Playlist “Psyche van het Folk”, Radio Centraal, Antwerpen Syd Barrett tribute show. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Intro : The specific first pop music track from which I thought: yes, this is it! Rhythmically, musically etc.. is “Interstellar Overdrive” on Relics. “Relics” (from Pink Floyd). It happens to be one of the first records I bought and I really liked it. A friend of school wanted to get rid of all his 70’s psychedelic, symphonic rock records, changed his image from a long haired hippie to a disco macho man with a goal to a successful live. I didn’t mind, because I got some of his records, and I am glad “Relics”, the first compilation album of early Pink Floyd was amongst them. Pink Floyd’s music can eventually be divided in a few periods. The first, song orientated period, with several already adventurously worked out tracks, was what we can call the Syd Barrett period, because then he was the main writer. He also found the name for the band, which came from two Georgia blues men : Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. Early Pink Floyd experimented with feedback and electronic sounds and with their light shows. On those days early psychedelic music musicians also tried drugs which they integrated in their search for new areas and territories. Abuse and overuse of drugs caused the fading away of Syd Barrett’s personality & communicative abilities and exploiting his talent. In 1968 Dave Gilmour was asked to join the band to cover for Syd. At the end Syd Barrett still wrote two solo albums. Pink Floyd’s group participated in finishing the recordings on the first album. But they were already going their own way. After the poor reception of the second album from Syd, he was disappointed he was not taken too seriously any more, and he retreated to his mother’s house in Cambridge. There he continued with his life far way from other opinions and involvements. It caused various myths. The spirit of Syd Barrett lived on, also with Pink Floyd’s inspiration now and then. You can hear it for instance on "Wish you were here". Perhaps even “The wall” inhabited some parallels, deliberately or not. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Syd Barrett’s artistic schoolwork for a friend at http://progressive.homestead.com/prog7bonus.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- first Syd Barrett period : -energetic, inspired, psychedelic & Lewis Caroll-like fantasies- official full LP’s : * EMI Pink Floyd : “Piper at the gates of dawn” (UK,1967)***** This debut of Pink Floyd was remarkable and has much of Syd Barrett’s talent in it : the bass (Fred Frith called his raw bass style later as "A revolutionary source of electronic racket"), the songs, with some fantasy innocence, psychedelic output and very well worked out. Tr.1, “Astronomy Domine” 5 min Tr.5, “Pow R.Toc.H.” 5 min Tr.7, “Interstellar Overdrive” 10 min Tr.9, “Scarecrow” 3 min 23 For me “Interstellar overdrive” still is the ultimate psychedelic track, especially for the multilayered evolution. Together they almost work like an organic machine, with a transcending evolution, going out of the usual and come back to the first control again. A masterpiece of imagination in musical ideas.. The ideas in this album are remarkable and very experimental, still compact. They became part of the heritage of the revolutionary style psychedelia in those days still was. Info : http://www.pinkfloyd-co.com/disco/piper/piper_album.html * EMI Pink Floyd : A Saucerful of secrets (UK,1968)***** Tr.7, “”Jugband Bues” 4 min 27 Second album with longer, extensive psychedelic tracks. An album with a mature sound and inspiration. Rhythmically and musically there are pretty interesting ideas. Only one Syd Barrett song is included, which is “Jugband Blues”, a great track. Of course the bass in “Let there be more light” I guess will still be Syd Barrett. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- singles: Tr.1, “Arnold Lane” 3 min Tr.3, “Emily Play” 3 min -33 If you really listen to these songs it becomes an Alice in Wonder land story with enough fundament of intuitive sound inventions in bass, rhythms, great arrangements by the Pink Floyd with at this stage its most energetic and compact sound. The experimenting inhabited a well developed, perhaps intuitive, but also intelligent musical creativity. The energetic compact creativity is something we miss often in tribute recordings. You can either make something in this spirit, which not necessarily sounds like Pink Floyd, or repeated derived details of patterns and take only some elements out and male it work in a more simplified derived way, which happens to be called “inspired by” too, even more easily. I think Mogollar were in their early stage really inspired by the essence of Pinl Floyd, while many tribute versions are more often only inspired by some elements of the music. