Syd Barrett tributes & Pink Floyd tributes -Progressive Music reviews page 9-

Oggetti Volanti Non Identificati

V.A. : Syd Barrett's Vegetable Man (I/US, 2003)*°°

Syd Barrett was the first guitar player and singer-songwriter for Pink Floyd. He was a very talented writer, but after drugs ruined his life, personality and career, he stopped with music. I still am not sure what really happened after his short lived career....

What would happen when his songs were given to modern alternative rockers who never experienced the essence of the '70's ? The powerful expressions of Syd Barrett that had a certain seemingly simpleness -but not naivity-, and expressed in a more straight forward style the more surreal aspects in life, surely presented a challenge, to at least a few more than the first half of the groups involved on this album. The result is varied ; basically it's gives a good hanging together sound, most of it in an adolescent alternative psych rock style. The less successful songs, that I can hardly call versions are luckily at the end of the CD.

Funny idea to start the CD with a shower singing version of Syd Barrett's song ? (by Gastel Etzwane). Pulp_ito does an appealing alternative different version ? with modern mixed arrangements, piano, synthesiser, drums and bass guitar, violin,.. Yulan's tribute with flowing Floydian electric guitars filtered into more primitive adolescent 80's rock is a good, although somewhat rough, interpretation too. Mandragora's primitive alternative psych rock version with childish voice works too. The Linus Pauling Quartet tries to bring a more psych version, still a kind of primitive alternative psych. The only completely acoustic version is by Castemore, , a nice folk version, and a welcome change. The following contributions,after the last mentioned track are more primitive, and often I don't see any reference to Syd Barrett at all. It's like putting the song into a mixer, thus destroying it, and adding a few ingredients that don't even fit in, like ink or something disgusting. I don't see the point of it. I wished these were left out, but maybe they were contracted with the CD project and had to be put in.

For the youth grown up with music that is used to putting every sound, even the most destructive one, to the fore, from a generation not used to music which is build with much more subtle sounds and in-depth ideas, this release has enough musical ideas to be appealing. For those who know Syd Barret seen from a '60's song perfectionism or from a a '70's challenging musical ideas vision, I think this release will have a too primitive and dark garage like sound...

...I myself was never so happy with the final effect that any new alternative groups were practically bringing along with their music, also spreading an "I don't care too much for nothing or nobody" after punk mood. The real essence of the - in those days also called "alternative"- groups from the end '60's and early '70's, was to bring an equal thoroughness in music and in content with what the more conservative world appreciated, with classical music and with their prechewed moral heritage from religion, resulting in music that was very solid in its musical ideas, and that had also no overuse of any sound at all. But the "alternative" musicians (this time "alternative" became a genre, where the older examples were commonly called "progressive") since the eighties did start from any kind of overuse, abuse and exploitation. They can hardly understand what Syd Barret's music and the generation with it did stand for seen from its full musical potential. The part of the self-relativating destruction which lies underneath in Syd Barret's vision however was something these groups from nowadays experienced themselves. For them this had resulted mostly in making destructive parts in life and music (like playing too loud, be too rough, or too uncaring) and made it maybe unfortunately more acceptable but also useful. But what when these youngsters would grow up ? Would they then still have anything to look back that they could use for a more mature age and condition ? Creating interesting sounds and ideas in this genre works too, but it's a slow growth with only few results that could stand the test of time. I cannot find such tracks here yet, although various groups mentioned have good ideas, and with a few exceptions worked out nicely their own personal expression.

Note 1 : This CD has a hand made cover. (I believe the first cover published here is the usual cover.) Note 2 : I didn't knew the "Vegetable Man" track when I first reviewed this album.

Website : www.oggettivolanti.it Contact : oggettivolanti@hotmail.com

PS. At first I wondered at first if all tracks were really covering a to me unknow song or that "vegetable man" was just a suitable title. After some investigation I figured out it really was an unrecorded song by Syd Barrett the groups covered. The song was also actually the last song he wrote for Pink Floyd.

