I think you want to know about Syd Barrett. I want you to too.

In outline, he was a member of Pink Floyd, the primary songwriter and creative genius in fact, just as they were breaking through to stardom and success, and at that point he stopped caring about either. The other members eased him out of the band because his attitude and behavior were making those lofty goals less possible.

He was losing It.

Maybe he was just going nuts.

Maybe he took too much acid, or couldn’t, or wouldn’t, handle fame.

Maybe he was autistic, schizophrenic, catatonic. Or sensitive, artistic, if you prefer.

His sister says he was never diagnosed with anything at all.

Everybody has an opinion.

I have one too, but I’m saving it for a future post.

Some of the opinions are famous ones. Shine On You Crazy Diamond is one of them. It’s purely about the Syd question from the point of view of his bandmates.

Listening to it with that in mind is enough for one day.