How do people feel about Syd Barrett's music? (1 Viewer)

[Gary->dee]

I recently had the chance to hear his first solo album "Madcap Laughs" after leaving Pink Floyd and I think it's borderline brilliant. It doesn't seem dated at all to me and actually seems ahead of its time. I'm thinking of further exploring Syd's rather small catalog of albums as a result(I think it numbers around 3 or 4?).

So what's the general consensus on Syd's solo albums?

 

[Bob K]

Gary,

It's good to see that someone else enjoys Syd Barrett's efforts. I bought "The Madcap Laughs" and "Barrett" (the one with the insects on the cover) on LP in the very early '70s and still play and enjoy them tremendously. They are truly unusual albums that, after 30+ years, continue to stand out from the mass of sound-alike commercial music.

I always thought that Barrett was the real genius behind early Pink Floyd and lost interest in them after he left. I shouldn't admit this, but I'm probably one of three people on the planet who doesn't really care for DSOTM!

Happy listening!

 

[Robert A. Willis Jr.]

I haven't heard any of his solo work, but his early endeavors with Pink Floyd was generally thought (at the time) detrimental to the group. Over time people are tending to move away from that viewpoint. I think that this work wasn't something that was accessible to most of us then. Most of us just weren't hearing it since it wasn't what we wanted to hear.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

While Barrett's work is novel, it does not rate with what Floyd achieved after his departure IMHO.

Barrett's solo stuff is interesting for the curious, but has no lasting value to me. The performances are sloppy, the songs sound incomplete. I suppose they do have some asthetic value, but they are very evident of a mind that is not all there. I haven't listened to the solo albums in decades.

 

[John Wes]

Barrett wrote fun songs....Easy to listen to with surprising lyrics....

I've been listening to his solo work for sometime now. Of couse his vison and contributions to early Pink Floyd are not understated. I was hooked the first time I heard Arnold Layne.

 

[DonaldB]

The way Peggy Lee feels about fires.

 

[Timon Russo]

IMO, genius. I understand how some of the stuff, especially on Madcap would turn people off because of its unfinished quality. But therein lies much of the genius. Anyone that knows anything about him is probably thankful they got THIS much material.

Some songs sound underproduced, but thankfully, smart choices were made in terms of backing players. The fact that they are sparse is what those songs are all about.

"And looking high up into the sky, I breath as the water streams over me..."

 

[Gary->dee]

Interesting responses!

I think Syd's music is highly original. Sure some of it might be a little rough around the edges, he didn't much care for the rhyming scheme of lyrics. But I think within that madness there are definite glimpses of genius shining through.