I was 17 when I bought this album. I knew of the myth of Syd Barrett, but didn’t know much about him and had no idea that he had released solo albums. Of all the places in the world I found Opel on a fair far out in the countryside in Northern Sweden. This inaccessible location, combined with the foggy idea I had about Syd, largely influenced by ignorance and myth, made me believe that this was a real rarity. An obscure, probably completely unknown album. Maybe a bootleg!? I must have been extremely lucky to have encountered it. Ignorance is sometimes bliss.
Opel was released after many years of nagging from fans of Syd as there were (apparently true) rumors saying there were unreleased recordings made by the man. The songs on the album were recorded between 1968-70 most of them from the later date. Behind the knobs in the studio we find, on the earlier recordings, Peter Jennings and Malcolm Jones. On the later recordings David Gilmour is producing (with help of Waters on one song). In the UK the album was released on Harvest and in the US on Capitol.
The album consists of a mix of unreleased tracks and alternate takes of songs that we find on Syd's two solo albums, Barrett and The Madcap Laughs. Most songs are Syd with his guitar. There are three songs with a full band - Clowns And Jugglers (Octopus) with Soft Machine doing the playing, Swan Lee (Silas Lang) and Lanky (Part I), which is a semi-chaotic instrumental creation. The album also ends with a mysterious instrumental version of Golden Hair with an electric guitar and a vibraphone (?). Apart from that, it’s Syd's voice and an acoustic guitar you’ll get.
I honestly don’t know what to think about Opel. The quality of the songs are uneven to say the least.
On one hand, some good songs, interesting alternate takes and a glimpse into a myth. We find some of these on his solo albums, fully produced and better, objectively speaking. On the other hand, some lousy songs, false singing, terrible guitar playing and a timing that’s far from ideal, nicely put. It's perfectly understandable that they didn’t reach beyond the studio, and would probably, if the man had not been called Syd Barrett, never even have gotten that far. Of course one should keep in mind that some of the recordings are similar to demos or tests of song ideas, and therefore shouldn’t be judged too harshly. Songs where Syd pauses, audible turns the page and then continues his singing never were meant to end up on a record. I assume. Some of the unreleased songs are certainly good enough to have earned a spot on one of Syd's solo albums, though. I think especially of the songs Swan Lee (Silas Lang), Milky Way and of course the title song.
I ’ve always felt that this album has a dark undertone. The cover is of course black, which may influence the listening, also the knowledge that Syd at this stage in his life was a relatively broken man whose mental health wasn’t good affects my view. In addition, some of the songs are relatively dark creations, both in sound and in the texts which I usually understand nothing of. And I can’t get away from the feeling that the people involved in the recordings helped out, out of pity for Syd.
This is probably an album you don’t buy because you think there are good and qualitative songs on it. My guess is that the buyer is a Pink Floyd fan with an interest in Syd and therefore finds this album interesting. And for that person, I recommend Opel. For those who don’t know Syd, and have no interest to learn more about this man, the music is, objectively speaking, probably not of enough quality to justify a purchase. Personally, I belong to the first group and I’m glad to have this album in my collection, although I rarely listen to it today.
Personal highlights on the album: Opel, Clown And Jugglers (Octopus), Golden Hair (both versions), Swan Lee (Silas Lang) and Milky Way. And Wined And Dined is a favorite when I sit with a guitar and light up the world with my singing. And Wouldn’t You Miss Me (Dark Globe) is not bad either, where Syd sounds quite vulnerable.
Tracklist
Side A
1. Opel 6:30
2. Clowns And Jugglers (Octopus) 3:25
3. Rats 3:10
4. Golden Hair 1:44
5. Dolly Rocker 3:00
6. Word Song 3:23
7. Wined And Dined 3:05
Side B
1. Swan Lee (Silas Lang) 3:11
2. Birdie Hop 2:27
3. Let’s Split 2:35
4. Lanky (Part I) 5:40
5. Wouldn’t You Miss Me (Dark Globe) 2:57
6. Milky Way 3:27
7. Golden Hair (Instrumental) 1:47
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