Oggeti Violanti

V.A. : The vegetable man Project vol.2 (var.,2004)*°'

This is the third project by the Italian label with even more covers of the same song. Also here the melodic and content essence of the song is only exploited as an excuse to make whatever the musicians wanted to make. In that way it still is pretty successful. Let me describe my favourite tracks. First of all I like Enzima’s track (Italy) starting with computer voice and modern rhythms, even when it has nothing to do with the original style. Never-the-less neo-psychedelic elements are nicely added. Knifeville Ensemble (Italy) is closer to the folk/psych genre. Kawabata Makoto (Acid Mother’s Temple)’s version is overfilled with echoes and is spaced out, with a trip feeling, with organ and electric guitar solo’s playing almost on separate rhythms, in a typical Makoto way. I also like to mention the quiet electric guitar echoes and reverbs by guitarist Mandog (Japan). Looking at his website (and listening to the soundfiles) he seemed to have much more psychedelic music, and he participated before with Mani Neumeier (from 70’s Krautrock group Guru Guru)! Also Kech (Italy) indie-postrockn’roll/garage version sounds pretty ok to me. The songs on their website show more straight forward playing. Weirdest track perhaps is the last one, by Bugo (remixed voices, sounds, playing). Mostly this is another compilation of independent underground rock & indie.

Info : http://www.oggettivolanti.it/tvmp/vol2/vol2.htm

After I heard the original song I decided to airplay the track by Swedish Whistler (Sweden) and Mandog. Swedish Whistler managed to bring over the cynical essence why this song must have been written, in a rock-Per Ubu way. Christian Rainer & Nark bvb interpreted the song also well showing the aspect of tragedy of it.

Musea Rec. V.A. : Pigs and Pyramids (VAR,2002)*°'

an all star line up performing the songs of Pink Floyd

I'm always suspicious about tribute albums for musicians that perform known melodies of their favourite artists, because there's much chance that when it becomes a melody in the head, they often forget that this music was not created from within its melodic musical content. If that music is not reconsidered from a similar creative process there might be something essential missing, no matter how skilful musicians are.

Pink Floyd had some different approaches during the years. Syd Barrett had his own approach. Roger Waters and David Gilmour evolved within theirs during their career.

This CD is referring to the last period with David Gilmour's lead. The approach from the interpreters is mostly from a "classic rock" vision (a genre where people started to classify Pink Floyd in the end, rather then from the progressive viewpoint the group first explored). The music is not completely overloaded by creativity, but there are lots of moments of very nice rock. Luckily the playing is much better than a touristic trip digging in the songs of Pink Floyd, and luckily never reaches a point as bad as Karaoke like interpretations of the songs. Overall it mostly is the electric guitars on this CD which are the most interesting and creative.

The CD starts with the overblown "Another Brick in the wall, part 2", not really the Pink Floyd track I would pick out to remember the talent of the original group..

The electric guitar from Gary Hoey (Kiss) on "Welcome to the Machine" is astonishingly good. Further I liked the electric guitar from Elliot Easton a lot on "Young Lust", and Steve Lukather's (Toto) electric guitar on "Shine on you crazy Diamond" and the contribution from Robben Ford (also from Toto) on "Any colour you like", with nice bass from Tony Franklin (The Firm), drums by Aynsley Dunbar (Journey), a nice group combination. Also Bob and Bruce Kulick (Kiss) gave a splendid electric guitar interpretation of "Have a cigar".

But also the sax from Edgar Winter on "Money" worked perfectly. This songs is a very nice jazzy rock version. Electric guitars here by Ritchie Kotzen (Poison), bass by Tony Levin (King Krimson & Peter Gabriel), and drums by Mike Baird (Journey).

The vocals are always ok, but never really inspired. They are a bit sing-along-with-the-known-songs-which-we-remember-mode. These could have been done better with more musical colour. The instrumental interpretations are much better. They give the listening experience the feeling of a live concert with the best studio musicians that during the concert give an extra live feeling to less than inspired singers who have sung and known these songs by heart already far too long.

