked on the daily by his wanker housemates. But what a nonsense album, it's not the work of a genius, it's the work of a man who has clearly gone off the rails. If an unknown person released that it would have been laughed out of record shops.

Not a huge fan of the Barrett years at baseline. This just sounds like a record producer abusing someone in the middle of a massive mental decline.

I love Octopus but honestly the rest of this is quite bad. Idk if that’s a nuclear take but I was extremely disappointed with this.

I'm the type of person where if the first 4 or 5 songs don't do it for me, I don't wanna keep going. The style of music isn't gonna take a dramatic shift suddenly that'll make it my taste. This was one of those albums for me. Definitely sounds like it belongs in the 70s or 80s.

Not very bad but simply not my stuff.

Really struggled to finish this one, might need to come back to it when I’m feeling more chilled.

2,2/5

This was a strange album, very raw, unfocused. Not surprising given this was Syd Barrett post Floyd and when he was in the throes of mental illness. Not really my taste if I'm honest, though I appreciate that its a time capsule of sorts into the mind of a man who wasn't well.

You can obviously hear the early Pink Floyd here, given that he was the principle songwriter on their debut album. It's not an era of the band that particularly resonates with me though and I found this to be fine but unispiring! Perhaps it was just my mood at the time but I often zoned out when listening and I couldn't really recall much from it afterwards. Not one I'll be returning to.

I can't say that I've bothered to look into the solo works of any of Pink Floyd's members. Although the case of Syd Barrett was unique in that he was kicked out of the band after a few short years due to his own personal/mental struggles. Did Syd Barrett make Pink Floyd? Or did Pink Floyd make Syd Barrett? Probably the latter, but this guy had two solo albums so surely there was some individual talent there. This album isn't really anything special if I'm being honest. More of an unpleasant listen, as opposed to experimental like most rock records were doing around this time. This album just never really gets going and lacks cohesion. Obviously a sad/depressing backdrop that led to this album, but that doesn't give it much merit to stand on.

Shades of early Pink Floyd here, but I'd already said this of early Pink Floyd "Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd, so super simple rhymes over psychedelic swirls and overdubs that makes it sound like the most transcendental shit ever laid down on tape. It shouldn't work, but it does..." This time it doesn't work, it's missing everyone else...

Quite bad. Mostly delusional mumbling. Sadly sounds like too much acid. The first track was pretty good, then steadily downhill. 2.4/5

The first half was a decent collection of psych-folk tunes, nothing mindblowing. The second half devolved into secondhand embarrassment…. I’m not even sure it should have been released.

Only occasionally did I think that music and lyrics came together into something good and/or interesting. Mostly I felt this droned on. 2/5

Njae

Psykadelisk musik i all ära men detta känns verkligen som att jag måste vara hög för att uppskatta.

Syd Barrett är ju cool men det här var inget o hänga i granen direkt

Boring

This album is like serving up a plate of spices without any actual dish to go with it. Sure, spices can elevate a meal, but who wants to eat just a heap of pepper or cinnamon? Syd might have been a flavorful spice in Pink Floyd, but this solo effort just doesn’t hit the mark.

Did not age very well…a recording that could only have been made in that time and place.

This seemed very disjointed to me but makes sense considering the state of Syd and the merry go round of producers working on the album. I didn’t really enjoy this and I feel like giving it a round up would be giving credit for his prior contributions and music influence rather than this specific album. 2.5/5

It's just not good. Sorry Syd...

forgettable

Weird hippy album. Lots of animal talk.

This album is not much inspired, it's raw and feels like a collection of unfinished songs with not much to say. I thought I would like it, but it has not been the case. Some songs were good, but most of the album was bland and uninteresting for me.

Syd Barrett channeling the Beatles. Apparently recorded during a time of mental decline, which makes a boring album slightly disturbing.

..

Sieni Gschicht isch legendär - sorry, Pink Floyd gfallt mer besser ohni de Sid.

sehr sy barret hä. sehr weird d text sind super. bi terrapin bini nochli unkonzentriert gsi aber etz bini bitz drin. so dark globe gad isch sehr unkonventionell well ungnau gspielt. eigentlich isch alles so. sini stimm chunt vo rechts und er singt nur so halbe in tune aber d melodie und d akkörd sind sehr cool. mer ghört chli wohers de gilmour hett irgendwie. long gone isch sehr geil wow. super cooli zweiti stimm. ah gilmour und waters hend produzieeeert. okay ab feel wird klar dass ihm nöd guet goht und s sind afoch schlechti takes vo songs und er schrummt gitarre. nöd würkli guet. oooka wereeirds album aber sicher es 3 wells echt cooli sache het wo a die alustische pink floyd tracks erinnered.

