Syd Barrett
By Adrenochrome
@Adrenochrome (1653)
January 8, 2007 5:19pm CST
Almost every time the name Pink Floyd is mentioned, the late Syd Barretts name also crops up. Do you think the influence of Syd was still with the Floyd when they released their later works, after all the Division Bell and the Wall bear little relation to 'Arnold Layne', etc?
Just how great was his influence?
2 people like this
1 response
@angelicEmu (1311)
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12 Jan 07
I don't think it was his musical input as such which had an effect on their later works, but the inspiration he as a larger than life person gave them. Their early works are a bit hit-or-miss for me, but that experimental psychodelic direction has given them a range of musical and artistic experience which they can draw on, as their musical style has matured and refined. I think Syd Barrett was a catalyst - with most new musical styles and artistic movements there are ground-breakers whose works aren't necessarily great to listen to, or watch, but who bring innovation and ideas which pave the way for better works by those who follow.
@Adrenochrome (1653)
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12 Jan 07
Can't disagree with a word of that, and Syd was certainly one of the biggest personalities, even by the standards of the time (when, unlike todays play-it-safe musicians, there were some very big egos and massive personalities.) Thanks.
1 person likes this
@angelicEmu (1311)
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13 Jan 07
You're welcome! Regarding your comments on popstars of today, I think the perfect example of that was shown on (shamefully I have been watching it!) Big Brother, when some non-entity plastic punk was brought in, the "rock n roll" spitting and swearing facade lasting only a few hours, as he drank himself into oblivion (what a wussy lightweight)before midnight! The next day he dropped the act, behaving like the sheepishly meek little mummy's boy from Buckinghamshire he really was! They're all so completely conformist nowadays that when they want to play at rebelling, they steal from previous generations. The term "plastic punks" springs to mind...
1 person likes this
@angelicEmu (1311)
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13 Jan 07
Oops - repeated my plastic punk comment twice there. Ah well, it was apt!
