Reviews (page 6 of 8)
Just awful. Sounded like a Beatles reject. I mean I love Pink Floyd but please stop shining you crazy diamond….stick to gardening.
Oooooh boy did I enjoy this!! I don't know why I've always had a soft spot/felt sorry for Syd, which may influence my affection for his distinctive sound, but this album was a real pleasure - It sounds like he was enjoying himself when he was playing. Glad this was on the list and not surprised.
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.
- 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
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.
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.
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
I actually bought this in 1982 out of curiosity. What a pile of crap! Definitely not a must-hear-before-you-die album.
first half is better
About what I expected...which is total crap. 1.5/5
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.
Listened to this for another list and really didn't get it. It's not good. 1/5
Reminds me a bit of 8 Songs for a Mad King. With hindsight, it appears like a view into madness. Kinda dig it.
very good, sounded similar to early Pink Floyd as one would expect. Would like to listen more, probably 4.5
Not everyone deserves a record deal.
Delightfully mental and wacky. Shine on you crazy diamond
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?
One of the more egregious, unnecessary inclusions on the list. To the rubbish bin with ya...
Underwhelming, deteriorating Psychedeleic Rock.
More like Brown Floyd. Because it sounds like doo doo
not really into it. Seemed unpolished in a bad way.
Sorry Dylan I’m slacking
Not sure I get him.
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.
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
1 - there’s a reason punk Floyd got good after this dude left Really not my type of music and this guy has no substance The ad lib parts are absolutely horrrible too
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?
Not for me. Some songs sounded like they were meant to be Beatles covers.
No Good Trying No Man's Land Dark Globe
Damn that's bad
Very unstructured and the compositions are boring at best. Most interesting; "Dark Globe" and "Octopus". The lyrics are interesting, the music is not.
I Like it :)
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
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.
This sounds like improvised busking
No very good. Bad vocals. Very depressing.
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.
I actually enjoyed this album for what it was, but it's pretty brutal given the state of Syd Barrett at the time.
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
Pretty sure he just hit record with no preparation at all and just kept going in one take. For the whole album.
Didn't love this one
Yes, I definitely need to listen to a man making an incredibly boring album during a breakdown. I would take every single Pink Floyd album above this. Then again I never 'got' Piper at the Gates of Dawn either, so maybe I'm just not on board with Barrett.
The original frontman for Pink Floyd showcasing his unique take on music.
some great, some meh, compelling tho. With some gems
Niet heel sterk begin Ok Niet heel erg Syd fan 2/5
I think if I were coming into this blind, my patience for this wouldn't be so solid. One of the few solo records from Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett before he left music altogether, it feels almost like it mirrors his life: a solid start, but as it progresses, it feels like it falls apart and results in only half-finished compositions. There's still a solid "something" to this, underneath. It's a little 60s pop, psychedelia, and I for one like the rawness. Meh. Call it a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Terrapin", "No Good Trying"
5/10. I found the album to be fairly disappointing. This is mainly because I had really high expectations. I am a fan of Pink Floyd, and prog is my favourite genre. In my opinion, Pink Floyd is the single best band to ever grace this Earth (not to be confused with my favourite band; that one is TOOL). Because of the sheer spectacular musicianship that takes place in Pink's Floyd music, as well as Syd Barrett's status as one of Pink Floyd's founders, I expected this album to be a masterpiece. However, it was a letdown. In fact, it felt below average in comparison to most of the albums in the 1001 album project which I've reviewed so far, let alone one that came from a founder of the single greatest band to ever exist on the face of the Earth. The tracks seemed to be boring, and they seemed to fall flat. The heap of outtakes that capped this album made the experience a lot less pleasant. While I would give this a 3/5 if it were by some average ol' hippie Joe doin' a solo album, I will give this a 1/5 instead, given the circumstance that this album is by a Pink Floyd founder.
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.
Listening to paint dry is more entertaining than this.
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.
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?
This was an absolutely slog to get through, never listening to it again. My infant hated it too
This was always going to be a tough listen for me. I have never been a fan of Pink Floyd, so coming into Syd Barrett’s solo work I was already on the back foot. “Terrapin” felt like a very flat opener. It reminded me of a weaker Beatles outtake rather than something distinctive in its own right. From there, the album never really grabs hold. The loose, fragmented feel might be part of its charm for some, but to me it just sounds unfinished and meandering. I can understand why people are fascinated by this record. There is a vulnerability and fragility to it, and knowing the story behind Barrett adds weight. But purely as a listening experience, I found it dull and difficult to stay engaged. It is a one out of five for me. Favourite song: None stood out. Least favourite: The album as a whole just does not work for me. Album artwork: A really cool and striking cover. Easily the most memorable part of the package
Syd with Pink Floyd, thumbs up. Syd solo, thumbs down.