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- solo work : * EMI Syd Barrett : Barrett (UK,1970)**°° * Capitol Syd Barrett : The Madcap laughs (UK,1970)***°° Tr.5, “Dark Globe” 2 min Tr.9, “Long Gone” 3 min Tr.11, “Feel” 3 min Tr.12, “If it’s in you” 3 min 12 -45 Nice albums if you go into the mood of a more withdrawing kind of attitude. Has some kind of cradle-moving kind of melodies. I preferred to take the most personal and emotional songs. Such songs are really unique for me. Also another aspect you don’t hear on any of the tributes. Of course songs like “Octopus” have something of the earliest period. This album in total still is pretty unique in its core. I also like the strange and original rhythmic variation on the melodic content of these songs. * EMI Syd Barrett : Opel (UK,1970)**°°° Tr.10, “Let’s split” 3 min -48 Outtakes and unpublished recordings. This recording predates his departure to say it’s been enough for him. This song still fits in this series of personal songs pretty well !! * Capitol Syd Barrett : The Madcap laughs (UK,1970)***°° Tr.8, “Golden Hair” (James Joyce) 2 min -50 Nice interpretation of this poem of James Joyce, from his “chamber-songs” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unreleased work : Tr.7, “Vegetable man” 3 min -53 Track with weird guitars and cynical text. Sadly it’s used for a association emphasising the “wrong” aspects making his further creativity process even more impossible. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tribute albums : I will choose the most appropriate, interesting and nicest songs : I must say almost none of the songs covered the self-cynic that caused the writing of this song. * OVNI VA : Syd Barrett's Vegetable Man (I/US, 2003)*° Tr.2, Pulp_ito (Italy) 5 min Tr.6, Mandragora (Italy) 4 min 9 62 Two nice versions of “The Vegetable Man” song. Second in indie garage version. Both covered all elements into their own interpretation. Well done ! Review : http://progressive.homestead.com/prog7.html * OVNI VA : The vegetable man 10" Project (2003)*** This experimental compilation album is good to listen to but will sound a bit off-topic if I would include it in the playlist. It is an interesting project, and also fine to listen to. Review : http://progressive.homestead.com/prog7.html * OVNI V.A. : The vegetable man Project vol.2 (var.,2004)*° Tr.7, Swedish Whistler (Sweden) 3 min 65 At least Swedish Whistler succeeded well to covered the cynic of the song in a rocky Pere Ubu way. Mandog took something from the guitar and gave it a psychedelic loop. I was left out for time limitation reasons. Christian Rainer & Nark bvb interpreted the song also well showing the aspect of tragedy of it. It was left out for time limitation reasons only. Kech version is ok too, with male/female vocals and an indierock-garage etc. sound. It was left out for time limitation reasons. The “Vegetable Man” project focuses until now mostly on the indierock scene with persons who did experience the music of Syd Barrett not from the essence of psychedelica and intuitive inspiration view but uses sounds in a much darker way. Review : http://progressive.homestead.com/prog7.html * Déjà vu VA: The Laughing Madcaps, let’s try it another way (var.200?)**° Tr.5, Dinar Bandosu (TÜ): “Interstellar Vegetable Man” 5 min Tr.1, John McKeag (SC): “Astronomy Domine” 5 min Tr.2, Mark Zampino (US): “intro/Arnold Layne” 5 min Tr.3, Swedish Whistler (SW): “Effervescing Elephant” 2 min Tr.6, Tony Favazza (US): “Mathilda Mother” 4 min Tr.10, Vertigo Poets (US): “Wined and Dined” 3 min Tr.15, The Cosmic cult of Damien Youth (US): “Long Gone” 3 min Tr.19, Luciano Chessa (US): “Opel” 5 min (shortened) 32 -98 Very good compilation much closer in spirit to Pink Floyd/Syd Barrett’s sound. I’ve put the psych version of “Vegetable man” first by Turkish group Dinar Bandosu (a track with some reverb distortion effect). Wish I knew what else the group made. First track by McKeag is psychedelic. It is musically good but is recorded with lots of noisy distortion. Mark Zampino starts his version a capella with echoes. Swedish Whistler does another good interpretation here (they were listed for airplay with their contribution of the earlier mentioned compilation). Tony Favazza brings a fine and interesting singer-songwriter version with a nice guitar interpretation of a Barrett’s song. Vertigo Poets bring a good neo-psych-rock group’s