Syd Barrett Appreciation Thread

I decided to start an appreciation thread for, who in my opinion, is the greatest songwriter the world has ever seen.

Syd "Roger Keith" Barrett














Syd Barrett is simply a genius!

 

Let's keep our fingers crossed for Experience editions (Immersions are too much to ask for I'am afraid) of Piper and Saucerful, and for the release of Scream thy Last Scream, Vegetable Man, Beechwoods, the BBC sessions,... and... and... and...

 

I really want a release of the BBC version of Vegetable Man as the current versions out there sound goddamn awful.

 

Unfortunately the BBC only has an 'off air' copy of that session - their master disappeared long ago

Glad to see Syd making a solo appearance on these pages

 

Syd Barrett was my idol in my early teenage years. I still am inspired by him, and I still enjoy his music. My screenname was, of course, chosen because Dark Globe is one of my favorite songs.

 

What so you mean by Experience versions? Not hears about this?

 

I enjoyed Syd's solo discs and the first two Pink Floyd albums are amongst my favorites. Too bad his personal problems ended his career. But he inspired quite a few musicians with his whimsical yet melancholy lyrics and psychedelic sound.

 

I love Syd's guitar work. Particularly 'Remember a Day', 'Lucifer Sam', and 'Matilda Mother'.

Did Syd do the cello arrangement for Scarecrow? It is wonderful.

 

I appreciate Syd.

 

For me Syd was the one songwriter that knew how to recapture the sense of terror and mystery of childhood. I don’t remember much about being 4 years old but somehow Syd had the chops to write songs that crystalized the awe of that period. When I discovered Piper I realized that these songs were making me sensitive to things I hadn't really noticed before.

 

Here's a lesser known quote--Mick Rock on meeting Syd in late 1966.

"Afterwards, Lindsay (Syd's girlfriend) took me backstage to meet Syd. I remember being introduced to her and was quite excited when she took up my invitation to indluge in a little smoke. She was very attractive. I soon found out she was Syd's girlfriend and I was maybe a little dissapointed but it boosted my opinion of Syd. Not only was he incredibly talented but he had this faboulas girlfriend. I remember telling Syd how attractive she was and him vigeroulsy nodding his assent. He was obviously very attracted to her. I last heard from her 20 years ago - she had married a banker and moved to New York.

Syd invited me to join him and his friends at a party in his mothers basement. He was all smiles, very positive, strong and clear eyed. He had an innocence and sweetness about him which was very engaging. I remember being impressed with how well he rolled a joint.

Syd and I talked about Arthur C Clarke's novel, Childhood End, in which there is a scene of children dancing like an acid vision. Syd recommended I read a novel by Robert A Heinlein called Starnger in a Strange Land. We talked about music and some of the painters he respected, like Modigliani. I had an amazing first connection with Syd. He was cheerful, open and talkative. He wasn't at all the Syd that later become less communicative with most people. He got on well with everybody"

 

Wish I could go back to when I first got into Syd's music,it was such a magical time full of such wonderous discoveries.....his guitar playing certainly foreshadowed punk in so many ways,not to mention the great songs he wrote.

 

Pink Floyd are re-releasing three classic albums in various formats: Discovery editions for the novice, Experience editions with an extra CD of rare tracks and Immersion box sets with lots of rarities and extras.
There's a BIG thread about this going on at the moment.

I hope Piper and Saucerful will also get this treatment in the near future.

 

One of the greatest artists of the 20th century, and perhaps ever.

 

Got to keep this post high on the listing so here is the tape box label for Side 1 of 'The Piper at the Gates of Dawn' (sorry about the poor quality)!

 

From the "Stars" days

 

...and here is a selection of Pink Floyd master tapes from 1967-1968 in a corridor at Abbey Road.



and my foot

EDIT: The two tin boxes at the top of the right hand cardboard box are the side 1 and side 2 masters for 'The Piper at the Gates of Dawn' (mono version).

 

...and this is the 4-track master for 'Scream Thy Last Scream' and 'Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun' leaning against more Pink Floyd 1967-1968 master tapes in a corridor at Abbey Road.

 

Wow! I've never seen that one before!

 

I think this is the only known photo to survive from a very short lived band.

 

For Chris M . This is the memo we discussed about the abandoned 'Reaction in G' sessions at Sound Techniques.

 

Where are you coming up with all this great stuff?

 

It's from the Stars performance in Cambridge Market Square and that's Twink in the background on the LHS. Mark Sturdy found this during research for his article on Syd's 'twilight years' for Mojo (if I remember correctly). There are a couple of other photos from the gig taken by the same person, but they don't feature Syd.

 

It's from my research for 'Random Precision'. Most of my archive is in my loft (sorry Chris ) but these are some odd bits and pieces I had on my computer. Most of them went into a slideshow I gave at the Cambridge Syd tribute festival a few years ago called 'A Trainspotters Guide to the Music of Syd Barrett'

I didn't use the photos in the book because they didn't really come out well enough for publication.

 

This (Ta Daaa!) is the tape box for 'Vegetable Man' (the De Lane Lea version not the BBC version) and 'Remember a Day'.