Can’t believe this is worthy of the list.
Ciertamente puede armar una canción, lo que no puede hacer es cantarla.
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
I recognize Syd Barret's importance for music history, but I cannot handle a very well-produced rehash; sorry about that.
The was the worst recorded music? Yet!
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.
OK - I love this album. It has everything that Pink Floyd never had after Syd left because it connects with the emotions. Sadly this includes listening to a man beginning his disintegration, so it can be a hard listen, but it's an amazing album for all that.
This reminds me of when I was 9, and I would sit at my parents’ computer playing Webkinz, just singing any lyrics that rhymed. For hours. Syd Barett really captures that childlike whimsy here, and I’m super into it. The music was great too — a very fun, very easy listen.
Sounds like "The Beatles" without "The Beatles". Just o.k.
I like albums where people are sort of dicking around and finding interesting little nuggets - Bowie's made a whole career of that - but I reall don't find much that's interesting here. He's got the presence but nothing breaks through.
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.
ProtoPink
Liked Love You, not the additional takes, just Love You.
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
This had potential but fell flat. Syd Barrett gets a lot of acclaim and I don't know why. 1.7
Given Syd's condition at this point (kicked out of Pink Floyd and rapidly spiraling due to drug abuse), I was expecting something much less coherent, and honestly more in line with his weird cuts from Saucerful and Piper. Instead, we have quirky Beatles rock. Maybe it's the Pink Floyd fan in me taking over, but this is some of the finest Beatles-esque rock I've heard. Syd has a lot of character in lyrics and delivery, and it helps the songs stand out. I genuinely really enjoyed this, though I can only hope it stays great on repeat listens. Highlights include No Man's Land, Octopus, and Golden Hair.
Not my thing, a bit too slow and folksy.
Still better than Tim Buckley.
The Bowie - Beatles midpoint in a way really vibed with. Favourite track: Love You.
Psychedelic folk is interesting, but not something I can listen to a lot of. Sad Syd went bonkers, but I guess this is a glimpse into what Pink Floyd would’ve sounded like if he hadn’t.
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
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
Had he obtained medical help I wonder if could have continued his career successfully. Pink Floyd would be completely different.
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
In general, I am open experimental and outsider music - Daniel Johnston has some magnificent work, for example. I can’t get into this at all. Barrett has a fascinating life story and this album does have its in the rock pantheon but it’s not my vibe.
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.
More than expected
This album really is tragic. Syd Barrett obviously had ability to write fun and sometimes heartfelt songs, but the entire album feels half-baked and underwhelming. Almost as if it suffers from the same things that afflicted Barrett. If this were re-released with proper production and a cleaner sound I think it would be much better, because in it's original state it's a hard listen
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.
Terrible, how did this make the list?
Some decent tracks, but others were downright cringe.
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
Psychedelic Folk, Singer-Songwriter, Psychedelic Rock. Dark but playful. It's a very vulnerable album. Like what I'm hearing is someone heart laid bare. It's sad but beautiful. A tough album to listen to but it's special because of that. Like what I'm hearing will never be recreated. I loved it, any flaws it may have melt away because it's just so real. Would love to revisit. 5/5
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
This was a great album, love the whimsical psychedelic nature of Syd Barrett's music and lyrics. Just a great collection of songs and a great record.
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.
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
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 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.
