Syd Barrett: The Haunting Legacy Of Pink Floyd’s Fallen Genius (Full Documentary) | Amplified

[@edwardmulholland7912]

“The Madcap Laughs” is a great album, I also find it disturbing. He was still at the peak of his powers but was definitely fading away and describing it brilliantly. Syd was an artist.

[@musicmavenpublishing2265]

Too much of a good thing...it does happen.💔 Everything in moderation kids. Proceed with caution ⚠️.

[@jessicajujubean5004]

You can actually hear his mind falling apart on that album. Same with Jugband Blues and Bike. Its the sound of a man going insane.

[@musicmavenpublishing2265]

@@jessicajujubean5004 I know. So sad. God bless his precious soul. He's good now though. Made whole again. 💜

[@bigtwit799]

Madcap and the one with insects were his solo efforts a few years after he left Floyd. Piper was when he was his peak.

[@edwardmulholland7912]

@@bigtwit799 I prefer “The Madcap Laughs”, though I love “Piper” too.

[@mcelus912]

When I was a teenager, I bought The Piper at the Gates of Dawn out of curiosity to hear this first album from the makers of The Dark Side of the Moon, an album that changed my views on what music could be. I was instantly mesmerized by how different it was. It had this enchanting elegance wrapped in psychedelic experimentation. I became obsessed with the album and the story of Syd Barrett. Piper continues to be one of my favorite albums, and I am eternally grateful for Syd’s contributions to our world.

[@ArtistYellow]

Barrett died at home in Cambridge on July 7, 2006 from pancreatic cancer. May you shine on in the cosmos your crazy diamond.

[@WPB_Ace13]

Shine on

[@brannonmcclure6970]

😢

[@swansonjoe7121]

It's sad how little bit of interviews we have of syd. We have so many bozos drooling about how much of a "tragic madman genius" he is, but not much Syd speaking for himself

[@hakancevikel7368]

He had a few audio interviews. i listened to one of them. He was under the influence of LSD in that interview.

[@jennifermustdie]

@@hakancevikel7368 where can we see those? 👀

[@hakancevikel7368]

@@jennifermustdie a few audio interviews of him are available in youtube.

[@thejoeshow5]

@@hakancevikel7368 tell us where to find them.

[@bradleysanford6068]

Your right. It’s irritating to her these Sid experts talk like they knew his inter most thoughts. Just a well loved music man lost to the ages.

[@MrGothic78]

Syd was one of a kind. I will always love his songs, his rhymes, the way he would play with the English language... "Ice-cream 'scuse me, I seen you looking good the other evening". Happy birthday birthday, Syd, shine on.

[@PinkFloydCollectors]

He disagrees… two of a kind… ;)

[@MrGothic78]

@@PinkFloydCollectors Well said! I forgot about that song! 😊👍

[@Jiv_Ing57819]

Look at the sky look at thee river, isntit good? ,: -0

[@Jiv_Ing57819]

n which ones pink? ,:-0

[@Jiv_Ing57819]

arnol layne... had a strang..... hobby. Collectin clothes... Moonshene, washng line... ,: -00000000

[@eyraclarisse144]

SYD is an emblematic English musician. His songs are rooted in the beautiful and fantastic English Rhymes. I love all: the Rhymes, Syd's songs and Pink Floyd. The Rhymes require naiveness and also wit, which Syd had, and once Syd left the group it evolved into much more sophistication in both lyrics and music.. The group has ALWAYS been great and their music has fitted its time. Syd has always been present in Pink Floyd, he left his indelible imprint, he really never left, he's been shining.

[@pennyhemens478]

Pink Floyd without Syd was fine for a small while and they sold well but I dunno about him 'shining' on later non syd albums -thats a disservice i feel to Syd's legacy, the guy who replaced him, of course i know his name but I'm tired right now. His playing pales in comparison to Syds playing. Hendrix spoke on that saying how Syd was his peer in guitar experimentalism which is true.

[@musicmavenpublishing2265]

👍❤

[@thealchemistdaughter3405]

Absolutely.. it’s so subtle and sublime most miss it .. He was an ancient bard just on a short visit this time.. Glad you noticed.

[@MamaofaWrestler]

Does anyone realize WHY Syd was fascinated with rhyming, numbers, and had no grip on reality because he was experiencing the early stages of Schizophrenia? God Bless him. He suffered so badly. Imagine not even knowing who you are?

[@timwhistler5882]

I've loved syd barrett since I was a youth.lots of my friends love him too.He is so 'himself ' no-one else is like him.The stripped back nature of the solo lps and 'opel' is so 'English ' they define a nebulous feeling,hard to describe.

[@bigtwit799]

always makes me think of older brothers, cousins etc lounging around on a dry English lawn in Summer, when it never rained and was always sunny FACT

[@shorelined1]

@@bigtwit799 fact, huh? now that's not original at all

[@ricktherrien8235]

I’ve seen ever documentary I can find on Syd Barrett because I was awestruck by him as a child. This enigmatic figure from a band that was misunderstood at the time. Syd revolutionized music to a new degree and over-rid the status quo for what the recording process was.

[@shorelined1]

The band didn't seem too misunderstood, being the main band at UFO and very popular, at least no more than other progressive musicians through time. Capt Beefheart ..now there's one misunderstood musician, even so, many recording in the 60's were being very experimental, such as the highly popular and mainstream Beach Boys. Wilson's drug use purportedly aided his more artistic and weird choices on Pet Sounds which is viewed as their best album by many.

[@joshjuanfifarek7382]

Nothing Syd recorded was disturbing. Very thoughtful and full of childlike wonder and more soo magical

[@lenini056]

Uhh, have you heard of Jugband Blues? Disturbing yes because it's a reflection of his declining mental health but still a masterpiece despite Syd's fragile mindset at time.

[@effdonahue6595]

Always puts me in a good mood, so beautiful!!

[@pappyodanial]

Syd Barrett owned that BBC crumb with the "actually I like soft music very much, but you see if we're playing a hall and we want people to dance..." What a great answer. Roger's answer was eloquent as well.

[@Geezer-yf8hv]

I would like to pull that dude from time and drop him in the middle of a Death Metal concert!

