Customer Reviews

Crazy Diamond

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although some of the songs on this box set seem a bit unfinished, having only guitar and vocals, after listening to them a few times I really grew to appreciate them. Many times the lyrics don't make a lick of sense but they still sound great. Unlike the morbid songs produced by Pink Floyd while Roger Waters was at the helm, many of Syd's songs are really uptempo and have a catchy beat. Sadly one can practically feel Barrett's sanity slipping away in some of the out takes included here. As an 18 year old boy fed up with the music industry's endless desire to produce bubble gum crap, I strongly recomend this this trip to the past in a time when original musicians like Syd could produce orginal music and not be laughed at by record companies. The music industry should take Barrett's music as a hint of what constitutes talent. Like many other greats of his time (Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix), Barrett burned brightly and then burned out fast, which makes me kind of sad when I listen to this music. Barrett's disain for conventional form and style paid off though, and you can tell during songs like "opel" and "Clowns and Jugglers." Some of the acoustic tracks show the complexity of Barrett's songs better than the ones with backing bands because you can hear how he changes meter, etc. In short I reccommend this box set only to those looking for a departure from maintream rock, otherwise the ablums would appear raw and unfinished. It must be viewed with some prior appreciation of Barrett and his lyrical genius.

I purchased the Crazy Diamond box set a month or two ago andhave throughly enjoyed it. All three albums, "The MadcapLaughs", "Barret", and "Opel" are wonderful. But my favorite is "Barret". The bonus tracks on each disc are very interesting and give a different perspective on some of the songs. Before I purchased the box set, I looked around at the other items listed for Syd Barret. I noticed that there were import versions of each the albums with the bonus tracks and I added up the costs and decided to purchase the box set. The box set is a extraordinary offer at a extraordinary price! The music is all wonderful and after listening to the albums time and time again you will wish that Syd Barret released more material... I certainly do.

Long out of print in the USA, Crazy Diamond with its extra tracks and full color booklet gives an entirely complete look into the solo recordings of rock's most misunderstood man, Syd Barrett. A founding member of the Cambridge-based psychedelic pop group The Pink Floyd, Barrett left the band in 1968 after a series of mental breakdowns which led to his final demise as a recording artist in 1971. This box set compiles the known studio recordings, rehearsals and rough demos Barrett made for albums released on the Harvest label, "Madcap" - 1970, "Barrett" - 1970 and the "lost recordings album - "Opel" released in 1988.
Complete with new artwork and date/track listings - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! WOOF WOOF!!!

Crazy Diamond Box set is a must for all people interested in Syd Barrett or early Pink Floyd! It has all his usable tracks that he ever recorded as a solo artist. (if you have all 3 of his albums already, I suggest not to buy it) It is packaged in a beautiful box containing a 27 page book on this once promising artist, containing great information and pictures. Each cd has 4 or more extra tracks on it. My personal favorite song is Clowns and Jugglers on Opel! I must have listened to it over 500 times already and it keeps getting better everytime. The box set is printed in the UK, and I think only 10,000 have ever been made, so buy this while it lasts! Trust me, it's a great addition to your music collection

I must say this is one hell of a box set, well worth the money for Syd fans. This appeared to be the whole sha-bang, but now they've come out with the compilation "wouldn't you miss me" or something similar that has a song that you can't find anywhere else, so I guess it's not as complete as it was supposed to be. The music however is great, the songs sound like they were either re-mixed or remasterd, and the out-takes (bunches and bunches included) kinda help you paint a more realistic picture of Syd's true personality. Hearing the alternate versions, and random starts and stops on the bonus tracks give you a good idea of what Syd was really like. Some are faster,some slower, some moodier and some where he couldn't figure out what key he wanted to start singing in. I think this is great. Also the booklet that comes with it is cool, focusing it's attention on Syd's life as a musican, rather than a madcap....Highly Highly recommeded, I mean why buy anything else?(except for the new cd I suppose!<G>)

A good reason to buy "Crazy Diamond": You don't already have the three basic albums on CD. Syd's two official albums are loaded with great material, so have at it.

A bad reason to buy "Crazy Diamond": You are compelled to hear every goddam chord and cough Syd Barrett ever recorded.

Syd was a visionary who evoked chills even alone with his guitar ("Feel" and "Opel" particularly), but by and large, the quality of his two official solo albums is the result of producer Dave Gilmour's heroic struggle to organize Syd's chaotic performances into something sane musicians could accompany. The bonus tracks included here are not "alternates" -- they are justifiably rejects: solo performances which were not as good as the ragged takes which were eventually used.

If you found "Opel" -- the 80s compilation of stuff which was never good enough for release when Syd was still viable -- a disappointment, there is no reason to go further. This box set only serves to emphasize the (avoidable!) tragedy that was Syd Barrett.

But if you're like me, reading this review won't stop you.

If you have decided that you want to own just about everything by Syd Barret, then you have to buy Crazy Diamond. Within the box are all three of his albums, a 24 page booklet, and bonus tracks on every CD. Also, considering it is out of print, finding it at Amazon.com is great because you can get it at a great price. I've seen it on other sights for a lot more money, so get it here while you can! Despite Syd's obvious mental problems while recording these albums, he was still a very gifted songwriter. At first you may not like the roughness of the recording, but I think it only adds to the appeal of his work. If you are expecting to get a box full of bazaar, meandering, psychedelic jams, you may be dissapointed to find an endless amount of beautifully written songs within Crazy Diamond. You may want to try buying one of his albums before "diving into" the whole catalogue, but if you are sure you want all three, why not get Crazy Diamond for all three albums with bonus tracks, a cool box, and a cool booklet? As Syd once said, "It is Obvious".

Although Syd Barrett's solo stuff isn't "psychadelic" like his stuff with Pink Floyd, the songs on this album are incredibly unique and original. Many of these tracks may seem simple (some are accompanied by nothing but guitar), but they become more complicated on repeated listening. And his lyrics can at times seem childlike, just like on Pipers at the Gates of Dawn and his other work with Pink Floyd, but accompanied by his haunted voice and versatile melodies, these child-like lyrics convey a gammit of images, emotions, and ideas. This is a must buy for anyone who listens to music with an open mind.

Although Syd Barrett's solo stuff isn't "psychadelic" like his stuff with Pink Floyd, the songs on this album are incredibly unique and original. Many of these tracks may seem simple (some are accompanied by nothing but guitar), but they become more complicated on repeated listening. And his lyrics can at times seem childlike, just like on Pipers at the Gates of Dawn and his other work with Pink Floyd, but accompanied by his haunted voice and versatile melodies, these child-like lyrics convey a gammit of images, emotions, and ideas. This is a must buy for anyone who listens to music with an open mind.

GRAN CANTIDAD DE EMOCIONES TE ENVUELVEN AL ESCUCHAR LOS TRES CD QUE REUNE ESTA CAJA...ASPERA MUSICA QUE TRATA DE MANTENER AL ARTISTA ENCENDIDO..ERRATICOS LATIDOS QUE FORMAN CANCIONES PARA PULSAR UN SENTIDO QUE VES PERDIDO...BELLEZA SENCILLA, AUSTERA, ANTIPATICA, GOZOSA POR MOMENTOS...PODES VER COMO EL ARTISTA VA CAYENDO EN UN CALEIDOSCOPIO DE TONOS GRISES, SALPICADO POR ARCO IRIS DE LLUVIAS SALADAS COMO LAGRIMAS..ES CIERTO, SYD YA SE HABIA IDO.. PERO DEJO ESTE LEGADO DE MUSICA HUMANA, IMPERFECTA Y HERMOSA COMO HUELLA.