I think only "Breath (in the air)" as the last song on the CD works perfect not only with the vocals, but also as final song at the end of this CD, which seemed to be experienced by me as at a live concert. It leaves me with some melancholy for days gone by. Interpreters involved on this last track are Robin McAuley (Grand Prix), vocals, Jeff Baxter (Doobie Brothers), electric guitar, Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne) bass, and Eric Singer (Kiss) drums. They give that song a perfect interpretation.

It is a good CD within the (heavier pop-related) 'classic rock' genre. If you like electric guitar and the late Pink Floyd especially, please try this CD.

Other musicians involved are from the following groups : Styx, Santana, Chicago, Yngwie Malmsteen, Deep Purple, The Cars, Dream Theatre, Yes, The Tubes,Zappa's Mothers, Thin Lizzy, and Pink Floyd live. Fur full list look below.

Label entry : www.musearecords.com

Correct associations of contributors :

Chris Squire , Tony Kaye, Alan White - Bill Sherwood YES

Tommy Shaw - STYX

Alex Ligertwood -SANTANA

Edgar Winter, Mike Baird - Aynsley Dunbar -JOURNEY

Tony Levin -KING RIMSON, PETER GABRIEL

Ritchie Kotzen - POISON

Jason Scheff -CHICAGO

Dweezil Zappa, Jeff Scott Soto - YNGWEE MALMSTEEN

Tony Franklin -THE FIRM

Glenn Hughes -DEEP PURPLE

Elliot Easton - THE CARS

Derek Sherinian - DREAM THEATRE

Fee Waybill - THE TUBES

David Glenn Eisley, Doug Pinnick - KING

Robben Ford, Mike Porcaro, Steve Lkather , Bobby Kimball- TOTO

Greg Bissonette, Ronnie Montrose, Gary Hoey, Scott Walton, Bruce Kulick, Bob Kulick, Eric Singer- KISS

Vinnie Colaiuta -FRANK ZAPPA & THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION

Marco Mendoza -THIN LIZZY

Robin McAuley -GRAND PRIX

Steve Porcaro, Phil Soussan -OZZY OSBOURNE

Jimmy Haslip, Scotty Page -PINK FLOYD LIVE

Pat Torpey -MR BIG

Jeff Baxter -THE DOOBIE BROTHERS

Oggetti Volanti

V.A.: The Vegetable Man Project 3 (var.2004)*°°

Now before I received this release I agreed to myself not to expect that also this third release will come close to the essence with interpretations of this Syd Barrett song. I assumed most musicians only “used” the song for their own world of interpreting music in general. Perhaps only if I left that idealistic expectation behind me, I would be able to appreciate such a release better. And that is true. Most musicians here just played the song in their own personal style no matter the intentions and content of the original song. I knew already some groups previously, like Electric Orange (I heard one post-Krautrock release with some modern beats before), and In The Labyrinth (I reviewed some items of them on next page) whose leader also painted the nice cover of this release, or Swedish Whistler from “The Laughing caps” compilation, and Babu Zula from Turkey (I reviewed their items on next page). I always really liked In The Labyrinth’s style, so of course I also like their song, even if I don’t see it as a reinterpretation ; this is folk-psychedelia with very exotic (eastern & Middle Eastern) touches. Great !! And also Baba Zula show their very personal style of Middle Eastern indie-psych with some crossover-modern rhythms, but also here I don’t recognise how the inspiration idea was developed. The order of contributions on this compilation of interpretations is more or less well compiled. I would have preferred the Baba Zula track closer to In The Labyrinth's track, even when Baba Zula’s contribution does not show much of a Syd Barrett influence at first.

Most tracks are very enjoyable, especially the first two thirds of the album, with most of the best contributions. Many are in indie pop style. They are inviting to listen to a couple of times, before one realizes all the different ideas that have been expressed.

