Syd Barrett dies aged 60

The Guardian, U.K. ^ | 7/11/06 | ByDesign

[ByDesign]

Syd Barrett dies aged 60

Audrey Gillan Tuesday July 11, 2006 Guardian Unlimited

Syd Barrett, the former lead singer of Pink Floyd and one of the key figures of the 60s, has died at the Cambridgeshire home to which he retreated as a recluse more than 30 years ago. The Guardian has learned that the singer, 60, who suffered from a psychedelic-drug induced breakdown while at the peak of his career, died last Friday from complications related to diabetes.

[dfwgator]

Toni Tennille and Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys also did backing vocals on The Well.

[dfwgator]

I meant The Wall, not The Well. :)

[sully777]

Suddenly I hear Muskrat Love playing in my head. Perhaps this is one way Syd went insane.

[JZelle]

Has anyone ever tried listening to Syd Barrett while watching HR PuffnStuff?

[Ciexyz]

I wore out the grooves of "Dark Side" during my college years.

[grellis]

RIP at last, Syd, you've earned it.

[Florida_Freeper]

Its in the intro to Empty Spaces, just as the marching beat builds.

C'mon think man...Mother ends side one of the LP. Side two starts with birds chirping and "Look Mummy, there's an aeroplane up in the sky".

I can see how people can get turned off by all the radio play of Another Brick, Comfortably Numb and, even I've come to depsise Young Lust. I think you need to take the album as a whole and don't get me started on the movie. I must have seen it over a hundred times. Very powerful.

But that's Roger's story...this is Syd's thread. I've never really felt sad over a celebrity passing. I don't know why, but today I'm sad.

[Texas Federalist]

it's the greatest (as in most expansive) eexpression of what they wanted Floyd to BE. I don't think it's their best, but it's what Gilmour and especially Waters wanted it to be

Well, it's what Waters wanted it to be. The Wall is a Waters solo album with the limited amount that Gilmour was allowed to contribute being the only thing making the album what it is. Otherwise, it's the Final Cut or Radio K.A.O.S.

[taxed2death]

I kinda like "Not Now John, and "Gunners Dream"....... To each his own then, I suppose.

[taxed2death]

"That reminds me of a band I saw - Black Flag and Henry Rollins at their next to last performance before they split. I set my soda can on the bar, and the vibrations from the loud music were moving the can down the countertop, like an electric football game. I went outside the building and the exterior walls were creaking like the place was about to implode."

I saw the Ramones in Toads Place in New Haven, I lasted 4 songs and when my friend and I left the place we couldn't hear for almost an hour. It was so loud it tickled the fine hairs inside my ears and made my nose run. Go figure.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

R.I.P., Syd. Thanks for the great tunes - "See Emily Play", "It Would Be So Nice", "Lucifer Sam", "Gigolo Aunt", "Interstellar Overdrive". Say hi to Elvis and Keith Moon for me!

[evets]

I used to have their records,
but when I read your comment,
I went out and burned them.

(Backward masking's evil, dont'cha know.)

[MikeD]

Listening to "Candy and a Currant Bun" and "Apples and Oranges" right now. Another icon gone...

[Big Guy and Rusty 99]

poor bastard. One more torch to be held up and say, drugs kill. you want to do acid, here's syd barret. one day you might trip and not come back, just like him.

Sadly, his choice of friends didn't help either. they would dose him without his knowledge and then lock him in places like the closet or the pantry. It's no wonder why he went off to the dark side of the moon.

[Dr.Deth]

Have you heard Pink Floyds music from the Syd days?!?! horrible horrible incoherent abstract crap.... David Gilmour made Pink Floyd what it is today... If Syd did not go psycho and leave and Gilmour never replaced him, Pink Floyd would have never made music past the 60's.

Huh? What songs are you referencing? Waters and Gilmour are brilliant in their own right, to be sure. If you are brilliant and apply yourself and strive to become better and persevere, you can achieve great things, and they did.

What Barrett had was not "brilliance", but "genius". That comes neither from toil nor application, but from God. He could come up with a better song in 10 minutes off the top of his more-than-slightly-askew head than Wright or Waters (or Gilmour) could concoct in a month, and they knew it. When he went away, the rest were forced to learn the craft, and what they went on to achieve is remarkable - but in no way diminishes Syd's legacy.