Did Floyd make the right decision about Barrett?

If Syd had remained with the band, and they were determined to only play music with him, then they would have folded very quickly. Even tracks like `Vegetable Man' and `Scream They Last Scream', which are still cool psych tracks, are pretty incoherent, messy and unfocused, so it seems the well of mixing psychedelic with a cool melodic pop tune like `Lucifer Sam', `See Emily Play' and `Arnold Layne' etc had already started to run a little dry.

Sticking with Syd, they'd be not much more than a brief interesting footnote from the psychedelic era only.

Aussie-Byrd-Brother wrote: If Syd had remained with the band, and they were determined to only play music with him, then they would have folded very quickly. Even tracks like `Vegetable Man' and `Scream They Last Scream', which are still cool psych tracks, are pretty incoherent, messy and unfocused, so it seems the well of mixing psychedelic with a cool melodic pop tune like `Lucifer Sam', `See Emily Play' and `Arnold Layne' etc had already started to run a little dry. Sticking with Syd, they'd be not much more than a brief interesting footnote from the psychedelic era only.

The record label and  / or Syd Barrett`s managers tried to record a third solo studio album from him in 1974. It was not possible. He could not function as a musician again. In fact, his previous  two solo albums ("The Madcap Laughs" and "Barrett") were very hard to record (as David Gilmour, Roger Waters and Rick Wright said). Also, in his last days with the band he could not function as a musician. That was the reason Gilmour was asked to join the band. I think that the band took the right decision to survive as a band. And I think that the band became a better band without him. I don`t think that Barrett was asked to join the band in 1975 or that he asked to rejoin the band. 

Edited by Guillermo - April 08 2015 at 22:56

This reminds me that Roky Erickson's been dealing with very similar issues relating to mental health and substance abuse as Syd Barrett but is not only still alive, he's been recording and touring on a semi-regular basis since the mid-1970s to the point the 13th Floor Elevators re-united recently. I'm not sure exactly how he's managed that, but with Erickson's story in mind it sounds like the "what if?" story in the OP isn't that far fetched.


Edited by Toaster Mantis - April 09 2015 at 03:44

Aussie-Byrd-Brother wrote: If Syd had remained with the band, and they were determined to only play music with him, then they would have folded very quickly. Even tracks like `Vegetable Man' and `Scream They Last Scream', which are still cool psych tracks, are pretty incoherent, messy and unfocused, so it seems the well of mixing psychedelic with a cool melodic pop tune like `Lucifer Sam', `See Emily Play' and `Arnold Layne' etc had already started to run a little dry. Sticking with Syd, they'd be not much more than a brief interesting footnote from the psychedelic era only.

Edited by Dean - April 09 2015 at 05:26

I've never heard a member of Floyd say Syd asked to re-join..

I've heard numerous accounts of Barrets visit to Abbey Road, and this was never mentioned.

I agree with WeepingElf. Barrets Floyd would have had a short shelf life. That line up was very much of it's time. IMHO.

Toaster Mantis wrote: This reminds me that Roky Erickson's been dealing with very similar issues relating to mental health and substance abuse as Syd Barrett but is not only still alive, he's been recording and touring on a semi-regular basis since the mid-1970s to the point the 13th Floor Elevators re-united recently. I'm not sure exactly how he's managed that, but with Erickson's story in mind it sounds like the "what if?" story in the OP isn't that far fetched.

Erickson's "recovery" is indeed a mystery as he's not on any medications a present. At least according to his bio pic from 2007, and updated in 2010, titled You're Gonna Miss Me.

Unfortunately I've been in the position a few times where one member of the band is preventing the rest of the band from functioning. From what I've read, this was the case with Syd and the rest of Floyd so they had little choice if they wanted to keep PF going. Having said that, I've read that they just "forgot" to collect him on the way to a gig one night so, with the benefit of hindsight, they probably could have handled it better.

I remember reading something about David Gilmour in the control room, listening back to the W.Y.W.H. recording, and then saying..."Let's hear it again' and then Barrett said..."Why?..You've already heard it once"