Some other favourites are : Alberto Motta’s (Italy) partly acoustic instrumental version. He’s an experimental singer-songwriter who composes experimental instrumental music (without any sampling) mostly for painters and their exhibitions. Secondly I want to mention Floorian (US) and their psych/partly garagepsych track. Electric Orange goes kinda surfblues psychedelic ; they use semi-electronica sounds in a similar way that they did on their own works. Mondobliquo (Italy) makes a well done DJ-like ‘remix’ of a psychpop interpretation. Also Le Monochrome (Canada) shows a good experimental studiomix with bleeps, blurps voice, noises etc. They seem to be a ‘bits & bleeps’ experimental group. Closest to the original of confusing psych effects is the interpretation by New Planet Trampoline (US). This group seems to be really into the spirit of freakbeat & early psychedelica. Also I/O (Italy) interprets well the psychedelic effects, as close to the ground far-out, with a Pere Ubu energy in a matter of speaking. Swedish Whistler's mad vocals post-psychrock version fits well with that as well. Jan Van Dobbelsteen (Holland) interprets the text in his own language. And I assume Dario Antonetti (Italy) did make his own textual interpretation as well ; his synthesizer lullaby is the silliest interpretation, put at the far end of the compilation.

Info : http://www.oggettivolanti.it/tvmp/vol3/vol3.htm

Another Syd Barrett tribute album (now sold out) :

http://members.aol.com/pgrsel/barrett/dicovers.htm

Other covers of Syd Barrett you can find :

http://www.angelfire.com/wv/breastmilky/tributes.html

http://members.aol.com/pgrsel/barrett/reprises.htm

Obscured By Clouds is another group who covered Syd Barrett/early Pink Floyd : http://www.obscuredbyclouds.com

Audio : Terrapin , Maisie ,Tangerine , Relics in Empathic Symphony

MORE REVIEWS :

Radio Massacre International has a spacepsych album dedicated to Syd Barrett.

Review on http://psychemusic.org/prog22.html

The music of Cactus Cooper & Ambassadors Of Plush have

Syd Barrett influences.

Reviews on http://psychemusic.org/progressive.html

The Strange Flowers also has their Syd Barrett/Pink Floyd influence.

See review on http://psychemusic.org/sixties.html#anchor_121

The music of Sam and the Plants has some Syd Barrett influences.

Review of their demo at http://psychedelicfolk.com/acidfolkreview16.html

Also the music of The Story (with Martin & Tom Welham from former Forest)

has some Syd Barrett reminisence :

Review on http://psychedelicfolk.com/acidfolkreview13.html

A few other Syd Barrett related items in psychfolkpop style are

Apothecary Hymns & Octopus Syng

Reviews on http://psychedelicfolk.com/psychfolkpopreview2.html

but there's another Octopu Syng review here below ->

Private

VA : On a distant Shore –a tribute to Syd Barrett (var,2004)***°

When I heard the samples on the webpage I thought already that this release at last succeeds to come close to the spirit of early Pink Floyd & Syd Barrett, no matter if people are still interpreting, it is at least not exploitative. In general I must say that to some point every interpretation succeeds on makong a combination of the original end 60’s spirit with elements that could be interesting to use too, I guess mostly deriving from the mid 80’s underground psych/postrock scene, in this case blending nicely.