[@joelsmith5938]

Thank you. That guy seemed like the most prototypical example of the out-of-touch old codger the BBC *would* have on their programming. Frankly just embarrassing. Even more so that his guests were perfectly eloquent to his objections to the “loudness” of music. Even classical music was loud, you old fool. Wagner commissioned the construction of massive instruments to capitalize on the huge music halls. I don’t know why I’m so upset by that old man.

[@Jiv_Ing57819]

Yeah well it wasn't always going 2 work coming over by taking cues from AMM ,:-0

[@Jiv_Ing57819]

Not that I dislike early pink floyd, I can't get enough, just trying to have different perspectives instead of hating or loving something just whatever ,:-0

[@justinparkerthewildwolf6394]

Just because he doesn't like loud music doesn't make him a crumb it makes him true to himself, amplifiers were quite new back then and it was probably really loud

[@viciousdope66]

I couldn’t help but sing along with “Terrapin” out loud and ignore whatever the commenters were saying over the top. It’s a classic. I’d forgotten how much I prefer that song…Rock on, Dolly Rocker!!!

[@jiggym4n]

Have you heard the live version? So good man.

[@ninaj6051]

One of the most effective songs that gave me comfort during my sanity fall, though I never descended much, just mild psychosis.

[@Josouto1]

Amazing documentary, refreshing to see people actually discussing his music in depth rather than gossiping about his drug use. Thank you very much for publishing it.

[@susanschildt2738]

Syd had a way with words,he played with words no one would have come up with, An Effervescing Elephant, simple yet beautiful. Very childlike,innocent yet it touches your heart.Syd you are missed.

[@Sandwich13455]

His father was a wordsmith!

[@johnmichaelpatrick369]

​@@Sandwich13455you say that his father was a wordsmith !?? ...we know about his mother , but nothing about his father.... Can you please elaborate !??

[@mikegburnside]

Love his works. He was notable amongst more than a few creatives in 67, 68.

[@williamolsen20]

I still love both Barrett albums equally, they both touch me for different reasons.

[@NEMOPMORPHY]

Everything he touched was incredible kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5_cZo2gfLeAfqs

[@kyles5513]

There should be a feature film about Syd. Such a strange yet very interesting person.

[@70AD-user45]

There was The WALL which was partly about Syd.

[@kyles5513]

@@70AD-user45 it's mostly about Roger Waters. The scene where he sits in his chair staring at the TV with a lit smoke in his hand that is all ash and where he shaves all his hair off was inspired by Syd.

[@baron0877]

Agreed. Timothee Chalamet would make a pretty decent Syd.

[@WrathofArminius]

@@70AD-user45 i probably watched that movie about 500 times lol. Every day after high school I’d go over to Dave’s and religiously that movie would go in. This was back when movies had to go in something.

[@Godloveszaza]

@@baron0877 hell no

[@raulmacias6146]

Quote by SYD BARRETT (About The Madcap Laughs ) ~ "I liked what came out, only it was released for too long after it was done. I wanted it to be a whole thing that people would listen to all the way through with everything related and balanced, the tempos and moods offsetting each other, and I hope that's what it sounds like."

[@b.w.22]

Syd did it right: he participated when it suited him, dropped some amazing things, blew minds and dipped out. If Syd was up there singing Comfortably Numb, it wouldn’t be the same (if in this alt timeline it’s Gilmour who was the inspiration). Syd created a legend and the only thing I disagree with is his continued destruction of his later artworks instead of just giving them to his sister to store for posterity. At least we have his music. Edit: My point being that people love nothing more than a mystery. He gave enough of himself to charm and intrigue, recognized that he had a problem with fame and the music industry, and got away with it all.

[@animalinstinctssociety]

I agree and disagree, yeah he was a star for a short time and it was a good move by him to leave when he did. However, the fame he got cost him his mental health. So I wouldn't necessarily say he "got away with it"

[@b.w.22]

@@animalinstinctssociety - I agree, of course, but I’m not sure Syd wouldn’t have been just as mental without the fame. It seems like taking lots of acid was part of the youth scene they were in and I suspect that if he were merely a fan of Floyd then, he’d have gotten just as fried by it all. Of course you make an excellent point and I, like you too probably, would never make that trade. What I meant by “got away with it” wasn’t so much about the toll it all took on him but the ways in which he was able to chart his later life in a way that worked for him and could do so because of the royalties on the music he published with PF, so that he never ended up in some asylum or on the streets and could do his best to live in the anonymity he came to want.

[@DutchmanAmsterdam]

@@b.w.22 Do people really get 'fried' by acid or is that a lie told by the establishment that doesn't want people to have deep psychological and mystical healing and insights but demands of everybody to remain stupid voters, taxpayers, corporate and canonfodder? The research by psychiatrists showed overwhelming benefits of acid trips, until it was suddenly made illegal on instigation of Nixon who called it the worst enemy of the state because he feared that people after using LSD would not be manipulatable anymore by the sick establishment, and that was of course correct. Psychedelic tripping makes the user realize their Godly nature and after that no politician or priest will still be able to scare you anymore because you simply see through their games right away. And THAT is what Nixon was afraid of. When it was made illegal in the USA the rest of the western world immediately copied that policy. Why? Just a standard secret directive by the CIA will do the trick. The west is and was really sucking up to the US in secret, behind the voters back.

[@b.w.22]

@@DutchmanAmsterdam - Leaving aside the public policy side of things with an acknowledgement that Nixon and the police-power of a DEA created by executive order is something uncool and an inappropriate sort of secret Federal police force, I will say that in my experience hallucinogens aren’t for everyone. I think everyone should experience them at least once, but I also know people personally who did too much or did them too young and it changed them. Which is all to say that it depends on the person, where they are in their lives, their strength of character, their predisposition to real mental-health conditions such as schizophrenia, etc., or even physical characteristics such as enzymatic factor to break down those molecules to be able to stop tripping. These sorts of things are strong medicine, as it were, that is unrelated to the legal regime they exist in. I’ll agree that they are undoubtedly less dangerous than portrayed and are important tools in self-discovery, dealing with grief (see the studies on microdosing of terminal patients at Johns Hopkins), or just to have fun. But they aren’t completely harmless and can change people, so a degree of caution and moderation, as with most things, is required. The term “bad trip” wasn’t coined by Nixon, right?

