Happy Birthday, Syd

Today we honor the memory of one of rock’n’roll’s dearly departed, greatest of wacky gentlemen, Mr. Syd Barrett. These days he exists in the legend category of musicians, a status attained by many by virtue of not only their reputation for mentally residing on another planet but also their incredible talents.

Personal imbalance aside, Syd was a talent, both in the early days of Pink Floyd and in his own right. The Madcap Laughs is a great encapsulation of what great music instability can create, and can be found the world over in the record collections of the hipper-than-thou. As with many bands of his generation, Syd and early Floyd paved the way for dozens of bands, inspiring creativity and far-outness.

In honor of the life of Syd Barrett, here’s some music by, and inspired by, the man himself.

mp3: Late Night (Syd Barrett from the album The Madcap Laughs)

mp3: My Man Syd (The Brian Jonestown Massacre from the album Take It From the Man!)

mp3: I Know Where Syd Barrett Lives (Television Personalities from the album And Don’t the Kids Just Love It)