Capitol

This 18-track anthology isn’t the only Syd Barrett collection. But it is the first release to gather material from the late cult figure’s solo output as well as provide a taste of his work with Pink Floyd, which some loyalists still insist was that band’s most interesting. Starting with the first three, Barrett-penned Floyd singles – “Arnold Layne,” “See Emily Play” and a stereo mix of “Apples and Oranges” – and two tracks from the group’s debut album, Piper at the Gates of Dawn (one a new mix of “Matilda Mother” ), the set gets off on a dynamic, colorful note. Barrett’s writing was rich in imagery and evocative of the psychedelic London underground of 1966-67. Sadly, as has been well documented, that brief run of brilliance also largely marked the end of Barrett as one of rock’s most promising new voices. His acid-induced psychosis eventually pushed him away from Pink Floyd and into the fringes of rock history. The bulk of the collection, including tracks from Barrett’s two solo albums and a handful of oddities (some remixed), confirms his continued eccentricity but makes one wonder what might have come if he had not become a recluse for the last three-plus decades of his life.