[@gratefulkm]

@@b.w.22 That fucking sentence "I know people negative negative" 1 you provide no evidence of anything 2 You provide no science 3 You provide no personal accounts 4 you do not define the methodology of the ingestation 5 The Term "Bad Trip" was introduced with the illegality of the substance 6 Do you know its thousands of % better as an anti inflammatory than anything else , E.G Dying of covid , your whole respiratory system is inflamed, drop a trip , survive FFS 7 The Psychiatry and Psychology department in the USA declared in 1969, That "All Autistic people should have LSD readily available to them to take whenever they want, Because its allows them to become Social and connected (anti inflammatory deactivates the Amygdala , which is causing the FEAR) 8 No one has ever become Schizophrenic on LSD or had it reveled earlier , EVER ! it was another scare tactic, " this might happen" , But it never has So please take your complete ignorance of LSD and bury it and never speak about LSD again, Unless you choose to read thousands of experiments and accounts and take it yourself in high doses There are Autistic people all over the world that NEED the drug to be legal I need it every single time I walk out the door Because I lose my inherent FEAR Which means I can talk to people, love people, like people , connect to people Lose my monotone voice and no one can tell I'm different Syd Barret was Autistic and he simply realized that he didn't like people , That he needed LSD , but the world was freaking out , persuaded By lie after lie after lie So no LSD was available anymore So fucked of home to ignore everyone like all Autistic people do Just think of LSD as the same as BREXIT

[@surfercrow]

Some of what these talking heads say is accurate, but for them to collectively pan the album “Barrett” as universally accepted opinion that it’s patchy or a misfire or failure is totally BONKERS! -it is not fact; That is their measley collective opinion and means nothing. In my opinion “Barrett” is a stone masterpiece, just like “The Madcap Laughs”. Syd was waaay ahead of his time & completely eclipsed his former band’s entire future output with those two LP’s. Malcolm Dome & Nigel Williamson touch on his influence on future music but even more so than they say. Barrett invented Lo-Fi, Goth (directly influencing Robert Smith & The Cure), Shoegaze/Neo Psychedelic-Stone Roses, Lush, My Bloody Valentine, Indie Rock (Sebadoh -Barlow is a huge Barrett fan), Space Rock (Spacemen 3), Krautrock (Neu, Kraftwerk, Can: all huge Barrett fans), Punk (The Damned wanted Syd to produce their record! The Jesus & Mary Chain: huge Barrett fans-they covered Vegetable Man), Art Rock (early Genesis), Bowie was hugely influenced by Syd. R.E.M. & Robyn Hitchcock & The Soft Boys owe a huge debt to Barrett. I could go on and on, but enough said. If you know, you know.

[@_Ramen-Vac_]

hear hear.. and if Syd had really WaNtEd to, he'd have remained the front man. It just all seemed so silly to him to compromise art for money, down to the most facetious studio moments for the albums he created sans much help from Rogers and the rest minus David. They just didn't wanna turn into Zappa or Beefheart or like 13th Floor Elevators for that matter. They wanted to produce Beatley work.

[@CarnivalofLVX]

You have to be a creative to truly understand Syd. These are squares that cannot create art. So they can only dissect it and judge it based on the parameters they define.

[@NEMOPMORPHY]

I completely agree with you kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5_cZo2gfLeAfqs

[@jonp3890]

I do know and your words are appreciated 🎉

[@TheOGSticks11]

Yo, hold on. Now hold on to your love for whatever it may be. Syd was fantastic. But, to call Barrett 'better' than anything Pink Floyd did is absurd. First off, ina limited capacity, the solo albums were made by Pink Floyd. Secondly, Meddle was made at the same time. Syd couldn't write songs like Echoes. I think they were hampered by his style, musically. They play better without him. Sadly enough, they also recognized this. His experimental side was cool, but the structure of what came later makes it so much more listenable.

[@michaelwills1926]

I always found the Barrett era as punk adjacent. Brilliant really

[@NEMOPMORPHY]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5_cZo2gfLeAfqs

[@r.w.bottorff7735]

Me too.

[@punkyduck28]

Living in Cambridge I felt their music was def influenced by the city. I used to see Sydney occasionally , I love all their work and Syd has a special place in my heart 💗

[@cynthiamarston2208]

True. Thats very documented in a biography of Syd.

[@motoshelby]

Baby Lemonade ⭐️ Syd was way ahead of his time like so many others of this decade lost in the drugs but not forgotten

[@NEMOPMORPHY]

He went there and back again! Quiet a journey! Here is a poem I wrote for Syd Barrett Let me know what you think! kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5_cZo2gfLeAfqs

[@impalaman9707]

I still think "Interstellar Overdrive" is the greatest Pink Floyd song ever. They never did anything since that could top it

[@donaldwhittaker7987]

I thought atom heart mother was rather good.

[@obdeisibcirrus993]

It’s a bummer that so many people are dismissing Syds songwriting. I find it absolutely brilliant. And so did many legendary songwriters like Pete Townshend, Paul McCartney, David Bowie and many more. It’s annoying cause you can tell some people just clicked on this documentary to hate on him and dismiss his gift. I love all Pink Floyd but Syds stuff will always be my favorite.

[@NEMOPMORPHY]

I absolutely love him Here is a poem I wrote for him kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5_cZo2gfLeAfqs

[@jiggym4n]

Syd was a genius. His live stuff blows my mind especially. I consider it a blessing that we got what we did from his all too brief career as a musician.

[@stuartmitchell1908]

Barrett is one of my favourite albums. Well said. Wined and Dined is my girlfriends favourite, and she isn’t really a Floyd fan

[@AnthonyMonaghan]

Who is dismissing his songwriting? Everyone from Elton John to Iggy Pop and all stops in between are fans of his music. I've yet to hear anyone 'dismiss' his songwriting, his music or his influence. I don't see anyone hating on him or dismissing him, the only complaints I see here are coming from you, complaining about nothing.

