[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by This Is Not Here

hmmmm, perhaps, but I've always thought of it as an experimental peice which layers several elements in no structure. Love it as I do, it doesn't really reach noise territory on any of the recordings I've heard.

I suppose all this would depend ultimately on what you mean by 'noise'. I'm listening to No Man's Land right now, in an attempt to get what you mean by the whole 'noise' thing. And yes, something does happen about two minutes in as the guitars begin to 'disintegrate' in a very Velvets/Can/Beefheart-like fashion. If this is what you mean, you may well have a point. I certainly can't think of a British song that has that effect which predates it. Maybe The Pretty Things song Defective Grey, but then again, maybe not. Your claim reminds me a bit of the one which cites The Kinks' You Really Got Me is the first Heavy Metal record, in that it may be true, but only in the very narrowest of sense. Saying that, if nothing else, it's made me listen to what is already one of my favourite songs from the British psychedelic era in a different way. Whether you're right or not is secondary to what is definitely an interesting point for discussion. Thanks.

[batreleaser]

i was just listenin to "piper..." actually.

[This Is Not Here]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

I suppose all this would depend ultimately on what you mean by 'noise'. I'm listening to No Man's Land right now, in an attempt to get what you mean by the whole 'noise' thing. And yes, something does happen about two minutes in as the guitars begin to 'disintegrate' in a very Velvets/Can/Beefheart-like fashion. If this is what you mean, you may well have a point. I certainly can't think of a British song that has that effect which predates it. Maybe The Pretty Things song Defective Grey, but then again, maybe not. Your claim reminds me a bit of the one which cites The Kinks' You Really Got Me is the first Heavy Metal record, in that it may be true, but only in the very narrowest of sense. Saying that, if nothing else, it's made me listen to what is already one of my favourite songs from the British psychedelic era in a different way. Whether you're right or not is secondary to what is definitely an interesting point for discussion. Thanks.

Yeah sure thing man, that was the idea, the original thread title was a wild claim of "Syd Barrett invented noise rock!!". I'm quite sure he didn't, but it was intended to provoke discussion and comment, nice to know someone 'gets it' . Similar to the claim about the Kinks track is something my Gothic freind says about a Rolling Stones track (can't for the life of me remember which one) being the first 'proto-Goth' track. It can all get a bit rediculous if you trace it back too far, but I find it quite fun discussing where the seeds of later music genres were sewn.

And, ha!, if we want to get into REALLY bullshit claims about Syd Barrett theres the old 'Long Gone predicts 9/11' arguement. Obviously Syd took so many mind altering drugs he saw into the future...

[Cantankerous]

Originally Posted by acdc518

Syd is the best. Piper is probably my favorite albums. actually its tied with the 2nd VU record for favorite album.

When he was in Floyd, they where different. when he left they became boring and uninteresting.

RIP Syd

floyd were just like every other fucking psychedelic rock band at the time, singing about fairies and gnomes and silly childish shit like that (which is all fair game) when syd was in the band. they really developed as a band after he left.
i mean don't get me wrong, i love their stuff with syd too.

[This Is Not Here]

Heres something fellow Barrettites might appreciate, preceeding a long period apart due to gap year travel arrangements me and my two best freinds each made eachother a compilation of our all-time favourite tracks. We wrote about each track and why it means what it does to us. This is what I wrote about Syd Barrett:

15. Syd Barrett – Here I Go, from the album The Madcap Laughs 1970
Pink Floyd were one of the first notable British underground bands. With their beautiful shambling visionary of a frontman Syd Barrett, a prodigious talent at both pop song writing and sonic experimentation, Pink Floyd were to become London’s premier underground act, as house band of the infamous UFO club. However, the band lived a double life, whilst performing lengthy psychedelic epics at ‘freak-outs’, they would release a top 10 album, The Piper At Gates of Dawn, and two superb top 20 pop singles. Pink Floyd under the extraordinary talent of Syd Barrett, would progress rock into wholly new territory. However, all of this lasted for only a year. Accompalishing more in 12 months than most musicians will in a lifetime, coupled with a gargantuan consumption of psychedelic drugs, took a horrific toll on Barrett, he was replaced by his best friend David Gilmour. As ‘67 gives way to ‘68, music may never be the same again, but the band’s frontman is barely recognisable. In early 1968, after a brief experiment as a five-man act, the Pink Floyd, the band Syd had named, fronted, written every song for and launched to international acclaim, sacked him.

