Talk about pushing boundaries. This was around the same time that Rubber Soul came out, and while that's one of the greatest albums ever there is nothing as avant garde as Astronomy Domine on it. Or Pow R Toc H. I still get goosebumps listening to Syd's solos.
BTW, you should check out "Let's All Make Love in London" if you haven't already. It kicks off with a live version of Interstellar Overdrive and some footage of the band.
Certainly, Mike, the more interesting sounds come from Roger's mouth. Check out this performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-h7wg0i…
The vocal action starts around 4:00. More musical and just as abstract if not more so.
But damn, I didn't realize Syd was such a handsome fellow.
I think Pink Floyd became a group once that Syd Barrett left or was tossed. Pipers at the Gates of Dawn is an example of what direction Pink Floyd would had taken with Syd in charge. The music changed dramatically once Syd left. Some of Syd's solo music like the Madcap Laughs is an example of this..
Syd was an absolute genius. I've been aware of his music since I was a kid, but I only recently started listening to it carefully. It's worth taking the time to get past the somewhat dated 'psychedelic' surface characteristics (which is what put me off at first), because there's a lot of substance to the music that really rewards repeated listening. That's true of "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" and his solo work.
@9, Syd was a million times more interesting than the jobsworthies in his band. Madcap and Barrett each are better than any post-Syd Floyd album. Five seconds of "It Is Obvious" is more valuable than 100 million hours of David Gilmour guitar solos or earnest Roger Waters vocal efforts.
@11 Do you own Madcap? I've had it for nearly 20 years, and it's almost unlistenable. When Syd blew his mind, much of his musical ability went with it. Gilmour & Waters had to do quite a bit of work to get Syd' incoherent ramblings into something resembling song structures for an album. This isn't Stockhausen atonality: it's a guy who can't hear music anymore for the voices screaming in his head.
Syd may have been a kinder person than Roger Waters (most people are), but don't confuse the spasms of insanity with genius. (Just like you shouldn't confuse Waters' bitterness with poetry.) A brief life, not a brilliant one.
@11 I totally agree with this statement although it is interesting that something like Umma Gumma, which apparently Syd had little to do with, is still many times better than any later Pink Floyd output. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun! Pretty sure Roger Waters wrote the lyrics for that. Psych nonsense for sure, but way way better than 'run rabbit run...'
BTW, you should check out "Let's All Make Love in London" if you haven't already. It kicks off with a live version of Interstellar Overdrive and some footage of the band.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-h7wg0i…
The vocal action starts around 4:00. More musical and just as abstract if not more so.
But damn, I didn't realize Syd was such a handsome fellow.
Syd may have been a kinder person than Roger Waters (most people are), but don't confuse the spasms of insanity with genius. (Just like you shouldn't confuse Waters' bitterness with poetry.) A brief life, not a brilliant one.
You wore out your welcome,
With random precision.