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TODDLER 
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 Topic: Syd Barrett: Real Genius or Real Hype?
Posted: August 28 2015 at 09:49 |
 KingCrInuYasha wrote:
Seconded here. While most Syd fans probably got into his albums after reading how he went round the bend, there's the hipster part of his fanbase who elevate his work because of that and stopped judging his music based on its own merits. Then again, that can be said of any fanbase. |
Quite like ELP, Genesis, and Yes who I dislike and refuse to own their records. Lol! It's like Circus music and it does nothing for me..
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KingCrInuYasha
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Posted: August 27 2015 at 20:05 |
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Seconded here. While most Syd fans probably got into his albums after reading how he went round the bend, there's the hipster part of his fanbase who elevate his work because of that and stopped judging his music based on its own merits. Then again, that can be said of any fanbase.
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He looks at this world and wants it all... so he strikes, like Thunderball!
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SteveG
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Posted: August 27 2015 at 14:51 |
^  Took the words right out of my mouth.
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Dellinger
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Posted: August 27 2015 at 14:50 |
Guy_Debord_68 wrote:
You have to really get your head around Syds solo work. You have to remember the context it was recorded in and how his mind was working. Some of it is car crash listening but there are moments of clarity like 'Octopus', which is majorly great song writing and construction. 'No good trying' was lofi/grunge 20 years in advance and songs like 'Baby Lemonade' and 'Dominoes' are beautiful. If well polished muso prog is what you're after then Syd aint your man
That was never going to be hid shctick. The likes of 'Interstellar Overdrive' bore more resemblance to Velvet Underground and the avant garde than hippy dippy, glossy prog. |
The context in which an album was recorded may have some interesting value to it, and actually help me gain some apreciation towards the artist as a person. But in the end, what really makes me like or love an album is the music. It doesn't matter how hard it was for the artist to do it, or if his mind was already shattering and it meant a superhuman effort, if I don't like the music, then it's just interesting information, and I won't like the music anymore because of that. There are some songs I like from Barret's solo albums, but not enough to make me actually like those albums as a whole. Some of the songs I like better on Gilmour's cover versions. And in general, I like more what Syd did with Pink Floyd than what he did solo... and even more, I like better what Pink Floyd did without Syd than what they did with him.
Edited by Dellinger - August 27 2015 at 21:10
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TODDLER
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Posted: August 27 2015 at 13:18 |
SteveG wrote:
TODDLER wrote:
SteveG wrote:
No, now I'm calling you an extremist. Calm down or please move on. |
I am calm...it's a statement that you are reading into too much. |
Todd, I can only read and react to what the words say. My apologies and I hope there's no hard feelings. |
Not at all...no hard feelings.... 
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SteveG
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Posted: August 27 2015 at 10:37 |
TODDLER wrote:
SteveG wrote:
No, now I'm calling you an extremist. Calm down or please move on. |
I am calm...it's a statement that you are reading into too much. |
Todd, I can only read and react to what the words say. My apologies and I hope there's no hard feelings.
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SteveG
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Posted: August 27 2015 at 10:25 |
No sweat! I know you're just joshing. 
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TODDLER
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Posted: August 27 2015 at 08:17 |
Guy_Debord_68 wrote:
You have to really get your head around Syds solo work. You have to remember the context it was recorded in and how his mind was working. Some of it is car crash listening but there are moments of clarity like 'Octopus', which is majorly great song writing and construction. 'No good trying' was lofi/grunge 20 years in advance and songs like 'Baby Lemonade' and 'Dominoes' are beautiful. If well polished muso prog is what you're after then Syd aint your man
That was never going to be hid shctick. The likes of 'Interstellar Overdrive' bore more resemblance to Velvet Underground and the avant garde than hippy dippy, glossy prog. |
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Guy_Debord_68
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Posted: August 27 2015 at 04:55 |
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You have to really get your head around Syds solo work. You have to remember the context it was recorded in and how his mind was working. Some of it is car crash listening but there are moments of clarity like 'Octopus', which is majorly great song writing and construction. 'No good trying' was lofi/grunge 20 years in advance and songs like 'Baby Lemonade' and 'Dominoes' are beautiful. If well polished muso prog is what you're after then Syd aint your man
That was never going to be hid shctick. The likes of 'Interstellar Overdrive' bore more resemblance to Velvet Underground and the avant garde than hippy dippy, glossy prog.
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To every age its art. To every art its freedom.
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TODDLER
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Posted: August 26 2015 at 22:33 |
dr wu23 wrote:
SteveG wrote:
Todd, I knew plenty of acid heads circa '66-'67 that never listened to Timothy Leary and only knew him by reference from the Moody Blues' song Legend Of A Mind that came out in 1968. Acid use developed along with Leary, not because if him, despite the 'turn on, tune in, drop out' hype.
