Syd Barrett: Gigolo Aunt

Syd Barrett: Baby Lemonade

A little more music to start the New Year (and decade) off on the right foot. Syd Barrett's "Baby Lemonade".

OUTRAGEOUS CHERRY: STAY RIGHT HERE FOR A LITTLE WHILE

Sorry I've been absent for a whole week. The day-to-day routine has a been more hectic than usual so I haven't had much time to spend on the computer. Today I have a review for you of the album this blog was named after (well almost). It's Outrageous Cherry's "Stay Right Here for a Little While", released in 2003. It's a four song E.P. that, although short, packs a potent punch. The band is in top form here. On the first two tracks ("Stay Right Here for a Little While" and "Paradox Fiends") there is glossy yet distorted 1960's garage psychedelic rock filtered through a flawless 1960's pop sensibility that manges to remain cheerful and haunting at the same time. The last two tracks become quieter, darker, and more poetic. They display a sense of quiet, contemplative euphoria, especially on the final track "Anywhere". It brings to mind the saddening, beautiful, lost, and burnt out vibe of Syd Barrett's finest solo work. If you haven't heard any Outrageous Cherry before, pick this one up. And if you're a fan of the band and have somehow overlooked this release, you should get it. Highly recommended.

Stay Right Here For A Little While - Outrageous Cherry

SYD BARRETT: "THE MADCAP LAUGHS"

Syd Barret's 'The Madcap Laughs"(1970) is an incredible yet fragile work. It was Syd Barrett's first solo release after his departure from Pink Floyd. This is a true masterpiece of psychedelic rock. It is the portrait of a mind taken to the point of no return by LSD...a mind that is too far gone to ever come back. Syd Barrett's vocals are very fragile and brittle. Barrett sounds as if he has already fallen into the abyss and there is no way for him to get out. The lyrics are incredible, dealing with day to day realities filtered through Barret's mind. They are also extremely poetic. Barrett has a way with words that is completely his own, reminding me at times of the writing of James Joyce. The music is tuneful, delicate, and saddening, heightened by the musicianship of some of his ex-Pink Floyd band mates that helped him record the album.

"The Madcap Laughs" is not a perfect release and it is somewhat rough around the edges at times. Yet, that adds to the album's appeal. It is a beautiful and devastating portrait of a broken, alienated mind and spirit. Highly recommended.

Here's "Terrapin" and "Octopus". Enjoy.