So now I know where Nigel Tufnel comes from.

Mad cap fr Had its moments but nothing crazy, bad parts were bad

dry pussy central

yeah his stuff isn't notable after Pink Floyd

More of a curio than an actual piece of music. It's whimsical enough to just about scrape more than one star.

This vocal style and sound is dated and uninteresting.

If James Joyce's Ulysses was set to music it might sound like this. It is evocative but doesn't quite deliver. It sounds like a busker at a train station who doesn't care if you put some coins in his hat, he just wants somewhere with an echo to practice. It's fragmented, has moments ( varies into skiffle and Beatlesque sections), but doesn't quite work. It sounds like someone trying to work out their sound, other offerings may be worth a listen.

Het eerste nummer klinkt nog heel erg jaren '60. Ben je mij eigenlijk al kwijt. Gelukkig varieert het album wel en brengt het soms een interessant klinkend stukje. Er zijn twee stabiele factoren over het gehele album. Ten eerste de wat duistere klank, ten tweede de valse zang. Waar bijna aan het einde mee gespot wordt. Zelfspot is een teken van relativering en dus best mooi. Maar de beste vorm van relativering aan het einde van de opname was geweest te besluiten het album toch maar niet uit te brengen.

Listening to this you can see that all early Pink Floyd is Syd Barrett. It has a charm and there are interesting songs. However as with Floyd and a lot of that genre you have to be off your face to enjoy it. I was stone cold sober and bored.

Very much meh.

Meh

not sure about this

Glad Syd left Pink Floyd.

The whole album feels so slow its almost painful. While one or three of these songs would have been nice on an otherwise more speedy rock album I would have enjoyed them more. As 13 songs ina row I almost fell asleep before it was over.

Maso

This is not good. Sounds like Lou Reed playing Kinks' songs. The Kinks are much better. Lou Reed is even worse.

Don’t know how to feel about this. The weirdness and stripped back sound reminds me of horn of plenty by grizzly bear, clearly must have inspired it. Probably won’t listen again

Did not enjoy this one.

It's psychedelic, sure, but in the waaaay too many tabs of acid and shrooms kinda way, not really the fun way. Lyrically and musically very amateurish, but i do like a couple songs here, namely No Good Trying and No Mans Land. Maybe obvious to say but definitely a good move for Pink Floyd to go a different direction when they did, unfortunately Barrett really lost it by this point

just thought it was a bit dull

Oof, not my favorite. All kinda sounds the same, but disjointed at times and lacking in rhythm and melody.

Not great. After the first couple songs I thought it might actually be decent, but it quickly descended into what should have been studio outtakes. I feel a little bad after reading more of the history behind this album, but this is just a sad, incoherent mess.

48/100. While I can see the potential for something experimental and intriguing, the execution just feels messy and incoherent. It comes off more like rambling than anything purposeful. Some might find charm in the chaos, but for me, it mostly sounded like nonsense.

Don't know about this one. But not too convinced by early Pink Floyd either.

Oof. This was a hard listen. Poor Syd was clearly going through shit when he recorded this album.

Fun, easy listening, a la Beatles 70s vibe. But not enough going on lyrically or instrumentally to keep me hooked. Enjoyed the folky vibe and quirky British voice, but not seeing much replay value. On to the next!

Album #1 - this is a rough listen. It's a mish-mash of songs. No songs stand out. Love the creativity and Syd's voice. Mostly this album sounds like outtakes and throwaways from The Wall. Then the album falls apart. It's a concept album missing a concept or common thread.

Syd seems to be the only one laughing on this one. No one without name recognition could have gotten this album released.

It was like one long demo session. A lot of the songs had potential but were either chopped up abbreviated or talked through. I don’t get this album.

His guitar skills let’s just say are a lot better than his vocal skills. Not very memorable anyway as an album.

More like 2.5….

This sounded like a worn-out musician who was forced to record an album. And it seems that this is exactly this.

Bleh. DNF Best Song: Octopus Rating: 3.0/10 (Irritating) Stars: 2/5

2.3

Strum strum strum

Very repetitive. Not for me

Just because an album is meaningful doesn’t mean it’s good. Also, I don’t feel I needed to listen to this before I died. But also, the list creator didn’t think Enya was worth listening to apparently. So I guess what I’m saying is I don’t think the list writer had taste.

My mate at school Eddie got me to listen to Syd way back in the day. We were stoners and thought anyone who was off their head or a bit out there was cool! Listening back to this now over 40 years later I realise what a load of shit it really is! Sorry Syd.