version of their chosen song. Luciano Chessa plays an Italian version of Opel on double tracked strummed guitar (in early Cl. Rochi style). Somewhat long in execution, but fine. The album also features a hopeless case interpretation by Alan Bishop, of “Terrapin”, not sung “bad enough” for me to include. Review : Review : http://progressive.homestead.com/prog7.html Damien Youth group : http://members.cox.net/damienyouth/bands_cult1.htm -Damien also once did put out a neo-60’s record out under the name of Walter Ghoul’s Lavender Brigade-. Other groups are linked at http://www.neptunepinkfloyd.co.uk/hygiy/15/?pg=15trax * demo version VA : On a distant Shore –a tribute to Syd Barrett (var.2003)***° Tr.1, Danboid : “The Whole Bit” 1 min Tr.2, Sixtyne & the continues People : “Lucifer Sam” 3 min Tr.3, TranselemenT : “Opel” 6 min Tr.7, Captain Wasp : “If it’s in you” 3 min Tr.11, Sixtyne & the continues People : “I know where Syd Barrett lives” 5 min 19 -117 First track is an otherworldly drugged interview track with weird effects. Second track is a very good surfed garage-version of “Lucifer Sam”. This is the closest in spirit tribute album to Syd Barrett I know. TranselemenT interprets “Opel” with a great psych version with some garage Rawness. They also added very good psychedelic rock ideas and textures. This group delivered one of the best worked out interpretations in general. Captain Wasp gives a raped very annoying mix of “If it’s in you”, on the edge of the acceptible. Almost anti-Barrett. Last track used Pink Floyd elements. It is in fact a Syd Barrett tribute track, originally by Television Personalities. Reminding of the “Wish you were here” melody. Review : Review : http://progressive.homestead.com/prog7.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cover versions on various albums : * Ryko Disc David Bowie : Pin Ups (UK,1973)***°°(?) Tr.4, “See Emily Play” 5 min -122 Great version (****’) by Bowie and his backing band (Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder, Mike Garson, Ken Fordham, GA MacCornack). Bowie showed lots of talent, already since 1966 (and since his nice 1967 debute). This track has fantastic arrangements. Other covers of Syd Barret you can find : http://www.angelfire.com/wv/breastmilky/tributes.html http://members.aol.com/pgrsel/barrett/reprises.htm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Groups inspired by Syd Barrett : * Sound Hawk Rec. Octopus Syng : Beyond the karmadelic coldness, there’s the lovedelic warmth (FIN,2004)*** Tr.1, “We could be everywhere” 5 min Tr.3, “Intuition Waltz” 4 min 9 Not all of it is Syd Barrett inspired but you can notice his influence. First track is more sitarpsych. A few other tracks will be played another time. Review : http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/psychfolkpopreview2.html * ? Obscured By Clouds is another group who covered Syd Barrett/early Pink Floyd : http://www.obscuredbyclouds.com I didn’t receive their music in time for submission. * Jugendstill Rec.Apothecary Hymns : Half of what is seen (US,2004)**** Tr.1, “Half of what is been” 6 min One of both tracks fits with the Syd Barret inspired music. The other track of this single will be airplayed in another show. Review : http://psychedelicfolk.homestead.com/psychfolkpopreview2.html * private Cactus Cooper : Gentlemaniac (D,2002)**° -Maniac side :- Tr.1, “Pour Astronaut’s Girl” 3 min Tr.4, “Heaven with Cream” 5 min (shortened) Tr.6, “Elemental instrufant” 3 min (shortened) Instrumentally this has some Syd Barrett / Pink Floyd influences. With distorted voice at side B. Lots of musical mushroom images on neo-60’s psychedelia style. Nice and pleasant! But not very well recorded. I choose “Pour Astronaut’s Girl” because it has the same guitar chords as Syd Barrett’s «Dominos». Also in the other tracks I recognise many similarities, in singing and effects. Still it sounds like a lazy version of Syd Barrett / Pink Floyd. Review : http://progressive.homestead.com/progressive.html Info : http://www.cactus-cooper.de/ Perhaps Syd Barrett is also mystified because with such a “hero” also some weak aspects in music, psychology and lazy voices, people sometimes hope to make it in the light of Syd Barrett more acceptable. