Syd Barrett

Hmmmm mad moment.

Pretty sure it's this Saturday

THE THING ABOUT SYD
BBC Radio 2
Saturday 21 July 2007
2000-2100

A year on from Syd Barrett’s death this documentary explores the life, music, influence and legacy of one of the lost souls of British rock music. From the early beginnings of Pink Floyd and Barrett’s contribution to their pioneering brand of psychedelic pop to the consequences of his exploration of drugs that set Barrett on a tragic path away from the band to a solo career and eventually life as a virtual recluse.

The programme comes up to date with an exploration of Barrett’s passing and the fulsome tributes in the media with comments from editors and journalists about what made Barrett so special when his entire recorded output is just 3 albums. The programme features new interviews with members of Pink Floyd, manager Peter Jenner, Andrew Male assistant editor of Mojo, Allan Jones editor of Uncut and Barrett's sister Rosemary.

==============

I'm unconvinced about such programmes - you may be better off just spinning up one of his albums or listening to the singles or Piper. The interview with Rosemary may be interesting though.

Hi all,

Im a real Floydie myself - I live and breathe their music but honestly think they were the best when Waters Gilmore Mason and Wright were in. Not before or after even though I own all the albums.

I think the Barrett era was necessary for Floyd to become as great as they were, but personally, Barrett himself did not have the talent. He was experimental in more ways than one and thats what kickstarted the band, but take his music out of context and its pretty poor...

Without wanting to sound too cynical, I think people are deluded in liking HIS music as the greatness of Wish You Were Here and the inspirations he gave in Darkside among others overshadow him. Yes, he was a tragic case but he provided great material for the band and that is scewing interpretation of the amount of quality his own music has.

Does anyone agree?

Jon

I'm with Jon on this. I too don't see why Sid has been selected for "deification". 1 1/2 PF albums and 3 or 4 solo works none of which do any thing for me.
Touch of the Nick Drake and Tim Buckley I think.
Famous for being famous.

Howard

Dying young (Hendrix) or dropping out (Pete Green or Syd) never a bad thing for the old career mythology.

Think how many others would be revered if they had stopped after a couple of albums. There is something to be said for not making enough to go stale.

Munch,

What's your PFM name?

Steve

I naturally disagree with Jon and Howard on this - although I like a fair bit of Floyd's later music - I don't think any of it matches the sheer originality and musicality of Piper At The Gates of Dawn, The Singles, Madcap Laughs or Barrett. Syd's work is sheer genius and See Emily Play along with Wimple Winch's Save My Soul were probably the two best singles I ever bought. I bought Piper back in '67 and it still remains one of my favourite albums - up there with Pepper, 5000 Spirits, SF Sorrow, Anthems in Eden, Village Green and This Is The Ice Age.

I remember playing it for first time and thinking this is extraordinary it doesn't sound like that rhythm and blues or soul stuff other kids play at school. It sounds like it was written for me. Not songs about dancing (my pet hate), depression or songs that used the word love repeatedly, but songs about something different - music met Lewis Carroll and Edward Leer. Somebody who wasn't singing from experience, but singing about a magical other world.

No other Floyd album had that impact on me. However when I bought and played Madcap Laughs - I immediately thought it gave a glimpse of how good Floyd could have been - if only they'd had songs of this quality.

When I heard Barrett then I assumed Syd was on the way back and there would be more of the same - alas there was not. It wasn't a mythology for me - I grew up listen to artists like Syd, Shirley Collins, Nick Drake and the Incredible String Band - it was a magical era and these were the pioneers.

DSOTM, WYWH and The Wall are all fine albums and I'd rank them along side Tarkus, Brain Salad Surgery as fine 70s albums - but Piper At the Gates Of Dawn stands above these in the pecking order of great records: at least for me.

ATB Rotf

ROTF isn't it great that we can like so much of the same music and disagree about so much as well?

quote:

Originally posted by BigH47:
ROTF isn't it great that we can like so much of the same music and disagree about so much as well?

Yes - definitely.

I second that, Howard and ROTF!

I think for the success of Pink Floyd it was essential Barrett was there at the start, and it was also essential that he left (or shall I say was replaced). Of course I get goose-bumps with WYWH because of the tragedy of Barrett and the emotion/guilt felt by the band. Or maybe I get that because of the haunting tune touching parts of me only music can!

Unfortunately I wasn't around at the start of Pink Floyd, so I cannot relate to appreciation of their music back in the late 60s (Barrett's era), but I am obsessional now and have therefore bought all their music and read all the band's literature...