Soundtrack mentalnog propadanja. Žalosno za slušati.

It was remarkable how much this album sounded like a collection of Ringo songs. Between his voice, the style of music, the lyrics (there was even a song called "Octopus") I was getting real strong Ringo vibes. Unfortunately I think Ringo songs work best when they are 1 to an album... not all 13.

Not my taste, I don't like it at all. Some songs are unlistenable.

Maybe it's just the day but two songs in and I'm already bored with this. I mean as everyone has said, Pink Floyd wouldn't exist without Syd Barrett. But that doesn't mean that he's some kind of brilliant infallible genius. This...isn't great. It's rough, it's not recorded well, it's uneven. I don't mind weird lyrics or experimental music but this doesn't really succeed at either of those things. It doesn't sound like this was actually a finished record, it sounds like a demo. Some of it almost sounds like a parody, really. It kind of reminds me of Spinal Tap - how they went through all the various genres of music over the years. This would be the Spinal Tap version of psychedelia. Imagine Cups and Cakes mixed with Listen to the Flower People, but not actually as good as either. That's this whole record. Had Syd Barrett not been involved with Pink Floyd but released this same album, would anyone even remember it? Maybe some. I doubt it would be on this list. 2/5

Didn't do anything for me

Pink Floyd is my favourite band, and while It's not my go-to I enjoy the Syd-era albums. But the Syd solo stuff... ugh. I've tried but never managed to get into it. It's just kinda too much Syd.

This was not for me. I found it boring and repetitive. I’m not sure why it’s on this list.

Starts out nice and trippy but quickly becomes a poor Beatles knock off with monotone vocals.

It's like the goofy songs Ringo Starr performs on his solo albums, but people respect it because it's made by a mentally ill person. The musicality from the later groups this helped inspire is missing, so it doesn't work for me

# Album Name: The Madcap Laughs # Artist: Syd Barrett # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: Wow, that was a cluster fuck. Im a big PF fan. Admittedly, post barrett. However, i was looking forward to seeing what he had in his arsenal. This is just a mess. There was flashes of good melodies and sounds but it just went into an incoherent blubber. Im genuinely torn between a 1 or 2 rating. What a disaster Syd. RIP old chum but Thanks for leaving PF and giving way to one of the best bands of a lifetime. # Top Tunes: None # Would I listen to it again? No

Wish I could rate higher but there was too many tracks I didn’t enjoy. Shine on you crazy diamond. 2.5/5

Gotta say this was pretty generic. I knew the story behind Syd and I expected more, but maybe time and the adoration from very famous old friends dilutes the hype. Not unlistenable but pretty boring. I liked the first track and that's about it.

Ну такое, вроде вайбы, но не моё

Yes. Crazy. Sad

There are a few pleasant moments to be had here, but its mostly a deeply unpleasant look at a man falling apart due to drug addiction, and not in a cool edgy way, but in a "everyone's laughing at him" kind of way. Depressing.

Oh wow I’m speechless because there was nothing interesting about this album

Now then, I fear I'm going to go a bit po-faced here, because really, this just feels a bit like a level of intrusion into mental collapse that shouldn't be allowed really. Syd, one of the true greats, can barely keep it together for a song here, never mind an album. I understand why it's so fascinating and important, but it sits uncomfortably. There's an argument that you could say the same about (for instance) The Holy Bible and Richie's state when he wrote the lyrics to that, but at least that went through the band process. This just feels so personal and sad.

This guy was nuts.

I have always liked me some Pink Floyd (even though there are always some songs on their albums that are just a lot of noise that you have to sift through). Still, I had never heard any of the band’s work while they were led by Syd Barrett, so I was eager to give this one a listen. Although I enjoyed the first few songs, it went on and degraded down to something sounding more like a demo tape. It ends up with 2 stars from me.

Woof. I'd kick him out of Pink Floyd, too.

This is a weird one, as expected. It sounds like the last incoherent ramblings of a man slowly slipping into psychosis.....which is exactly what it is. There are some gems though amid the chaos of this album. Favorite songs: Love You, Octopus Least favorite songs: Dark Globe, Golden Hair, She Took a Long Cold Look, If It's In You, Late Night 2/5

Honestly didn’t enjoy this. As a Pink Floyd fan it’s hard to rate this low but I just did not enjoy it

Die hard Floyd fans may love this, but while I love Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall and maybe Wish you were here, this album is a little liminal for me. There are some decent moments, but it's not something that really shines like a crazy diamond, pun intended. Late Night is maybe the most interesting track for me. 2/5

One of those albums that I had to stop and check the reviews first because I just know there's more to it than meets the eye. I can't in good faith rate this well, because it's definitely a mess, but I gave it an extra star because there does seem to be some merit here and there, and I can understand what Syd was going through. Tough album to get through.