There is no point in theorizing about Syd Barrett; when he left London for good, he left Syd the MadCap behind to be filled with elegies, eulogies, fan theories, Nick Kent's musings and Roger Waters's bitter envy, Bob Geldof as ersatz Syd and the ghost that haunts Dark Side of the Moon. There is no point in explaining Barrett to the cinematic self-serious Post Dark Side partisans; Waters et al. wrung out all the whimsy and pastoral terror themes in favor of Grand Theorizing. Gone are the janky psychedelic effects and chaotic fuzz evolved into towers of recording technology, true audiophile shit. Gone is the Zippo slide cosmic guitar, and instrumental excursions into altered outer and inner weirdness. Homemade light show gives way to full arena rock extravaganza. What we can do is think about the work Barrett left us, as much as it pains me to nod to very important men like Eliot or Ransom, and their delusions of transcendent, ahistorical meaning. "Piper" is the apotheosis of general psychedelia into both space rock and unhinged insanity in the mundane. The hit singles, "See Emily Play" and "Arnold Layne" take the latter and make it somewhat disturbing. I like disturbing pop songs. And "MadCap" is all of the latter; no space rock here. Just ditties from different perspectives, all light and shade. Barrett had an ear for pop hooks, and does not disappoint here. But these are not easy songs. The highlight for me has always been "Golden Hair", the adaption/cover of the Joyce poem, all mist and mystery, aching in the shadows. A few of the song seem to reference/take lighthearted swipes at Waters and Co. and the whole business of Rock N Roll and Syd Barrett as a cautionary tale/LSD totem. The MadCap wasn't really that MadCap, and not the cripple-fried genius. Jimbo Lizardpants can have that. What's here is the hand of an artist, making art without a thought to commerce. And in our late stage Capitalist Dystopia, I suppose that counts as crazy.
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.
The story behind this album was incredible, and incredibly sad, and I'm glad I researched it before listening.
Awful. He was always terribly overrated.
enjoyable 4/5
Weird, rambly album with some good moments.
Controversial opinion(?) but Syd Barrett without Pink Floyd sucks. Especially all the outtakes at the end of the album. I don’t care what kind of genius he is, I don’t need to listen to him cough into the mic.
Solid
This was boring amd at times bad. No need for it to be on this lost, no matter what his credentials are.
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.
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.
Not to make light of mental illness, but this jerk losing his marbles was the best thing to ever happen to Pink Floyd, cos this is shite
3.6
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.
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.
It was okay
Говорят, старина был шизиком. А по музыке его об этом не скажешь, уж слишком скучно и базово
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.
me copó bastante, 8/10
Not surprised Pink Floyd thought they could get along without him …
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...
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?!?
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 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
Sad.
A very chill yet also engaging record that strikes a solid balance between acoustic folk rock tones and some more psychedelic offerings that show that Syd Barrett still had some juice left in him after leaving Pink Floyd. The back half of the record is sort of whatever and a bit meandering but tracks like "Octopus" and "No Man's Land" in the front half more than make up for it. Could say its better than some Floyd records to be honest.
This is a strange one for sure. For those who don't know, Syd Barrett was the original frontman of Pink Floyd, but left the band in the late 60s due to mental health problems (presumably brought-on by his persistent use of psychedelics). He released two (?) solo records before quitting music. This is his first one. He makes great use of unusual and sometimes dissonant chord progressions and commonly sings out of key. His stream-of-consciousness lyrical style is disjointed and whimsical. However, I think this record is really appealing for some reason. Sure it's weird, but it's got a cool avant-garde and psychedelic feel to it.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Starts out interesting and somewhat whimsical but as you listen it's like you're witnessing a genius's slip with reality (particularly with the last 3 songs). Here I Go and She Took A Long Cold Look are my favorites.
Weird but not in interesting way
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
A sad genius
1/10 I do not have the patience needed to engage with this. I don't like syd's voice, especially when he tries to get out of his range, I don't like the arrangements. I can't help but think this was a bunch of friends indulging someone who had clearly began to stop being able to function. I kind of feel sad, and I don't understand why this album is on this list. 4-10-2024
A mixed bag - didn't mind Long Gone
Great voice.
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.
Boring?
In de beschrijving van deze guy stond dat ie pink floyd had opgericht.. what happened
I dont know seems like standard 70's experimental rock to me. I liked it. Like Pink Floyd more. 3
Grosser Name - aber es fehlt mir der intellektuelle Zugang ... oder etwas LSD.
A challenging listen. A lot of it strikes me as an attempt to squeeze an album out of a person who wasn’t completely ready or able. Dark Globe is haunting as hell.
Painful 2 stars but it just didn't do much for me. Bummer. Maybe it'll click someday.
Finr
Very similar Pink Floyd vibes, but not the music of Floyd’s that I enjoy. Interesting to see Syd Barrett’s musical voicing, but won’t listen again. 2/5
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.
Further Evidence that not everything should be recorded.
Bad 70s
10/10 love me some psychedelic art rock
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.
I looked up the lyrics to some of the songs and it just seemed like nonsense. I'm having some difficulty understanding or relating to the material. Is he speaking in James Joyce or something? “Let us leave theories there and return to here's hear.” ― James Joyce, Finnegans Wake Songwriting is okayish. A little odd, but not necessarily in a good way. His singing is not really very good. Recording quality and instrumentation is not very great. This is just not my cup of English tea. Sorry Syd.
