Originally released in 2011, and now hard to find (particularly on vinyl), the compilation An Introduction To Syd Barrett is getting a deserved reissue on 2nd December 2022 on 2LP - on heavyweight 180g vinyl - and on CD.

The album is designed to provide a handy overview of this visionary talent, with an eighteen track collection taking in six early Pink Floyd songs, alongside twelve of Syd's solo recordings.

David Gilmour, who originally worked on Syd's two solo albums, as co-producer of The Madcap Laughs and as producer of Barrett, was the executive producer for the album. Damon Iddins and Andy Jackson at Astoria Studios remixed five tracks including Octopus, She Took A Long Cool Look, Dominoes and Here I Go, with Gilmour adding bass guitar to the last track. Pink Floyd's Matilda Mother also received a fresh 2010 mix.

Both versions of the album feature the original 24-page booklet and graphics plus all lyrics, and was designed including the cover art by long time Pink Floyd associate the late Storm Thorgerson and his estimable studio.

Here's the track listing, with the side splits for the vinyl edition (the CD just has all eighteen tracks on one side):
SIDE ONE: Arnold Layne / See Emily Play / Apples And Oranges (Stereo Version) / Matilda Mother (2010 Mix)
SIDE TWO: Chapter 24 / Bike / Terrapin / Love You / Dark Globe
SIDE THREE: Here I Go (2010 Remix) / Octopus (2010 Mix) / She Took A Long Cool Look (2010 Mix) / If It's In You / Baby Lemonade
SIDE FOUR: Dominoes (2010 Mix) / Gigolo Aunt / Effervescing Elephant / Bob Dylan Blues

The album is reissued in the UK and Europe on 2nd December 2022, with North America/elsewhere following in due course.

ORDERING INFO:
Should you wish to place an order for this reissue, below are some direct links for you. Once we have the US/Canadian links, we'll add them here. Ordering any item after entering Amazon through our links helps with BD's ongoing running costs, and we really appreciate it:

February 2nd, 2023, sees the publication of what sounds a fascinating book from acclaimed author Mark Blake. Us and Them: The Authorised Story of Hipgnosis takes a close look at arguably the principal music industry designers Hipgnosis.

Between the late '60s and early '80s, design house Hipgnosis created some of the most iconic and ubiquitous album artwork of all time. Their original lifespan coincided with the golden age of the 12-inch LP, beginning just as the Beatles' Sgt Pepper made the record sleeve the ultimate blank canvas and ending just as new technology looked set to usurp vinyl.

Having originally been approached to design an album cover for their friends Pink Floyd, students Aubrey 'Po' Powell and Storm Thorgerson would go on to define the visual identity of rock and roll for the next fifteen years, swiftly gaining international prominence for their famed The Dark Side of the Moon artwork. This paved the way for other major musicians to set foot in the surreal photo-design world of Storm and Po, resulting in seminal Hipgnosis creations for the likes of Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney, Genesis, Black Sabbath, ELO and Yes.

In this authorised account, with access to previously unpublished material and exclusive contributions from David Gilmour, Jimmy Page, Peter Gabriel, Roger Waters, Robert Plant and even Aubrey Powell himself, Blake goes behind the scenes of the Hipgnosis partnership to reveal the pioneering ambition and grand vision that led to their success, as well as the clashing egos and artistic differences that undermined it. The Hipgnosis story also offers hitherto-untold insight into some of music's most legendary bands, as viewed through the prism of the people who shaped their imagery and cultural legacy.

With the work of Hipgnosis continuing to be referenced, reproduced and revered worldwide, Us and Them serves as a celebration, a cautionary tale and a compelling human drama, exploring the vital intersection between art and music.

Blake is best known in the Floyd community for his excellent book, Pigs Might Fly: The Inside Story Of Pink Floyd (known as Comfortably Numb in the US) which originally came out in 2007, and subsequently updated. Other books worth searching out by Blake include titles covering Queen and Freddie Mercury, Peter Grant (Led Zeppelin's manager) and The Who.

ORDERING INFO:
If Blake's previous books are any guide, it really sounds like another essential book - and orders are now possible through a number of retailers. Ordering any item after entering Amazon through our links helps with BD's ongoing running costs, and we really appreciate it: Amazon UK, Amazon.com, Amazon Canada, Amazon France, Amazon Germany, Amazon Spain and Amazon Italy.

Last night, the final show of the 2022 Nick Mason's Saucerful Of Secrets Echoes Tour took place, and suffice it to say, the band have done an incredible job - and racked up a huge amount of miles travelling - since the tour started in Ireland in April.

We hope that as many of you as possible were able to see the band live; the revised set list was wonderful, the upgraded staging was great, and the band seem to be playing ever better. Being called The Echoes Tour was a bit of a giveaway as to the song which was a highlight for many, but we're sure many of those who attended will be picking that as just one of many highlights of the show.

The band's relationship with each other, and with the audiences, was noticeable too, and over the course of the tour, many quips were made during the bits between songs (as guitars were swapped, and so on). However, playing the penultimate show on Halloween night lead to something rather unexpected, as this post on the band's official socials reveals:

The band are now preparing themselves to travel home, for a very well-deserved rest after a hectic 2022 touring. Let's hope and pray that they'll be back on the road before too long!

Happy Halloween to you all! Regulars to Brain Damage over the years will know that our friend Joe Ringus is a hugely talented pumpkin artist, and each year crafts a Pink Floyd themed pumpkin for Halloween (which is celebrated by many, principally this evening, but in a number of places it covers a number of days).

Those regulars will no doubt be as keen as we have been to see if Joe would be continuing the tradition this year, and if so, what design would be picked. The great news is that Joe has been hard at work yet again, and has done a lovely job yet again! We're delighted to share his incredible carving with you.

Joe said: "Ok, here it is...!

"Pulse! Probably the greatest live concert I ever witnessed and it finally made it onto a pumpkin. I initially imagined this would be a simpler design compared to some I've done in the past, but the details and intricacies of carving the different shadings of the eyeball made it one of the harder ones. I hope you enjoy it! Happy Halloween!"

Thanks Joe - we think you've done another excellent job! It's a great tradition and we know many of our visitors love to see them.

If there are any other pumpkin artists out there who have created Floyd designs, we'd love to see them.