The best thing that ever happened to Pink Floyd was Syd Barrett's departure.

Trying to figure out what exactly I'm supposed to be getting out of this.

Pink Floyd is my favorite band, so I picked up The Madcap Laughs many years ago(before you could just stream whatever you wanted) hoping to discover something special. Unfortunately, I was disappointed then and I’m still disappointed now. I guess it makes sense though, Piper at the Gates of Dawn is probably my least favorite Pink Floyd album, and this has a lot of that same scattered, chaotic energy without the polish or cohesion. An interesting piece of history, but disappointing at every visit.

I guess this “matters” because of who it is and the context…very forgettable other than maybe “Here I Go” and Octopus”

I actually had no idea the legendary pink Floyd founder had a solo album after leaving . I wanted to like it , and I did it in parts , it’s intimate emotional but it doesn’t hit the mark much for me musically. Still a fascinating listen considering the context

Mostly uninteresting late 60s psych rock. I think this one's mainly going to be of interest to people who are invested in the history of that era, who care about these personalities. So, not for me.

This one was pretty rough

I just read part of the wikipedia page for this album, which I rarely do before writing a review. Because this album is very bad. It's just a weird mishmash of 60s psychedelia cliches that sounds very much like all the other albums of this genre I've listened to from this era. Look, I'm not going to go in on it too hard. I don't think it's special AT ALL, and if this album wasn't created by the original Pink Floyd singer, I cannot imagine it would be on this list.

Although the Syd Barrett era of Pink Floyd isn't my favorite part of their discography, one of those albums would be better suited on this list than his solo work.

Here I Go was the best track here in my opinion. This album just isn't my cup of tea, it's just sort of successive acoustic ramblings. I'm not giving it a 1 out of sympathy for Syd, cause his story is really tragic.

Do people genuinely love this album or have they just romanticised the idea of the troubled genius? I’m not convinced that anyone hearing this without knowing who Syd Barrett was would understand what the fuss was about.

Pretty much unfinished. Glad I listened to it and can appreciate his genius but not sure I’ll listen to solo Syd again

Okay

It's alright. Wouldn't listen to it again. No stand out song

This is not an album crafted by a genius at the peak of his craft. This is an album stitched together by a set of producere and a clearly unwell artist. We did not need the outtakes or the coughing. Honestly I'm not sure we needed any of this.

singer songwrighter, 1970 -> 2

Yawn

This is not a good album, not even close. If it was anyone other than Syd Barrett I very much doubt it would even have been released, let alone made its way on to the list. I like Pink Floyd, but only after Barrett was no longer involved.

I am utterly surprised at this, but... honestly didn't care for this. It felt sad - I know his other music is better and it sounded too much like someone not in a good place. :/ Kind of saddened my brain a little. Nice chords and pretty songwriting at times though

There is some hope to this album, but it is a bit too rambly most of the time. Will I listen to again: 5%

More listensble than I expected, but wouldn’t listen again

I wanted to like this, but it was a mess.

A drab and depressing assortment of demos by a man who was very unwell.

As a long time Floyd fan, I give credit to says Barrett for his role getting them started and influencing their work. I can go without his solo work, even with help from friends.

I'm disinclined. The general sound is folk-rock and I often get behind that. I liked the first couple of songs: Terrapin and No Good Trying. But the rest of the album was either "meh" or kind of annoying (the outtakes on If It's In You).

It's like Syd heard "Octopus's Garden" and decided "I'll make a whole album like that, but twice as random and half as charming."

Drunk Beatles vibes. Not bad, but not really good either.

Geez, the Pink Floyd guys dodged a bullet when this guy quit. 1.61

Feels like a rough collection of half baked songs. There are definitely some shining moments but by and large it sounds very slapdash. I don’t think I’ve ever listened to a Syd era Pink Floyd album - perhaps that context would help. But I did not find this very enjoyable and I don’t think it does a good job convincing me.

Not a huge fan of this. Good at its best but it's too long. Some of this could have been left out

Não me pegou muito. Uma vozinha um violão, acho que precisava de mais. Dito isso, gostei de Octopus.

Listening to this album was depressing. Except for a couple of nice moments it just highlights the deterioration of a talented musician. I should give it 1 star, but since it's Barrett, I'll give it 2.

Weird and whimsical but not in a good way

weird psychedelia stuff

Meh

I get the importance of this album but it's a hard listen.

Insanity distilled.

