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Alistair Tait
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Registered: 04-2004
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The Madcap Laughs - a review
THE MADCAP LAUGHS – Syd Barrett (1970)
This is the first solo album Syd Barrett recorded after leaving Pink Floyd in the late 1960’s. It is the work of a man disintegrating from a charismatic, flamboyant, avante garde songwriter into a reclusive schizophrenic. This album is disturbingly raw, yet fantastically melodic and gives the listener and interesting insight into the mind of a true genius. Indeed at one point in the album, you can hear Syd turning over the pages his lyrics are written on…
If you are expecting to hear something in a similar vein to Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, then you will be pleasantly disappointed, as this album has a completely different vibe and sound to it. Many of the songs are just Syd and his acoustic guitar (similar to The Gnome and Scarecrow off Piper), and this somewhat adds to the ‘rawness’ of the album.
There are some fantastic songs on this album including Terrapin, Here I Go, Octopus, Long Gone and Late Night. These songs are the ones where Syd was probably more together and almost fully functioning. Others in comparison are pretty naked and open, and sound more like demo tapes.
Overall, this is an album that is only really worth picking up if you are interested in hearing more of the genius that was Syd Barrett. There is nothing on this album that will remind of his Floyd days, but there are still some excellent songs tucked away on this long forgotten album.
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3/8/2004, 20:39
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Rahul
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Re: The Madcap Laughs - a review
Good stuff, Ali! If you like this kind of thing, then I recommend Oar, by Skip Spence.
He was possibly even more mad than Syd. The former Jefferson Airplane and Moby Grape man was put in a mental asylum after being found brandishing an axe in a hotel.
He created one solo album shortly after his release called Oar. It's full of acoustic meanderings and ponderings, some work, some don't. But its a highly interesting album bearing in mind his mental state, and there are some fine moments too, which let his early promise as a great song-writer shine through. Fascinating stuff.
Also, the solo albums of Kevin Ayres (Soft Machine) are worth checking out too!
Last edited by Rahul, 4/8/2004, 21:45
--- We're here for a good time, not for a long time!
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4/8/2004, 10:26
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David Meadows
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Re: The Madcap Laughs - a review
Talking of Soft Machine, you should try Robert Wyatt's solo albums too. He's at least as loony as Syd Barrett
I've been meaning to get The Madcap Laughs for a while now, and I think your review has just decided me -- it will definitely be my next purchase.
--- "If you are worried that your children are going to read low-quality information, teach them. Teach them what to read. Teach them how to judge information."
Tim Berners-Lee (creator of the World Wide Web)
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4/8/2004, 11:59
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Alistair Tait
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Re: The Madcap Laughs - a review
Cool guys, cheers for the recommendations! Will have to check some of this stuff out! Syd actually did a session with Kevin Ayers about the time of Madcap...
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4/8/2004, 17:14
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Super Trouper
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Re: The Madcap Laughs - a review
quote: Rahul wrote:
Good stuff, Ali! If you like this kind of thing, then I recommend Oar, by Skip Spence.
I hear the song Spence wrote for the X-Files movie was considered too disturbing, so they cut the track from the film.
Anybody ever listen to this one?
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5/8/2004, 17:16
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Trollprincess
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Re: The Madcap Laughs - a review
I don't know. I've always frightened to buy this stuff. Because I find it perverting to hear a poor, mad man's self-diagnostics.
--- A life for friendship, peace and good music.
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5/8/2004, 20:02
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Rahul
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Re: The Madcap Laughs - a review
quote: Trollprincess wrote:
I don't know. I've always frightened to buy this stuff. Because I find it perverting to hear a poor, mad man's self-diagnostics.
These guys are making music from deep within. Some of the best music in the world is written from the writer's own experiences, feelings, thoughts, state of consiousness. This is nothing new.
Piper at the Gates of Dawn was written by a band on acid. Should we not listen to it because it was recorded by people out of their heads?
It's fascinating to hear music recorded from all sorts of different perspectives. Some of it works, some of it doesn't.
--- We're here for a good time, not for a long time!
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5/8/2004, 21:16
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Rahul
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Re: The Madcap Laughs - a review
quote: Super Trouper wrote:
quote: Rahul wrote:
Good stuff, Ali! If you like this kind of thing, then I recommend Oar, by Skip Spence.
I hear the song Spence wrote for the X-Files movie was considered too disturbing, so they cut the track from the film.
Anybody ever listen to this one?
The full story of that is here!
Turns out that it was the final mix that ruined the song!
I've never heard either version mind!
--- We're here for a good time, not for a long time!
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5/8/2004, 21:31
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Super Trouper
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Re: The Madcap Laughs - a review
quote: Rahul wrote:
quote: Trollprincess wrote:
I don't know. I've always frightened to buy this stuff. Because I find it perverting to hear a poor, mad man's self-diagnostics.
These guys are making music from deep within. Some of the best music in the world is written from the writer's own experiences, feelings, thoughts, state of consiousness. This is nothing new.
Piper at the Gates of Dawn was written by a band on acid. Should we not listen to it because it was recorded by people out of their heads?
It's fascinating to hear music recorded from all sorts of different perspectives. Some of it works, some of it doesn't.
Syd was the only one in the band that did heavy drugs, at least I think. Rick Wright got into coke later on but that's it.
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7/8/2004, 0:28
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Trollprincess
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Re: The Madcap Laughs - a review
Roger Waters admitted in Nicolas Schaffner's PF-book to have tried LSD at two times. In his second and last trip he only went shopping. Potatoes, milk, bread etc. A wholly normal thing. But on his way back home his knees began to shiver and the legs were "soft like gum".. In the middle of the road he crossed he almost broke down.
And so, it was the last trial.
Last edited by Trollprincess, 13/8/2004, 18:13
--- Milan Fahrnholz doesn' t like Ritchie Blackmore
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13/8/2004, 18:09
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