The Wrong Barrett Gets the Right Treatment

The Wrong Barrett Gets the Right Treatment

I am always a Barretted Pink Floyd fan. When I put the stunning Pipers at the Gates of Dawn and then Madcap Laughs together, there is a feeling that Syd was being misunderstood and abandoned, together with his music.

Madcap Laughs has got an even better songwriting than PaTGoD but the album is unfinished when released, a situation very similar to the Pet Sounds, moving onward to the SmiLE sessions. (or if you want to regard it as the Smiley Smile album)

That’s my speculation. With the latest re-recorded album of Madcap Laughs, it seems the wrong Barrett gets the right treatment from diciples who was more Barretted than his fellow Floyds & Soft Machines.

The album starts with Terrapin’, now an upbeated Rocker that opens the album, it represents really fresh album that kick away the confusing dirt of Syd during the recording session.

Terrapin’ ended abruptly into No Good Trying, a treatment resemble to the early Zappa albums – I would take this as a compliment of Syd from the ghost of Zappa.

The arrangement for “No Good Trying”, is similar, but more Beatlesque colorful. It features a fuzzy guitar playing, very much similar to George (Harrison) on taxman and the casual, layback drumbeat, as Ringo （Starr）in “A day in the Life”. I would consider this as the compliment from George (Martin) George and Ringo.

The opening chords reminds the “Love you” moment – a most direct love song from Barrett, sung by a beautiful voice.

There is a bit (not much) of confusion in the original version of “No Man’s Land” – this poppy, upbeat and clean version, lift up Barrett’s song in a more fashionanble level, attracting more audience.

Compare with “No Man’s land”, the original version of “Dark Globe” featured a even more confusing Barrett’s performance. Obviously the producer don’t understand what Barrett was going through “Wouldn’t you miss me at all?” to his fellow Floyds. (In fact, Barrett hardly let the people to touch the overdubbs then, that’s the story)

REM’s version – “the deeply emotive” （a phrase borrowed from our fellow MOJO magazine）vocal, with the sentimental piano chords, makes the song more approachable to the public, making Syd more approachable.

“Here I Go” – this is one of the only two songs where the original version is better than the re-recorded one. First of all, this is a tongue and cheek song where the musicians know what to do during the recording ( as reflected in some other materials, the original musicians don’t even know what key is in for a certain song, and writer Syd don’t offer assistance) Second, Barrett knows what to do with the recording, how to approach the song as well! Not much Keith Wood can improve tho’

Octopus – Syd’s voice is not very good at shouting songs, a situation similar to Lennon where the soft-voice surreal performance is definitely better. The re-recorded version the shouting part but, Syd’s got a better voice than you (I’m sorry Captain Sensible)

Golden Hair – This is the peak of the album!! The original version has been very good. (A simple touch up to James Joyce’s Chamber Music : Poem V) and now it features a Velvet Underground incarnation, a crystal clear Nico vocal from Hope Sandoval and the Maureen Tucker styled drums! It gives the songs a traversing trvavel tho Syd’s mind, for one time.

“She took a a long cold look" - I would keep the original Syd’s demo.

Feel – The new version tidied up Syd’s uncertainty in the song. Tho it’s tidied up, Cate Le Bon’s indifferent vocal signified the feeling faced the outlawed Syd

“If it’s in You” and “Late Night” are both honest tidy up of the songs
 
This album features very good performances by the people as well as arrangements reflects a better understanding of Barrett and the songs. I am sure if Barrett sits unrecognised in the control room, he would have approved it.