[@obdeisibcirrus993]

@@AnthonyMonaghan well fortunately there has been more positive comments to drown out the negative ones in this comment section since I commented that

[@robertreynolds1167]

Syd was super cool. Me thinks he may have gotten a wee bit too close to the sun though. I can definitely see how that could happen back in 1967 as LSD was considered the wonder drug which would expand your mind to an expansive level which would allow you to reach nirvana. Great Time to be alive. Soooo different from today and I’m glad that I was around then. Syd forever.

[@cherryfox3697]

I think Syd was a talented and unique musician who was just deeply misunderstood. The world is a better, more beautiful place because of what he shared with all of us. I understand his fear and distance. May he RIP

[@timothymurphy6910]

loved syd. amazing character and an amazing songwriter/musician. once upona time ( when I lived stateside, before moving to Ecuador ) I owned every pink floyd album ( up to the wall ) and both of syd's albumns. sold all of my vinyl before moving to ecuador. so glad i can still find all pink floyd's music here on youtube ( as well as all of my other favorite artists who's albums I had to sell before moving )

[@mrkgrmn3]

These so-called music critics yammering on about what Syd must have been thinking is absolutely maddening.

[@gabbygustafsson7894]

I ❤ Syd Barrett You Didn't Even Talk About Syd Barretts Best Solo Song Late Night From The MadCap Laughs . I Been Listening To Syd Barrett Since I Was 18 During The Early 1990s . I Dig Floyd 😎

[@NEMOPMORPHY]

I wrote this for him! kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5_cZo2gfLeAfqs

[@younglee9162]

His songs are not well-organised, contain full of background noises, yet are very genuine. Love his own style of music.

[@NEMOPMORPHY]

It’s all magickal mystery man! kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5_cZo2gfLeAfqs

[@TheStevo427563]

I believe that Syd thought that Floyd was only going to last a couple of years. All his other projects did. He wasn't ready to be committed to a long term commitment. He hated rules and responsibilities. I think a lot of it was an act. He was a prankster as well as a serious person. Yeah. He was a complex. Person.

[@TheStevo427563]

@@leslumieres1237 How so chief? Guess you're just a hatin troll 😅🤣

[@effdonahue6595]

@@TheStevo427563 good title for a song “Guess you’re just a hatin troll”

[@seandodd6388]

Kind of funny how the 1966 version of Interstellar Overdrive was much longer and more psychedelic in its own right than the album version in 1967. However the version on Piper may be half the length of the original, but damn they both take you on a trip beyond trips and are both truly forces to be reckoned with...if you can even make it through the entire duration of the songs versions to begin with without blowing a mental fuse no matter what state of mind you may be in at the time....

[@Jiv_Ing57819]

n thee fact that they got all this from wind n the willows, great book ,:-0

[@dianevaccaro4516]

There will never be another musical genius like Sid.

[@freedom4life123]

He was not genius, just stop it and his name is syd not sid

[@reginageorge8080]

John Frusciante and we almost lost him too

[@humaniodalien]

​@@reginageorge8080Not even comparable to Syd. Dumb comment

[@markybhoyflorida]

Without the false starts and flubs, the album wouldn't be the same. By including all that, it feels more of a time capsule than an album.

[@mr.timebombman2230]

Across the stream with wooden shoes, with bells to tell the king the news, a thousand misty riders climb up, higher once upon a time.

[@JaneKellie-si1gt]

I have just re-found this. And how grateful I am that I have. This is our National Treasure of British Historic Music Industry Credentials. ThankYou. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿😎🇬🇧

[@solfischer613]

Wow just clicked on this. Glad to see Syd getting Recognition!!

[@knickd1979]

the reasons behind his "decline" or "withdrawal" (whatever you want to label it) cannot be boiled down to one thing, or one factor. like most things, it was complex with multiple factors at play, some even i contrast with each other. it was not merely the LSD, it was not merely his artistic frustrations. it was an overwhelming combination of multiple factors. for example, the Artist in this 21 year old, sensitive guy was certainly interested in continuing his explorations and pushing boundaries. But with that said, there is no doubt that he SIMULTANEOUSLY wanted to be commercially successful and producing pop hits. that is the part that i think most Syd fans overlook. This is perhaps due to it not complementing the romantic narrative that his lone motivation was to be the explorer rather than the hit maker. to suggest that he simply did not want fame and money as his bandmates did is simply untrue. my reasons for believing that he himself was conflicted in this way is simple. Syd says in multiple interviews that he does indeed want to be a pop star. even as late as '71 he is telling people he doesn't think the pop scene has moved too far beyond him. he was definitely not entirely against this idea. BUT... just like many artists in their early 20s, he is a contradiction within himself. imagine being the lone creative force behind one of the underground's most popular bands, you have every stakeholder surrounding you hoping and counting on you to continue to lay golden eggs to prove your worth, but over the other shoulder you have the flies of the underground whispering that you are a sell-out for even bothering to try! (FUN FACT: there was actually a proto-punk band called "the Flies" who's members hurled insults at the Floyd during live shows in late '67/early '68, implying Syd and the gang were sell-outs and no longer true to the underground). i take Piper as evidence that Syd wanted to have it both ways, there's whimsical pop tunes aimed at commercial success as well as far out exploration aplenty. but the stress of that balance in addition to heavy, heavy use of mandrax/lsd (and various other substances) compiled to overwhelm the poor guy in short time. the people that suggest that he did NOT have anything wrong mentally are simply denying the obvious. as a huge Syd fan who has read every book and spent an embarrassing amount of time pondering Syd's story, I am certain he damaged his brain via drug use to such an extent that it was the primary factor for his withdrawal. there is plenty of evidence that he was paranoid and stressed for much of his time. his body language changed, his eyes changed. his behavior was DRAMATICALLY different within 1 year's time. he admits during interviews having difficulty speaking clearly at times but was extremely articulate before the summer of '67. his visual art and his lyrics reveal that he is aware that he is in trouble. "with eskimo chain i tattooed my brain all the way won't you miss me? wouldn't you miss me at all?"

[@NEMOPMORPHY]

I would love to hear your take on this poem I wrote for Syd Barrett I wrote it during a period is psychosis. His music and a few others has always been a huge comfort for me. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5_cZo2gfLeAfqs

[@dangreene3895]

I am a child of the 60's I knew people who took a lot of LSD most no long term effect , but a couple it fried their mind . You never know how one might react to a drug as powerful as LSD , for me it gave me a awareness that I did not have before .