Casual Pink Floyd fans often ask me ‘if Syd was so crazy, how come he was in a fit enough state to produce two solo albums?’. The answer is always the same; ‘he wasn’t’. Any listen to Syd’s first and best solo album The Madcap Laughs makes this crystal clear- its not so much an album but booty brought back from a nightmare, postcards from the precipice. At the point of recording Syd was still taking vast amounts of acid, and more concerningly Mandrax, an extremely dilapidating drug indeed. Therefore, its just as well The Madcap Laughs doesn’t try to sound remotely like a coherent album. Both solo albums were produced by Syd’s ex-bandmates David Gilmour and Roger Waters. On Madcap Gilmour decided to keep a number of false-starts and studio chatter in the final cut, usually Syd getting extremely frustrated, and these insights into Syd’s fragility make the album so powerfully raw. The second album, simply entitled ‘Barrett’ doesn’t do this, it’s over produced; a vain attempt to cover over the cracks - and it screams of it. Though thoroughly a cult album and often overlooked, Madcap’s rawness has earnt it a much deserved place in rock history. It’s often hailed as one of the first ever lo-fi rock albums, a production technique that would become so insurmountably part of punk and whole host of other music genres. With this, the sprawling feedback on ‘No Man’s Land’ can be seen as the first notable British embrace of what would later be called Noise-Rock.
I love music because of The Madcap Laughs. It’s part in my appreciation of unconventionally good music is vast. In music, we all seek a good tune. However, a good tune is a series of mathematical patterns which are pleasing to our brain. For me, this takes some of the magnificence and soul out of music, it makes it a technical thing, and something of gamble in that some tunes will be catchy and memorable and some not. The Madcap Laughs is the first piece of music I heard that had a poignance to it could not put down to a good tune. I soon realised there were more ways to appreciate music than ‘verse chorus verse’. I do have a good tune quota, everyone does, even those of the most intense tastes. However, I believe where the real floodgates open is when fans seek at atmospheric, emotional and more intuitive response to music. This album is where it all began for me.
This track is probably the most coherent of all on Madcap, it’s a lovely Carnaby Street pop song, and a rarity for Syd’s solo songwriting, it has a narrative instead of the usual stream of consciousness lyricism. The result of a more clear-minded recording session, the story is very uplifting – about ditching that bitch and shagging her sister, and provides some welcome relief – with this, it also includes a veiled stab at Pink Floyd- “she said a big band is far better than you”. Yep, the singings out of tune, the guitar is amateur – and I fucking love it.

[uhler]

Originally Posted by Cantankerous

floyd were just like every other fucking psychedelic rock band at the time, singing about fairies and gnomes and silly childish shit like that (which is all fair game) when syd was in the band. they really developed as a band after he left.

the first few floyd albums after syd was kicked out were great (for the most part), but there's something about the piper at the gates of dawn that just puts it above the rest of floyd's albums and most albums period.

[Cantankerous]

actually it's probably my least favourite except for their post-waters stuff (which is terrible, david gilmour is incapable of leading a band on his own)

but i love everything up to the wall. after that i'm not interested. the final cut is awful as well as the rest of it.

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by This Is Not Here

This track [Here I Go] is probably the most coherent of all on Madcap, it’s a lovely Carnaby Street pop song, and a rarity for Syd’s solo songwriting, it has a narrative instead of the usual stream of consciousness lyricism. The result of a more clear-minded recording session, the story is very uplifting – about ditching that bitch and shagging her sister, and provides some welcome relief – with this, it also includes a veiled stab at Pink Floyd- “she said a big band is far better than you”. Yep, the singings out of tune, the guitar is amateur – and I fucking love it.

It's interesting that you see the track like that. I tend to see Here I Go, and The Madcap Laughs in general, more as a kind of decidely bitter post-party come down from the whole Carnaby Street thing, which was largely dead by 1967 anyway, rather than an evocation of its heyday. Barrett was, as we all know, a casualty of that era and, for me, part of the greatness of the album is the way in which it bears its war-wounds so openly. In this sense, I think it's only equal from that no-longer-Swinging London era is maybe Lennon's debut solo album, 'John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band' - which also came out in 1970.

It's usual, and not entirely incorrect, to mention the Velvets in the same breath as Barrett, but I always feel that Lennon is a far better comparison, especially during that brief period - two rather fragile figures, damaged by inter-band rivalries as well as being alienated from a scene they were both so pivotal in creating. The Madcap Laughs and John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band are, in many ways, Britain's first real post-'sixties' albums and certainly paved the way for themes that would emerge later, on, for example, ex-Fairground Convention guitarist Richard Thompson's solo work in the early seventies.

With this in mind, it's interesting how Barrett remains a massive influence on artists that've gone solo following earlier periods of success with more popular bands (most notable examples being Julian Cope, Graham Coxon and, ahem, Captain Sensible)

[Death & the Maiden]

I love Syd Barrett, Piper... is one of my all time favourite albums. Out of his solo output, I like Madcap... the most. Barrett (the album) is alright, and Opel is really good.
There are lots of Pink Floyd fans at my school who've never heard of Syd Barrett, even the ones who say "PF are my favourite band, I've got all their albums". When I tell them who he was, they still won't acknowledge his importance.

