Opel | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Compilation album by | ||||
Released | 17 October 1988 | |||
Recorded | Abbey Road, 14 May 1968 – 17 July 1970 | |||
Genre | Psychedelic folk, psychedelic rock | |||
Length | 45:53 (original release) 65:05 ( Crazy Diamond reissue) | |||
Label | Harvest (UK) Capitol (US) | |||
Producer | Syd Barrett, Peter Jenner, Malcolm Jones, Roger Waters and David Gilmour | |||
Syd Barrett chronology | ||||
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Crazy Diamond reissue | ||||
Opel is a 1988 album compiled from recordings made by former Pink Floyd frontman Syd Barrett between 1968 [nb 1] and 1970. [nb 2] The album is a compilation of unreleased material and alternative takes of recordings from sessions for Barrett's solo albums, The Madcap Laughs and Barrett .
Opel was released in October 1988 on Harvest in the UK, and on Capitol Records in the US. The album was remastered and reissued in 1993, along with Barrett's other albums, The Madcap Laughs and Barrett (both 1970), independently and as part of the Crazy Diamond box set. A newly remastered version was released in 2010.
The album was originally set to include the unreleased Barrett Pink Floyd songs "Scream Thy Last Scream" and "Vegetable Man", which had been remixed for the album by Jones. [3] However, the two songs were pulled by Pink Floyd [4] before Opel was finalised. [5]
While Barrett only released two albums, The Madcap Laughs and Barrett , both in 1970, the existence of unreleased studio work was widely reported. After years of demand from Barrett's considerable fan base, Opel was compiled and released. Barrett personally approved the new release. [6]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [7] |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [8] |
MusicHound Rock | 3/5 [9] |
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide | [10] |
OndaRock | 7/10 [11] |
Opel consists of eight previously unreleased songs and alternative versions of six already released songs. The album was released due to the constant pressure from The Madcap Laughs producer, Malcolm Jones. [3] Despite its positive reviews, it failed to chart. AllMusic reviewer Richie Unterberger said the album was "charming", with the title track, "Swan Lee (Silas Lang)", "Dark Globe" and "Milky Way" as highlights. [7]
Opel (along with The Madcap Laughs and Barrett) was reissued both independently [nb 3] and as part of the Crazy Diamond Barrett box set, [nb 4] on 26 April 1993. [14] A newly remastered version was released in 2010. [nb 5]
All songs written by Syd Barrett, except "Golden Hair" (music by Barrett, based on a poem by James Joyce). All track information is taken from the Crazy Diamond version of Opel. [16]
No. | Title | Notes | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Opel" | *Take 9, recorded 11 April 1969
| 6:26 |
2. | "Clowns and Jugglers (Octopus)" | *Take 2, recorded 20 July 1968
| 3:27 |
3. | "Rats" | *Demo, recorded 5 June 1970
| 3:12 |
4. | "Golden Hair" | *Take 6, recorded 12 June 1969
| 1:44 |
5. | "Dolly Rocker" | *Take 1, recorded 14 July 1970
| 3:01 |
6. | "Word Song" | *Take 1, recorded 17 July 1970
| 3:19 |
7. | "Wined and Dined" | *Demo, recorded 5 June 1970
| 3:03 |
No. | Title | Notes | Length |
---|---|---|---|
8. | "Swan Lee (Silas Lang)" | *Take 9, recorded 11 April 1969
| 3:13 |
9. | "Birdie Hop" | *Demo, recorded 5 June 1970
| 2:30 |
10. | "Let's Split" | *Take 1, recorded 14 July 1970
| 2:23 |
11. | "Lanky (Part One)" | *Take 1, recorded 14 May 1968
| 5:32 |
12. | "Wouldn't You Miss Me (Dark Globe)" | *Take 1, recorded 26 July 1969
| 3:00 |
13. | "Milky Way" | *Take 5, recorded 7 June 1970
| 3:07 |
14. | "Golden Hair (Instrumental version)" | *Take 1, recorded 14 May 1968
| 1:56 |
Total length: | 45:53 |
No. | Title | Notes | Length |
---|---|---|---|
15. | "Gigolo Aunt" | *Take 9, recorded 27 February 1970
| 4:02 |
16. | "It Is Obvious" | *Take 3, recorded 17 July 1970
| 3:44 |
17. | "It Is Obvious" | *Take 5, recorded 17 July 1970
| 3:06 |
18. | "Clowns and Jugglers [Octopus]" | *Take 1, recorded 20 July 1968
| 3:33 |
19. | "Late Night (Instrumental)" | *Take 2, recorded 28 May 1968
| 3:19 |
20. | "Effervescing Elephant" | *Take 2, recorded 14 July 1970
| 1:28 |
Total length: | 65:05 |
Guest musicians on "Clowns and Jugglers":
A Saucerful of Secrets is the second studio album by English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 28 June 1968 by EMI Columbia in the UK and in the US by Tower Records. The mental health of singer and guitarist Syd Barrett deteriorated during recording, so guitarist David Gilmour was recruited; Barrett left the band before the album's completion.
