Piper At The Gates Of Dawn - 40th Anniversary Reissue

I'm sure there isn't VERY much to say about this release that hasn't already been said.
It is super to see the mono and stereo versions side by side. I know it isn't the first time this has happened, but I think with the extras on the third disc it may be first time many people have been lured into buying another version of what I imagine most Floyd fans already have.
I'm no audiophile geek, but you don;t have to be one to hear that there are significant differences between several songs on the mono and stereo versions.
The Interstellar Overdrive particularly is a much rawer and some would say exciting version on the mono disc.
I for one loved this version much more than the rather over-cleaned stereo mix.

Having seen Norman Smith talking in the flesh as it were on a recent dvd documentary about the making of the Piper At The Gates Of Dawn I can now see why he and Roger/Syd didn't see eye to eye on producing the songs!
By his own admission he is coming very much from a Jazzzzzzzzzz... background.
While some might say that there is a spirit of Jazz in the Floyd, their sensibilities were at rather opposite ends of the experimental poles. ( He says politely!)

There is one issue I would like to clarify - and that is the omission of the 13th page of the Fart Enjoy booklet.
I have seen on some forums comment that the censorship of this page may have some from my family, and not from EMI.
I must just point out that we have had no input at all into this publication, and the omission is not influenced by any Barrett. To be honest, there are more important things in life to worry about than a few swear words!
I think the concerns about copyright on the image used is far more likely to be a concern. bearing in mind the young lady in the image is exposing more than just raw talent I can understand why she might want this exposure to remain as minimal as possible.
As the booklet was made in 1965 as far as I can gather, she is probably old enough now to not want pictures of her naked body printed and sold in record shops across the globe!

Anyway - it is a nicely packaged piece of history and it is good to see EMI finally add at least a few unreleased tracks. Not many, but a couple is better than none at all.

Syd Barrett Tribute album
The Barretts - Flapdoodle Dealings

If you are a Syd Barrett fan you might like to listen to an album of great cover versions.
They were created by a bunch of guys who frequent my favourite website of all time - Julian Cope's Head Heritage.
I don't know the creators personally, but any fan of Julian Cope is a friend of mine!
I've downloaded the album and given it a good listen.
Download it - turn the speakers up LOUD and give it a listen. You won't be disappointed...
There are members of 'The Chemistry Set' as well as various other Psychedelic bands.
Download link

The UK's First Art Car Parade - Manchester City Centre
We had a fantastic trip on Saturday lunchtime to see the Art Car Parade in town.
Basically it was a chance for people who have created amazing mutated cars to parade them to the crowds.
You can understand the event better from the pictures than I could ever describe it. It was most amazing!
My favourite was the car being grabbed and eaten by a huge metal monster!! ( first picture) This car even had a man hidden in the mouth, operating the head.

There was one car called the Tonefloat that had been turned into a musical instrument with a huge rack of milk bottles tuned to different pitches all around the outside. The creators had rigged it up to a complex system of hammers controlled by a computer. It really was making music! Incredibly silly and wonderful.
Another favourite was 'The Cremulator'
Basically it was a combined hearse and crematorium. It was a hearse, but with a HUGE digger arm fitted to the top.Bearing in mind they had created a mini crematorium inside the hearse, I'm not exactly sure why they needed the huge arm - as there would be no body to bury after cremation but it looked superb!

There were several cars covered in GRASS. (There was even a 4x4 that had been turned into the whole Lake District!).
The lowest car in the World was super too. I would guess it was roughly 10 inches off the ground. The driver and passenger pretty much just poke out of the sunroof as there is very little room inside the car.

There aren't many towns where such a silly venture could be both created ansd funded. This event is one of the reasons I love Manchester so much.
It was free. It was colourful. And most of all - it brought people together on a lovely sunny Saturday lunchtime.
What could be a better idea!

PS - Max loved the car covered in grass - with people playing golf on the roof the most.( we even ended up being interviewed for some obscure TV station while standing around admiring the cars..)

Summer In Devon.

