Album Details

Crazy Diamond

RELEASE
April 19, 1994
LABEL
Harvest/EMI
GENRES
Pop/Rock, Psychedelic Pop, British Psychedelia, Folk-Rock, Psychedelic

Album Review

A three-CD box set that enshrines Barrett's complete recorded legacy as a solo artist. Besides including his two 1970 albums, this collection includes the 1989 compilation of unreleased material, Opel. The chief attraction of this set for Barrett fans is no less than 19 previously unreleased alternate takes from throughout his quite brief solo career. All of those alternate takes, it's important to note, are alternate versions of songs that appear on the three previously available albums; no entirely unheard compositions were unearthed. Nonetheless, these alternate takes are more interesting listening than you might expect, for a couple of reasons. First, Barrett was so mercurial (and occasionally unfocused) in the studio that it was difficult to get him to play a song the same way twice. Second, the alternate takes are usually starker and more acoustic in nature than the official versions; they're not better, but have interesting different slants. With some of the songs repeated two, three, or even four times, this is definitely for the hardcore fan. But it's a beautifully produced document, with a meticulously detailed booklet, of a uniquely primitive visionary, and has many moments of charming and chilling power. It includes everything salvageable that he produced, with the exception of the Peel Sessions. It doesn't match his work with the original Pink Floyd, but the music continues to influence and be emulated (most notably by Robyn Hitchcock), though never equaled.
Richie Unterberger, Rovi

Track Listing

  1. Terrapin [Take 1]
  2. No Good Trying [Take 3]
  3. Love You [Take 4]
  4. No Man's Land [Take 5]
  5. Dark Globe [Take 1]
  6. Here I Go [Take 5]
  7. Octopus [Take 11]
  8. Golden Hair [Take 11]
  9. Long Gone [Take 11]
  10. She Took a Long Cold Look
  11. Feel [Take 1]
  12. If It's in You [Take 5]
  13. Late Night [Take 2]
  14. Octopus [Take 1 & 2][*]
  15. It's No Good Trying [Take Five][*]
  16. Love You [Take One][*]
  17. Love You [Take Three][*]
  18. She Took a Long Cold Look at Me [Take Four][*]
  19. Golden Hair [Take 5][*]
  20. Baby Lemonade [Take 1]
  21. Love Song [Take 1]
  22. Dominoes [Take 3]
  23. It Is Obvious [Take 1]
  24. Rats [Demo Version]
  25. Maisie [Take 2]
  26. Gigolo Aunt [Take 15]
  27. Waving My Arms in the Air [Take 1]
  28. I Never Lied to You [Take 1]
  29. Wined and Dined [Take 10]
  30. Wolfpack [Take 2]
  31. Effervescing Elephant [Take 9]
  32. Baby Lemonade [Take One][*]
  33. Waving My Arms in the Air [Take One][*]
  34. I Never Lied to You [Take One][*]
  35. Love Song [Take One][*]
  36. Dominoes [Take 1][*]
  37. Dominoes [Take 2][*]
  38. It Is Obvious [Take 2][*]
  39. Opel [Take 9]
  40. Clowns and Jugglers
  41. Rats [Two-Track Demo]
  42. Golden Hair [Remake][Instrumental][Take]
  43. Dolly Rocker [Take 1]
  44. Word Song [Take 1]
  45. Wined and Dined [Two-Track Demo]
  46. Swan Lee (Silas Lang) [Take 5]
  47. Birdie Hop [Two-Track Demo]
  48. Let's Split [Take 1]
  49. Lanky, Pt. 1 [Take 1]
  50. Wouldn't You Miss Me (Dark Globe) [Take 1]
  51. Milky Way [Take 5]
  52. Golden Hair [Take 1][Instrumental]
  53. Gigolo Aunt [Take 9][*]
  54. It Is Obvious [Take Three][*]
  55. It Is Obvious [Take Five][*]
  56. Clowns and Jugglers [Take One]
  57. Late Night [Original Backing Track Without Vocals][*][Take]
  58. Effervescing Elephant [Take Two][*]