When people think of Pink Floyd, warring egos, spectacular light shows and expansive, lush albums usually come to mind. Few people think of the band's early years under Syd Barrett, when Roger Waters and David Gilmour were just backup players and Pink Floyd had a much quirkier sound.
EMI/Harvest has just released "An Introduction to Syd Barrett," the first compilation album to document Barrett's years with Pink Floyd and the two solo albums he recorded following his departure from the group.
As many know, Barrett was schizophrenic, and his experiences with drugs and the excesses of psychedelic rock culture lead to a massive psychological break that altered his life completely. Much of "An Introduction to Syd Barrett" was culled from "Barrett" (1990) and "The Madcap Laughs" (1970), the two solo albums that immediately preceded his breakdown.
As a result, the songs often feel nervous, as if their jovial air is hiding something far darker. Even though this makes the album a bit depressing, it provides an extremely interesting, deep listening experience.
"An Introduction to Syd Barrett" opens with Pink Floyd's first hit single, "Arnold Layne." On the first listen, I was immediately struck by the sound quality. Every track on the anthology has been remastered under the supervision of David Gilmour. The songs have never sounded more alive nor compelling.
Barrett's distant, impenetrable voice and the delicate Farfisa organ work sound as though they were recorded this year. The drastic improvement of this recording gives some of the songs a new dimension: The atmospheric clangs and "found sounds" at the end of "Bike" feel completely different, if not even more unnerving, than they ever did before.
The album showcases the incredible songwriting talent that first launched Pink Floyd. Even though Floyd's early music differed greatly from the operatic space rock the group would later pioneer, it captured the sound of the psychedelic scene when it was still underground in London.
The songs are brisk, jaunty and usually brief. Fans of "Dark Side of the Moon" (1973) could hardly find a more different sound.
Barrett's approach to songwriting is hardly as sophisticated as later Floyd. While Waters and Gilmour would give the band a layered sound, Barrett was far more upfront and unornamented.
Barrett's droll voice gives the songs a humorous irreverence that perfectly complements the lyrics and melodies. Many tracks on "An Introduction to Syd Barrett" paradoxically combine naivete innocence with an awareness of imminent mental collapse.
In "Dark Globe," a solo acoustic song, Barrett feverishly sings "Wouldn't you miss me at all?" over a happy-go-lucky chord progression that leaves the listener more than a little unnerved.
Barrett's unique, quirky approach to lyrics makes the anthology engaging and humorous. A far cry from Waters' introspective pessimism, Barrett's lyrics often focus on strange details or concepts, as seen in "Bike": "I know a mouse, and he hasn't got a house./I don't know why. I call him Gerald."
Even though some lyrics might feel superficial, they often imbue the songs with a childlike sincerity that makes their message all the more affecting. "Terrapin," Barrett's best love song, states, "Oh baby, my hair's on end about you."
The songs on the album range from sparsely arranged acoustic ballads like "Terrapin" to more propulsive psychedelic tunes like "See Emily Play." "An Introduction to Syd Barrett" does a wonderful job of bringing the various facets of Barrett's sound into a cohesive whole. If I hadn't been more familiar with early Pink Floyd and Barrett, I would have though the compilation was a studio release.
At the end of the day, compilation albums rarely change anything about an artist's catalogue or how he is perceived. With this in mind, one can't hope for "An Introduction to Syd Barrett" to accomplish the same things as Barrett's original albums.
The compilation does an incredible job, however, of presenting the numerous facets of the psychedelic icon without feeling forced or crammed — a notable accomplishment, indeed.
