[DoKwan]

Its like comparing two different bands really.
Impossible.
I adore the Syd Stuff.
Sang my kids the Gnome when I put them to sleep.

The Golden era stuff is great too.

Have to admit a personal preference to the Waters gloom over the Gilmore post-Roger work though.

 

[steviebee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CodeToad /img/forum/go_quote.gif The stuff with Syd was goofy, carnivalesque, something only Brits would understand. They never would have gone far with him.

LOL. Speaking as someone who was a young teenager during those early days, 'Syd's Floyd' had already gone pretty far, both in terms of their music & popularity!

Sadly, I never made it to the UFO or Middle Earth (broke/parental restrictions) to hear them live...

For me, despite some gems, later Floyd, post-UmmaGuma or even AHM say, became increasingly identikit and seemingly stadium-designed. Still love Meddle tho

 

[progo]

Syd's Floyd era is pretty incredible, but I'm not among the top fans. When there are masterpieces such as Atom Heart Mother Suite and Echoes against Astronomy Domine and Interstellar Overdrive, there's no contest IMO

 

[intoart]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CodeToad /img/forum/go_quote.gif David Gilmour is the heart and soul of PF. Roger Waters wrote some good stuff but starting with Animals it went too far. I'm a huge PF fan and I don't even own The Wall and definitely not The Final Cut....too ****ing weird and depressing.

I also don't own The Wall, and rarely listen to Animals. I do have The Final Cut, but only for the amazing Holophonic sound (of course, it is really a Roger Waters solo album.)

 

[intoart]

Quote:

Originally Posted by progo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Syd's Floyd era is pretty incredible, but I'm not among the top fans. When there are masterpieces such as Atom Heart Mother Suite and Echoes against Astronomy Domine and Interstellar Overdrive, there's no contest IMO

Different strokes I guess. I agree that there is no contest, but I think it goes the other way! Interstellar Overdrive is an absolute masterpiece (and quite possibly the single greatest song that PF ever recorded in any incarnation.) Echoes is also a masterpiece, but not to quite the same degree.
By contrast, I consider Atom Heart Mother Suite to be among their weakest efforts (with the only weaker material being a couple of songs from the soundtrack albums.)

 

[Skorpitarius]

Syd Barrett was brilliant and way ahead of the rest of the guys in the band, it's really a shame that his schizophrenia got the better of him (not because of LSD either - he was schiz. long before he was into his drugs... Roger Waters has confirmed this as they were boyhood friends ...)
I don't care for Gilmour's pompous attitude and so on ...

 

[saintalfonzo]

no contest for me, Pink Floyd only got better after Syd. I think the real question is Waters vs Gilmour Floyd, but I think there was already a thread for that.

 

[craiglester]

I definitely prefer Post Syd Floyd, up to and including The Wall. After that, well, umm they kinda sucked.

 

[elbuzzard]

besides the first 2 PF albums Syds 2 solo records are favorites of mine. Produced by Gilmore and contributions by Waters and Wright as well as the drummer from Humble Pie they are part of the Pink Floyd catalogue in my collection. The studio outtakes of Madcap are a unique look into the recording process of a gifted/troubled musician. Incredibly inspiring.

 

[Aslan123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skorpitarius /img/forum/go_quote.gif Syd Barrett was brilliant and way ahead of the rest of the guys in the band, it's really a shame that his schizophrenia got the better of him (not because of LSD either - he was schiz. long before he was into his drugs... Roger Waters has confirmed this as they were boyhood friends ...) I don't care for Gilmour's pompous attitude and so on ...

It's hard for me to say whether it is schizophrenia or not as something like this is extremely hard to diagnose, especially back in that day when psychiatry was akin to trying to kill an ant with a sledgehammer.

I just think that the pressures of society and the later fame with Pink Floyd overwhelmed him. When he took himself out of this environment he led a relatively peaceful existence, with only a short stay in a "home for lost souls", and no treatment or medication otherwise.


Quote:

Originally Posted by elbuzzard /img/forum/go_quote.gif besides the first 2 PF albums Syds 2 solo records are favorites of mine. Produced by Gilmore and contributions by Waters and Wright as well as the drummer from Humble Pie they are part of the Pink Floyd catalogue in my collection. The studio outtakes of Madcap are a unique look into the recording process of a gifted/troubled musician. Incredibly inspiring.

The Madcap Laughs is great, as he completely let loose and did what he wanted, to the frustration of all the producers and session musicians. The album Barrett is ok I guess, but it feels somewhat constrained as everyone around the album were trying extremely hard to give Syd 'structure', although I suppose this is understandable considering his mental state, and the previous album.

 

[elbuzzard]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aslan123 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Madcap Laughs is great, as he completely let loose and did what he wanted, to the frustration of all the producers and session musicians. The album Barrett is ok I guess, but it feels somewhat constrained as everyone around the album were trying extremely hard to give Syd 'structure', although I suppose this is understandable considering his mental state, and the previous album.

I agree Madcap Laughs is the better of the two. There are some really memorable performances on there by Syd as well as the session musicians.
The drumming on "no good trying" is so awesome. Spazzy and abrupt. I think the drummer is Robert Wyett of the SOFT MACHINE. I wonder if these were Wyetts imporvisations or if Syd gave him some directions to be get all spazztacular on such a trodding, bouncy tune.

 

[axion]

It's a bit of an unfair comparison really, one album vs. a whole catalouge.

Like the choice between Piper by itself and DSoTM, The Wall, WYWH, etc. is not a hard choice at all really.

That being said I rate Piper pretty highly among Floyd albums as it's a lot of fun to listen to, and well, "that cat's something I can't explain".

 

[Aslan123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elbuzzard /img/forum/go_quote.gif The drumming on "no good trying" is so awesome. Spazzy and abrupt. I think the drummer is Robert Wyett of the SOFT MACHINE. I wonder if these were Wyetts imporvisations or if Syd gave him some directions to be get all spazztacular on such a trodding, bouncy tune.

Considering how 'erratic' Syd was during the sessions, I honestly doubt he gave much direction other than not allowing the musicians to re-record things as Wiki states.

 

[Uncle Erik]

I've always loved Syd's work, but for me, the definition of Pink Floyd would be "Dark Side of the Moon," "Wish You Were Here" and "The Wall."

That, and the XCan mods.

 

[Qonmus]

I prefer Pink Floyd's later albums to Piper, but I prefer Madcap Laughs to anything Pink Floyd ever did.