There seem to be some conflicting stories of exactly why Syd and Pink Floyd parted ways. Did he really go crazy? Sounds like maybe he just took so much LSD so regularly that he wasn’t a reliable band mate. Hard to say for sure. Creative geniuses are often a little mad. This is a beautifully composed album with poetic lyrics. If he did go mad, he certainly reined it back in for this.
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."
This is a bit of a round-about story, so bear with me... Karl Wallinger of the Waterboys and World Party fame died a few weeks back, and I have been thinking about him a lot recently. My flatmates and I were big World Party fans, and in very early 1992 (I think) we managed to see a secret gig they played on a Monday night at the Three Weeds Hotel in Sydney, Australia. They were doing a press tour with no official shows, but played this unannounced show. The gig was very small, to a small audience in a pretty small pub. I distinctly remember Karl saying that, flying into Sydney, he noticed the luggage tags all marked "SYD", which had reminded him of Syd Barrett, and they then played a cover of a Syd Barret song (Gigolo Aunt, I think, or maybe Effervescing Elephant). I was a Syd Barret fan at the time, and it was magical. When I was a teenager, I really dug Syd Barrett and listened to both his solo LPs quite a bit. I had the American re-issue with both albums in a 2LP pack, so I think of the albums together as a single piece of work. I enjoyed the whimsical psychedelic pop songs and the ramshackle playing. Truth be told, I think I generally preferred the Barret LP. There are a few strong songs here; Octopus, Terrapin, Golden Hair, and especially Dark Globe, which I find quite sad and moving. But there is a quite a bit of unfocussed and disorienting material that probably reflects poor Syd's sense of mental organisation at the time. I stopped listening to Syd a long time back, but I enjoyed the nostalgia of listening to this charming album again, particularly to be reminded of the sad beauty of Dark Globe. I worry that people fetishize Syd's mental health issues in the same way that they did with subsequent and similar outsider musicians, like Wesley Willis or Vic Chestnutt or Roky Erickson or even Brian Wilson. It was sad (maybe) that Syd didn't go on to sell a bajillion albums with his former bandmates, but I am sadder still that nobody found a way to support Syd's musical creativity in a sustainable fashion, although I understand he maintained a fulfilling visual artistic practice for the rest of his life. Listening objectively, I enjoy the charm and original expression of these albums and the ramshackle aesthetic, which was highly unusual for a time when studio time was so expensive. This became very influential, even if not widely heard. But if you know, you know.
Loose, shambolic, Beatleseque, the band this reminds me of the most is The Libertines. I really liked it.
A glimpse into an acid casualty's mind that has been romanticised by numerous music critics. The lyrics could be called whimsical if one was being generous - nonsense if one wasn't. I'm sure teenagers with white dreads probably love this album. It's fine - but fucking hell this list loves these 60's psychedelic albums. Give it a rest. If anyone ever tells you this is their favourite album - don't bother listening to anything they have to say as they are a try hard. Best Tracks: Terrapin; No Good Trying; Octopus
A lot of droning.
(nothing to add - one of these superclassic albums that obviously belong to any list)
I can appreciate the somewhat hesitant approach with unstable vocals, especially in the first part, while toward the attention gets lost.
I did not like this album. However, I don’t know how much blame I can attribute to Barrett himself. It’s clear he can write songs and sing but the album sounds rushed and a lot of the production is awful. The studio was probably the last place he needed to be at the time.
#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.
Fucking really?
very chill loved the folk influences 4/5
The more I hear it the more I love it. 4.5
Let's not kid ourselves; The Madcap Laughs sounds absolute shit. Over 13 non-finished demo tracks, Syd Barrett refuses to play or sing the right notes, and despite being, by all accounts, a talented and inventive guitarist, his strumming is sloppy and the production uneven. But Barrett's debut is without a doubt deserving of a spot on this list - what an unparalleled talent and visionary. Although the ideas are never fully developed, the sheer amount of creativity on The Madcap Laughs is staggering. The melodies are inventive and impossible to predict with Barrett's lyrics ranging from British folktales to the depressingly introspective, giving us a glimpse of his internal turmoil at the time. And while definitely not intentional at the time, the raw recording quality and sparse production serves as an early example of the lo-fi movement emerging decades later - Jeff Mangum must have had this spinning on repeat when writing In The Aeroplane Over The Sea.
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.
Nothing very remarkable or of interest to me.
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
Dreadful
Got almost two full songs in before I gave up on this one. Just awful.
