Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Syd Barrett / The Madcap Laughs (1970)



This spartan solo effort from the lost founder of Pink Floyd is half-baked in parts, and beautifully complete in others. It’s uneven, sure, but so was its creator. It stands as a sad and beautiful testament to the mental and emotional decline of an outstanding creative mind, and the efforts put forth by his friends and former bandmates to salvage his gifts. The record sounds uneven, but it's not distracting and Syd was pretty uneven at the time so part of you is expecting to hear the consequences his mental state had on his music making abilities. “It’s No Good Trying” is a dark and noisy romp through squalling walls of feedback and topsy-turvy cadences. The hypnotic rhythm and droning lyrics march through the speakers like a musical zombie, intent on completing the song but with a reanimated or disembodied feel. “Love You” and “Octopus” are examples of the Kevin Ayers-style English whimsy Barrett proved so adept at writing for the first Pink Floyd record and it's nice to get another view of that facet before the window closed completely. Other songs, “Dark Globe,” “Long Gone,” and “She Took a Long Cold Look” speak to Barrett's emotional side, and offer listeners an intimate glimpse at the human being living behind the hype. On “Golden Hair,” Barrett interprets musically and with his voice the words of a James Joyce poem. If the rest of the album doesn’t do it, this track will hold you transfixed with its pure magic. Yes, magic.

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