Danboid gives the image of Syd Barrett’s stoned-to-outer-worldlyness on the short intro “The Whole Bit”. Sixtynine And The Continuous People are such a group that have this early mid 80’s American psych style influence in their interpretation of “Lucifer Sam”. Also TranselemenT on “Opel” perform a wonderful garage psych interpretation.of the original PF style. Also Woundman’s “No Good Trying” is more into an end 80’s wacko semi-acoustic underground style. It also reminds me off the why’s and hows of interests for Syd Barrett, from the viewpoint of the half lost youth in these mid 80’s. Also Darrell W.’s “Love Song” has another kind of wackiness, like a nobody-will-listen-to-me singersongwriter’s interpretation with some nice background violin improvisation. Full Dimensional brings an acoustic lo-fi underground version of Pink Floyd’s "Flaming”. Captain Wasp only seems to have less elements of neo late-60’s. Their track has a remixed crazed up-speeded outsider helium voice version of “If It's In You”. It also contains a sample of Syd’s remarks in studio (on one of the tracks on the Opel album) as if this part was recorded on a answering machine. Great ! Neptunes Closet’s “Terrapin” brings in even something else from these times : breakbeat combined with a surf-like guitar interpretation, all still with some of the original end 60’s psych feel underneath ! Well done ! There are also three new additions compared to the first CDR edition. Full dimensional’s "Octopus” is now close to the original, a stoned lo-fi underground version with rhythm guitar,bass and voice. One kind of interpretation to reconsider from Syd’s solo repertoire, is by emphasizing a slightly hopeless songwriting performance with perhaps underlying brilliance in songs. This is how Neptunus Closet performs “Terrapin”. A good enough closer is a song about Syd Barrett, "I Know Where Syd Barrett Lives", by Sixtynine And The Continuous People, (a song which originates from the Television Personalities) . The guitars there remind me of some later song of Pink Floyd but I cannot remember which…

I repeat : this is a perfect example of how a tribute album should sound. It not only brings something of the original mood over, the interpretation keeps often many elements of that time’s perspective’s sound together into a new perspective. A great album for neo-60’s lovers who don’t mind hearing this sound opened up.

Info : http://www.popfloor.com/oads/

Other review : http://www.splendidezine.com/review.html?reviewid=3233772341101114

Deja Vu

V.A. : -A Syd Barrett tribute- : The Laughing caps :

Let's try it another way (var,200?)**°

Syd Barrett was the earliest bass player of Pink Floyd who was the most important songwriter of the early group, responsible of their strong mature sound, combined with a child-like innocense. This tribute release was compiled entirely through contacts which came forth from the Syd Barrett discussion list on yahoo.

In general I can say that the release is rather consistent in style. Most groups succeed to interprete the original mood sound / into a post-poprock style with neo-sixties flavours of psych touches. A few artists tried something unusual. Mark Zampino's "Arnold Lane", for instance created an echoed a capella intro, followed by another well understood neo-sixties variation of a rather slow version of the song. Swedish Whistler is a female group, which gives a barpiano rock blues version of "Effervescing Elephant". Pitt Reeves, interpreted "Baby Lemonade" with a ska rhythm. John Cavannagh gives an original electro-wave version. Carthensis with it's outsider vocals understood some inner aspect of the song in "wouldn't you miss me". Also interesting to hear is Luciano Chessa bring an Italian version (in early Rocchi style) of "Opel". Most interpretations are in the shadow of inspiration of Barrett, still reflecting its original light in a neo-postpoprock area with neo-60's psych touches (like what John McKeag does or the Turkish band Binar Bandosu do, with an interpretation they call "Interstellar vegetable man".). Here and there a third grade influence is noticable, like St37's Hawkwindish version of "No Man's Land". In general the compilation is succesful as a reflection of a 60's world into an 80's world's vision.

Info : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LaughingMadcaps

& www.neptunepinkfloyd.co.uk/hygiy/15 E-mail : zamp13@msn.com

Oggetti Volanti

V.A.: The Vegetable Man Project 4 (var.2005)**°'

Like before, on the previous compilations, most versions of Syd Barret’s “Vegetable Man” haven’t got much of the sphere of the original Syd Barrett in them, but this time I don’t care, because most of the better tracks are entirely different but still enjoyable enough to stand stylistically on their own, that it does not really matter if some things missed the original point. Most bands listed here are Italian, with some exceptions.

This might be one of the better and most enjoyable to listen to compilations fromthe label to date. It is compiled well with a variety of styles, mostly within the range of independent rock.

