Syd Barrett - Under Review

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DVD details

Actor: Syd Barrett
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Stereo
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 60 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-02-21
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Video Music, Inc.

DVD Reviews of Syd Barrett - Under Review

DVD Review: GET "THE PINK FLOYD & SYD BARRETT STORY" -- AVOID THIS!
Summary: 1 Stars

If you have an elementary knowledge of Barrett, you will be no wiser by the end of this dvd. In fact, you might feel a little miffed.

With the exception of the fleeting Hugh Hopper, the cast of critics has nothing to say that hasn't already been flogged to death, and not one of them seems perceptive enough to take accepted views of Barrett to a new level. The superficial and cliched tags on Barrett & his songs are all here: "child-like", "dreamy", "experimental", "mad genius". Spare me! Not one of these critics ('enthusiasts' is a better word) seems to have an inkling about music-making and are clueless when it comes to cultural studies. If you were to ask yourself why Barrett's musically interesting, they will answer that he's "quirky" or perhaps "seemingly random". And one of them goes so far as to say that he used "interesting chords"! His name, by the way, is Mark Sturdy, "an acknowledged expert" (!!!) on Barrett the credits tell us, although he looks like he might still be in high school. "Interesting chords"! Penetrating insight. The older ones aren't any sharper. You'd expect more from the renowned Chris Welch, for example, but he probably made up the Barrett cliches 40 years ago and is quite happy to recite them again. And as for Nigel Williamson, the less that is said about his contribution the better.

You may also ask yourself, why is Barrett's work so unique? You will be told that it's very "English" and "airy-fairy" like "Alice In Wonderland". But don't ask what makes it so. In other words, what about "Alice In Wonderland" strikes a chord with English culture? Why is this fascination a part of English tastes, or what makes it so appealing and even transgressive in Barrett's case? Far be it from these lads to discuss anything beyond the brick wall in front of them.

What irks me is the utter sloppiness and underpreparedness of these people, how complacent and disengaged they are from their 'area of expertise'. It's as if they haven't examined this any more in 30-odd years. (Although the barely nubile Sturdy could be excused). It boils down to poor professionalism in some and sheer inexperience in others, both of which add up to hollow product.

Could the producers not have gotten serious and devoted individuals who can truly contribute rather than parrot opinions?

And it's not as if there's isn't good work out there. The Under Review dvd on Nick Drake, for example, is fabulous, discussing technique, how he arrived at his style, observations on his place in English culture, both at the time and in terms of his lasting appeal. The other Barrett dvd available is infinitely superior, not only because of the participation of Floyd members (Gilmour especially), but also due to some clever, insightful, and genuine analysis -- as well as relevant, interesting, and articulate speakers, precisely the opposite of what we have here.

Do yourself a favor and let this one gather dust on the store shelves. That's where my copy is going back to.

DVD Review: very disappointing
Summary: 2 Stars

if you are looking for interviews with syd, or live footage (other than an over-dubbed concert and some excerpts of "videos" for see emily play and arnold layne), then you had better give this one a miss.

it consists chiefly of a handful of "reviewers" (how does one become "qualified" to be a "reviewer" anyway??) bloviating endlessly about all the stuff you ALREADY KNOW about syd.

save your money, brothers and sisters.

DVD Review: Questions answered
Summary: 5 Stars

I always wondered about why they kept those studio bloopers of Syd singing off key. I laugh every time I hear it. And now I see he was messing with the listener in a strange way. The mad cap laughs at us. You would think he wouldn't keep that bit on the recording.
This DVD has some classic TV footage of Syd performing like a vegetable man. You can see black holes in the sky when you look at his eyes. If your into Syd buy the DVD, its worth it.

DVD Review: FOLLOW THE MONEY
Summary: 4 Stars

This DVD is a slightly above average look at Syd's work, with some genuine insight provided by Chris Welch and others. Especially interesting are Hugh Hopper's recollections of recording sessions for "The Madcap Laughs" and his descriptions of the music are the most thoughtful and worthwhile -- if for no other reason than we get to see the reaction of a genuine musician to the work of an artist using music. His comments and those of a few others directly affected by Barrett's work add some first- and second-hand accounts which are sorely lacking from the typical voice-over documentaries designed to do little more than feed off of the fan base (kinda sorta like this very DVD?). That said, this short documentary is also a good complement to the books "Random Precision" and "Madcap" by Tim Willis, and better and somewhat more thoughtful than the shorter still "The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story" DVD.

