Barrett

Release type:What's this?
studio album
First released:
Nov 14 1970

Overview Edit

Barrett was the second and final studio album of new material released by former Pink Floyd member Syd Barrett. In February 1970, shortly after releasing his first album, The Madcap Laughs, Barrett appeared on John Peel's Top Gear radio show where he presented only one song from the newly released album. Two days later, he began working on his second album in the Abbey Road Studios, this time with Pink Floyd members David Gilmour and Richard Wright as producers and musicians.

The main aim for the Barrett sessions was to give Syd the structure and focus many felt was missing during the long and unwieldy sessions for The Madcap Laughs. Thus, the sessions were more efficiently run - with much unreleased material recorded - and the album was finished in far less time than it took to complete The Madcap Laughs.

While the sessions for Barrett ran more smoothly, it didn't prevent Syd's by-now characteristically bizarre behaviour from coming through. On June 6, 1970, Syd gave his one and only solo performance, backed by David Gilmour and Jerry Shirley, and baffled the audience (including Gilmour and Shirley) when he abruptly took off his guitar during the fourth number and walked off stage.

Barrett was released in November 1970 to less interest than had greeted The Madcap Laughs earlier in the year, and as a result, failed to chart. Bored and directionless, Barrett promptly headed back to his hometown of Cambridge and — but for a brief dalliance with a band called Stars in 1972, and some abortive recording sessions in 1974 — left his music career behind for good.

The Overview appearing in this section is attributed to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrett_(album). Portions of this Overview may be available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, version 3.0 or any later version, available at: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/. Additional terms may apply. See Wikipedia Terms of Use for details.

This particular version Edit

Record label:
unknown
Catalog number:
3 3 00828907
Release dates:
  • May 3 1994

Genres

Alternative Folk, Progressive Rock, Psychedelic, Psychedelic Rock. Vote on Genres

What do Amazon.com customers think?

4 stars Worth it for the extra tracks
The extra tracks on this version - with Barrett just accompanied by his guitar - show how the original was almost completely ruined by a completely awful production; horrible, weeny organ, weedy drum playing, pointless noodling guitar. In contrast, the sparse, haunting versions of 'Rats' and 'Dominoes' in the extra tracks section show how it should have been done in the first place; just Barrett alone, voice and guitar. Its a pity that the original producers (I think it was David Gilmour) didn't…
Written by an unknown author
2 stars Barrett
The album cover gives a good indication of the music. Scratchy little insects like a child's drawings. Thanks to the producers the collection of songs hangs together but one has the feeling that Syd isn't really too bothered if the whole thing disintegrates. That's what makes him so special! Lyrics like no-one, (except maybe Beefhart), could pen set to unpredictable music and sung out of tune. Anyone can write a song about Dominoes but Syd did it. You can keep over-production and meaningful word…
Written by an unknown author

Track listing Edit

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Other versions Edit

Barrett 12 tracks format: 1 x CD
record label: Capitol Records
catalog number: 46606
release dates: Jul 3 1990
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Barrett 19 tracks format: 1 x CD
record label: Toshiba EMI Japan
release dates: Oct 8 1997
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Barrett 12 tracks format: 1 x CD
catalog number: 46606
release dates: Jul 3 1990
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Barrett 19 tracks format: 1 x CD
release dates: Oct 5 2010
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