3.5
Another guy who sounds like John Lennon. A bit meh.
If his band didn't go on to make one of the best selling albums of all time, would this be relevant?
this was fine. Unrefined, haphazard. But I didn't hate it. I regret rating Imagine 2 stars because this is better than Imagine but not worth 3 stars.
Alright. Bit mopey
Don't know anything about this artist, but he sounds British. So weird.
2.5. This was fine, I guess. Lmao!
Unlistenable.
It’s interesting as a curiosity but my word it’s a shambles. He wasn’t fit to record and it’s mess of half written and half performed songs. I never really got the Sid was the genius story. He wrote whimsical songs. He fell apart. This seems half a sincere attempt to get him through his problems and half an attempt to exploit them.
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.
moments that were ok but come on this is pish
When man and rhyming dictionary combine.
I loved this! It's funny I always liked the early kitsch little songs by Pink Floyd like "Bike" and "The Gnome" from Piper at the Gates of Dawn and knew they were Syd Barrett but never thought to follow up his solo stuff. It all got overshadowed by the more "serious" stuff like Meddle and Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here. And also, this is when I was first getting into music and if I wanted to hear Syd Barrett I would have had to have sought out the vinyl at a second hand record shop. No Spotify then! Whereas all the Pink Floyd albums were in my Mum and Dad's record collection or swapped between friends. Anyway, I really "dig" this. It's got a very naïve sound and that sort of outside aesthetic, like Ivor Cutler or someone. Giving it five stars is probably too much but I'm going to because this has actually opened up a new little musical avenue for me.
Worrying.
Not very remarkable.
I don’t think I’m going to make it through this entire thing. Not a fan of any adoration of Pink Floyd add to that a healthy dose of exploitation of someone with a mental illness and I’m incredibly uninterested.
nix
A lot of the reviews have pointed to the background to this album quite rightly. It's whimsical, wayward and offbeat. Not very coherent as you'd expect and basically a continuation of the psychedelic vibe in Piper. There are a few good moments but it's such a mishmash. Sad but true.
Not crazy about the music on the album, but it is an interesting and important album for Pink Floyd and Rock n Rolll fans.
Like a Beatles and Elliot Smith collaboration
The Madcap Laughs is the debut solo album by Syd Barrett, the former leader and songwriter of Pink Floyd. The album was recorded in various sessions between 1968 and 1969, with five different producers, including Barrett himself and his former bandmates David Gilmour and Roger Waters. The album was released in January 1970, shortly before Barrett’s second and final solo album, Barrett. The Madcap Laughs is a reflection of Barrett’s deteriorating mental state, which was exacerbated by his excessive use of psychedelic drugs and his departure from Pink Floyd. The album is a mixture of whimsical, childlike songs and dark, disturbing ones, often with erratic structures and timings. Barrett’s lyrics are surreal, poetic, and sometimes nonsensical, revealing his inner turmoil and isolation. Some of the songs, such as Terrapin, Octopus, and Golden Hair, are based on literary works by Lewis Carroll, James Joyce, and others. The album’s music is mostly acoustic, with some electric guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards added by the various producers. The production quality is uneven, ranging from polished to raw and unfinished. Some of the songs, such as No Good Trying, Love You, and Here I Go, feature overdubs and arrangements by Gilmour and Waters, while others, such as Dark Globe, Long Gone, and Late Night, are essentially Barrett’s solo performances with minimal or no editing. The album’s sound is often described as lo-fi, folk, or psychedelic rock. The album’s influence is evident in many artists who have cited Barrett as an inspiration, such as David Bowie, Robyn Hitchcock, Marc Bolan, and R.E.M. The album is also considered a cult classic and a landmark of outsider music, as it captures the unique and tragic genius of Syd Barrett. The album has received mixed to positive reviews from critics and fans, who have praised its originality, emotion, and creativity, but also criticized its inconsistency, incoherence, and poor execution. The album reached #40 on the UK charts and sold over 100,000 copies worldwide
I like my fair share of early Pink Floyd material so I was intrigued to hear a solo album of Syd Barrett’s. Nothing stood out from this project. If Syd Barrett’s name was attached to this album, would it warrant inclusion on this list?
A hard album. The music of a great talent deteriorating. You can hear this is someone who is damaged.
Did not enjoy.
Sad. Mostly in a bad way. This list is too British.
Pretty unmemorable. While yesterday’s album wa terrible to me, at least it was memorable. I can’t say the same for Syd Barrett. Occasionally I would hear a touch of Pink Floyd in it, but it was just kind of boring. Not a fave of mine.
not great. Kind of annoying.