We had a superb week in Devon last week.
Gorgeous weather for most of the week.
Max ate raspberries. And more raspberries. And more raspberries..........
I enjoyed exploring the wilds of Dartmoor. A stunning place. When we went a while ago I took myself off and found a weird and wonderful place called Grimspound. It's a strange Neolithic encampment on the side of a hill.
There is a group of stone houses surrounded by a derelict but large stone wall.
It is an incredible settlement. It's amazing just sitting in one of the little houses trying to imagine what life must have been like for the original occupants. When they lived there nobody knows, but it is easy to imagine that they really weren't much different to us.

More soon....................

The UFO Club
I was very kindly sent this amazing clip by Rob Chapman - writer of a new Syd Barrett biography.
I have never seen it and never even knew it existed till now.

Watch it and be amazed
This is only a short clip, but it goes some way to satisfy the craving I have long had to see live Pink Floyd clips from the early days.
There are various audio clips of the 'freakout' songs, but it would be great to see some video clips of the supremely long Interstellar Overdrive versions they used to do
There are very few still extant.
I believe there will be ann unheard version of Interstellar Overdrive on the box release of 'Piper at The Gates Of Dawn' ( which is delayed until September I am reliably informed).

One thing I love about this clip is some of the terribly stern and earnest expressions on the faces of certain members of the audience!

You would think they were at a science lecture, not a psychedelic party!

You can spot Hoppy Hopkins and various other luminaries of the time if you look hard enough...

Enjoy....

While I'm not really one for advertising other peoples websites, I felt I just had to put a word in for Last FM
I'm sure some of you will be aware of it,but if you aren't then I may just help enrich your music listening power!
Essentially, it is like having an Internet music buff on hand to suggest music that is similar to things you already like.
I'm sure you have all had moments in record shops when you kind of know what you want to buy, but just not quite what.
You can use Last FM by telling it a band or singer that you do like, and it then provides you with a constant stream of songs that are similar to that. When I say similar, I don't mean identical, it merely leads you off down a tasteful path.

I'm sure the technology behind it must be quite sophisticated as it learns more about music over time. It must be building up a huge database of musical linkage. If you like A - then surely you must like B too........

You don't have to, but if you download the software from the site then the system is told automatically about every song you choose to play on your PC
It can then learn about your tastes in depth, and really start to help broaden your tastes.

You can just tap in a band to the site player, and it will create a stream of similar songs for you to try.
If you like them,buy them........

It's fantastic for a music fan to be offered such variety.

Give it a go here

I used it to create the little radio station you see playing on the right hand side of this page!

On The Seventh Day........

The response to the death of Anthony Wilson has been both warming and necessary.
it is impossible to imagine what the Manchester cultural landscape would now look like without his intervention in it.
You can read his partner Yvettes response to the loss of Tony here.

Since his death last week - every time I go past the Hacienda site there are more and more flowers on the railings.
The most recent one - is just the words 'TONY' in white flowers.
As someone who loved the use of flowery prose, it seems remarkably apposite that this has now been placed in his memory!

It is also very poignant that Tony's passing comes in the middle of the release of 'Control' the Joy Division film - directed by Anton Corbijn.
It could be said that this takes something away from the film itself, and the success and downfall of Ian Curtis.
The two are inextricably linked. Without Tony, We may well never have seen the success of Joy Division.

I also heard yesterday that there are plans to name a road ( I presume in Manchester) after Tony Wilson. There may well soon be people living on 'Anthony H Wilson Way'
I never knew Tony, but I would guess that he would find that hilarious!
I know I found it hilarious when a brewery in Norfolk stared making ' Crazy Diamond Ale' A beer dedicated to the memory of Roger/Syd. As someone who loved his beer ( especially Guinness), I'm sure Roger is up there somewhere laughing himself silly over this.

Footnote - You must read these superb quotes from the man himself

ANTHONY H WILSON
RIP

Terribly sad.

Living in Manchester you are constantly surrounded by the legacy he created.
I went past the Hacienda site yesterday on the bus. What a stunning block of flats that turned out to be!