Not my jam

I didn't think much of this. I understand Barrett was a genius in his own very unique way, but that didn't make this collection of tracks any more appealing to me.

Boring and dull, not much to listen here

2.5 ok stripped down psychedelic

Every 60s brit musician wanted to do Vaudeville

mehh

I didn't love it. To me it sounded like the generic soundtrack to some forgettable 60's movie. It's not a sound I'm into. That being said, my wife really did enjoy it. Your mileage may vary.

I'm a Pink Floyd fan, even an early PF fan and knew of some of the stories of Syd Barrett but never have listened to his albums. I had heard of Golden Hair, and did enjoy that song, there was a cover of that song done really well by Slowdive. The rest of the album wasn't my favorite, I'm going to go with 2 star I think.

Not sure what I’m supposed to do with this. I suppose you have to listen to it to understand that Pink Floyd didn’t work except as a sum of its parts. Not punishing to listen to, but rather thin and not something I’d ever revisit.

meh.

Not a lot of dynamics to this album. The raw feeling of the album is there, but verges into amatuerish at times. I like the effects he does to his voice. Psychedelic country music. The are a couple interesting songs, but it is mostly a slog to get through the while album to be honest.

I just could not get into this.

Terrible. All sounded the same. One extra star for Pink Floyd.

“You took too much man, too much, too much.”

Syd has a cool reputation, but this was just like a less talented Donovan.

Sometimes it's hard to grasp reality when you're tripping everyday. Tho, I'm not much of a Pink Floyd historian, I do understand that this is the album that Syd Barrett made after Floyd gave him the boot. And, based on this album, I think we can all agree the band made the right decision.

I managed to not pay close attention to this album for most of its duration, successfully avoiding its annoyances. But near the end “If It’s In You” made those annoyances undeniable.

Dark Globe is terrible and what is happening during If It's In You? The remaining songs are fine but clearly Pink Floyd was better off without Syd.

Like many things drugged out, psychedelic music, there are snippets of good music. But ultimately this is an incoherent mess.

This is a hard listen. I want to like it. I wonder how much of that desire is due to the tragedy that Syd's life became. The album may be more important for the influences it had on other artists; at times you could be forgiven for thinking you were listening to "Hunky Dory" period David Bowie. Perhaps that makes it "important" and so something I should listen to. It doesn't make it "enjoyable", though. I've heard it, I am unlikely to listen to it again. This doesn't work for me, unlike "Piper". Syd's songs need the rest of Floyd. 2/5.

Pretty meh album. I was thinking about giving it a 3, then the song "If It's in You" came on...

I can appreciate the Syd Barrett was an integral part of music history. This was a bit of a mess and meandered around the place, some of those places were interesting, but a fair few were sad and hard to listen to.

Kinda sad to listen to tbh. Syd clearly wasn’t in a good place during this. Still has a couple of good tracks but with his talent that is inevitable.

This is a tough album, both to listen to and to review. It sounds like he’s making up many of the songs as he’s playing them. There’s no production value to speak of, and it’s obvious that Syd’s not well. Still, there are some good tracks here. No Good Trying and No Man’s Land are in some ways predecessors to Sonic Youth’s noise pop, and are quiet interesting. Octopus is maybe the best song, with a nice chord progression and a catchy chorus, kind of réminiscent of The Beatles. From thereon it’s all downhill, outtakes recorded and released for profit.

it was more enjoyable to listen then i tought. almost entire songs on acoustic guitar. The melodys are enjoyable to listen too.

Blind album, knew 1 song and know him from Pink Floyd. So I totally see the influences and how it relates to PF, but this is not, and it's different, and some songs were rough, and the hits aren't huge in my mind either...

If he didn't have the association with Pink Floyd then he'd be nowhere near this list. These sounds like demos. They're quite flat and tedious, and the timing and delivery is really strange and disconcerting.

Terrible stuff. I'm not really a huge fan of Piper at the Gates of Dawn, but surely that is enough of a legacy for Syd Barrett. I feel like this album tarnishes his name, even if the circumstances are interesting from a music history point of view. Don't think I'll ever listen to this again due to the terrible singing and lyrics, but I guess I see why it's in the book.

Like fortune telling but backwards.

i'm glad he had fun, anyway

Please stop singing. +1 star because of the guitar

Didn't really like this. It feels like The Beatles but with no depth. I think it was fine at best, and headache inducing at worst. Maybe this album caught me at a bad time.

