Third Man Records Announces Syd Barrett Solo Albums Vault Package
“Well, that’s the last we’ll ever hear of Pink Floyd.”
Syd Barret, the legendary former frontman for Pink Floyd continues to fascinate people. Barret’s experimentation with hallucinogenic drugs is the stuff of rock and roll legend and his self-imposed hermitage away from the celebrity limelight has inspired speculation. Recently Barret has been the focus of a documentary attempting to sort out the myths and hearsay that have developed around one of rock’s most enigmatic figures. This renewed interest in Barret has brought greater attention to his artistic output. With that, it is exciting to know that in conjunction with Sony Music Entertainment, the indie label Third Man Records will release The Madcap Laughs, Barrett, and Opel, a collection of Barret’s three solo albums.
The Madcap Laughs, Barrett, and Opel will be the 57th installment of the Vault subscription series. The three albums were previously out of print for a decade. This release is the first time that all three appear together on vinyl. The 180-gram vinyl was pressed at Third Man Pressing in Detroit and is packaged in a custom slipcase featuring exclusive original artwork by New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Greg Ruth.
A 7-inch single by Barret’s Pink Floyd bandmate David Gilmour is included in the collection as a bonus. Gilmour covers two songs by Barret, “Dominoes'' and “Dark Globe.” The joyful and energetic cover of “Dominoes” was recorded in January 2002 at Royal Festival Hall, while “Dark Globe” was recorded only months after Barret died in 2006.
The three albums are pressed in unique colors. On golden hair vinyl is The Madcap Laughs. Released in January 1970, The Madcap Laughs is Barrett’s most well-known and acclaimed solo album and peaked at # 40 on the UK charts. The album is remembered for the popular debut single “Octopus.” The album was recorded at the famed Abbey Road Studios with an assist from Barret’s Pink Floyd bandmates, David Gilmour and Roger Waters.
On baby lemonade-colored vinyl is the album Barrett, originally released in November of 1970. Gilmore returned to Abby Road Studios to assist Barret alongside bandmate Richard Wright. Trippy songs like “Baby Lemonade” and “Gigolo Aunt” are the highlights of Barret.
1988’s Opel is pressed on milky opal-colored vinyl and is a collection of outtakes and unreleased songs recorded from 1968-1970. Opel is representative of how a major label reacted to the cult following that developed around Barret at that point which consisted of trading bootlegs of his rare work. It was unusual at the time for a major company to embrace the underground and release rare tracks from deep in their vault.
This is a must-have for Pink Floyd and Syd Barret fans. Be sure to sign in to https://thirdmanrecords.com/products/vault-subscription by midnight CST on July 31st to guarantee yourself a copy of Vault Package #57: The Solo Works of Syd Barret 3xLP Box Set.