I didn't know him, but it's hard to live in Manchester and not know somone whose life he has touched in some way. And I don't mean that in a crass, sentimental way. People don't do sentimental in this town.
They just don't.

I saw him in my local Asda about a year ago. He seemed to be having trouble finding the right apples.
It was just nice to know he was around.

Knowing Tony's love of big words and intricate language I'm sure he could have written his own obituary better han anyone.
Maybe he is up there today looking down and reading all the obituaries, saying.....
'Thats not true...
That's rubbish...
Thats's nonsense......'

Goodbye Tony.

The music will go on.

You'll be pleased about that

I was wondering if it would be OK to stick a small plug in for Jurassic Jewellery
I have been making fossil and meteorite jewellery for a while now, and in the last few months started to turn this into a full time business.
I have been studying on an entrepreneur scholarship for a few months and this has been great as bunch of likeminded people all keen to start their own businesses can get together and learn the skills they need.
I have been making all sorts of business plans and presentations and leaflets - and it is very close to official launch date.
Please check out my webshop here
I have lots of jewellery and fossils and meteorites here - and many more to come.

I'm the only person in the UK making silver jewellery with meteorites and looking to expand my sales.
I will be doing some shows across the North west in the next few months, and then across the country by next year. Do look out for me!!!!

Thanks for listening

The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn - 40th Anniversary Edition
28th August 2007

This looks to be an interesting release.
As per usual the guys at EMI have failed to add the tracks everyone REALLY wants to see finally released,Scream thy last scream and Vegetable Man, but there are some unreleased versions of Matilda Mother and Interstellar Overdrive. How much different they will be from what is out remains to be seen, but we must be positive.
I have seen proofs of the artwork used for the notebook Rog/Syd created many years ago and it looks great!
You may have seen some before. It was called 'Fart Enjoy' and has all sorts of cut up imagery and word play pasted onto more traditional painting.
I'm sure you will all enjoy reading that immensely!

My good friends at the Julian Cope Forum Head Heritage seem to have found the cheapest place for the 3disc set
It is £15.99 with free delivery at 101cd Click here to visit the page
I think Amazon has it for £11.99 but it is only the 2 disc set without the unreleased tracks so be careful you don't oder the wrong one!

It will be good to really see if the Mono version is that much different to the stereo.
I have an original mono edition from years ago and haven't heard the stereo one really so it might be fun to pit one agains the other. Im no true audiophile so may not hear any great difference. Only time will tell!

Enjoy it anyway......
Every track is a classic, but then I'm biased of course..

GOGOL BORDELLO - SUPER TARANTA!

Buy the album here

You really must check out anything you can find from this superb band.
What more could you want from a band than mental Gypsy punk music!?
errr nothing in my opinion...
I first saw them on some Glastonbury footage from this year. One of the best of a fairly tawdry bunch of bands on the bill. ( I can only take SO many Kaiser Chiefs songs before my ears start to bleed!)
They are certainly Clash influenced and rock out with the most enthralling vibrant sound this side of Hell.
I couldnt really tall you what many of the songs are actually ABOUT, but I don't think literal meanings are really the point.
They use all sorts of weird instruments - violins, ballalaikas etc as well as some superb guitar playing.
They are touring the UK later this year and I for one hope to check them out in Manchester in December.
AY!!!!!!!

The Thing About Syd - Radio 2 - Saturday 21st July 2007

In case you aren't in the UK, or you missed it, there was an hour long tribute show for Roger on BBC radio 2 this weekend
I for one really enjoyed it. It was smoothly and warmly put together, and didn't focus too much on the 'crazy' stories and shone more light on his creative side. ( which is certainly what he would have wanted - not that he enjoyed any of the fuss at all..)

While it was nice to hear from the Floyd members ( minus Roger Waters) I felt the focus was too much on them at the expense of other players in the story. It would have been nice to hear from people like Robert Wyatt and Duggie Fields who don't tend to get asked to contribute to these type of ventures.
It was nice to hear my Aunt Rosemary contribute, and I felt she gave a very warm insight into what for most is a very difficult story to understand.
When people hear that he didn't understand what all the fuss was about - he really meant it.
When you have given up on music for so long, it is difficult to see why people don't forget it and move on.
This is obviously far from the truth, and it seems interest is growing rather than diminishing.