A study in how mental illness can affect the critical and creative faculties. Moments of brilliance, mostly a bit...well, madcap.
I’m not won over by the Pink Floyd legacy because I don’t really like the 60s psychedelic rock, so I’m not giving any allowance to Syd Barrett’s drivel just in the same way John Lennon’s rubbish albums get my low votes. This is a very weak album. It is musical, but just rubbish, so it doesn’t get the utter low of a one star vote.
syd is god
Right what was this. Seemed barely finished! Durgy dreary meandering waffle. No thank you! Delighted this was a 37 min jobby
Hmmm, a weird album. It's the original Pink Floyd guy, he was a very interesting man. This album is all over the place and feels like a demo of someone who clearly had some great ideas. I'm giving it 3 just because he was clearly onto something and it's pretty good.
I agree that the history of Syd Barrett is a tragic one, but I never understood his phenomena. After listening to his album, I have even more question marks - what's so great about that? I didn't find early Pink Floyd albums interesting in the same way as I don't like "The Madcap Laughs". It wasn't in any way terrible, but certainly boring and just simplistic, from the lack of better word. Misunderstood, probably by a lot. But I'm not interested in trying to "get it".
Didn’t get it at all
Syd Barrett, formerly of Pink Floyd, displays his songwriting and performance efforts on The Madcap Laughs. Prior to his split from Pink Floyd, he had become increasingly difficult to work with. This could primarily be attributed to his heavy drug use, but there's no use in speculating. After being basically replaced by David Gilmore in Pink Floyd, Barrett would ask Gilmore to help record The Madcap Laughs. This proved to also be difficult, as Barrett provided little guidance for the songs. The end product is a bit of a mess, but one that only a mad genius could concoct. Songs wander around and then terminate. Follow another thread and find it tied up in something else. This disorganized, folksy mess is an album that requires parsing. The Madcap Laughs is an oddity that would stir debate in whoever wishes to look deeper into it. How much of it is intentional? How much is just contractual obligations?
Unzumutbar!
Minne om dei Pink Floyd-sangane som aldri traff meg heilt
Heilt ok. Ikkje nåke eg komme te å hørra igjen
This was good but hearing the same songs multiple times brought it down.
Okay.
This is called The Madcap Laughs but there are no laughs. It's a self-indulgent stream of dirge that doesn't elicit any emotion from the listener and it's only on the list because of its place in the history of Pink Floyd. It's rubbish.
This is just dire. I'm a huge Pink Floyd fan, but really the music only started getting interesting after SB left. It's interesting (for Pink Floyd nerds like me) to listen to the individual members' solo stuff (and also the albums they released as a group when not all of them were part of the band). Roger Waters clearly adds the edge, David Gilmour makes it melodic, and Syd Barrett makes it whimsical and lacking in any depth. This album is atrocious, it starts of kind of okay as psychedelic folk type stuff, but towards the album just completely degenerates into a mess. Guy can't really sing, the songs aren't interesting lyrically or musically, 1/5.
Never understood the obsession people have with this dude. This album is forgettable and bland. Definitely didn't need to hear it before I die.
I'm not sure if I've ever heard of this artist. I like how chill track 1 is...it just drags a bit. I'm on track 4 and I have to admit...I'm bored. This psychedelic rock type of music doesn't usually resonate with me. The further I get into this album, the less I like it. Track 12 is kind of grating on my nerves. 2/5 This type of music is typically loved by critics...but I'm not a critic.
I was not personally a fan. It, for some reason, reminded me of the Beatles Sgt. Pepper album.
Nie dokończyłem nawet takie chujowe
6/10 One of those good/bad things
Good stuff. You can tell this is a former pink floyd member. Some songs are mid but i like the album as a whole.
This album is a collection of odd track from Syd Barrett, one of the founding members of Pink Floyd. After he was kicked out of the band for erratic behavior - due to mental issues (perhaps) related to excessive drug use - Barrett had a brief solo career. This is the first of his solo albums. For those that worship Barrett as a music genius, this album could be seen as something interesting. For the rest of us, this sounds like a collection of out-takes and first drafts of songs. The few tracks that seem remotely complete are reminiscent of early Pink Floyd, but they do not give the impression that the songs have been well practiced or produced. There are a few points where you can hear the imagination that made Barrett central to early Pink Floyd, but these moments are rare. The majority of the album is disappointing - little more than a reminder of lost potential.