[@johnnyx9892]

It screwed up Syd, Brian Wilson, Peter Green and who knows how many more.

[@nathanadnitt]

I have a melody maker from may or april 1967, when Jimi Hendrix was just coming up, Arnold Layne was in the charts as well as purple haze ,as a 19 year old it's pure madness looking at that man

[@jessicajujubean5004]

One time my neighbors were drunk and arguing loudly in their driveway. I put a speaker in my window facing out and blasted "Bike" loudly at them until they went in the house. Incidentally, that song sounds loud at any volume. Its louder than most metal songs

[@NEMOPMORPHY]

I fucking love this story! Please check out my poem I wrote for Syd Barrett! Let me know what you think please!!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5_cZo2gfLeAfqs

[@marcbolan1818]

There is no difference between Syd's solo work and his very earliest writings like "Effervescing Elephant" written pre-Floyd. Syd had a unique childlike style in his compositions. The Floyd recordings were very produced pop songs of 1967, but a lot of the Piper tracks are no different if you take away the production. Syd obviously wanted out of pop music and to paint and write about art. There was always some underlying issues and the death of his father was, no doubt, devastating for a boy about to turn 16.

[@jasonmoskowitz246]

I always thought he stuck Effervescing Elephant at the end of the album to contrast from the (brilliant) horror of Wolfpack and the (transcendent) longing of Wined and Dined. After Piper, imo his whimsy was tempered with a genuine blues.

[@marcbolan1818]

@@jasonmoskowitz246 The song is young Syd and not different than Bike. The Madcap Laughs was too much Mandrax.

[@marcbolan1818]

@@matt0laughed Well, Bolan copped the Syd look now didn't he and the girlfriend.

[@Jiv_Ing57819]

C Emily play : -)

[@xdef1ne]

Didn't even know he lost his father that young. No wonder he played with drugs the way he did & no wonder those drugs brung whatever mental issues that were lying underneath to the forefront.

[@weedthepeople2795]

I immediately started singing along with the first song they played.....havent heard that song in years

[@TheNimasan]

there is just a few ppl who got/get madcap laugh. that album was so ahead of its time and it still is. to me personally a master piece!!! loved that man. my GLOD bless his soul where ever he is.

[@NEMOPMORPHY]

Some of my most favorite albums! Here is a poem I composed for Syd Barrett! Out of my nearly 2000 poems this one is probably the longest or was until very recently. Still not finished! kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5_cZo2gfLeAfqs

[@bretthowell5592]

Glod bless you freind! Luls

[@jenmb2679]

ive been curious about him since the 90's when i first started listening to Pink Floyd. I only knew about TheWall and The Dark Side Of The Moon. Im just now getting around to learn more about him. Heck, i didnt even know they were from England. Very very talented guy.

[@luiszuluaga6575]

This is an enlightening documentary with engaging and thoughtful commentary.

[@tellmelullabies5552]

Thank you for releasing this!

[@debbieramsey-hanks3757]

Always innovative. Thank you for elusive and insightful interviews

[@snakefinger]

This made my year. THANK YOU LOVE ! ❤️ 💕

[@williamolsen20]

I am a huge Syd Barrett fan, and it really bums me out that he just fell out like he did. I remember I saw a video of a trip he was on mushrooms or acid not sure, it was on sale, and I complained about it to the store because it was horribly exploitative to me.

[@samwindmill8264]

Was that like a VHS tape that was being sold then?

[@tigerlillyfeelfree1695]

I went to the chalk pits. I will never be the same ❤

[@youcanmakeoneup]

@@tigerlillyfeelfree1695Where the film was made of him tripping?

[@tigerlillyfeelfree1695]

Yes. In Cambridge. It was an amazing experience ❤

[@alphooey]

Knowing that your mind is fragmenting and your losing bits of yourself must be terrifying. I’m glad that Syd did find some peace, joy in life and something to pour his creative heart and soul into.

[@Moonie804]

Very good doc indeed... but when it talks about Jugband Blues as the example of Syd's awareness of his own condition... there's another song that explains his awareness even more than JB, and it's Vegetable Man. The lyrics of VM are just the description of his inner confusion, written in a moment of amazing clarity, so honest to the point of sounding a bit scary, knowing what's behind them.... No doubt he was an extraordinary artist.

[@NEMOPMORPHY]

I would love your take on my poem I wrote for Syd Barrett kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5_cZo2gfLeAfqs

[@jimmyoconnell6167]

And vegetable man

[@barry1369]

I’m not huge on the syd Barrett stuff but I can certainly see the potential he had because of how unique those songs were

[@malectric]

I find this very sad. I loved Syd's early compositions and listened avidly to the underground music of the day, especially Pink Floyd's.

[@quacksackerthegreatstarfir6996]

It amazes me how the mind can be so strong and yet so fragile. I once read genius and insanity sometimes go hand in hand, and sadly, I think that's what happened to Syd....😥

[@freedom4life123]

Genius is over the top, come on man, his lyrics were child like.

[@seandodd6388]

My point of my previous comment, sorry I didn't point out initially, was that 1967 psychedelic tended to be levels ahead trippyness wise compared with the more folkedelic sounds of 1966. However, the Beatles with Tomorrow Never Knows on their Revolver album did prove to be as psychedelic as any of their '67 works if not more trippy in some cases. It went hand in hand I guess. The 1966-68 time frame of psychedelia, music wise namely, is truly an irreplaceable era that has truly withstood the hands of time above and beyond anything we have this day and age especially, hands down, in my opinion.

[@bigtwit799]

Of course we now know that Revolver was a better album the the hyped Sergeant Pepper.

[@justinparkerthewildwolf6394]

I love syd and his music and this early era of floyd, I also find it very sad and a loss of great talent, im glad he went back to painting and was doing that

[@Octavian7771]

In an alternate reality, 'Barrett' is the Pink Floyd LP released in leu of Ummagumma. David Gilmore and Richard Wright produced, and play bass and keyboards respectively. In my humble opinion, I prefer the post Fink Floyd work on Madcap, Barrett and Opel. Also, 'Wined and Dined' is the sweetest, most gentle pop song that has ever existed!