I had high expectations, after all Syd Barrett is an original Pink Floyd! But, I was sorely disappointed. Some of the songs are fundamentally good but the album sounds like a demo tape cobbled together on a drunken evening (drugs, more likely). Is it too much to ask for a retake if the vocals are way off ("Dark Globe") or the guitar isn't even tuned ("Octopus")? Some songs are psychedelic Pink Floyd'ish but not nearly as good, and some songs are jus too Monty Pythonesque (but again not quite as good or with the necessary sense of parody). A pity.

This is bad. Not the worst thing ever, but actually kind of obnoxious. I had never heard of Syd Barrett and maybe that's for a reason. Trying to give me Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Beatles vibes, but just missing the mark.

Why is this on this list? 2.

This was truly bizarre and not really in a good way. Every time I thought I'd find myself getting into it, it would end, or change or some lyrical content was zap me straight back, I don't think this is very good

Only really interesting for inside baseball reasons, and I still wouldn’t exactly call this essential listening for those reasons either

boring and slow 2 stars.

Couldn’t get through it.

Meh

This was a big ol' fat disappointment. For such an interesting title, the Madcap Laughs was lackluster, just like how a lot of folk is. And damn, those vocals were doing too much and it was very yikes. The reason singers that lack good voices (Alice Cooper, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits) do so well is that they don't strain their voices like Syd Barrett does.

3/10 - I do not like his singing like at all. The songs without his singing are quite boring. There are multiple times that he starts and then has to re-record and its a part of the song? I just do not get it, it does not sound good.

Good example of psychedelic rock. But not a great one.

Do not want. This is purely fan service for Pink Floyd fans.

Was alright

Aight

boring ahh album

Sounds like if John Lennon took too much heroin and just noodled around with some half baked song ideas.

Eh. Thought I was going to like this more.

Two stars because although it reminds me of early Floyd (obviously!), it is very definitely not Floyd. It sounds like a poor imitation. No slight to Barrett is intended: he was an important part of the band, but his solo work, if this is typical, is not up to the same standard.

There's a couple decent songs here but it's mostly not great listening. It's certainly odd and tragic in about equal doses.

not to sure about this one

This is a very weird record, equally horrible and amazing. At times it felt like listening to the unloved, disfigured child of David Bowie and Nick Drake. I take consolation in knowing that Syd Barrett from Pink Floyd sucked on the guitar as much as I do, but if I have to listen to fucking Love You again, I swear to David Bowie I'll revive Syd and stab him myself. 2.5/5.

This was a bit painful. Started with some good stuff. Devolved into not so good stuff. Knowing a small bit of the personal troubles of Syd during this time, especially, it didn't help me find the good in the bad. 2

This didn't do much for me. It's another one where I assume the lyrics are significant part of the draw. 2.2

I like psych music and was under the impression Syd Barrett was cool so I thought I’d like this. I didn’t, in fact it bored me quite a bit. The girl referenced on the track, Here I Go was right to dislike Syd’s songs. 2 stars

This runs runs the gamut from uninteresting to pretty awful. Kept waiting for the finely written tune - never heard it.

Inget speciellt.

Jesus this was a long 37 minutes. I mean, what exactly is supposed to be good or interesting about this? This just sounds like every other guy with an acoustic guitar who can’t sing (I should know, I am one). No wonder Pink Floyd didn’t become successful until after this guy left.

Sorry Syd, not for me lad. I’d have kicked you out of Pink Floyd as well tbf. Simpsons: I don’t think Pink Floyd references count?

this wasn't good but I'm not sure it's bad enough for a one.

There's something interesting about this I guess but in a bit of a dull way. I'm happy for Syd that he managed to make his art but I don't love it. It's kind of awkward that the best bit of art related to him is Wish You Were Here which he had nothing to do with apart from being missed.

Seemed mostly like it was just being weird for weirdness' sake. I kinda liked "Octopus" but otherwise I just waiting for it to be over.

I don’t get it

Respect the hurmuri syd 3< >3 <3 <3<3

- Über diesen Typen muss es irgendwann noch einen Film á la Bohemian Rhapsody geben. Ultra spannende Figur. - Habe den bisher eher aus Interesse um den Menschen gehört und nicht, weil mir die Mucke so unfassbar gut gefällt, war mir irgendwie immer zu konfus. - Dabei bleibt es leider auch. Die einzelnen Elemente der Songs laufen eher so nebeneinander her, werden durch weirde Parts akzentuiert und er labert monoton darüber. - Der Typ war zu diesem Zeitpunkt im absoluten LSD Nirvana und so klingt es auch. 2/5

British singer song writer? If it wasn’t by someone in Pink Floyd that would be a huge red flag. Now that I have listened, that flag was justified.

I actually bought this in 1982 out of curiosity. What a pile of crap! Definitely not a must-hear-before-you-die album.