This album is super interesting, because it really helps to delineate what was Pink Floyd and what was Syd Barrett on the Piper at the Gates of Dawn. It's really hard to get around the elephant in the room here: if they hadn't exiled (this version of) Barrett from the band, I really doubt Pink Floyd would have reached anything close to their heights. He was clearly talented and a musical mastermind at one point, but he really is starting to succumb to his addiction here. Especially compared to the band.
Not good
Lump me in with the psych suckers who truly enjoy this brand of jam. My cuppa tea! Not into his other stuff but I truly do love a couple songs on this record.
Syd Barrett might have been the driving force behind the early Pink Floyd, but this collection of songs is nothing to write home about. And I didn't like the early Pink Floyd anyway, really. This is psychedelic pop/rock without any business of being on this list. 1.5/5
Mér finnst þessi gaur vera voða mikið eitthvað að þykjast vera Bítill. Fæ sama væb frá honum og Bítlunum nema bara ekkert sérlega spes og ég mun ekki hlusta aftur þótt hún hafi ekki verið leiðinleg.
Who let him get away with that
Combines the worst of early prog and psychedelia with hints of lame folk vocals. Early Pink Floyd had good moments courtesy of Syd, but he also contributed some awful guff.
Really enjoyable listen, especially if you are a fan of Sgt Peppers era Beatles music.
This is one of the worst things I've ever heard with no redeeming qualities. It sounds like you gave a drunk homeless man a guitar and told him to record an album that day and you'll give him more hooch. Lyrically, melodically and artisticly devoid of anything. Give me a guitar and 24hrs and I truly believe I could do better. Solid 1
Cool album, personality and character came through. I liked the song subject matter and content. Enjoyed the vocals and lyrics. Light 7
Yet another album that's a lot more interesting to read or talk about than listen to.
I tried but I couldn't find a reason why this is on the list. Also, i did not enjoy the album at all :( Sorry
Not my tempO
A little out there for me.
Quite pleasant.
Nope
Just a blank canvas of same-sounding acoustic guitar and singing. I got nothing at all out of it.
I'm a sucker for a mad musical genius, and Syd was the king of mad musical geniuses. It's a shame he burned out so young. These songs are brilliant, fractured masterpieces. Shine on you crazy diamond. 5 stars.
60’s vibe, didn’t know it existed, an interesting listen but nothing profound. 2/5.
I always disliked the Pink Floyd music that Syd Barrett had a hand in making relative to the rest of the band's more Roger Waters heavy records but I actually didn't mind this one. It felt like a very anachronistic album in a lot of ways to me because it floated from 60s psychedelia that I know barrett for all the way to proto-80s rock but also included 70s sounds as well. I'm writing this a day after listening and I've already forgotten quite a few of the songs I remember liking but I still remember it being a positive experience overall.
Not too good.
Love this album. Found it a few years ago through research on Pink Floyd.
Rock, Psychedelic rock, Psychedelic folk, Folk rock, Blues rock, Experimental rock
I’ll leave this to the real connoisseurs of crazy British sad boys.
Ok
Rating: 1/10 Absolutely awful album. Hated everything about this, the vocals are awful, the musicianship sounds demented in the worst way possible. A truly awful album, quite possibly the worst one yet and one of the worst albums I have ever heard.
Rating: 6/10
I got very into Syd’s story for a time. People have a lot of theories about what happened, but it seems pretty apparent to me that he had schizophrenia or similar—perhaps worsened or accelerated by his drug use. It most often shows up in men in the early-mid twenties. We see social withdrawal, behavioral changes and disorganization, appearance changes (Syd in 1975 is shocking compared to just years before). It happened so quickly. We understand these things so much better now. You can hear his deteriorating mental state here, and it’s a bit haunting. The music is fascinating if you’re into that. And the melodies are often catchy with quirky, sometimes childish, lyrics. I genuinely enjoy much of it musically, in a strange way. There’ll never be another Syd, that’s for sure.
interesting but not something i will go back to.
Not much groove, very lyric focused, bit pretentious.