The point I am coming to is this. On the DVD "The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett story" I view Water's interview about Syd with a degree of sceptism. Obviously Waters was close and loved Syd as a friend, but I also think Waters is quietly glad that he managed to take over the lyrical duties of Floyd and reap the benefits of the later albums, especially DSOTM, WYWH and The Wall. The reason I say that is you can see Waters genuinely misses Syd, but when he is commenting on the quality of Syd's work, I know Waters knows his own personal work is better and he's so glad he got the opportunity himself to shine (excuse the pun).

I don't mean to offend Syd fans but thats my humble opinion. Waters is so talented with lyrics and wouldn't have shown that unless Syd went insane.

Im curious as to any comments!!

Jon

I agree that if Syd hadn't left then Roger Walters may never have come through as writer in his own right. I think Syd was hurt by the way the group just left him (though they had no alternative)

It's awfully considerate of you to think of me here
And I'm most obliged to you for making it clear
That I'm not here.
......
And I'm wondering who could be writing this song

though I think he realised not all was well

In yellow shoes I get the blues
Though I walk the streets with my plastic feet
With my blue velvet trousers, make me feel pink
There's a kind of stink about blue velvet trousers
In my paisley shirt I look a jerk
And my turquoise waistcoat is quite out of sight
But oh oh my haircut looks so bad
Vegetable man how are you?

and then decides who was to blame

rats, rats lay down flat
we don't need you, we act like that
and if you think you're un-loved
then we know about that...

So yes had Barrett stayed then Floyd would have developed differently - whether it would have been something even better we'll never know. My favourite post Syd Floyd album is The Wall.

All this talk of Syd has made nostalgic so I'll think I'll give Magnesium Proverbs a spin:

Lucy Leave, King Bee, See Emily Play, Arnold Layne, Candy And A Currant Bun, Flaming, Pow R Toc H, Astronomy Domine, Interstellar Overdrive, Reaction In G, Stoned Alone, Vegetable Man, Scream Thy Last Scream (Old Woman With A Casket), Apples And Oranges, Baby Lemonade, Dominoes, Love Song, Terrapin, Gigolo Aunt, Effervescing Elephant, Octopus, Clowns And Jugglers, Mystery Bits, Jugband Blues

ATB Rotf

Munch,

You have mail.

Regards,

Steve

quote:

Originally posted by BigH47:
I'm with Jon on this. I too don't see why Sid has been selected for "deification". ...
Touch of the Nick Drake and Tim Buckley I think.
Famous for being famous....
Howard

No, famous for becoming a drug addled cipher or for dying young or both...

quote:

Originally posted by munch:
I will have it on, you never know it might be quite good .
Munch

I listened to it on the Radio 2 web site - it didn't really have anything new, but it was OK. The music was superb, but why no Lucy Leave, Scream Thy Last Scream or Vegetable Man - oh well you can't have everything. Looking forward to the anniversary edition of Piper.

Rosemary's contributions were the most interesting.

I listened too, nothing there to make me change my mind.A couple of clever lyrics,guitar riffs and what else? Even the band said that most of his output was someone else's work.

I love marmite though.

Trip to heave and ho,
up down, to and fro'
you have no word
trip, trip to a dream dragon
hide your wings in a ghost tower
sails crackiling at ev'ry plate we break
cracked by scattered needles
little minute gong
coughs and clears his throat
madam you see before you stand
hey ho, never be still
the old original favourite gran
grasshoppers green herbarian band
and the tune they play in us confide...
so trip to heave and ho, up down, to and fro'
you have no word
Please leave us here
close our eyes to the octopus ride!
Isn't it good to be lost in the wood
isn't it bad so quiet there, in the wood
twenty even less to me than I thought
with a honey plough of yellow prickly seeds
clover honey pots and mystic shining feed...
well, the madcap laughed at the man on the border
hey ho, huff the talbot
Cheetah he cried shouted kangaroo
so through their tree they cried
Please leave us here
close our eyes to the octopus ride!
The madcap laughed at the man on the border
hey ho, huff the talbot
the winds they blew and the leaves did wag
and they'll never put me in their bag
the seas will reach and always see
so high you go, so low you creep
the winds it blows in tropical heat
the drones they throng on mossy seats
the squeaking door will always creep
two up, two down we'll never meet
so merrily trip for good my side
Please leave us here
close our eyes to the octopus ride

- pure genius IMHO, of course