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, Malcolm Jones, and fellow Pink Floyd members David Gilmour and Roger Waters. Among the guest musicians are Willie Wilson from Gilmour's old band Jokers Wild and several members of Soft Machine.
Barrett is the second and final studio album of new material released by former Pink Floyd frontman Syd Barrett. Recording began at Abbey Road Studios on 26 February 1970, and lasted for 15 sessions until 21 July. The album was produced by Pink Floyd's David Gilmour and Richard Wright, who also contributed on bass and keyboards respectively, along with previous Madcap contributor Jerry Shirley on drums.
Crazy Diamond is a 1993 triple-CD boxed set of Syd Barrett's two 1970 albums The Madcap Laughs and Barrett, and Opel, an out-takes compilation from 1988. All discs are further augmented by various alternate takes.
"Our main plan was to find Syd's acoustic takes, before the other musicians were drafted in to overdub them. But we stumbled across some fascinating material that sheds new light on Syd's working methods." — Phil Smee
The Best of Syd Barrett: Wouldn't You Miss Me? is a compilation album by Syd Barrett released in 2001 that spans Barrett's entire solo career.
"Octopus" is a song by Syd Barrett. In January 1970 it appeared on his first solo album The Madcap Laughs.
Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett was an English singer, guitarist and songwriter who co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd in 1965. Barrett was the band's original frontman and primary songwriter, known for his whimsical style of psychedelia, English-accented singing, and stream-of-consciousness writing style. As a guitarist, he was influential for his free-form playing and for employing effects such as dissonance, distortion, echo and feedback.
"Dark Globe" is a song by Syd Barrett, released on his first solo album The Madcap Laughs.
The Radio One Sessions is a live album by former Pink Floyd vocalist and guitarist, Syd Barrett. It is the last Barrett album released in his lifetime before his death in 2006.
"Vegetable Man" is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd, written by the frontman, Syd Barrett, and recorded in 1967. It was considered for a release as a single or for inclusion on their second album, A Saucerful of Secrets, but went unreleased. Bootlegged for decades, the song did not have an official release until 2016, when it was included on the box set The Early Years 1965–1972.
"Scream Thy Last Scream" is a song by Pink Floyd, written by frontman Syd Barrett and scheduled to be the band's next single after "See Emily Play".
"Terrapin" is the opening song on Syd Barrett's first solo album The Madcap Laughs. Its arrangement is sparse, like much of the album, and features only acoustic and electric guitar accompaniment to the vocals. This song, along with "Maisie" and "Bob Dylan Blues"; reflected Barrett's early interest in the blues. Iggy the Eskimo, one of Barrett's acquaintances, had called the song "quite catchy".
"Bob Dylan Blues" is a song written in 1965 by Syd Barrett, the founder of Pink Floyd. Recorded during sessions for Barrett, it was unreleased until it turned up in 2001. The song was included in The Best of Syd Barrett.
An Introduction to Syd Barrett is a 'best of' compilation featuring the work of Syd Barrett spanning the period 1967–1970, including both material written during his time with Pink Floyd and his post-band solo career.
"Here I Go" is a song by former singer/songwriter of Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett and is the sixth track on his first solo album, The Madcap Laughs.
Syd Barrett (1946–2006) was an English rock musician who was best known as the original frontman and primary songwriter of Pink Floyd. With the band, he recorded and wrote the majority of songs for their first album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, and was credited for one song on their second album A Saucerful of Secrets. To this day, his Pink Floyd songs are used frequently on the band's various compilations.
"Baby Lemonade" is the opening track to Syd Barrett's second studio album, Barrett. "Baby Lemonade", and another song, "Gigolo Aunt", were recorded by Barrett playing and singing over a prerecorded backing track. The solo was performed by Barrett, not David Gilmour as is often noted. The intro was actually Barrett simply warming-up on guitar, that Gilmour had managed to record and placed it at the start of the album, making it seem like an intro to the song. It was included on the multi-artist Harvest compilation, A Breath of Fresh Air – A Harvest Records Anthology 1969–1974 in 2007.
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