It’s easy to make light of Syd Barrett being the archetypal 60s acid casualty or being the ‘lunatic on the grass’, but this is really a desperately sad story. He was clearly a very talented songwriter, founding the band Pink Floyd and writing most of the songs on their first album as well as inspiring their iconic early live performances which were as much about the light shows and the groovy vibes, as the music. However, he went through a mental health crisis that coincided with heavy use of LSD that caused his personality to change resulting in him being dropped from the band.
The record company then pressured Barrett into working on two solo albums, presumably so they could cash in on some of the notoriety that now surrounded him, but the results were mixed to say the least. He was supported by former bandmates Dave Gilmour and Roger Waters who helped with the music but the lyrics ranged from whimsical 60s psychedelia to uncomfortably weird, and were very different from the sort of cosmic space rock that Pink Floyd had moved onto. He later retired completely from the music business and lived a reclusive life until his death from cancer at the age of 60.
Rest in peace Syd.
https://album.link/gb/i/696161838
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