Not everyone deserves a record deal.

More like Brown Floyd. Because it sounds like doo doo

not really into it. Seemed unpolished in a bad way.

Not sure I get him.

I expected this to be fairly dreadful, but it was a bit better than that - yes, that's clearing a low bar. What a mess "If It's In You" is, though. What possessed them to include that on the album in that state?

At times, glimmers of cool things that could've been. But the majority is something I didn't particularly enjoy, and it seems the story behind this album is horribly depressing. 2/5

Not for me. Some songs sounded like they were meant to be Beatles covers.

This one is not a very cohesive album and that probably has a lot to do with how it was produced basically 3 times. The music just kinda failed to hold my attention, it almost felt strangely monotonous and bored in it's delivery Standouts No Man's Land 2/5

I liked a couple of tracks, but not really my thing overall.

So I see why Syd did not have much success outside of Pink Floyd. But how did this get on the list? It's not bad, but I don’t see what it influenced, nor anything so unique it warrants inclusion.

Didn't love this one

Niet heel sterk begin Ok Niet heel erg Syd fan 2/5

There are some interesting things here musically, and it's kind of adventurous to listen and see if Syd can land these tricks. Sometimes he does, but most often he does not. And could you blame him?

Syd with Pink Floyd, thumbs up. Syd solo, thumbs down.

I recognize Syd Barret's importance for music history, but I cannot handle a very well-produced rehash; sorry about that.

Sounds like "The Beatles" without "The Beatles". Just o.k.

The kind of whimsical psychedelia that sets my teeth on edge. A couple of songs cut through. However, this stripe of toffee-nosed Englishness, sheep-dipped in the poetry of Edward Lear, has aged like fine milk. It is ripe for parody, and indeed, Barrett's speaking voice even resembles Christopher Guest's character from This Is Spinal Tap. Ultimately this all sounds like second rate Incredible String Band - who do have the capacity to annoy, admittedly. But where their lysergic meanderings could charm, these annoy.

Has moments but this is largely an uncomfortable listen

The opening song is a snooze IMO and an odd choice to kick off the album. There are other more fun songs, but overall I’m meh about it. I’d have to listen a few more times to really get it, but without having any substantial historical significance, I’m not inclined to listen again. 2.8

Interesting, though not to the extent that I need to explore to much further. I feel bad for this but in a crowded field it's a low score for me

Wails. Not my jam.

Starts ok, gets wierd quick

I understand why people love this album. It's one of the most authentic experiences I've heard. But just because it's genuine does not mean it's good. Some of the songs feel unfinished and unmastered. They literally start a song over. In many respects, it reminds me of works by Kafka. There are pieces of brilliance, but it doesn't feel finished. Best Songs: Here I Go, Octopus, Worst Songs: If It's In You

I think Syd Barrett has a really cool approach to writing. His lyrics are kinda surreal and he does a lotta wild chromatic stuff. I think he shined more on Piper which is an album I love but when he's left to his own devices I feel like he wasn't quite mentally healthy enough to bring a solid project together.

Reminds me of John Lennon (Derogatory)

This album is a pendulum swinging from nice whimsical songs to utter nonsense and back again

When i saw this album i was sure it would be a direct 1/5. But it is surprisingly okey. It is still what you expect from a psychadelic album but the songs are way more listenable than other albums i've heard. The voice gets a bit annoying but not unbearable. If it had been less expirmental i would have been a 3 for me.

The songs were just so demo-y. It's a shame, because I just kept going back in my head to "Piper At The Gates Of Dawn," and kept thinking of how much these songs would have evolved with a full band writing with him as opposed to him doing it all by himself. The lyrics definitely had that psychedelic feel, which give you no coherence whatsoever. It's one of the things that frustrate me about some of Cream's songs. I just would have. liked these to have been more developed. Not something I'm coming back to. As soon as I heard it, I wanted to hear "Piper" again.

This was boring amd at times bad. No need for it to be on this lost, no matter what his credentials are.

2/5. An interesting possible future for a Pink Floyd sound. Psychedelic as heck, drawn out rock. Half of the songs, Syd doesn't even want to be there, as his vocals err on the side of mumbling on some songs. I think there is potential here and I can even hear future Pink Floyd songs being inspired by this album. Dark Globe fits on the Final Cut. It is more sad than anything listening to the album, as a lost artist to history. Best Song: Terrapin, Dark Globe, Octopus

At least it was short. A big thanks to Syd for that.