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Syd Barrett influence in later Pink Floyd : * Big Musik Pink Floyd : Reactor (Pink Floyd live in Europe 1971) (UK,1971)**° Tr.5, “Murderistic Woman” 3 min A good quality (bootleg) recording. Not sure where this track comes from, but it uses a repetitive 2 note-bass which might have derived from earlier ideas. Pink Floyd were also more and more exploiting their “Floydian” territories further (except in “More” and “Atom Heart Mother” where they explored beautiful composed songs, and on ‘Umma Gumma’ where they did inventive new sound experiments), with “Meddle” as a final trademark for this sound. I guess they gave most attention in creativity in the final official albums. * CBS VA. “Zabriskie Point” the original soundtrack recording (UK,US,1970)*°° Tr.11, PF : “Come in number 51, your time is up” 5 min An album with three tracks of Pïnk Floyd, some Westcoast and other groups,.. like The Kaleidoscope, The Grateful Dead but also Patti Page, Jerry Garcia, John Fahey, The Youngbloods, and a few others. Syd Barrett was already out. Not a very special album. The movie is another story. The last track, “Come in number 51, your time is up” has a good Floydian improvisation, based upon “Careful with that axe, Eugene”. * Trade Mark Pink Floyd : Zabrieskie Point Session –Rome-Dec. 1969 (UK,1969)*°° The complete sessions are released as bootleg. Musically partly it still sounds as a demo. Or at least not so adventurous or worked out. The mid period of Pink Floyd became their most popular with moody albums like “Animals”, “Dark Side of the Moon”, “Wish you were here”. “The Wall” introduced another chapter which lead to a group now completely lead by Roger Waters and his personal songwriting ideas. Perhaps also parts of “Wish You were here” and “The Wall” were referring to Syd Barrett some way or another, deliberately or not. From this stage the group was lead as if it was a one man singer-songwriter band more and more tending to be a kind of new Roy Harper. The spectacular shows have to cover the lack of musical strongness in such kind of inspiration. In that stage the band stopped being a psychedelic band and became more a kind of art-concept pop project. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Syd Barrett fans newsletter : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/madcapslaughing/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The day after the show I had a dream about visiting Syd Barrett. It was in some kind of occasion I had to go with my parents, with a number of cars following symbolising the different old songs or perhaps tribute songs. He lived in a kind of house with his mother, which had more something of a hotel, where you could have serious and expensive dishes on the menu. In stead we didn’t get much when we arrived at around diner time invitation. We might have eaten something we still had ourselves, or at least we were eating slices of bread. I had the impression they never spend much on food / dinners. We had some conversations. At some point Syd started to make notes on a paper. It more looked like a schedule/scheme puzzle rebus. It was too brief to make something from it. You should be able to read it horizontally and vertically but only some of it seemed to make sense. I think he tried to reorganize some thoughts on the past and about some experiences he had kept hidden so far. I couldn’t male much real clarifying information up out of the interview itself and went home. The day after that Syd (took a train ?) and visited the record company studio’s, asked if he could record a song. They looked somewhat in the schedules and finally managed some spare time. The first part of what Syd sung was personal, was a kind of struggling in inspiration, was partly sung a bit strangely. I forgot about how it went. The second part however changed into a kind of gospel singing. It went more or less like this : “I came here to tell you to what I’ve been true. Light gone out; it was unbearable. I had to go true. I waited for years and years and years, because I am responsible for what I do. Years they were unbearable. You don’t know what I’ve been true. Jesus sat on my lap for years. Jesus light was unbearable. I know what you’ve been true. Jesus, I feel now responsible. That way I’ve come true. This pone’s here for you.” I heard through the imagination of the producer some choirs on the background used for Pink Floyd before on I believe “Wish you were here” ? making connections with some of Pink Floyd’s periods… --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other playlists : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/2004.html General index page : www.radiocentraal.be/psychevanhetfolk More detailed index page : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/index.html Receive weekly this playlist before the radioshow with new reviews and additional comments : / ontvang wekelijks playlist vòòr de radio-uitzending : Subscribe / schrijf u in : psychevanhetfolk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com