SYD BARRETT
OCTOPUS
( The Best of Syd Barrett )
CLEO 57712
(P) 1992
Made in Canada
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| Reviews/Comments:
A compilation of tracks from Syd Barrett's two proper solo albums, 1970's Barrett and The Madcap Laughs , plus a couple of tracks from the 1989 odds and ends collection Opel. Octopus: The Best of Syd Barrett is a fine, though not world-beating, collection. In distilling the three albums, the compilers wisely kept to the more lucid material, choosing skewed pop gems like "Gigolo Aunt" and "Baby Lemonade," not to mention the sublime musical setting of James Joyce's "Golden Hair," over the creepy and fragmented stuff that's more psychologically intriguing than actually fun to listen to. As an introduction to Barrett's solo work, Octopus is pretty good (though the later Wouldn't You Miss Me is more comprehensive), but the complete Syd Barrett novice should still start with Pink Floyd's The Piper at the Gates of Dawn , his sole masterpiece. Music fans would pour over 19 odd takes of 'Clowns And Jugglers' and watch it turn into 'Octopus'. By the way, the 1993 CD version of this album features six bonus tracks, an alternate take of 'Gigolo Aunt' being better than the version eventually used on 'Barrett'. Syd, Roger Keith, Barrett is a genius,quite simply-an artistic genius. In a way, I often feel like I'm going through EXACTLY what he went through in the 60's, but I know this isn't true. I just feel this way. I've been listening to Syd Barrett's music for 10 years now and I Never get tired of it. When I'm alone, depressed, feeling inspired, or just plain spaced-out and yes, his music makes complete sense while expanding one's mind... but I respect him for having broken the boundaries of conventional wisdom. He's a spiritual seeker in a way...but pray that the last piece of news we hear about Syd won't be tragic. |
| Tracks: | Time: |
| 1. Octopus | 3:47 |
| 2. Swan Lee (Silas Lang) | 3:11 |
| 3. Baby Lemonade | 4:07 |
| 4. Late Night | 3:10 |
| 5. Wined And Dined | 2:54 |
| 6. Golden Hair | 1:59 |
| 7. Gigolo Aunt | 5:42 |
| 8. Wolfpack | 3:41 |
| 9. It Is Obvios | 2:55 |
| 10. Lanky (Part One) | 5:30 |
| 11. No Good Trying | 3:26 |
| 12. Clowns and Jugglers (Octopus) | 3:24 |
| 13. Waving My Arms In The Air | 2:09 |
| 14. Opel | 6:24 |
| Total Time: | 52:19 |
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| Line-up - Syd Barrett / guitar, vocals, production - Mike Ratledge (Soft Machine) / keyboards - Vic Seywell / horn - John Wilson / drums - David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)/ bass, guitar, production, organ - Hugh Hopper (Soft Machine) / bass - Malcolm Jones / Producer - Roger Waters (Pink Floyd) / Bass, Producer - Robert Wyatt (Soft Machine) / Drums - Jerry Shirley / percussion, drums - Willey / percussion - Richard Wright (Pink Floyd) / organ, harmonium, piano,keyboards, production |
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