I know the BBC are supposed to be making the show available online for a week, but they seem to be having some technical difficulties and there is no link that I can see.
You should be able to download the show from this link i have made and listen to it for yourselves.
( please do post any comments about it here for others to see)
Radio 2 The Thing About Syd.mp3

A Scary Trip To The Doctor Who Exhibition - Manchester

Last Saturday we had a great ( if disturbing for some small people) trip to the Doctor Who exhibition at the Museum of Science and industry in Castlefield.~
I've been looking forward to this for months now, and really enjoyed it.
While some might point out that it is really just a load of props in a room, they are so well displayed it makes for a fantastic experience.
It is a very loud show, with video clips and loudspeakers all over the place, blaring sirens and phasers all around the space.
Amusing highlight for me was meeting a fake Tom Baker Doctor wandering through the exhibition. He just walked up to us and acknowledged us with a knowing wink.
I remember meeting the real Tom Baker many years ago, so it was nice to meet his doppelganger so many years later.
When I met the real one I got to sit for a good while in a bar with him. He asked me if I was scared of the monsters. I said no - so he gave me a signed postcard dedicated
' For Ian B ( The brave!)'
Fantastic!!
I still have it to this day in a folder!

New Syd Barrett Book

As some of you may know - there is a new biography of Rog/Syd being written by a chap called Rob Chapman
I met with him this week as he lives near me, to find out his plans for the book.
The book is due to be finished late in 2008 and published early 2009.
Please don't hold your breath for the book as it isn't due to be finished until late in 2008 and published early 2009, but I for one am very excited about reading it when it is finally finished.
Rob is certainly being thorough with his writing and hopes to interview as many of the pivotal figures in Roger's life as possible.

He is writing the book by focusing on the art Roger created and not from the often fanciful ' lunacy' stories so often trotted out.
He will be analysing the lyrics in depth and it seems to me that it will be by far the most intriguing and thorough written analysis yet written.

All fans of Syd Barrett are certainly in for a treat!
Eventually......!

Roger Keith 'Syd' Barrett
6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006

Today is the Anniversary of Roger's death.
I'm not sure quite how I should mark this as I am loathe to write words that may be hacked and manipulated by any good folk of the 'press'.

Be it good or bad, I knew that Roger's death was sadly near before it was common knowledge.
His suffering was mercifully short, and he managed to get home before the end. I know this meant a lot to him, and he was very keen to be released from hospital.
He had very good palliative care, and it was a comfort to get back to the house that he so loved.

When I got the call to tell me that he had died, this was obviously very upsetting, but the weirdest thing was the day it was revealed to the public.
This came in a press release from - I think EMI - and I was at work at the time. I didn't know when this would happen, and had thought it might have been sooner than it was ( I found out on the Saturday, and it wasn't released until the following Wednesday.)
At the office in which I worked everyone checked the BBC news throughout the day to keep track of news and weather etc.
I remember it came as a complete surprise the hour Roger's death flashed up on the site.
I had told my manager in advance, as I would need time off for the funeral etc.
I had never really told many of my workmates about my link to Roger, let alone about his death.
I've always thought this would leave me open to allegations of boasting or name-dropping.
I've also faced allegations of lying about who I am, and that is crazy in itself. I really don't have time to prove to anyone what I've been born into.

When these workmates saw the death on the screen and starting blithely mentioning it to me, it was all a bit much.
At that point I obviously became upset and had to explain the true situation.

More soon....

Max The Rockstar!!

Max The Rockstar!!

As you can see here, Max Barrett certainly has an air of rockstar about him.
He wouldn't look lout of place in the reformed 'healthy' Happy Mondays and certainly has buckets of the cocky swagger needed.
To be honest, we have all be going rather stir crazy of late as we've been unable to get outside much due to this somewhat humidity laden weather of late.
I've just been in the garden in the one of the brief lulls in the rain and found something quite amazing....
It's been so wet in the garden that the bird feeder on the wall has actually started GROWING!
yes really. The seeds inside have stayed so damp for so long that there are leaves and sprouts shooting up from the bottom.
It's like a batch of hippy mung beans in there. I wouldn't think the birds will be too impressed with it now!

