Сид Барретттің «Жылмаңқы Күлкісі»: Альбом тарихы мен шығармашылығы

The Madcap Laughs is the debut solo album by the English singer songwriter Syd Barrett. It was recorded after Barrett had left Pink Floyd in April 1968. The album had a lengthy recording history, with work beginning in May 1968, but the bulk of the sessions taking place between April and July 1969, for which five different producers were credited − including Barrett, Peter Jenner (1968 sessions), Malcolm Jones (early to mid 1969 sessions), and fellow Pink Floyd members David Gilmour and Roger Waters (mid 1969 sessions). Among the guest musicians are Willie Wilson from Gilmour's old band Jokers Wild and several members of Soft Machine. The Madcap Laughs, released in January 1970 on Harvest in the UK but not released in the US until 1974, enjoyed minimal commercial success on release, reaching number 40 on the UK's official albums chart. It was re released in 1974 as part of Syd Barrett (which contained The Madcap Laughs and Barrett), which saw the first US issue of the two LPs. The album was remastered and reissued in 1993, along with Barrett's other albums, Barrett (1970) and Opel (1988), independently and as part of the Crazy Diamond box set. A newly remastered version was released in 2010.

In the second half of 1967 and through to early 1968, when still part of Pink Floyd, Barrett's behaviour became increasingly erratic and unpredictable. Many report having seen him on stage with the group during this period, strumming on one chord through an entire concert or not playing at all. In August 1967, Pink Floyd were forced to cancel their appearance at the prestigious National Jazz and Blues Festival, informing the music press that Barrett was suffering from nervous exhaustion. Band manager Peter Jenner and bassist Roger Waters arranged for Barrett to see a psychiatrist (an appointment he failed to attend), while a stay on the Spanish island of Formentera with Sam Hutt, a doctor well established in the underground music scene, led to no visible improvement in Barrett's behaviour. A few dates in September were followed by the band's first tour of the United States. At this point, Barrett's condition grew steadily worse. At a show at The Fillmore in San Francisco, during a performance of "Interstellar Overdrive", Barrett slowly detuned his guitar; the audience seemed to enjoy such antics, unaware of the rest of the band's consternation. Sometime in October, Jenner transferred tapes of "In the Beechwoods", two takes of "Vegetable Man", and a 5 minute backing track called "No Title", which Jenner hoped Barrett would finish eventually. Around Christmas 1967, guitarist David Gilmour, an old friend of Barrett's from Cambridge, was asked by the other members of Pink Floyd to join as a second guitarist, initially not to replace Barrett, but cover for him, because his unpredictable behaviour prevented him from performing. For several shows Gilmour sang and played guitar while Barrett wandered around on stage, every now and then deciding to join in playing guitar and singing. Waters and fellow band members keyboardist Richard Wright and drummer Nick Mason soon grew weary of Barrett's on stage antics and, on 26 January 1968, when Waters was driving his bandmates from London to a show at Southampton University, they all agreed to go without Barrett: according to Gilmour's recollection, one person asked, "Shall we pick Syd up?" and another said, "Let's not bother." Since Barrett had written or co written 10 of the 11 songs on their debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, as well as the band's three singles up to this point, the original plan was to keep him in the group as a non touring member − in a similar arrangement to what The Beach Boys had done with Brian Wilson − but this soon proved to be unworkable. At his last rehearsal with the band, he presented a new song entitled "Have You Got It Yet? ", which proved to be deliberately unplayable as the others attempted to join in, until they realised the joke of the title. On 6 April, the group officially announced that Barrett was no longer a member of Pink Floyd. Upon leaving the band, Barrett said to Melody Maker: "I suppose it was really just a matter of being a little offhand about things". Nick Mason later commented on Jenner & King leaving with Barrett many years later: "Peter and Andrew clearly felt that Syd was the creative centre of the band, a reasonable point of view given our track record up until that point. Consequently, they decided to represent him rather than us." In May, Jenner led Barrett into EMI Studios (now Abbey Road Studios), on Abbey Road in northwest London, to record some solo material, only part of which would later appear on The Madcap Laughs. Jenner thought Barrett would like to finish the tracks that Jenner transferred the previous October; Barrett on the other hand, had other plans. An early version of "Clowns and Jugglers", involving military style drumming and organ overdubs was included on the standard version of Opel,|group="nb" or "Lanky (Parts One and Two)". After recording had resumed in June and July, progress continued on these tracks, especially "Swan Lee", and a new, improved version of "Clowns and Jugglers" was taped at this point also. Barrett wouldn't commit to recording the track "Rhamadam" (sic) to tape properly, however.

Several notable musicians and bands have listed The Madcap Laughs as one of their favourite albums of all time: they include David Bowie, Genesis P Orridge, Kavus Torabi, Jennifer Herrema, Viv Albertine, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Hey Colossus, Graham Coxon, Pete Astor, King Buzzo, John Frusciante, Will Hodgkinson, John Maus, and many others. Many of the songs from the album have been widely covered since its release.

For the album cover, Barrett painted the floor of his bedroom in Wetherby Mansions, orange and purple. Photographer Mick Rock says, "When I arrived for The Madcap Laughs photo session, Syd was still in his underpants. His lady friend of two weeks, 'Iggy the Eskimo', was naked in the kitchen." Iggy met Barrett in March 1969, through Barrett's then girlfriend, Jenny Spires. Barrett had moved into Wetherby Mansions, and Jenny took Iggy there one evening. Iggy stayed on at the flat when Jenny left for The States a couple of weeks later. Iggy didn't know who Barrett was or that he was previously in Pink Floyd. Iggy heard Barrett play several songs that would later appear on the album, one being "Terrapin", which she called "quite catchy". In October 2010 she was interviewed, revealing that her name was Evelyn. The album was designed by Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey Powell of Hipgnosis.

As part of Harvest Records's "Harvest Heritage" series of reissues − and to capitalise on the breakthrough commercial success of Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon − The Madcap Laughs was re released in September 1974 as record one of a double album, (The cover of the double album was also designed by Storm Thorgerson.) In 1993, The Madcap Laughs (along with Barrett and Opel) was reissued both independently and as part of the Crazy Diamond Barrett box set, on 26 April 1993. A remastered version was released in 2010. For release on An Introduction to Syd Barrett in 2010, Gilmour laid down a new bass track to "Here I Go", and remixed "Octopus" and "She Took a Long Cold Look".

All songs written by Syd Barrett, except "Golden Hair" (music by Barrett, based on a poem by James Joyce). All track info taken from album booklet.