No Condition Is Permanent

Pictured: Syd Barrett of The Pink Floyd.

‘Lucifer Sam’ is the odd track out on the Piper album. Neither lengthy instrumental nor three-minute fairy tale, its taut style is a throwback to the Floyd’s earlier raw R & B. ‘Lucifer Sam’ has a compact form and driving riff that would have made it a prime candidate for a single (or at least a perfectly serviceable B-side) if there hadn’t already been stronger contenders. It’s a character song like ‘Arnold Layne’ rather than a still-life study like ‘The Scarecrow’, and by Syd’s oblique standards it is specific and direct. Jenny Spires appears thinly disguised as Jennifer Gentle and although the whole thing whiffs of stoned paranoia (‘that cat’s something I can’t explain’ – it’s just a cat, Syd, there really is nothing to explain) and menacing undertones it also possesses a nimble and playful wit.

Syd made remarkable progress both as a singer and interpreter during the Piper sessions and ‘Lucifer Sam’ was one of his best vocal outings to date. Syd’s singing was often wilfully artless and uninvolved. Here he sounds impassioned. ‘Lucifer Sam’ has none of the strangulated delivery of ‘Lucy Leave’, the archness of ‘Candy and a Currant Bun’ or the self-conscious tweeness of ‘The Gnome’ or ‘Chapter 24’. The way he slurs the enunciation of ‘Lucifer’ and ‘Jennifer’ and exaggerates the hard ‘t’ at the end of ‘cat’ shows a singer growing in confidence. This new-found confidence is particularly noticeable in the complex phrasing of the final verse where the mysterious nocturnal actions of Sam are very precisely aligned to assonance and internal rhymes (ground/found/around) which deliberately mimics the sound of a miaow-ing cat. ‘Lucifer Sam’ was worked on extensively between Wednesday, 12 April, and Tuesday, 18 April. The track was augmented with a distinctive bowed bass, maracas and organ; Syd attempted several vocal takes until he got his phrasing just right.

— Rob Chapman, A Very Irregular Head: The Life of Syd Barrett.

LISTEN TO EPISODE 274 OF NO CONDITION IS PERMANENT:

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Here’s what we played in Ep. 274 of No Condition Is Permanent:

THE FIRST SET

The Modulations — “Rough Out Here” — It’s Rough Out Here

Aura — “Spiritual Connection” — Spiritual Connection

The Velvetones — “Doheny Run” — Sleazy Surf! Vol. 2

Los Sander’s De Ñaña — “Recuerdos” — El Sonido De La Carretera Central: Con El Rey De La Guitarra Teo Laura

Lulu Reed & Freddy King — “You Can’t Hide” — You’re Bugging Me: Downtown Soulville 2021 Premium

Jah Joe — “78 Style (Version)” — Sounds & Pressure Vol. 8

Pink Floyd — “Lucifer Sam” — The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn [Mono]

IT’S MADISON TIME…

Aller Soto Con Su Grupo 74 — “De África Soy” — Psicotrónica! Spanish Cinematic Grooves & Funky Soundtracks 1971-1976 Vol. 2

THE SECOND SET

The Sevilles — “Charlena” — Doo Wop Box III: 101 More Vocal Group Gems – The Hits

Trevor Clarke — “Sufferation” — Fire Over Babylon: Dread, Peace and Conscious Sounds at Studio One

Booker T. & The MG’s — “I Got A Woman” — That Cat Was Clean! The Mod Side Of Jazz

Rahbani Brothers — “Rahbaniyat” — Omar Khorshid With Love

Larry & The Blue Notes — “Everybody Needs Somebody” — Fort Worth Teen Scene Vol. 2

C.K. Mann & The Masters — “Mber Papa” — Super Funky Afro Breaks 2

Hadda Brooks — “Jump Back Honey” — The OKeh Rhythm & Blues Story 1949-1957

Azam Shaik — “Dance Music (from ‘Naam Ke Nawab’)” — Early Pakistani Dance Music Vol. 1 (From Original 7″ Soundtracks 1967-1975)

Masters Of Reality — “Ants in the Kitchen” — Sunrise On The Sufferbus

THE THIRD SET

Ron Nagle — “Marijuana Hell” — Bad Rice

Adnan Othman — “Berlenggang” — Bersyukor: A Retrospective of Hits by a Malaysian Pop Yeh Yeh Legend

The Emanons — “Calypso Bop” — Jungle Exotica Vol. 1

Franco — “Ya Luna Umbanzili” — Le Folklore De Chez Nous Avec Le Grand Maître Franco

Moby Grape — “Gypsy Wedding” — 20 Granite Creek

Carthago — “Alech” — Alech

Jimmy McGriff — “That’s The Way I Feel” — That Cat Was Clean! The Mod Side Of Jazz

Rockers All Stars — “Jah Strength Ital Step” — King David’s Melody: Classic Instrumentals & Dubs

Lee Tillman — “Will Travel” — Ron 45rpm

THE FINAL SET

Lea & Domingo — “Pas Mal” — Jalousie

The Velvet Underground — “I Heard Her Call My Name (bonus track)” — White Light/White Heat [Mono]

Charanjit Singh — “Dekho Ham Donon Ki Yaari – Transicord (Double Cross)” — Instrumental Film Tunes

Pearly Queen — “Quit Jive’in” — Keb Darge’s Legendary Deep Funk Vol. 1

Icebreakers w. The Diamonds — “Ital Rock” — Planet Mars Dub

Lightnin’ Rod — “Spoon” — Hustlers Convention

LORD BUCKLEY’S WEEKLY BENEDICTION…

Postal Workers of The Univ. of Ghana Post Office — “Canceling Stamps At The University Of Ghana Post Office” — Worlds Of Music 1