O/T...Syd Barrett..R.I.P.

[tikay]

His death was very sad, but his whole "story" was, in fact.

Syd - "Roger" actually - never actually recorded any material after about 1970. He featured heavily on "Arnold Layne" & "See Emily Play", he was also the lyricist for both I think. His drug-induced unreliability saw him sacked by Floyd well before their monster albums were ever conceived or recorded. So his reputation rests entirely on what he did in the mid-to late sixties.

Waters, Wright & Mason had got rid of him reluctantly, but they had no choice. It's said (dunno if it's true) that the lines in SOYCD "his eyes shone like the sun"..... had now become.... "like black holes in the sky" arose because Barrett walked into the Recording studio during DSOTM & they never recognized him!

He, probably, was what he was because of hallucinogenic drugs, without them he was a mere mortal, but with them he became, well, a recluse, & his head was pretty badly messed up.

An interestsing case study in what drugs can do to the human mind.

I have a bizarre onsession with Rock musicians who go down the drug route. No sympathy is my position, & I just can't help feeling that way, no sympathy at all. But, & this is the bizarre bit, I almost hero-worship those that go a long way down the drug route, but get themselves sorted out. Steven Tyler springs to mind, I idolise him, but what a mess he was in 20 or 30 years ago, but he got it together eventually. (Gotta love that daughter of his!). Clapton is another, & Lennon had straightened himself up pre-death. Bowie too. Cobain never came through, of course. George Harrison was another, post drugs I just idolised him. I reckon I could name a dozen more if pushed.

Chili's Chili hero. Anthony Keidis, well read his book "Scar Tissue" & it will send a chill down your spine.  No man did more hard drugs, done every penny, sacked by the Group, lost his woman, cleaned himself up, recoded stunning album, found new woman, became immensely rich, reverted to drugs, got sacked, lost woman, lost all his money. Rinse, repeat a dozen times. I have no idea if he is "out of it" now, whatever way you wanna take that! (I note The Chili Peppers were at Pride Park Stadium in little old Derby last week - how bizarre is that!).

Don't do drugs is my take. But most of these guys were what they were because of drugs. Fame, women, fortune, &, in most cases, a premature & tortured death. For many, choosing that would be the route of choice.

I'll stick to my trains, though.

But yes, the final chapter has ended for Syd.

RIP Syd.

[The Baron]

"No man did more hard drugs"

Even Ozzy Osbourne?

[tikay]

"No man did more hard drugs"

Even Ozzy Osbourne?

Than Keidis? You jest.

Keidis did, I would guess, far more, harder, & for longer, more often. Read the book, it will scare the pants off you. And of course, Keidis was (is?) a man of immense talent & stunning looks, whereas Osbourne was & is nothing. In my humble opinion......

[tikay]

Correction to my previous Post.

On reflection, I have no idea how much one rock musician did, relative to any other, but you get my drift.

So I have no idea how much Osbourne did. And don't relly care either, as he had very little about him to admire, in the way of talent, or anything else. Though he was excellent at getting on the front page of the Red Tops. One of the first, entirely artificial, "media stars" I suppose.

[Newmanseye]

ozzys problems stem from more than drug and alcohol abuse, He would do frightningly silly stiff for attention, hence we see the Ozzy we have today.

[bhoywonder]

Met Syd once at Strawberry Fair in Cambridge, an overcomplicated and not very interesting story.  But seemed a nice guy.

Musically gave alot, recieved little.

Missed he will be.  R.I.P.

wow....tell us more



I reckon he was kinda ok in his later life..just a theory..I have nothing to base this on....


a genius...who else can group a bunch of lyrics together about a guy who nicks ladies underwerar of washing lines for a hobby

[tikay]

Met Syd once at Strawberry Fair in Cambridge, an overcomplicated and not very interesting story.  But seemed a nice guy.

Musically gave alot, recieved little.

Missed he will be.  R.I.P.

wow....tell us more



I reckon he was kinda ok in his later life..just a theory..I have nothing to base this on....


a genius...who else can group a bunch of lyrics together about a guy who nicks ladies underwerar of washing lines for a hobby

In later life, he was a recluse. He was either unable, or unwilling, to speak to anyone. I have no problem with that, none at all, each to their own.

His much-admired work was all done in the 60's, & he never did a thing (musically or much other really) after 1970.

How some of those lyrics got past the BBC Censors in the 60's was a great irony!