Syd Barrett - Crazy Diamond (BOX SET) (IMPORT) (LIMITED EDITION)

Ουδείς ξέρει την κατάληψη των Pink Floyd αν ο Μπάρετ παρέμενε μέλος. Ουδείς γνωρίζει την μουσική τους πορεία αν και θα συμφωνήσετε πως αποκλείεται να είχαν γίνει τόσο διάσημοι με τον Μπάρετ. Στην περίπτωση βέβαια που συνέχιζαν στο ίδιο μουσικό στυλ όπως στα 60ς.
Θα έχετε διαβάσει το περιστατικό την ώρα της ηχογράφησης του Shine on You Crazy Diamond και την εμφάνιση του Μπάρετ που κατά μία άποψη δεν έγινε αντιληπτή διότι δεν τον γνώρισε κανένας στο χάλι που ήταν. Κατά τα άλλα το κομμάτι αφορούσε αυτόν? Δεν το πιστέυω, απλά το συνδύασαν με την εμφάνισή του για να μην γίνουν τελείως ρόμπα. Αυτή είναι η άποψή μου.
Κάτι που με στεναχωρούσε και με στεναχωρεί ακόμα είναι όταν ακούς από μερικούς που προσπαθούν να έχουν άποψη για τα πάντα, να σε ρωτούν ακούς Pink Floyd? Βέβαια στο μπαράκι που κάνω το κέφι μου δεν με ρωτάνε αν ακούω αλλά αν έχω κανένα κομμάτι τους. Όταν βέβαια βάζω και τους ενημερώνω ότι τώρα παίζει Pink Floyd αφενός μεν μπερδεύονται αφετέρου δεν τους αρέσει αλλά ντρέπονται να το πουν.
Θα θυμάστε ότι κάποτε ήρθαν στην πατρίδα μας οι Floyd και όπως πολλοί άλλοι είχα την πρόθεση να πάω. Όταν όμως διάβασα δήλωσή τους που έλεγε «μόνο όσοι πληρώσουν εισιτήριο θα μας δουν» τους σιχάθηκα και φυσικά δεν πήγα. Και ο Τζον Μάγιαλ είχε έρθει κάποτε στο Λυκαβητο και έβαζε τους υπεύθυνους να βγάλουν ανακοίνωση για να προσέχει ο κόσμος που κατέβαινε από τα βράχια μην πέσει και σκοτωθεί.
Το θέμα όμως είναι ο Μπάρετ και η μουσική του. Όσοι δεν έχουν αυτή την τριλογία των ηχογραφήσεων του ας την κατεβάσουν. Δεν ξέρω αν κυκλοφορεί στο νετ διότι δεν είχα χρόνο να δω. Γενικά έχω πιεστεί πολύ από χρόνο καθώς προσπαθώ να κάνω επιτέλους την μετακόμιση σε ενάμιση μήνα.
Να είστε όλοι καλά και ευχαριστώ για την συμμετοχή σας.

ALBUMS:
1 THE MADCAP LAUGHS (Harvest SHVL 765) 1970 SC 40
2 BARRETT (Harvest SHSP 4007) 1970 SC -
NB: (1) and (2) reissued by Harvest as a double set (SHDW 404) in 1974 and on CD in 1987. Also of interest is Opel (Harvest SHSP 4126) 1988, a collection of outtakes from 1968-1970, or better still Crazy Diamond (EMI SYD BOX1) 1992, which contains his two official albums, the Opel collection and bonus tracks of alternate versions of his songs. The Peel Session (Strange Fruit SFPSCD 043) 1995 includes versions of Terrapin, Gigolo Aunt, Baby Lemonade and Effervescent Elephant and the non-album cut Two Of A Kind, written by Pink Floyd's Rick Wright, all originally taped for a John Peel session in February 1970. (1), (2) and (3) also reissued on CD (Harvest 7243 8 25906 2 1, 28907 2 0 and 28908 2 9 respectively) 1994.

