Have You Got It Yet?

**Have You Got It Yet?** is the third studio album by English musician Syd Barrett. A double album, it was produced by Syd himself, gathering outtakes throughout 1968 and 1969 after being pressured by the Blackhill label to release an album after a year in hiatus. It was initially released on 28 May 1971 by Blackhill, but the production was interrupted after Syd's departure shortly after the release. The album was re-released under Apple Records by John Lennon's request, who signed Syd into the label.

After the release of Clowns and Jugglers, Syd Barrett experienced another wave of success that wore him out, touring across Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States. However, throughout 1970, Syd interrupted his business as he became engaged, doing sporadic tours limited to the UK although sometimes toured in Europe, in the Netherlands and France. Following the pressures of his label to record a follow-up to his most successful record. In 1971, Syd recovered a few tapes from EMI Studios, as well as a bootleg, which compelled him to release a record as a response to his disaffection with the music industry.

The album received negative and mixed reviews, being considered divisive towards Syd's audience. The first disc, labeled John Latham, was often ignored to the pieces in the second side, labeled Rhamadan. The album cost Barrett credibility in the music industry, especially as growing disaffected from his former manager Peter Jenner. Still, Have You Got It Yet? opened a door to Syd in Apple Records by John Lennon, who regarded the record one of his favorites in 1971, later considering it a "courageous and humorous act of rebellion" on an interview. The album reached number 20 in the UK Album Charts, considered impressive by Syd himself, while it failed to chart on Billboard 200.

Retroactively, Have You Got It Yet? is considered among fans and musicologists as a point of interest in Syd Barrett discography. When touring in later years, Syd sometimes incorporated Effervescing Elephant, as a singalong song, and Rhamadan to the encore, performing John Latham once with Ron Geesin. It is considered by many artists as their favorite album of Barrett.

## Overview

### Background

Following the release of *Clowns and Jugglers*, Barrett followed with the success from his debut album, gathering more fans across Europe, despite not being well-known in the United States. The successful yet expensive tour with Pink Floyd, backed by Tailboard, as well as the 1969 Isle of Wight Festival were contributing factors on Syd's already rising popularity in the Old World. In the United States, the tour was considered "memorable", despite Tailboard having their instruments stolen in New York. To cover up the expenses of the tour, Pink Floyd recorded *Basking in the Sunshine of a Bygone Afternoon* while Tailboard recorded *Mr. Compromise*, whereas Syd was the only one who didn't record anything at the time, otherwise, Syd kept touring for some more time in the United Kingdom before returning home.

Back in England, Syd took a break from music business, becoming engaged to his future wife Gayla Pinion and moving with her to Oxford, where he became interested on acting, still practicing painting and photography while sharing an interest on horticulture with his wife. His interests, as well as his growing disaffection from the music industry are considered the main reason for the release of *Have You Got It Yet?* and ceasing his activities as a music artist just a few years later. During his stay in Oxford, Syd received friends from the Camberwell College of Arts, as well as fellow members from Blackhill and the *Pink Fairies Rock and Roll Club*.

Syd would start to receive sporadic visits from Blackhill Enterprises' management, demanding a follow-up to Clowns and Jugglers. He once considered these visits a part of the daily routine, where somebody would come and give him "a lecture for an hour or so". Feeling pressured, Syd often felt writer's block, not coming up with anything for days. Going to EMI Studios, where he recorded both of his albums, Syd found a few unreleased tracks that seemed worth to be released as a way to "annoy the pricks on board".

### Recording and production

As mentioned previously, all the tracks, with the exception of *Effervescing Elephant* were recorded between 1968 and 1969. However, Effervescing Elephant was written by Barrett a few years prior. The song is considered by Syd as the cherry on the cake, the moment where the sarcasm of the record is unveiled, as the only song containing vocals is a short song about animals written by a child. The track contains Syd playing the acoustic guitar followed by Vic Saywell, who played the tuba, mimicking the elephant-subject in the song.

John Latham is one long extended improvisational piece named after the artist recorded in 1968 by Barrett along with Paul Rudolph and Steve Peregrin Took. In the vinyl release, it was divided in two parts of one disc. The piece was recorded as the soundtrack for Latham's 1962 film *Speak*. Rhamadan is also another long piece of improvisation by Barrett, Rudolph and Took who recorded the track during the sessions for *Rooftop in a Thunderstorm Row Missing the Point*. Once considered to be included in the album, it was vetoed by Syd, who didn't want to release a double record at the time. The remaining two tracks are live versions of *Interstellar Overdrive* and *Pow R. Toc H.*, recorded during a tour in early 1969, found in a bootleg given by a fan to Syd.

## Packaging and release

The name for the album comes from a song which Barrett wrote where he considered it "only gibberish... even to my standards", but liked the title nevertheless. The cover of the album was designed by Barrett, a self-portrait painted back in 1961, selected by himself who considered it as fitting to the record. *Have You Got It Yet?* was released on 28 May 1971 with little to no promotion by Blackhill Records. When it was first released, the album confused his fans and reviewers. Syd himself was unimpressed by the repercussion, and considered it as a response to the label and a gift for the fans.

*Melody Maker* critic Richard Williams considered the album "vaguely nonsensical" and "pseudo-avant-garde", but also labeling it as "fittingly psychedelic" while praising the live tracks. On *Creem* magazine, American critic Dave Marsh bashed on the album, telling the reader to skip the entire album to the live portion, deeming the live tracks as the only enjoyable part throughout the record. Syd's only response to the critics was during an interview to John Peel, where he said: "[...] they are not correct, but I'm not bothered to argue against them either". One surprisingly positive review to the album was by John Lennon on *New Musical Express* later that year, who described it as a "courageous and humorous act of rebellion against the status quo on music industry". Lennon himself would later sign Barrett into Apple Records, producing a few more copies of the album.

Despite the little controversy caused during the release, *Have You Got It Yet?* was put aside for a while, where Effervescing Elephant was the only song of the album being performed in subsequent tours. On his return to stages during the 1990s, Syd also incorporated Rhamadan in the encore for a few concerts. In 2006, he performed John Latham for the first time live with Ron Geesin. The album would be first reissued in 2005, then as part of the *Octopus* box set in 2017.

## Track listing

All tracks written by Syd Barrett, except when noted.

## Personnel

* Syd Barrett – lead vocals (4), guitar; synthesisers (1, 2)
* Steve Peregrin Took – drums, percussion
* Paul Rudolph – bass guitar
* Vincent Crane – organ, keyboards (live only)
* Vic Saywell – tuba (4)
* Peter Bown – engineering