Long, long gone

Oh dear. I had three emails awaiting me Tuesday to tell me about the (not surprising, still very sad) death of the genius Syd Barrett.

In the arts, it's quality not quantity that makes legends. Syd Barrett's music career lasted only from 1966-71 (the sporadic and poorly executed live appearences between 72-74 not withstanding). He made only 1 1/2 albums and a few singles with Pink Floyd and 2 solo albums (with a 3rd album of outtakes released in the 80's).
However, he started and named Pink Floyd, set a course for them (melancholic/whimsical space rock) and continued to be a source of inspiration for their most memorable 70's/80's work.

I have to go along with the David Bowie quote that a good chunk of Floyd died when Syd left. Sure they experimented, but you always knew that David Gilmour's guitar solos were going to be perfect and the lyrics would make sense.

I was first introduced to Syd Barrett's music in 10th grade when a friend dubbed me a cassette of Piper at the Gates of Dawn. That spring I went to England on a class trip and while there bought Relics and Saucer Full of Secrets. They (along with XTC's Oranges and Lemons) were the steady soundtrack to the long bus rides through the countryside. An ideal was cast in my young brain. Life should be lush, green, trippy and full of animals.
The next year I was turned on to the Syd solo stuff when my sister brought them home on vinyl over xmas break. They (along with Pet Sounds and Nico's "Chelsea Girls") became the soundtrack to a desolate, introspective winter.
Driving alone at night at the age of 17 while the full moon followed me, reflecting off the ice particles on the hood, listening to Syd sing "Inside me I feel alone and unreal and the way you kiss will always be a very special thing to me" I understood the bridge between being a longing teen, a lost adult and a 100 year old recluse looking back on his life. (Nico singing "These Days" did the same). It created a comforting womb that I know now is a dangerously cozy place. Winter blues.

Reasons Syd Barrett was totally cool (and I'm not glorifying taking way too many drugs and becoming a burden to everyone in your life. I'm speaking art/fashion)


-Bowie credits him as the first pop star to wear eye liner. There are photos from 1968 where you can see where Marc Bolan and Robert Smith derived their looks from years later.

--invented glam with the eyeliner, crazy hair and a first single about a cross dresser

-listen to that chaotic rhythm guitar in Lucifer Sam. It's like a lightening storm.

-humor and sadness walk hand in hand at all times

-See Emily Play is one of the best singles ever

-No Syd Barrett=no Robyn Hitchcock

-he successfully translated his background as a painter into sound and words. "The crab on its side/she straddled the bridge by the water"

--showed up unannounced on the day Pink Floyd were recording their ode to him "Shine On Crazy Diamond". There's a photo someone took of him that day and it's sad and scary. He was fat and bald and shaved his eyebrows. No one recognized him.

Yet sometimes when listening to some of the solo stuff I wonder if I should feel guilty enjoying someone who is mentally ill. "Skeleton kiss toe steel rail" is text book "word salad", a symptom of schizophrenia.
All the while he was aware of his condition.

The 17 year old obsessive Syd fan in me wants to hear on the news that he secretly was recording on 4 track for the last 30 years, some of it is brilliant and they're going to release 3 volumes of it in 2007 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of "Arnold Layne", Pink Floyd's first single.

Sad, not surprising.
Someone on You Tube posted home video someone shot of Syd walking to the store to get a paper or mail a letter. It's pretty sad. It's recent.
If you watch that, also watch the old vids when he was young and handsome (and refused to lipsync on American Bandstand--see the Apples and Oranges vid)

Thanks for everything, Syd. I find it a huge compliment whenever someone notes your influence on my songwriting. Your songs are adventure. Not a planned course. You never know what's going to come around the courner or from under a rock.

Fave Syd tracks (solo and floyd)

See Emily Play
Lucifer Sam
Bike
Apples and Oranges
Astronomy Domine
Jugband Blues
Scream Thy Last Scream
No Man's Land
Octopus
Long Gone
Late Night
Baby Lemonade
Waving My Arms in the Air/I Never Lied to You
Dominoes
Wined and Dined