Some albums are obvious inclusions, even if I don't really prefer the genre. Some are hard scratchers, and this is one of those. I know who Syd Barrett was, but had never heard any music from his post Pink Floyd days.... I didn't even know there was any. After listening to this, I'm still not sure why it is on this list. It's not necessarily "bad", but it's surely not good. Parts of it sound like a guy playing to a handheld tape recorder, The best moments are generic hippy trippy late turn of the decade stuff, kind of a poor man's version of Strawberry Alarm Clock (the deep cuts, not the hit). Or Strawberry Alarm Clock meets Velvet Underground, all get high and record the resulting jam. The album was recorded over 16 months, starting shortly after he was dismissed from Pink Floyd for his "increasingly erratic and unpredictable" behavior. And it features 5 different producers, over 13 songs filling 37 minutes... Again, it's not bad, but neither good. It's rather disjunct, unfocused. The sound quality varies from cut to cut, and occasional songs seem to just stop (as opposed to a fade out or finish). And often feels sloppy, as if these were 3 years' of demos slapped onto a record. Frankly, it is a mess. Still I'll give it 2 stars, for the effort, and small props for being different.
Not sure why Syd Barrett is on this list. "Long Gone" sounds like an early Rolling Stones song.
Didn’t really find this particularly exciting. Not likely to listen again.
Musically, it sounds like a Kinks rip-off. Other than sounding very much like a lot of other music of the time, there's not a lite of substance to any of this. I'm giving this an extra star because I know what he was going through in his life at this time. It breaks my heart to think of the effort that it must have been for him.
Big ol' pile of meh
возможно я слишком больна чтобы насладиться таким, но очень тяжело
C'est vraiment werid, l'histoire est un peu triste. C est du génie ou plus essayé d'étirer la sauce sur quelqu'un qui avait clairement plus les aptitudes pour terminer un album. Néanmoins, le style est là et certaines toutes se.demarque du lot. 3.5
Exactly what one would expect if they know the history of Syd. I love this kind of plodding, psychedelic music. You're not playing this at an upbeat party but it really is an outstanding example of this kind of music.
Weird like his stuff with Pink Floyd, but much worse musically
Not sure what to make of this. I can see this album being important to tell the Pink Floyd story but it’s definitely not my thing
Maybe I would like Pink Floyd more if he'd been there longer. Still not my favorite
Terrapin - slow Beatles. (2/5 boring so far) No Good Trying - this is a DHMIS song. (2/5 eh) Love You - :/ i just feel like i've heard this exact thing before. (2/5) No Man's Land - the instrumental is just like the intro for Guy's Diner's Drive Ins and Dives or something. (2/5 i'm very bored) Dark Globe - god i wake everyday thankful i don't sound like this. can you imagine being this british. (1/5 this sounds just like fucking Pink Floyd.) Here I Go - so i looked into it, and Syd Barrett credited to be a founder of Psychedelic Rock. so i guess he sounds exactly the way he means to. it just feels samey to me so i'm not picking this up at all. (2/5 it's like Pink FloydxDavid Bowie) Octopus - okay this is Psychedelic i can get behind. just something kind of strange. (3/5 alright keep going) Golden Hair - like a dream sequence while high. (2/5 eh) Long Gone - okay that was just a song. (3/5 it's a song) STLCL - a lot of these unfortunately feel monotone in acoustic. (2/5) Feel - well this was strumming a guitar for a while. it's not bad i guess. (2/5) If It's in You - oh boy a skit. 1/5 Late Night - well this sure is the last song on this album :) i know this guy founded Pink Floyd. still 3/5 cause it wasn't bad and i think he achieved what he was going for.
I love this album and Syd, but even still it's a difficult listen. Obviously it's very much a mood piece, and after the first couple of tracks I generally find the mood established, and the album really gets it's hooks in. Barely anything here really sounds like Floyd. Golden Hair the most obvious exception. Was first introduced to Barrett via REM covering Dark Globe on a B side, my introduction to so much music, either working with REM, covered by them or simply mentioned in interviews. I would go on to love another of these musicians, Robyn Hitchcock, who himself was hugely influenced by Syd. I find it impossible to disentangle my love for those influenced by this from the album itself. It's so fragile, and essentially a load of demos (If it's In You is just all over the place). I'm also reminded of Oar by Skip Spence, another spectacularly fragile album, one I found a bit harder to get on with, but which is also definitely beautiful in places. I love the follow up album Barrett as well, although I would suggest that's patchier, with more obvious peaks and troughs, the standard on Madcap is very much of a piece. Favourites, Dark Globe, Golden Hair, Octopus, No Good Trying. Please lift a hand, I'm only person.
Just like Pipers, this just isn’t my thing. 2.5
Inte min kopp té
Rough, maybe bootlegged version o youtube? Whimsical but pshcy rock in this way is not my thing
Uninspired psychedelia. Not my jam.
Solid psych rock album. Weird there are so many takes on here.