45:
1 Octopus/Golden Hair (Harvest HAR 5009) 1969

Born in Cambridge in January 1946 his real name was Roger Keith Barrett. As most of you will know he was a founder-member of Pink Floyd and the creative force behind the band on their first album. He wrote or co-wrote all but one track on their classic Piper At The Gates Of Dawn album. He also wrote both sides of their first two hit singles, Arnold Layne and See Emily Play and their third 45, Apples And Oranges. All of these recordings are essential artefacts of British psychedelia.
Sadly by early 1968 Barrett's excessive intake of hallucinogenic drugs led to a mental imbalance and a nervous breakdown and in April of that year he'd become such a liability that the band were forced to replace him with Dave Gilmour.
Since then his recordings have been confined to two albums and one 45. On both albums he was assisted by various members of Pink Floyd - half of the first one was completed in just two days. The Madcap Laughs is generally considered to be his finest solo album. There are many golden nuggets here including Terrapin, Octopus and Golden Hair. He's also backed by The Soft Machine on No Good Trying. Roger Waters and Dave Gilmour, who encouraged him to record the album, guested on it. They also guested on his next effort Barrett along with Jerry Shirley, then drummer with Humble Pie. The problem was that by now he'd lost any enthusiasm he may have had for recording and much of the album had to be filled with demos. Dominoes and Baby Lemonade were the better moments on what was a relatively disappointing album.
Opel is a collection of outtakes from the 1968-70 period. This is really aimed at Barrett fans who possess the rest of his back catalogue and it certainly has its moments which include the haunting title track which kicks off the set, Birdy Hop, Milky Way and Word Song.
Terrapin was also included on Harvest's Picnic (Dble LP) compilation. More recently, Baby Lemonade seems very out of place on the CD compilation, The Age Of Enlightenment - Prog Rock, Vol. One; Octopus appears on Harvest Heritage - 20 Greats (LP); and Golden Hair on Psychedelia At Abbey Road (CD).
Ever since 1970 he's spent most of his life shut away in Cambridge. He surfaced when Pink Floyd were mixing Shine On You Crazy Diamond, a tribute to him which appeared on their Wish You Were Here album. He is a true legend.

Crazy Diamond (BOX SET) (IMPORT) (LIMITED EDITION)

Label: Harvest, Harvest
Catalog#: 0777 7 81412 2 8, SYD BOX 1
Format: 3 x CDBox Set
Country: UK
Released: 1993
Genre: Rock
Style: Acoustic, Space Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Ballad
Credits: Artwork By [Illustrations] - Alan Rogers Lyrics By - James Joyce (tracks: 1-8, 1-19, 3-4) , Syd Barrett (tracks: 1-1 to 1-7, 1-9 to 1-18, 2-1 to 3-3, 3-5 to 3-10, 3-12 to 3-18, 3-20) Mixed By - Gareth Cousins (tracks: 1-14 to 1-19, 2-13 to 2-19, 3-15 to 3-20) Music By - Syd Barrett Other [Syd Barrett Story] - Brian Hogg Producer - David Gilmour (tracks: 1-5, 1-7 to 1-12, 1-14, 1-18, 2-1 to 2-19) , Malcolm Jones (tracks: 1-1 to 1-4, 1-6, 1-13, 1-15 to 1-17, 3-1, 3-2, 3-8) , Pete Jenner* (tracks: 1-13, 1-19, 3-2, 3-8, 3-11, 3-14, 3-18, 3-19) , Roger Waters (tracks: 1-5, 1-9 to 1-12, 1-18, 3-12) , Syd Barrett (tracks: 1-7, 1-8, 1-14, 3-4)
Notes: Picture discs. The box set includes the two original albums The Madcap Laughs and Barrett, the rarities collection Opel, 19 bonus tracks of alternative versions and previously unreleased takes, and a 24-page color booklet with Syd Barrett story, photos and early Pink Floyd ads and playbills.