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That's correct from my point of view also and from accounts of the times. None of those who I knew who took acid back in the day at college ever brought up Leary's name. They took acid because friends did or they wanted simply to experience the high. I'm sure he did influence many people on the west coast to be involved in the acid culture but it was different in other parts of the country. btw for those who want to read an excellent overview of the origins of the whole culture and how it spread ( the CIA had a hand in it..) read Acid Dreams by Lee and Schlain. |
The east coast imitated the west coast. Absolutely imitated it and for the longest time it was vast. Cults, communes, music, drugs,...the whole nine yards. The Fillmore East, The Electric Factory, Carnegie Hall, you can't deny the history/influence of "Acid Rock" and the people who adapted all of it to their life. I always heard about Leary and Hoffman at many gatherings, but probably not quite as popular ..as it was on the west coast. I agree with that, but still???...many people on the east coast attended Woodstock, as the hippie movement was very extreme, So extreme, that narcotic officers posed in high school as students, police officers were on a 24 hour mission to search kids for drugs and the National Guard were called in to address protesting that often turned into riots in town or on the school grounds. I lived through all of that..because my sister was a hippie and basically subjected me to the vastness of that culture. Pretty extreme! Many of my friends were worried hat their lives would be cut short by being sent to Vietnam. We still had Richard Nixon to deal with and Watergate was just around the corner..Lol!
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TODDLER
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Posted: August 26 2015 at 22:03 |
SteveG wrote:
No, now I'm calling you an extremist. Calm down or please move on. |
I am calm...it's a statement that you are reading into too much.
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sublime220
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Posted: August 26 2015 at 20:03 |
Pastmaster wrote:
sublime220 wrote:
Pastmaster wrote:
SteveG wrote:
^Bike is brilliant. Definitely a song written on acid! |
'I have some LSD, you can have it if you like but I borrowed it.' |
'You're the kind of guy who doesn't appreciate psychedelia. I'll give you shrooms, some acid or any drugs if you want them.' |
I don't mind psychedelia, I just don't like Syd Barrett and Piper at the Gates of Dawn (Apart from Matilda Mother, I love that song)  |
I'm just messing with ya. You're a good guy, Past. Matilda Mother is my fave from Piper too. 
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There is no dark side in the moon, really... Matter of fact, it's all dark...
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Pastmaster
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Posted: August 26 2015 at 20:00 |
sublime220 wrote:
Pastmaster wrote:
SteveG wrote:
^Bike is brilliant. Definitely a song written on acid! |
'I have some LSD, you can have it if you like but I borrowed it.' |
'You're the kind of guy who doesn't appreciate psychedelia. I'll give you shrooms, some acid or any drugs if you want them.' |
I don't mind psychedelia, I just don't like Syd Barrett and Piper at the Gates of Dawn (Apart from Matilda Mother, I love that song)
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sublime220
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Posted: August 26 2015 at 19:52 |
Pastmaster wrote:
SteveG wrote:
^Bike is brilliant. Definitely a song written on acid! |
'I have some LSD, you can have it if you like but I borrowed it.' |
'You're the kind of guy who doesn't appreciate psychedelia. I'll give you shrooms, some acid or any drugs if you want them.'
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There is no dark side in the moon, really... Matter of fact, it's all dark...
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Pastmaster
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Joined: January 23 2015
Location: Spiderwood Farm
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Posted: August 26 2015 at 19:45 |
SteveG wrote:
^Bike is brilliant. Definitely a song written on acid! |
'I have some LSD, you can have it if you like but I borrowed it.'
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SteveG
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Posted: August 26 2015 at 18:32 |
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^Bike is brilliant. Definitely a song written on acid!
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This message was brought to you by a proud supporter of the Deep State.
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sublime220
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Posted: August 26 2015 at 17:30 |
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There is no dark side in the moon, really... Matter of fact, it's all dark...
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dr wu23
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Posted: August 26 2015 at 16:41 |
SteveG wrote:
Todd, I knew plenty of acid heads circa '66-'67 that never listened to Timothy Leary and only knew him by reference from the Moody Blues' song Legend Of A Mind that came out in 1968. Acid use developed along with Leary, not because if him, despite the 'turn on, tune in, drop out' hype.
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That's correct from my point of view also and from accounts of the times. None of those who I knew who took acid back in the day at college ever brought up Leary's name. They took acid because friends did or they wanted simply to experience the high. I'm sure he did influence many people on the west coast to be involved in the acid culture but it was different in other parts of the country. btw for those who want to read an excellent overview of the origins of the whole culture and how it spread ( the CIA had a hand in it..) read Acid Dreams by Lee and Schlain.
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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin
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SteveG
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Joined: April 11 2014
Location: Kyiv In Spirit
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Posted: August 26 2015 at 12:13 |
Most songwriters, contrary to popular opinion, write most of their songs or have significant sections down when they first start out. Usually when they're just kids. Syd seems to lack this quality and I've often wondered if he shot his load with Piper and the two early singles, as his solo output is a joke.
Edited by SteveG - August 26 2015 at 12:16
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Floydoid
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Posted: August 26 2015 at 11:24 |
Komandant Shamal wrote:
Dellinger wrote:
I think Gilmour was much more talented, and I don't think Floyd would have reached the heights they did with Syd instead. |
Exactly my thoughts. |
Totally agree - had Syd stayed as part of the band, and hence Gilmour
never being invited to join, they'd have disintegrated by 1969 and would
have been relegated to a footnote in rock/pop history.
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Syd Barrett: Real Genius or Real Hype?
