Syd Barrett was born Roger Keith Barrett on January 6th 1946. He is best known as a founding member of the legendary rock band Pink Floyd and for his mental breakdown that made his time with the band brief. He was the original lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist for the group and was the creative force behind their debut album Piper at the Gates of Dawn.
Syd Barrett’s Youth
Barrett was born in the city of Cambridge in to a well off a middle class family. He was encouraged to play music as a child and picked up the nickname “Syd” at age 15 in reference to an old local drummer named Sid Barrett. Syd changed the spelling to differentiate himself from his namesake.
The Pink Floyd – Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Barrett was the creative force behind the Pink Floyd’s (they were THE Pink Floyd in those days) first album Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Piper at the Gates of Dawn is a landmark and arguably the quintessential 1960s psychedelic album. It was released August 5th, 1967 just two months after The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper. The two albums were actually both recorded at Abbey Road Studio during the same time frame.
The album was hugely influential and is still influencing musical artists today. Especially noteworthy in my opinion is the track “Interstellar Overdrive” which is an epic psychedelic journey into the center of the mind and possibly, if you are lucky, back out again.
The album arguably invents the space rock genre with songs like “Astronomy Domine” and the aforementioned “Interstellar Overdrive.” The album also had whimsical songs like “The Gnome” and “Flaming.” Another highlight is “Bike” which I find to be quite unlike anything else I’ve ever heard. These songs are fun and catchy and yet also cracked and slightly psychotic. OK, maybe more than slightly. Along with the album the band had successful Barrett penned singles “Arnold Layne”, “See Emily Play”, and the less commercially successful but my personal favorite “Apples & Oranges.”
Syd Barrett’s LSD Overdose and Subsequent Break with Reality
Syd Barrett is one of the foremost “Acid Casualties” of the 1960s. And while it is true that his mental illness was certainly helped along by the use of LSD it is important to note that psychiatrists believe that LSD cannot cause this sort of mental illness but only push someone who is already inclined to be schizophrenic to that state faster and possibly farther. Regardless of the reasons for Barrett’s changes he was no longer able to cope with life as a rock star in 1967 and problems began with him not being able to perform. Soon he fired from the band he helped form.
The Pink Floyd – Saucerful of Secrets
Syd Barrett made some contributions to the Pink Floyd’s second album Saucerful of Secrets that was released in 1968. He wrote and sang the closing song “Jugband Blues” and played acoustic guitar on “Remember a Day” otherwise this album is the transition point between the Syd Barrett era and the David Gilmour era. Syd Barrett was officially fired from the band in 1968.
Syd Barrett’s Solo Career
The Madcap Laughs came out in 1970. In my view it’s a very enjoyable album. Very stripped back and naked compared to Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Although the songs feature such a stripped back sound they are still very trippy due to their strange lyrics and song structures. Somewhat less successful for my tastes is his second solo album the self titled Barrett which although (and maybe partly because it is) produced more professionally than The Madcap Laughs seems to lose some of the charm of the previous album. Also I believe the songs to just not be as strong. Most believe that few, if any, of these songs for either album were written after he was fired from Pink Floyd. Most of these songs were written during Barrett’s extremely productive time period leading up to his breakdown.
Syd Barrett Becomes a Recluse
Barrett spent most of the rest of his life after the early 1970s living a secluded existence far away from the public eye. He no longer wished to be referred to as “Syd,” wanting instead to be called by his birth name Roger. He spent a lot of time painting and working in his garden. He denied the many requests from reporters for an interview and fans that came to his door having found his address were not welcome. It is said that he found it quite strange that people still cared about the musical recordings he made so many years ago.
Barrett’s Reunion with Pink Floyd in 1975
During the recording sessions for “Shine on you Crazy Diamond” from Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here album Barrett showed up at the recording studio unannounced. The band members didn’t even recognize him at first having not seen him in years. He had shaved his eyebrows and his head and had gained a lot of weight. He had brought his guitar and his toothbrush with him and was constantly brushing his teeth. To make the experience even more bizarre the song (as many of Pink Floyd’s later songs were) was inspired by Syd himself.
Syd Barrett passed away on July 7th, 2006
His death at age 60 was due to complications from his diabetes.
Reference:
- Buy Piper at the Gates of DawnBuy Saucerful of SecretsBuy The Madcap LaughsBuy BarrettFree Downloads For Your iPod
