Search - Syd Barrett :: Octopus: Best of

A great selection of solo stuff

Swan Lee | Bigfoot county, WA, USA | 12/17/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Unlike those that found the ommision of some early Floyd stuff regrettable, I like the song selection. This CD is by Syd, not the Floyd, and if you want to know what his solo career sounds like, this is it. Anything from Piper or the singles would throw the mood off and would make listeners think they might find more of that sound on his solo stuff.
Also,one of the best comparisons I've heard is to Nick Drake. So I might say if you like Nick Drake, you'll p robably like this. Sure he also is Robyn Hitchcock's greatest influence and has a bit fo that sound, though more personal and manic sounding. It's a little less overwhelminghly depressing than Nick Drake which is nice.
P.S. In the 12/16/01 episode of "The X-Files" the bad guy wears a Syd Barrett t-shirt throughout the whole show and they feature two songs during the show - No Good Trying & Terrapin.
Cheers and a prayer for Roger Barrett somewhere in middle England."

Matt Gilliam is as dumb as George Bush, and that's something

M. Dullforce | USA | 02/28/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I believe that these songs are terrific. They truly express the vast creativity of Syd Barrett's amazing imagination. Gilliam says 'No', but I say 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond'. Syd is awesome, too bad you went insane, man. What a drag.
Probably my most favourite song is 'Octopus' out of Syd's masterpieces. I love Pink Floyd, and I became really into it and then heard of Syd. When I listened to his music, 'Octopus' jumped out at me and amazed me. Syd's approach to songs is very unique in an awesome way. This album is a must-buy."

A good place to start

fu wai | Hong Kong, not applicable Hong Kong | 06/19/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For those who haven't heard syd's music, it's a good place to start. It's the first CD I've ever bought in my life, and it's so stunning that I never thought that music could be like this. From Childhood whimsy "octopus", "Baby lemonade", mystic "swan lee", "late night", "golden hair", and desparate "opel", all are included. As any "best collection", one should not expect it includes all the good songs. No Pink Floyd period single is the first flaw, the second is that it do not really capture the best, but it capture the most accessible ones. Missing "No man's land", "Long Gone", "Love Song" (why miss this one?) ,and "dominoes" is an unforgivable mistake. Anyway, I suggest that if you never listened to Syd and see this record in local cd shops, buy this, then buy Madcap Laugh and Piper at the gates of Dawn if you like "Octopus". You won't be disappointed."