[@sweetsuzie9346]

This is one of the most fascinating rock n roll stories to be told, what's more amazing is the beach boys were loosing Brian Wilson in the same way, at the same time as Floyd was loosing Syd.

[@Geezer-yf8hv]

Also Brian Jones from the Stones. His wasn’t a mental breakdown, but more of a soul breakdown, plus being drug-addled.

[@anabanana7599]

Amazing what hard drugs do to the brain .

[@chelseapoet3664]

The guy in the film who suggests that LSD might not have been one of the most important factors in Syd's breakdown because some say he took it less than 10 times has no clue. People have gone nuts on one dose. Yes certain people are predisposed to take it badly but never underestimate.LSD.

[@HardRockMiner]

His 1st name was actually Roger. Even though I wasn't a fan of his music, I am a big fan of Pink Floyd.

[@rdeye-rb1pe]

Terappin syds dropping bars his bouncing limericks and statements god man beautiful stuff

[@bakstabbath]

I have doubts that drugs are responsible, although they probably didn't help his mindset. I think he broke under the immense pressure from EMI and the forthcoming tour of America. He was fine up until they signed the contract.

[@thehotyounggrandpas8207]

I agree. There are millions of people with serious mental health problems who have never touched drugs.

[@joeldavis5815]

I strongly disagree. I had an otherwise normal friend with a family history of schizophrenia who only started exhibiting symptoms of the illness after a few years of heavy LSD use. It is well documented that hallucinogens in particular can be catalysts in the development of schizophrenia in susceptible individuals.

[@billyz5088]

Some accounts by those around him say he was using far more LSD than many knew - and started much earlier than many had assumed. David Gilmour himself placed the start of the trouble to late May '67 as PF was in studio recording "See Emily Play" - just a couple of weeks before was the famous TV interview with Syd & Roger by Hans Keller (why must it all be so loud ??) - where Syd was obviously very lucid and well spoken - but just 2 weeks later Gilmour had been invited to stop by the studio - and said he was “shocked by the changes in his (Barrett's) personality - and that he did not appear to recognize me" - years later Gilmour would say; "I'll go on record as saying, that was when he changed" .

[@b.w.22]

I think it’s both: I think when Syd began to attain what he thought he wanted, international fame inside the 60’s-70’s music industry, he realized he didn’t want it. I’m pretty sure that acid impacted his mind and personality and that it exacerbated underlying issues with his mental health. But he also made the right choice for himself, actively or subconsciously, to disengage from Pink Floyd and maybe didn’t know exactly how to disappoint his friends who so heavily relied on his creativity. I’ve also known people who I’d call acid casualties and I’d need to have met him to decide if he was that. But “acting heavy” was part of his deal and people’s deal generally back then, though it seems there’s a pretty big difference between “Piper” and his wonderful and charming but definitely odd solo work. But he also made the really smart personal choice to retreat from London to his home to live the life of an eccentric but not a madman: Syd didn’t roam the streets of Cambridge with an apocalyptic sign yelling at people like the dude in Aqualung, right? Ah, he’s such an interesting guy who can really appeal to we that have had our own mental struggles. I’d think the drugs of the day had their impact on him, but in so many ways he did things exactly right for himself without the endless compromises that shatter the illusion of integrity, as it were.

[@bakstabbath]

@@billyz5088 Dave also said ,in the same interview, he was constantly surrounded by shady people. Maybe someone slipped him a large dose, similar to what happened with Peter Green? 🤷

[@chrissutton2586]

Words fail me when it comes to Syd

[@essedragonzote]

I don't think that Syd would been probably influenced by Bob... Syd was a kind of gnome... I can see influences from folk and even ancient celtic or druid culture... Greetings from Chili 🇨🇱♥️🇬🇧

[@WatanabeDarko]

This quite interesting documentary for me contradicts everything about the commonly perceived Syd's madness. What it seemed to me is that he just grew more and more distant from making music, so he kinda drifted away from the Floyds as he was feeling bored and disconnected from what they were doing. Then, after some time, he contacted Soft Machine himself, as his creative instinct was still there, and he had all the intention to act upon it. This gesture alone proves he was far from gone and certainly not crazy at all. He was certainly not in shape, he was certainly a bit depressed, disconnected, but still fully in himself. After the release of the 2nd solo album, which did not have much success, he decided to retreat to private life, which seems to me completely normal. This is what sensitive, creative and artistic persons do, they give up and change direction, they don't care about the musical career, but hey go their own way, they are not at the whims of society. I don't think he liked all the story which was made up about him in the following years, which certainly made him retreat even more, not giving anyone the chance to disturb him (you can notice this even in his last interviews). I am pretty sure he gave all he had to give to the music world, and he had nothing left. His story is not that different from the one of a girl I knew who literally wrote the most haunting, intense piece of writings I have ever read up to this day. Back in the days, she was writing a lot in her online blogs. Then some years go by, she writes less and less, and at one point she removes all of her blogs which could remove and almost everything she wrote up to that moment. She grew with time apart from writing, and certainly she was not seeing herself as talented or gifted. She had 3-4 peak years in her teenage years, then she faded away. Same happened with Syd and his art: he kinda had the feeling with the Floyd that the whole situation was a burden, so he was less and less fond of going in tour and being around them. But then his creative instinct was still there, so he created his solo albums. He tried to make his music project work by making concerts with another band after the Floyd, but it didn't work well, because I guess the magic for him was gone: he could not retrieve the same feelings he felt with the Floyds, and he had not fun with making music and performing anymore. This is why imho he naturally retreated, and he dedicated himself to painting, which was something new for him. Syd was ahead in any possible sense, he just went into a deep depression because something which used to make him feel good, as music was, was just not working for him anymore. Then he resigned to live an ordinary man's life, because he was just not the kind of person to go around the world and replay again and again his past creations to be acclaimed: that would feel definitely too boring for him to do, and not in line with how he was as a person. He was happy of being a star as long as he was feeling fresh sensations by performing in public, so it was like a collective joy to be experienced. But once he became unable to feel these sensations while making music or concerts, then fame was definitely a burden for him, because all the joy was gone. Syd was an explorer, an adventurer, he looked for new sensations and a coloured world, not for the daily routine of being a musician. He was a comet, a supernova, like Dario Minieri in poker: he shone of the most intense possible light for a very short time and then faded away.

