These long lost recordings from the Astronaut of Inner Space and man with the most beguiling and saddest story in Rock music have gained a near mythical status in Floyd circles over the decades since they were made. Ever since the founding father of British Psychedelia left Pink Floyd in 1968 rumours about Syd's state of mind and behaviour had abounded. With his last recorded work being released in 1970 in the shape of the album "Barrett", the rumour mongers were having a field day. Stories of Syd working in a factory or as a gardener, living like a tramp, trying to enrol as an architectural student, busking in NYC or even trying to become a Pink Floyd roadie were the type of tales doing the rounds. So whether or not Syd actually recorded these sessions or if they still existed was always debatable.
Peter Barnes who acted as Syd's publicist reported that, "It was an abortion. He just kept over-dubbing guitar part on guitar part until it was just a total chaotic mess. He also wouldn't show anyone his lyrics - I fear actually because he hadn't written any"1. Former Floyd manager Peter Jenner who was at Abbey Road studios when these sessions took place reckoned that, "Glimpses of things would come through in the chaos and confusion, a bit of a melody line or lyric. From the doodling of a sick mind, bits of clarity would emerge. In the undergrowth the flowers were still growing, but he could not get at them"2. Some sources claimed that nothing survived from these sessons but now they have finally surfaced.
Well, much of what has been said is quite acurate but things are a little bit more together than we've been led to believe. Listening to these recordings makes you wonder what could have been achieved if these embryonic songs/rough ideas were actually finished. There are many Barrett quirks on display but in reality it just sounds like someone working out stuff, jamming a few riffs and sadly there are no lyrics whatsoever. The sound quality is fairly good and some of it is very reminiscent of some of the outtake material on 1989's "Opel" but it couldn't even really be called half-baked. Much of the bluesier songs sound like a guy who hasn't picked up a guitar in years and is just going back to basics to help clean away the rust. I don't suppose the expensive studio time at Abbey Road was the ideal situation for Syd to get back in the groove. The most complete song is probably "If You Go, Don't Be Slow", and is quite tantalising in the 'What could have been' stakes. The names of the songs were down to Peter Jenner who made up rough titles to split up the tracks.
Ultimately, these recordings are really only suitable for "Syd-Heads" and dedicated Floyd completists but nevertheless immensely interesting in a voyeuristic kind of way.
R.I.P Syd.
1.Boogie #1 (Bo Diddley shuffle with echoey trippy lead guitar)
2.Boogie #2 (Reverb drenched lead)
3.Boogie #3 (Basic riff with tentative bass line)
4.If You Go, Don't Be Slow (Catchy riff with ice cream van lead guitar, some bass)
5.Ballad (Unfinished) (short snippet of basic rhythm with typical Syd lead)
6.Chooka-Chooka-Chug-Chug (same song as above)
7.If You Go, Don't Be Slow #2 (Wah-Wah echo frenzy in outer space)
8.Untitled (Bluesy echoes - Syd could still play)
9.Slow Boogie (you could easily imagine a full band plus some quirky Barrett lyrics)
10.John Lee Hooker (blues workout)
11.Fast Boogie (sounds very 13th Floor Elevators or even something from Skip Spence's Oar)
1. Nick Kent - New Musical Express 1974
2. Julian Palacios - Lost In The Woods 1998
