Why was Syd Barrett a Genius???!

He did do "Wish you were here"

Syd Barret was an innovator, a relic of his time, without him Pink Floyd would have never been what they are today.  He had profound influence upon the band's future output, even though he departed the band after their first album.  (he might have appeared on "Jugband Blues" on Saucerful of Secrets not sure though). 

Edited by The Lost Chord - July 12 2006 at 01:21

i dont want to start an argument its a personal belief im sorry!

An excellent question TLC and about time it was asked in my opinion.

I believe the Syd Barrett legacy far too thin to enable anyone to form an opinion on this objectively. Therefore it all comes down to how each individual regards what Syd created and indeed, what he has now left behind.

True - I like his compositions on Piper, Madcap, Barrett and Opel. But, many of his songs are quirky, verging on the banal, his guitar work was extremely limited and he relied more on the support of others rather than his individual technique to arrive at the sound many love on his work. He might have turned out to be a genius - who knows? But it is my opinion that Syd "died" many years ago and the romance, mysticism and legend borne by rumour, speculation and of course, "Wish You Were Here", has simply added to the myth that his prowess was far beyond anything I have heard on record in support of popular opinion.

Without Syd, Floyd would not have evolved into what they are now. But it was more due to his lack of creativity, rather than his capability that Floyd became one of the biggest bands on the planet. His looks defined him as a natural frontman - but little else did so - ironic therefore, that at their peak, Floyd reigned supreme without one.

The word genius, is regularly used where it should not be. That he was at the forefront of the underground culture - one where it was the 'scene' that was prevalent and not simply the music - speaks volumes. Long, drawn out improvisations based around sound effects and atonal, unstructured music, heard in isolation, is very difficult to listen too, unless supported by the psychedelic backdrops, primitive videos and of course, the drug-induced trips of the time. Syd wasn't responsible for all of that, merely part of it. And unfortunately, it eventually destroyed what little creative confidence he had.

Zappa was a genius in my opinion. He has the legacy to back up the claim whether one enjoys his music or not. I love some but not all. But there is no denying he left behind a vast repository of diverse musical creativity and his talent in both composition and execution are there for everyone to admire.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Syd. Not a popular opinion judging by this thread, but an honest and realistic one.

RIP Syd.




Edited by Baggiesfaninuk - July 12 2006 at 01:48

some personal points on the subject:

1.Syd was not a genius..
2.it doesn't matter what age he died at, tottaly irrelevant...
3.there are greater music talents out there, that's for sure...
4.no one, i mean NO ONE can ever guess how Floyd would be if he didn't leave the band...my humble opinion is that he would drag the rest down with him and Roger wouldn't have the space to conceive the brilliant music of WYWH, DSOTM, the Wall and Animals.. lets face it, the guy was a different kind of song writer...
5.Syd was a bohemian, drug addict, mediocre player. This doesn't add up to a genius...
6.by the time Floyd released PATGOD, Britain's psychedelic rock scene was already very active.. he was not as influential as you think...
7.boy, if i were stoned all the time too, hell, i could put a few words together and impress you...

toolis wrote: some personal points on the subject: 1.Syd was not a genius.. 2.it doesn't matter what age he died at, tottaly irrelevant... 3.there are greater music talents out there, that's for sure... 4.no one, i mean NO ONE can ever guess how Floyd would be if he didn't leave the band...my humble opinion is that he would drag the rest down with him and Roger wouldn't have the space to conceive the brilliant music of WYWH, DSOTM, the Wall and Animals.. lets face it, the guy was a different kind of song writer... 5.Syd was a bohemian, drug addict, mediocre player. This doesn't add up to a genius... 6.by the time Floyd released PATGOD, Britain's psychedelic rock scene was already very active.. he was not as influential as you think... 7.boy, if i were stoned all the time too, hell, i could put a few words together and impress you...

Well said! I agree with every word.

You guys are a bunch of jerks. :( I bet somebody would complain if I went and made fun of Jon Anderson the day after his death is announced, but when it's Syd the crazy man...

Edited by Ghandi 2 - July 12 2006 at 02:20

It's not about whether or not the person being discussed can read what is written; it's about having a sense of propriety.

Maybe I am reading your post the wrong way, but overall your post seems very harsh to me.

CaptainWafflos wrote: Syd Barrett was sixty years old. He didn't die young~ It's a hell of a lot better than people considering Kurt Cobain to be a musical genius, at least. Syd at least had an undeniable amount of musical talent.

Edited by Australian - July 12 2006 at 03:08