Syd Barrett - Wouldn't You Miss Me?

1. Octopus (3:48) 2. Late Night (3:14) 3. Terrapin (5:03) 4. Swan Lee (3:14) 5. Wolf Pack (3:45) 6. Golden Hair (1:59) 7. Here I Go (3:11) 8. Long Gone (2:49) 9. No Good Trying (3:25) 10. Opel (6:26) 11. Baby Lemonade (4:10) 12. Gigolo Aunt (5:45) 13. Dominoes (4:06) 14. Wouldn't You Miss Me (3:00) 15. Wined And Dined (2:56) 16. Effervescing Elephant (1:53) 17. Waving My Arms In The Air (2:07) 18. I Never Lied To You (1:49) 19. Love Song (3:02) 20. Two Of A Kind (BBC Session) (2:35) 21. Bob Dylan's Blues (3:14) 22. Golden Hair (Instrumental) (1:50)

Total Running Time: 69:21

Die-hard prog fans will probably stone me to death because of this, but I have to admit it…I'm guilty! I had never listened to any of Syd Barrett's solo work ever before, till now. I'm clearly carrying a big burden in my shoulders by attempting to write a review of Mr. Barrett's remastered masterpieces when I'm actually listening to them for the first time, but trust me, I did everything conceivably possible to get myself right on track for this review, spending countless hours in front of my CD player, reading up on long-buried interviews and articles, calling middle-aged hippies to ask them what his music meant to them, and doing all kinds of acid and mushrooms to get into the right vibe (just kidding…I live in Mexico people, not in Holland!). Now, really, Syd Barrett is a living legend and one of the founders of this tiny little movement called progressive rock, so let's take a look at the transcendental music left behind by this musical genius…

Wouldn't You Miss Me? is the ideal compilation of Syd Barrett's most representative solo work. It showcases most of his well-known compositions in a concise 22-track album, labeled as "The Best of Syd Barrett." Most songs, like "No Good Trying" and "Baby Lemonade," are taken from his only two official releases, The Madcap Laughs and Barrett, with just a few tracks taken from the Opel rarities album and one from the Live BBC recordings The Peel Sessions. While many fans will probably appreciate these remastered versions of already released tracks, most cherish this album for another simple reason: the introduction of the true gem that every crazed Barrett fan had so anxiously been waiting for since God-knows-when; "Bob Dylan's Blues." The track had been buried in David Gilmour's home for nearly 30 years after he had decided to take it home for mere amusement when Syd "knocked-it-off" during the studio sessions, and thus had never seen the light of day before. Being literally forgotten and lost for decades, the song finally surfaces in this retrospective compilation.

With this aside, let's make it clear. Don't expect Pink Floyd [Ed. note: outside the Piper At the Gates of Dawn era]. Sure, Syd Barrett is virtually a synonym for psychedelia, the all-embracing traveler of those vast, unexplored mental territories. However, while he will always be remembered as the eccentric poet from wonderland, many of his individual pieces are not what one would expect. His solo work is strictly acoustic, with compositions caressing a folk approach with a rather vague psychedelic/experimental edge, the one we so familiarly recognize him by. His music resembles more the style of great singer/songwriters like Bob Dylan or The Beatles than that of his psych-driven band.

As a newcomer to Syd's solo material, it took me a while to fully comprehend the concept behind his compositions in order to appreciate the raw emotional essence within most of the songs on the album. Clearly, Syd wasn't exactly in his best state when recording most of these songs. It is more than obvious that the recording label tried to squeeze every last drop out of Barrett's disinterested and weary mind, pressuring Gilmour and him to spend countless unproductive hours in the studio with no worthwhile outcome. Sadly, most tracks only portray the last streams of rational consciousness from an already burned-out genius. But aside from this notable abuse of intellectual work, Wouldn't You Miss Me? is the best testimonial statement of Mr. Syd Barrett's legend.

-by Javier Elizondo

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