[demonrail666]

One of these people is a sexy-ass genius. The other is a smug, self-obsessed bore. See if you can identify which is which.

 

"Ew, I think I've found another minor chord."

 

"Let's fuck."

[This Is Not Here]

Amusing as that is, I think if anyones got to get labelled as a self-obsessed bore then it must be Waters. Final Cut is the most depressingly self indulgent album ever made (I do kind of like it for this reason, comedy factor mainly). I find Roger Water's arrogance quite astounding, this is a man who - at The Madcap's Last Laugh, a special Syd tribute show at the Barbican following his death, where various musicians played Syd's greatest tracks - played one of his own songs. I thought that was a really awful thing to do.

Now Gilmour, though he might make boring as fuck music, I can't fault his character, he seems like a very down to earth standup bloke actually. The great irony is, Waters thinks himself as a great left-wing socialist, however it was GILMOUR who sold his house in London for several million pounds and gave all the profits to homeless charities.

[demonrail666]

In response to This is Not Here's fine observation regarding Roger Water's cuntishness:

 

"Ew, I think I just found another worthy cause to support ... me!"

[atari 2600]

When he was with the Floyd, towards the very end, Syd came in once and started playing this tune, and played it completely different. Every chord change just kept going somewhere else and he'd keep yelling (the title), 'Have you got it yet?' I guess then it was Roger (who kept yelling back, 'No!') who kind of realized, 'Oh, dear.'"

http://www.sydbarrett.net/subpages/a..._barretttp.htm

Have You Got It Yet? 22-volume bootleg set
http://www.guitars101.com/forums/f90...set-55735.html megaupload links for the mp3s (the uploader states that they are also willing to upload this lossless at some point)

The pirate bay had the torrents, but they are no longer active.

[This Is Not Here]

Have You Got It Let is patchy at best for Syd Barrett rarities, many tracks are untitled 'instrumentals' of very dubious origins. Theres also various 'colaborations' with various people, Frank Zappa, and most infamously The Beatles. None of them ever happened. With this, some of the tracks where Syd is singing... its clearly not him. Stay away from HYGIY if you ask me.

[atari 2600]

good to know, thanks

have some of it already, and 22 discs is naturally a laborious undertaking

[PAULYBEE2656]

piper is a masterpiece with interstellar overdrive being its crowning glory.. madcap laughs is great for what it is... barrett is a genius, flawed genius.. floyd otherwise are just not worth the hassle.. no one has mentined nick mason.. great drummer, great historic racer and great collecton of beautiful vintage cars!!!!

just some of the clasics he owns
gilles villeneuves 1978 ferrari f1 (he still races it)

 

a 1935 aston martin, still races it in exhibition races

 

his 1957 mike hawthorn world championship winning maserati f1 car

 

his road going pagani zonda gt racer

 

[This Is Not Here]

Having delved deeply into Syd Barrett rarities, you'd be hard pressed to fill 2 discs of legitimate amd confirmable syd barrett obscurities. Seriously dude, stay away from that collection, I've got some stuff I could send you if you so want.

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by atari 2600

When he was with the Floyd, towards the very end, Syd came in once and started playing this tune, and played it completely different. Every chord change just kept going somewhere else and he'd keep yelling (the title), 'Have you got it yet?' I guess then it was Roger (who kept yelling back, 'No!') who kind of realized, 'Oh, dear.'"

http://www.sydbarrett.net/subpages/a..._barretttp.htm

Have You Got It Yet? 22-volume bootleg set
http://www.guitars101.com/forums/f90...set-55735.html megaupload links for the mp3s (the uploader states that they are also willing to upload this lossless at some point)

The pirate bay had the torrents, but they are no longer active.

Wow, thanks for that Atari. Downloading it at the moment. The usual 'must spread more' scenario on the repping front. I'm totally in the mood for this stuff right now. Cheers.

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by This Is Not Here

Having delved deeply into Syd Barrett rarities, you'd be hard pressed to fill 2 discs of legitimate amd confirmable syd barrett obscurities.

I remember there being a whole heap of Barrett boots doing the rounds pre-interweb, I used to have some nice vinyls but sold them when needs were must. There was a load of crap going about, not much more than the sound of tuning up, in some cases, but some real beauties were out there too which I REALLY regret selling.

[acdc518]

Originally Posted by Cantankerous

floyd were just like every other fucking psychedelic rock band at the time, singing about fairies and gnomes and silly childish shit like that (which is all fair game) when syd was in the band. they really developed as a band after he left.
i mean don't get me wrong, i love their stuff with syd too.

Really? my opinion about a band is worth reporting as a bad post? ok still doesn't change the fact that they were at their best when Syd was with them and the only decent stuff they did afterward was heavily influenced by Barrett