Syd Barrett – THE
MADCAP LAUGHS
Summer of 2006. Early
July. I actually remember the day that he died. At that time I thought that no
one could love the demented melody of “Terrapin” as much as I did. I had no
problem singing along to “Bike” and I had long memorized every second of
“Interstellar Overdrive”. But none of it mattered, of course, as we were driving
through sunny Southern England and someone said Syd Barrett had died.
Not quite a shock if you
had seen those blurry photos from the streets of Cambridge. Too tragic to
describe. It became unbearable next time I played The Madcap Laughs and “Love You” started to sound insane rather
than infectious. And now, years later, you are just happy to have another
chance to delve into the tuneful madness of one man. The experience is both
challenging and strangely rewarding. Try not falling in love with Joyce’s
poetry after hearing “Golden Hair”. Try falling asleep to “Late Night”.
I was once pleasantly
surprised reading some Syd Barrett biography. Roger Waters (whatever your
opinion of Roger Waters might be) said something to the extent that Syd Barrett
is in top three of his favourite songwriters. I have no idea who those three
others are, but what does it matter when you have this singular, odd, charming,
painfully unforgettable songwriting.
