Thought this was kinda funny (Syd Barrett related)

[sofonanm]

To me, Syd Barrett pretty much WAS Pink Floyd.

Thank god they didn't agree with you and recorded another ten great records. By 1969 they had found their own path and Syd was history, if you don't count Waters exploiting his myth in lyrics.

There's a great Syd quote somewhere about the post-Syd Pink Floyd where he made the connection between him studying art in school and the rest of the guys studying architecture...

I'm inclined to agree with him, although I like some of their other music.

[Dancing Bear]

To me, Syd Barrett pretty much WAS Pink Floyd.

Thank god they didn't agree with you and recorded another ten great records. By 1969 they had found their own path and Syd was history, if you don't count Waters exploiting his myth in lyrics.

There's a great Syd quote somewhere about the post-Syd Pink Floyd where he made the connection between him studying art in school and the rest of the guys studying architecture...

Post-Syd Floyd was much more calculated. No contest.

In fact, there must be no contest. Piper is great but the guys had to pick the ball and run with it. And we don't know if Syd would keep his high profile. If Robbie Robertson had died before Stage Fright, we'd be wondering about all the masterpieces he'd record with the Band through the seventies. Look what actually happened.

[Sheriff John Stone]

To me, Syd Barrett pretty much WAS Pink Floyd.

Thank god they didn't agree with you and recorded another ten great records. By 1969 they had found their own path and Syd was history, if you don't count Waters exploiting his myth in lyrics.

Yeah, you gotta give those guys credit for sticking together after Syd left and producing some good stuff. Losing your main songwriter, lead singer, lead guitarist, and, well, overall creative force would've killed many a band.

Alex, I'm a big Syd fan, too, but don't you think Dark Side Of The Moon, Wish You Were Here, and even, The Wall, are good to great albums?

[TdHabib]

Vegetable Man and it's A-side, Scream Thy Last Scream, will never be released as long as Waters is still alive and has anything to say about it. Sure, everyone with a modem's heard them by now, but still. They should be available.

I wonder why Waters objects.  They're brilliant songs.  They would have been perfect for the recent Piper box, disc 3. 

Speaking of the Syd-Floyd...I never felt like I had a clear picture of what was recorded.  I know there's Piper, a few singles before and a few after.  Then there was Saucerful...and I'm not sure what Syd did on that album...not much I presume.  Either way...I'm sure this could all be cleared up with a nice 4/5 disc set "The Complete Syd Barrett Pink Floyd Recordings."

This is all so stupid.  Will I have to wait until Roger dies?

Just some background info. Roger still holds out that Syd was a schizophrenic, while Richard (in an interview not too long before his death) said that he blew his mind out on acid and that he didn't think he was a schizo. Gilmour contends that it was during the "See Emily Play" sessions that Syd showed the first signs of being out of it: he invited Gilmour but then had trouble recognizing him, an old friend. I think it's Roger's way of saying it's too deep and too close to the bone. Still I love "Vegetable Man," the fast version.

[Bean Bag]

Gilmour contends that it was during the "See Emily Play" sessions that Syd showed the first signs of being out of it: he invited Gilmour but then had trouble recognizing him, an old friend.

Yeah, I remember Gilmour saying that.  Syd's decline was pretty much in full swing by the time the band was getting off the ground.  That ship had sailed.     We only have what, King Bee and Lucy Leave that capture a relatively healthy Syd?  If that.

Emily, Arnold Layne, etc. and Piper are essentially musical, brain-scans of a very talented and unique mind well into LSD-bye-bye mode.  There's something truly unnerving about those songs, if you listen closely.  The un-hinging had begun.

The post hey-day stuff (Vege-man, Scream they last Scream, etc.) is straight-jacket material.  Fascinating beyond words...but he's gone. 

The solo albums I think are the portrait of a retired Syd in shambles, and probably the way he stayed for the rest of his life...especially "Barrett."  Very mellow, quiet...still very unique and confused.  Madcap is a snap-shot of post-Floyd wonder boy, scattered and mad...and headed towards the hide-away recluse of Barrett.

Two of my most beloved albums, by the way.

[sofonanm]

The whole Syd Barrett mythstery is appealing if you think of him as eternally young. In many ways it's as if he did die young. It has a certain appeal to it - far out young genius takes more drugs than the rest of us dare to, now exists in a higher realm of consciousness. Well, not now, since he's dead. But that was the appeal. There was (is?) a sort of devotional cult to Syd Barrett that I read about somewhere. Some guy who thought Syd was enlightened and sending out esoteric teachings in all his actions and music.

I dunno - the whole myth shatters when you see him out of the stylish afro, eyeliner, thin physique days -


"Going to read my paper, read my paper, read my paper. Hum dee dum dee dum."

Just imagine seeing Kurt Cobain age 40+ instead of the 27 year old pretty blonde guy.

[P.J.]