While all these sources tend to speculate on what went wrong, not a single one mentions what might also be a contributing reason for Syd's disappearance -- his general lack of interest in the commercial aspects of the music business. Referred to indirectly as "pressure" it's really more about deadlines like "Pink Floyd needs a follow-up single" and "Pink Floyd needs an American Tour", all of which translate as "Harvest Needs More Revenue" in the universal language of money. It's worth rehashing all the pre-existing mental states, the drugs, but all these factors seem exacerbated by the siren call of commerce which Syd either can't or won't acknowledge. Perhaps this point can't be discussed in public given the business demands of the music industry are treated as sacrosanct. Best example: funny how we continue to think of these individuals as artists while to the industry they must surely be little more than "industrial workers". But also given the tenor and tone of much of Syd's work and the broader context of the summer of love, addressing the corrupting commercial element and its profoundly negative effect on any number of artists needs to be addressed with greater frankness -- here and elsewhere.

But for those who have followed and made a study of Syd's short career the real value here resides in some rare footage that also offers good sound quality. To take matters back into the world of commerce, for the money, this is a decent enough addition to the Barrett canon. But the work and the life still deserve more.

DVD Review: Aaah yes...the "Under Review" series
Summary: 3 Stars

There seems to be a cottage industry now of these "unofficial independent critical review" DVD's. Seems like an easy way to make a buck: grab some live footage of a band from European TV, make sure to only play a snippet of each song lest you wind up getting sued and then interview a bunch of no-name rock journalists and "friends" who evidently have little or no knowledge of the artists being profiled. With all that said, this Syd Barrett entry bucks the trend by being reasonably entertaining and informative as well as actually having vintage clips of Syd and Pink Floyd (some even lasting more than 30 seconds!). I was also surprised to hear the actual released recordings of familiar Pink Floyd songs. Apparantly someone somewhere went the extra mile and secured the rights to these songs for this DVD.
There's another DVD available called "The Syd Barret And Pink Floyd Story" which is much better than this (as it has the blessings of Pink Floyd) but this DVD delves deeper into Syd's solo career. Of all the cheapo "Under Review/Rock Milestones/Independent Critical Blah Blah" DVD's out there, this one at least had a little time and effort spent on it.

Description of Syd Barrett - Under Review

Syd Barrett - Under Review features rare live and studio performances from this hugely influential and legendary musician, interspersed with the independent review and criticism from a panel of esteemed experts. These include; Melody Maker contributor du

The fact that Syd Barrett - Under Review was released a few short months before its subject's death (in July, 2006) is the kind of poignant coincidence that may help sell a few more copies--especially in England, where the songwriter-guitarist and Pink Floyd founder's legend burns on. Others, however, may wonder how a guy who effectively disappeared from the music scene after completing just three albums (one with the band and two solo) some 35 years before his demise could inspire the kind of praise and serious analysis radiating from this unauthorized documentary. As is the Under Review custom (cf. the far more entertaining Captain Beefheart volume), the film offers a parade of journalists and other authorities holding forth on Barrett's brief career, which began with the early (1967) Pink Floyd singles "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play" and disappared in a haze of mental illness, at least some of it drug-induced, after his second solo album in 1970. Fans will revel in the ancient film footage from the "videos" made for the singles and assorted other sources, and while that's certainly the main attraction, both film and audio bits are too often interrupted by some pundit elucidating the meaning of it all. Of course, if debating the merits of the studio chatter included on Side Two of the Barrett album makes your tea kettle whistle, then you're in the right place. But the feeling here is that a little more music and a lot less talk could have made this much more fun. Extras include a trivia quiz and profiles of the contributors; the latter list does not include the other members of Pink Floyd, but they can be found on an earlier documentary, The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story. --Sam Graham

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