A Soggy Trip To The West With 'Monkey'

Beccy and myself had a fantastic night out last Thursday to see the opening show of Damon Albarn's show 'Monkey - Journey To The West'
I guess it may upset many involved with the show to call it his show.
The so called 'Opera' was directed by Chen Shizhang a renowned director ( he has recently directed Dark Matter with Meryl Streep) and Damon was the composer.

There is so much I could say about this show, but the best thing I can suggest is that you watch the BBC1 show on tomorrow night at 10.40pm and see for yourself.
Preview here

It seems a bit of a vagary to call it an opera really as this may discourage many from going.
It really isn't an opera - other than it is a stage drama led by singing.
Yes there is singing all the way through, but never in a tradition operatic style.
It is sung entirely in Mandarin Chinese.

The show was an insane mixture of martial arts, mad Chinese acrobatics and bizarre atonal orchestration.
There was an amazing undersea scene with huge starfish floating across the stage and a funky giant prawn pushing a trolley laden with a girl spinning parasols on her legs!
( doesn't every show have these nowadays?!)

The guy playing The Monkey king had the most amazing charisma and owned the stage with his energy and swagger.
Who would have thought a monkey would wear a tracksuit!

After the show we ended up outside in what is now boringly predictable pouring rain. We traipsed up the road to the swish Midland Hotel and met up with Chrissie Hynde and her band for a few drinks, and some superb conversation.
I met Chrissie first at the Barbican tribute show, and she was most charming there.
She was in town supporting Rod Stewart at the Man City Stadium and said we could look her up when she was in town.
It was a hilarious end to a superb evening!

The Lunatics Have taken over The Asylum

It has amazed me lately to see two singers resuscitated onto a stage that I both adore, and thought would never see play again.
Both Daniel Johnston and Roky Erickson have been playing regularly and even graced these shores with their psychedelic presence.
Tragically - I just missed Daniel Johnston who even played here in Manchester.
Review here
With precious little promotion of his 2 shows here I had no idea he had played in town. (A serious Bummer that!)
I have long loved the fragile heartfelt voice he sings with and the way he perseveres with an incredibly prolific art career as well. If you have seen any of his cartooon art you will know that it is both naive and yet deeply moving. Much like his music really.

And as for Roky Erickson - well the man is a true legend. i have said it to others, and I will say it now - I truly believe he has the greatest rock voice of all time.
You can keep your Robert Plant's and your Roger Daltreys, give me Roky singing 'Two Headed Dog' any day!
I remember emailing someone from his trustees many years ago, just to ask how Roky was. there was very little real news on him in the press, and I wanted to hear something concrete. Obviously the career of Roky has many parallels with Roger/Syd's and I felt a kinship for this reason.
Weirdly I was told by Roky's friend that they actually share the same name. Roky's real name is Roger as well!
How odd is that....
Unfortunately, with going down to London for the Barbican tribute I couldnt travel down again so soon to see Roky. I remain hopeful that he will play again sometime and I will get to see him - and hear that voice!

Please come back Roky and Daniel

UFO vs Futuresonic

You can see a bunch of great photos I've been sent from the UFO show in Manchester in May
Basically - it was an amazing night featuring the psychedelic legends from the original UFO club in the Sixties. John 'Hoppy' Hopkins and Jack Moore were there.
These guys are absolutely pivotal to the development of the London and Global psychedelic scene.
Hoppy and Jack recreated some of their original lightshow tricks and combined these with some more modern dance legends, including a member of Kraftwerk, and the underground and mysterious 'Black Devil Disco Club'
( watch a clip of them at the show)

It was such a trip to meet and talk to them.
You can read an article written by Hoppy Hopkins about the show and the amazing UFO scene


I have plenty of other pictures of the night if anyone wants to see them

Enjoy.......