The Barrett albums were spoken of in my youth in hushed tones, as things to approach with caution, Syd having gone a bit odd after parting company with Pink Floyd. At some point I've acquired The Madcap Laughs, his debut solo album, a CD which doesn't get frequent outings.
Opening with Terrapin, a curiously beautiful love song, this is followed by No Good Trying, pleasant and listenable, then Love You, a charming piece of singalong style whimsy. But things take a nosedive from there, and it's not until Octopus that a genuine piece of psychedelic beauty arrives. But this is an high point in a difficult listen - a man of rare talent struggling to achieve his potential, and there aren't really any further glimpses of this talent until the final song on the original album Late Night.
There are six bonus tracks on the CD, all alternative takes of album tracks, all displaying how difficult it was the production team to get a coherent studio performance out of Barrett.
3* - Generous perhaps, but when it's good, it's very, very good, however when it's not...
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