![]() ![]() To the extent one can simply listen to this as a piece of music and separate out Barrett's struggles, it's actually a pretty good album. With thanks for text – Goran Nystrom.The first (of two) original solo albums recorded by Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett is a difficult listen - not necessarily on the merits of the music (though a few songs are certainly challenging), but because it's hard to dissociate the album from the circumstances of its creation, with Barrett, recently booted from Floyd in the wake of his mental breakdown, clearly in the throes of mental illness from which he would never recover. Join us in wishing Happy Golden Anniversary to the magic Madcap album. Syd, in love again, had embarked in a daffodil-filled springtime on recordings that would go on to form an outstanding collection on one of rock music’s enduringly legendary albums. Therefore, The Madcap Laughs, in all its darkness, holds a special lighter place in time. For the hippie generation, two serious blows were dealt when in December the link between the Manson family and their atrocities was fully uncovered and the tragic Altamont festival played out. The end of the year turned darker, much darker, and all too well showed that the 1960s were over. When the album was released things had changed. The spring and summer also included the build-up to the moon landing, the anticipation of the Woodstock concert and, more importantly for Syd, the return to stage by Bob Dylan after three long years away from the public eye. Syd had in 1969 left behind him his annus horribilis and gained new hope, much thanks to Malcolm Jones, and new love with Gala Pinion. The cover art notwithstanding, The Madcap Laughs was actually created in a happy time window. Storm took weird to new levels with this inside cover! EMI probably did well in selecting among the April photos for the cover. SYD BARRET MADCAP LAUGHS TVTop center, Syd seems to have his head stuck in a TV set and top left is an even more odd image and a bit of a mystery: A baby and some sort of tool against nasal congestion (?). SYD BARRET MADCAP LAUGHS CRACKEDTo remove any debate about the nature of the imagery there is also an image of Syd with a cracked head at the bottom of the gatefold. Storm shows us Syd Barrett with his head up in the clouds and beyond, and several creepy images that spawn almost like octopus tentacles from his torso. SYD BARRET MADCAP LAUGHS FULLSome of these so-called yoga photos by Storm Thorgerson ended up on the inside of the original gatefold cover – with the madcap theme in full bloom. The less known but officially commissioned “yoga session” actually took place in October. The famous photo sessions with daffodils and a naked Iggy Rose took place in April. Some say it was held back not to compete with Ummagumma. In a distinctly non-commercial move, the album missed the Christmas market, in spite of a final recording session as early as July 26, 1969. It was 50 years ago this month (3rd January 1970) that a most unique rock album was released, The Madcap Laughs by Syd Barrett – an example of “art brut” in music. ![]()
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