While the musicians were only allowed a short four minutes almost every musician or group took care and the time to arrange their versions well, something which gave benefit to the compilation, where the song might have been an excuse to present each group’s ability to arrange and give their music visions

Very enjoyable, almost danceable, is the let’s say post-Kraftwerk “robot” version from Italian band Miazia (-I cannot imagine a “vegetarian robot”, but who cares again, for this is just electropop fun). Gallery Of Lore’s heavy indie-wavepostrock is enjoyable too. Der Bekannte Post-Industrielle Trompeter is fine too. It is an almost absurd, far out-sider, fun-blurry experimental track with the use of a few brass instruments (trombone and trumpet ?) and background echoed vocals. UK psych band the Future Kings Of England bring it closer to the original, witha more careful-freaky psych version, without adding just anything to the original. Italian band Beat Babol, sound fundamentally also close to the original in rhythm, text and singing but has electronic wave arrangements, which make the song different in style, again to something slightly trippy and danceable, with a nice electronic outro mix. This is well switched into the next track, which is an oddity of a rhythmic speed-is-mixed-up tapemix by Su/Si_Lab. Their track became a nice in between track for a great indie-industrial surf version with wahwah guitar and a child like voice, performed by Kevin from Sweden. This is followed by a very good original acoustic song interpretation with let’s say free-flamenco-jazz acoustic guitar and some flute and whistle touches, by My God Is a Fluorescent Frog. With modern echoed rhythms and an industrial and indie-electropop touch, with muffy muffled distorted vocals, well mixed, is the track by Italian band Milanoans. This is followed by a weird fun version by the German psych band Fantasy Factory with some making-fun-of-it vocals, some brass and a stretch-and-pull-flute. This is followed by Dutch absurd-artist Danielle Lemaire, spoken in Dutch, and with rather noisy high-note nonsense. Hearing her interpretation text I’m not sure if she understood that ‘vegetable man’ is not about a salesman in vegetables, but about drugs and becoming a plant. (Perhaps the misinterpretation was deliberate but I wonder). Satantango brings a somewhat predictable and ok heavier female indierock version, with just a bit of freak-the-guitars. Starting with teenybop rhythms but in an independent rock style is Labyrinth Whistler with post-Floydian vocal arrangements, and a few more great and varied changes in arrangements with attention to details, like a more electric guitar jam part, and some mellotron. A fine version with respect for 60’s punk and psychedelia, made for a world used now to different styles. The band seems to be a combination of two bans : In the Labyrinth and Swedish Whistler. This is followed by a calmer independent version with its own vision of arrangements of electronic rhythms, guitars, and organ, ..by Goad/Opendead Eye. Posthuman Tantra after this are from Brazil. They work with dark sequenced rhythms, echoed distorted Portuguese vocals, with strange and filmic electronic sounds, -the song becomes hardly recognisable-, with a strong almost horrifying tension. Jacopo Gobber performed another calm independent version with some more use of electronica. Further we have UK based Kitchen Cynics with some simple, loner folkpsych fuzz and rhythmbox and arranged vocals. Geloso’s indierock version starts as a more primitive and simple version but it becomes more enjoyable further on. A great conclusion is Marsicano Sitar Experience with Laro Toledo from Brazil with first echoed and then plain sitar and some percussion.

Info : http://www.oggettivolanti.it/tvmp/vol4/vol4.htm

Nasoni Rec.

Octopus Syng: Birds Of Morning are never late (FIN,2007)**°

Octopus Syng’s songs are clearly influenced by Syd Barrett, in a happy optimistic child-like psychfolk context, To some degree all the tracks are driven musically for the benefit of vague & dreamy ideas, created by lush vocals and harmonies, acoustic and electrified guitars, drums, keyboards and glockenspiel mostly, with a tasteful and pleasant effect, while this mostly works as slightly stoned background songs. The lyrics are that from a rather naïve love & flower child whose music is the real escapegoat, which, like some exotic incense floats its songs into the sky. While the bird wakes up and is never too late for work, even when with a bit of laziness any work will arrive its essence to a new morning’s daylight and sunshine.

Audio : http://www.myspace.com/octopussyng

Homepage : http://www.octopus-syng.tk/

Fan page : http://psychedelic-music.net/pmdb/db3/db_band.php4?id=369

Label info : http://www.nasoni-records.com/new_releases.html

Previous release I have reviewed on http://psychedelicfolk.com/psychfolkpopreview2.html