[@joecrawford5582]

I can see tripping on some real deal heavy acid and watching walls move and see my friends faces melting while listening to Syd's Pink Floyd's music.

[@matthewcoombs3282]

I agree that Barrett was a singular artist and a true original. But people around the time said the following artists were key for Barrett. Bo Diddley- you can hear it in his Telecaster sound. AMM Music Keith Rowe improvising on guitar -using the guitar as a sound board -was a big influence on Syd and the Folk Rock of the Incredible String Band. The latter one you can hear on the first Album "Piper at the Gates of Dawn"

[@jetthackrah4193]

3 words: I love Syd.

[@jonp3890]

So do I

[@SKYSAW59]

Vegetable Man/Scream thy last Scream would have been the greatest, weirdest double A side of all time.

[@Moonie804]

I 100% agree, 2 stunning songs!!!

[@greenscarab2]

I ❤️ the early songs and still remained devoted as they evolved.

[@jimmyoconnell6167]

Total genius RIP Syd

[@jimiguitar100]

When I listen to Syds music, the sadness of how todays mainstream music sounds is immense

[@kevinlawrence8580]

When are you going to do an episode about another fallen genius. Mr. Sly Stone.

[@ustheserfs]

i do enjoy the fact syd particularly today is the most celebrated aspect to pink floyd

[@lincolnsixecho51]

For me, Syd is the Salvadore Dali of Rock music - the incorporstion of surrealism in acousrtic arts! How. Important he was can easily bexseen in the factt that the Floyd needed more then 3.yeard to find their style after Syd had left. "Ato, heart mother" - and more -"Meddle" from 1070/ 1971 were the first albums, that showed new, non-Barrett-sides of the band.

[@frommetoyou1981]

Syd - an odd choice admittedly but a true hero of mine. Madness yet crystal clear to me. It's the unconventional and oddball behaviour that I feel and understand. "And I'm wondering who could be writing this song?" he was, but it wasnt truly him......obviously?

[@billyz5088]

~~ and to match his highly creative song-writing skills - he also had a very unconventional and unique style of guitar playing. He was clearly very fond of blues guitar - he grew up a fan of the old masters (the band was named after 2 fairly obscure ones) - and you could hear those influences in the earliest recordings he made with the nascent Pink Floyd - but once the band had broken through commercially - you heard almost no blues influence at all. Syd had found his very own style - but would just as quickly lose his ability ( or his desire ) to allow it time & space to evolve further.

[@chriskroll4166]

Whether you like Sid Barrett's work or not you have to admit that when he first came out he was on The cutting edge and totally progressive. He wasn't following along the same rock and roll trend that the Beatles were going on or the popular Blues trend at the time that other bands were on. He just kind of made his own music and it became psychedelia. But the first couple of Floyd albums are so mind-boggling and so progressive compared to anything else coming out at the time except for maybe the Beatles. It was just such a tragedy what happened to poor Sid. So many other rock stars did probably way more drugs than him but they seem to be still around today which I don't believe. Sid was a very gentle man and his poor mind just caved in from the drugs that he did do and I feel so sorry for him. Imagine to yourself if he would have stayed with Floyd and let out more albums like the first two. Definitely a genius. 🙏

[@NEMOPMORPHY]

Most definitely a genius Here is a poem I wrote for Syd Barrett kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5_cZo2gfLeAfqs

[@philfletcher3434]

He's dead now Syd; I can't remember what year he died but he was only 62 when he went. I still love Arnold Layne and See Emily Play and all Pink Floyd's work up to 1970 when they became a super group. And Louie Louie is not a 'bog standard' R&B song, it's an R&B Classic. Shine on you crazy diamonds.

[@caroleann_2142]

He was 60 he Died in 2006, 4 days after a cancer diagnosis....

[@reepacheirpfirewalker8629]

What a change it became after his leaving and how things developed.

[@alexbowman7582]

Imagine what the band would have been if Syd hadn’t had a breakdown and both him and Gilmour were in the band. I don’t think he went mad though, I think he was always mad but one day he couldn’t handle the insanity.

[@Frosenborg]

Yeah Syd didn't just outright go mad one day. There's a documentary here on KZbin about Syd, where they interview Roger, David, Rick and Nick. I think it was David who said, 'Syd had always been out there kind of guy'. When they got worried about Syd, they informed his parents, who then asked his brother to come and see him, Syd's brother was a doctor and after seeing him, he thought Syd was fine.

[@alexbowman7582]

@@Frosenborg despite the druggy songs the other band members just drank beer mostly it was only Syd that took loads of LSD.

[@caroleann_2142]

He may have been autistic & never diagnosed..

[@lynnpayne9519]

@@caroleann_2142 I agree! My son has autism and also scizophrenia . It is 3 times more common in those who are on the spectrum. This sort of thing is genetic. Drugs don't help but they are not the cause. I think pollution, viruses and trauma are more likely to trigger 1st psychotic breaks in prone people. Those who are poor tend to show sooner signs. They also have more people who fall through the cracks.

[@Rduke_]

@@alexbowman7582 Only Syd? sorry not sure which band you've been listening too but Pink Floyd during the 60s/70s did pure psychedelic influenced music. Basically they all did loads of LSD during that time at least, but hey Syd became mad and Pink Floyd been quiet about drug use so it was only him lol... You can even see on some videos from their early shows that they were tripping balls.

[@hopefaith3693]

Long live Syd 🎸🎶🎵

[@eyraclarisse144]

Yep, I absolutely agree. LONG LIVE SYD BARRET !!!!! And long live great Pink Floyd !!!!!

[@Jiv_Ing57819]

Eye love syd ,:-0

[@Jiv_Ing57819]

n taking lots of lsd to their album ,:-0

[@dimebagdave77]

Thanks, used to have this DVD.havent seen it in years

[@PipeMan1792]

I have it.

[@dimebagdave77]

@@PipeMan1792 Give it back!...😂

[@malas90]

Omg thanks for uploading this.

