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The Pink Floyd and No one really knows what made Syd Barrett go nutters. It is well documented that he consumed massive amounts of drugs, any kind that he could get his hands on, with a preference for LSD and Mandrax (the British equivalent of Quaalude). The singer, songwriter and guitarist founded Pink Floyd in 1965 only to go on to become the classic definition of “burnout” by 1968. As the title of this film indicates, this is Syd’s story. A sad tale recounted by the other members of Pink Floyd, including original member Bob Klose. Interview segments reveal the embarrassment that Barrett caused the band on tour, the drug intervention attempts that he always thwarted and that ultimate moment in 1968 when Pink Floyd fired him by leaving on tour without picking him up. The movie gives the sense that it all would have been okay if Barrett had just been another rocker with a taste for excess. The movie gives the sense that it would have been okay, somehow, if Barrett had overdosed and died. Instead, Barrett sits an invalid in his hometown of Cambridge, England. And a feeling of loss still looks for closure in the hearts of those who knew him. Adding to the sadness is the fact that Barrett was aware of what was happening to him. He wrote the song “Vegetable Man” about himself. Although Barrett only appeared on Pink Floyd’s first album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, his descent into lunacy was ironically the catalyst for the band to vault into superstardom. Wish You Were Here and the song “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” are about Barrett. The main character in the band’s opus, The Wall, is based on Barrett. The very nature of this film makes it hard to take, but it should be requisite viewing for any Pink Floyd fan or student of rock’n’roll. – Kevin Wierzbicki |