Ég tengi ekki nóg við Pink Floyd til að finnast þetta vera sorglegt, en skemmtilegt er þetta ekki. Octopus finnst mér flott lag og nokkuð vel unnið, en restin virkar eins og eintóm demo, og ekki vel unnin demo í þokkabót. Ansi frjálslega farið með takt og gítarleikurinn ósannfærandi. Þarf ekki.

It was okay

Aquejado por problemas mentales, Syd Barrett había dejado Pink Floyd dos años antes después de haber dejado dos discos que definirían la psicodelia británica en adelante. En 1970 grabó en solitario este disco con la ayuda de sus antiguos compañeros de banda, Waters y Gilmour, y de un amigo, Malcom Jones, director a la sazón de Harvest Records. El sonido parece una continuación de los discos psicodélicos de su antiguo grupo, pero adolece de incoherencia y el atractivo creativo de aquellos álbumes inspirados por el propio Barrett. En The Madcap Laughs importan más las letras, nacidas de una conciencia atormentada, que el nada innovador sonido. Así ocurre con "Terrapin", el hipnótico tema que abre el disco. También hay espacio a la alegría, como la brillante "Love You", con un piano a lo music hall que cubre una letra inane y sin sentido. Mucho mejor en esta línea es "Here I Go", una canción en la que aceleraciones y frenazos en el ritmo confieren a la canción un halo inquietante. Totalmente en solitario encontramos uno de los mejores temas del disco, "Dark Globe", un espeluznante retrato en primera persona de la esquizofrenia que sufría el autor. Y resaltar una canción sencillamente preciosa, "Golden Hair", adaptación de un poema de James Joyce.

Not surprised Pink Floyd thought they could get along without him …

So, I wasn't loving this even from the start. There were a couple of moments that sounded okay and I hoped that maybe it would turn around for me...it did not. Then as we got towards the end, I really really wondered if I was being punked. You think I should listen to this?!?

I had high hopes for something from 1970 called The Madcap Laughs from a former member of Pink Floyd assisted by other members of that band. Instead it felt like I got roped into a house party by a friend. When we arrive just as I am being introduced to the host some guy gets out his guitar and everyone excitedly hurries to seat themselves in the living room. My lack of familiarity leaves me stuck on the floor in the far corner with my knees pulled up to my chest. How did I end up here?! Halfway into the second song my drink is empty but I'm stuck and can't easily get out to the kitchen for a refill. Can I interrupt the concert? God it's hot in here. My leg is completely asleep, it'll take several minutes of stretching before I can hope to even put weight on it now... I need to stretch! Another song, really?! Shit now I have to pee.... is this all one song?! No, he's stopping. Wait, another song?! Didn't we hear this? Is no one going to put a stop to this?! At times there were moments approaching ok but I never reached enjoyment.

Pink Floyd from little with an extra shot of obnoxiousness. Stand-out: Love You

Kinda boring too be honest, I was actually excited for this one

Just Okay

I think that critics like this album because they like and feel bad for Syd Barret. Barret famously was ousted from Pink Floyd because his mental illness caused him to become unreliable. There are stories of him standing blankly on stage with his guitar hanging around his neck, while the rest of the band tries to play the concert. David Gilmour was brought into the band initially to back up Barret in those moments. The Madcap Laughs, recorded in a moment of lucidness, was tired even when it came out. Psychedelia was on the way out and the Prog Rock of Meddle was the future for the band. The Madcap Laughs looks backward not forward and, by Pink Floyd standards, is mediocre. Not bad, just meh. Listen to it on Spotify but don't spend money on new or vintage vinyl for this album.

This is a set of demos, right?

It's a pleasant enough sound, but he could just be making it up as he goes along. No permanence. If you like wacky lyrics, go for Robyn Hitchcock instead, he's funnier.

Can this record reconcile the fact that so many acts I love are influenced by Pink Floyd and yet I’ve never liked a Pink Floyd album? No it can’t

Not surprising that there is a strong early Pink Floyd feel here (before they were commercially successful). Some of this album is tough to listen to but given the checked and extended time to record it, one would expect it to be uneven. Don't think I need to dive into this one again.

It’s weird and funny and interesting but it’s just so unpleasant musically. Octopus was the only song I knew.

So strange but listenable

Pretty much whatever

This sorta hits a 2.5 on the head for me. Had some nice moments and I didn't really hate listening to it, but I'm not sure why I'd want to come back for more. Out there psych-folk has been done a lot better elsewhere imo.

First album in a long time I have considered not finished. Listened to about 2/3 and just wasn’t vibing with it. Decided to read a little bit about the history to figure out why it would be on this list. I see the Pink Floyd vibes now but it just feels like 1-2 acid trips too far for me.