[@italogiardina8183]

In reference to the term used in this documentary: Mandrake (Mandragara officinarum), an hallucinogen with a fantastic history, has long been known and feared for its toxicity. It has a complex history as a magic hypnotic in the folklore of Europe. It was bound up with the "Doctrine of Signitures" a theory holding that the appearance of an object indicates its special properties.

[@papercup2517]

The drug Syd used was Mandrax (often in combination with alcohol) which, despite the similarities of the name, bears no relationship to the nightshade family herb mandrake, as far as I know. Wikipedia mentions that at one time when Mandrax was a popular recreational drug, it was sometimes nicknamed 'mandrake' as well as simply 'mandies' by users - thus the confusion, perhaps. Interestingly, in his painstakingly researched biography of Syd, 'A Very Irregular Head', Rob Chapman mounts a strong argument that it was that combination of large quantities of Mandrax and alcohol that was likely to have done the most neurological harm rather than the acid, if indeed Syd's brain was damaged. He was never diagnosed with any specific mental illness or neurological condition, despite spending some time in a psychiatric hospital.

[@italogiardina8183]

@@papercup2517 There is correlative evidence between the use of hallucinogenic plants used as folk medicine ( Henbane, Belladonna, Amanit muscaria, Dhatura, Virola calophylla etcetera) and the experimental art of that era. It suggests there may have been being intentionality by the artists of that generation to break into new modes of visual and musical representation through the use of such plants and/or their derividives.

[@papercup2517]

@@italogiardina8183 That's quite possible. But there's no evidence, AFAIK, that Syd used Mandrake or any of the other herbal drugs you mention. Some of what people have assumed indicated a drug-induced mental breakdown, like 'odd' behaviour during performances, may have been Syd pursuing his ideas about art that he began to develop at art school, and which many other artists in various fields were also pursuing around that time. The impression I got from Rob Chapman's book was that Syd was far more interested in exploring and expressing these artistic ideas than in becoming a commercial musical success, and found he hated the artificiality of celebrity and the pressures success brought, like intensive touring, whereas the rest of the PF were very motivated to push their musical careers as far as they could. Thus the divergence of two realities - a conceptual art-based one and a pop music career-based one. My best guess is that a combination of Syd trying to continue pushing conceptual boundaries together with heavy drug and alcohol consumption gradually made it more and more difficult for him to relate to mainstream consensus reality, until he had no alternative but to withdraw back to his family/ home town of Cambridge for refuge, to continue to pursue his private interests, primarily through painting.

[@italogiardina8183]

@@papercup2517 Performance art, dubbed as 'happenings' conceptually was the rage at that time, and so had been the use of folk medicines. So the claim is general, rather than about a person, or band. It is impossible to be certain, but as you say "it's quite possible", in any possible world, which was explored ad Infinitum.

[@papercup2517]

@@italogiardina8183 Indeed, I remember such happenings well, taking place (mostly, though not exclusively) in this physical world, and organised or participated in a few myself. The old 'herbal tobacco' (ie cannabis sativa, resin or leaves) was much used at that time and inspired quite a lot of creativity, while possibly limiting it in other ways, due to the lethargy it sometimes induced. I don't know about the other herbs you mention specifically, but people were interested in and always experimenting with or discussing such psycho-active substances and their possibilities, artistic or otherwise. :-)

[@rick4electric]

It's a riot how divided people are! But then again genius is often only recognized by another genius! If you can't enjoy something, just go back to the mainstream and copy everyone else!

[@finksinatra1575]

A kid in my school said, “You should name your band Fink Ployd.” Clever. Unreal.

[@jenmb2679]

I think every fan likes to hear the mistakes and outtakes of recording. It makes them seem like they are just regular people like the rest of us.

[@qpwoeiruty850]

His songs that didn't make the cut are quite better than the ones that did make the cut.

[@kookamunga2458]

Syd fell down the rabbit hole and I love early Pink Floyd .

[@angelprincess4414]

i am at a loss to explain the fascination with Syd and his contribution to Pink Floyd. He was on two albums, which get little play time on air. The great albums have no Syd songs. Coincidence? Yeah, Pink Floyd would be a very different band had he remained.

[@abocas]

I hav watched many videos about and with add Barrett and I am still waiting find out what the genius talk is all about ....

[@lindseygrisom9810]

It is like the 60s were sent out into the world through his music. Like early Pink Floyd took the energy and vibes and set it to music.

[@PinkFloydCollectors]

Forever missed..

[@newforestpixie5297]

When experiencing the joys & miseries of illegal highs in the very early 80s , it was a wonderful surprise when See Emily Play cascaded out of a chums’ stereo because I’d not heard the tune since it’s time in the charts & out of teenage sisters’ radio when I was 3 or 4 when obviously not knowing or caring whom had created such music. It didn’t get played on bbc radio 1 or on iLR in the 70s. 🐢❤️😁And Golden Hair was covered by ‘ shoegaze’ artists Slowdive in the early 90s and is wonderful . I haven’t heard Syds’ original yet.

[@MrKelleyzinho]

I’m not sure why the commentators made such a big deal about “The Madcap Laughs” being unlike anything else at the time because it was stripped down, lo Fi, unpolished, and “real.” In fact, wasn’t it right on trend in the late 60s music scene? The parallels with Dylan’s Basement Tapes, the Beatles “Get Back” sessions, and any other of the countless bands going rural is obvious. Plus the whole emergence of the acoustic singer-songwriter, which was really just a resurgence of “folk honesty.” Barrett was a Freak Folk pioneer.

[@lxlx3458]

Thank you for sharing with us!

[@raulmacias6146]

Quote by JERRY SHIRLEY ~ "He [Barrett] gave the impression he knew something you didn't."

[@kima3565]

Pink Floyd's music was brilliant. Just wish they would have kept in touch with Syd through the years, acknowledged his genius more and worked to help Syd come to terms with whatever haunted him rather than giving him free reign to fall down the rabbit hole

[@rdeye-rb1pe]

I love how syd slammed the binson echo system at the end of bike that's how he got the loud rumble my amp has a huge dual reverb inside and if I want thunder or a wild sound I just lift it off my kitchenn floor very little have my volume and overdrive up and drop and drop it it's awesome 👍 also the only group and artist that I can say if I'm down in the studio I go to his records