Pynchon

I did intend to do this last night, but I developed a headache, and once the lights started going off in front of my eyes, I figured that going onto the computer was not the best of ideas.

Still... I am here now. And I had time to think of what I wanted to write.



Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac have always been linked together in my mind. Not musically, because they were very different, but because they shared a similar situation. Both bands had early success, lead by charismatic singer/songwriter/guitarist's. Both bands lost their leaders' due to the influence of drugs and/or mental illness, although it is arguable that their intense drug use only aggravated mental instability already existing in those guys. Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac went onto massive success without their original leaders.

Peter Green made sporadic recordings in the 70's and 80's and, I believe, made a proper comeback in the mid 90's with Peter Green & the Splinter Group. He plays. I don't know if he writes. Maybe one day I will get to see him. That would be interesting.

Syd Barrett never came back. There was nothing after the early 70's. He did not release new material in the mid to late 70's, the 80's, the 90's or the 00's. He did not tour. He did not play any festivals. He did not crack America. He did not make the cover of the N.M.E., Melody Maker or Rolling Stone, when promoting a new record, or be interviewed by Paul Gambacinni, Johnny Walker or Bob Harris. He did not appear on "The Old Grey Whistle Test". He did not face the challenge of the New Wave in 1976/77. He did not make videos. We did not see Barrett at "Live Aid" or "Live 8". He did not curate the Meltdown festival or oversee the remastering of "The Best Of Syd Barrett".

... And that makes me really sad, because he really was a great talent and did not have the career that he should have had. What are we left with? Those two great psychedelic pop singles "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play", that brilliant first Floyd album "The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn", a couple of interesting solo albums "The Madcap Laughs" and "Barrett" and bootlegs.

There could have been more.

If Syd had stayed with the Floyd? Maybe Roger Waters would never have started writing seriously and "Dark Side Of The Moon", "Wish You Were Here" and "The Wall" would never have happened? There might have been great records, but not those great records. Would we have even have heard of Dave Gilmour? The Floyd might never have hired him. Maybe Syd would have gotten his way and hired backing musicians, female singers and saxophone players? He apparently wanted to do that.

If Syd had made a success of a solo career? Maybe he would have become David Bowie? Changing and altering and never making the same record twice. I have read in many an obituary that Syd got bored quickly. Maybe there would have been a rivalry between the Floyd and Syd throughout the 70's. They kicked him out of his own band. He might have had something to say about that.

If Syd had had success with a new band? He formed a short lived outfit called Stars with Twink, from the Pink Fairies, and somebody called Jack Monck. What might they have come up with? Perhaps they would have competed with the progressive crowd? The Floyd, Jethro Tull, Genesis, et al?

Ah... Speculation... Serves no purpose, does it?

RIP Syd. I liked you a lot.