I've always been a Water/Floyd man myself. Sure I love Piper but that was a totally different Pink Floyd than the band that recorded Dark Side. I've never really liked Madcap Laughs or Barrett though "Vegetable Man" and "Scream Thy Last Scream" are always on my MP3 player "hits" playlist.

Brian and Syd were geniuses at the same time. The  music these two were making at that time wasjust mind-blowing. Piper and Smile are the truest of pop music art.

[sofonanm]

Piper f***ed me up once on Ketamine.

I don't think sober listeners can appreciate what depths Syd (and his backing group) were exploring at the time.

I also don't necessarily think it was any good depths - something like Interstellar Overdrive is far from an enlightening piece of music. It's like a bad trip, irreversible psychosis, total madness all put to tape.

[Bean Bag]

I think you're right, Son of man.    Wade to deep on Syd's stuff and you'll catch a riptide.  I get the same vibe with much of the SMiLE tapes.  Especially with them creepy chains (tambourines) in the Heroes and Villains instrumental.

[sofonanm]

I think you're right, Son of man.    Wade to deep on Syd's stuff and you'll catch a riptide.  I get the same vibe with much of the SMiLE tapes.  Especially with them creepy chains (tambourines) in the Heroes and Villains instrumental.

Right. Which gives an interesting twist to that bit regarding Syd obsessively listening to Beach Boys tapes when he holed up in his apartment...

[Bean Bag]

I think you're right, Son of man.    Wade to deep on Syd's stuff and you'll catch a riptide.  I get the same vibe with much of the SMiLE tapes.  Especially with them creepy chains (tambourines) in the Heroes and Villains instrumental.

Right. Which gives an interesting twist to that bit regarding Syd obsessively listening to Beach Boys tapes when he holed up in his apartment...

That's right.  I always assumed Syd was heard playing over and over the "bread-and-butter" Beach Boys; I Get Around, In My Room, Fun, Fun, Fun -- but it could very well have been Smiley Smile.

That would certainly explain why his visitors found it "unnerving."  Smiley Smile is completely odd today and must have seemed shattered and spooky and completely unnerving, then.

[Alex]

The whole Syd Barrett mythstery is appealing if you think of him as eternally young. In many ways it's as if he did die young. It has a certain appeal to it - far out young genius takes more drugs than the rest of us dare to, now exists in a higher realm of consciousness. Well, not now, since he's dead. But that was the appeal. There was (is?) a sort of devotional cult to Syd Barrett that I read about somewhere. Some guy who thought Syd was enlightened and sending out esoteric teachings in all his actions and music.

I dunno - the whole myth shatters when you see him out of the stylish afro, eyeliner, thin physique days -


"Going to read my paper, read my paper, read my paper. Hum dee dum dee dum."

Just imagine seeing Kurt Cobain age 40+ instead of the 27 year old pretty blonde guy.

I'm sure BW today would be living just like Syd did if he didn't marry Melinda and no one was pushing him for more albums and tours. Friends was pretty much nothing but songs about a reclusive "hum dee dum, read my paper" lifestyle. "Busy Doin' Nothin'", anyone?? I think Smiley Smile (not the original SMiLE) and Piper could be perfect companion albums.  :ahhMadness...bad trips...startling freakouts...odd lyrics...etc.

[sofonanm]

I'm sure BW today would be living just like Syd did if he didn't marry Melinda and no one was pushing him for more albums and tours. Friends was pretty much nothing but songs about a reclusive "hum dee dum, read my paper" lifestyle. "Busy Doin' Nothin'", anyone?? I think Smiley Smile (not the original SMiLE) and Piper could be perfect companion albums.  :ahhMadness...bad trips...startling freakouts...odd lyrics...etc.

I don't think so.

Syd lived in a small house with his mother until she died and then lived alone. Brian has always had people around even if he hung out with himself primarily. Even if Brian didn't still tour and make albums he'd still be living in some high-class L.A mansion enjoying the high life in his own way. Besides, Brian is and always has been a much more wealthy man than Syd (don't have any concrete facts but... c'mon) and can afford to live the life of Eccentric Pop Star if he wants to... Syd was playing Mr Normal because he wanted to play Mr Normal. He got tired of the pop music business and dropped out and lived like the rest of us.

You make it seem like there's something wrong with "songs about a reclusive" (which is only relative to Brian's position as Beach Boys pop star - otherwise the songs on Friends are pretty much what any of US would write if we were honest and not pretentious about our daily lives). Busy Doin' Nothin' is one of Brian's best songs - musically and ESPECIALLY lyrically. I can relate to that song more than Don't Worry, Baby. Meandering around the house, calling friends, doing little chores is closer to my life than drag racing. 

[keith]

 
  Been listening to the mono mix of Matilda Mother alot lately.  Another great song.  Great vocals.
  Might have made a good single.  Were there any singles from Piper?