Madcap: The Half-Life of Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd's Lost Genius

by Tim Willis

Beautiful, charismatic, and talented, in 1966 Syd Barrett invented the British Psychedelic scene—founding Pink Floyd—before collapsing into madness two years later. This book traces the history of rock's lost genius, through exclusive access to those closest to Syd throughout his life.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

Published March 1, 2003

Reviews

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not a huge Barrett fan, but there are a handful of songs I really love. I suppose the first time I was aware of him was hearing ‘Terrapin’ on the Picnic sampler album, back in 1971ish. ‘Cuz we’re the fishes and all we do..’ – so lovely. Then there’s the Floyd singles See Emily Play and Arnold Layne which were all Barrett, but of his solo albums I liked – still do, very much – only Dominoes, Octopus and Wined and Dined (called wan and wasted here, which is what I like about it). Of course there’s the intriguing life story, stardom followed by isolation in Cambridge, the rumours of madness, the growing fat and bald, showing up at the Abbey studios when Floyd were making their tribute (to him) album, Wish You Were Here, and in particular recording the track ‘Shine on You Crazy Diamond’ about him, and no one recognising him. My interest in him piqued a bit when I read The Gift by David Flusfeder, which has someone attempt to kidnap Barrett from Cambridge and present him as a gift to his wife’s gay friends, but not enough to make me read about him. But then, last week in the Guardian this book was mentioned as a good one, and it was in the library (albeit falling apart with the photos sellotaped back in in the wrong order and some missing). Anyway a good, quick read which (probably) tells the truth about his life and dispels some rumours: he may not be the great acid casualty people think. Could have done with a proper index though.

[Gerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to rate a biography such as this because you're not really rating a story nor the quality of writing, more the content and in this 'half life' biography of Syd Barrett, he comes over not as the misunderstood, drug taking genius and pop icon the press like to depict him as but more as a sad human being with multiple mental disorders, no doubt not helped by his excessive drug use, stress and ridiculously busy schedule at the beck and call of the music industry back in the mid sixties.

All in all it left me feeling sad that there was no one really to look after him and guide him through life at the time although I'm not sure it would have made any difference as he was already of a frail kind of mind, seemingly quite child like, but equally headstrong so maybe it's foolish to think things might have turned out differently for him.

Still, it lays him quite bare and for a few years of stardom and a handful of unforgettable songs, he spent the rest of his life in semi recluse at his parental home in a sort of mental stupor, with his life seemingly being regularly disturbed by members of the press (such as the author) and his adoring fans.

A sad book and not one I'd recommend although I will credit the author with probably writing the most likely and reliable account of Syd's life among dozens of other less well researched and fictitious versions of the same.

[Desiree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite being rife with British slang (exactly how many meanings does the verb "chucked" have?) and poorly edited for typos ("Rover" for "Roger" and lots of missing spaces, etc.), this was an excellent little book which attempts to debunk some of the Syd stories and explain the how and why of exactly what happened (which was not, incidentally, that he just "went nuts.")
It reads a bit like a thesis or other student paper. I wished many times there were more explanation (especially, again, for UK-specific jargon and references to historic things such as different social groups in London in the 60s, etc.), but I felt like I learned a lot.

[David Lai · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've never been particularly taken with the early Pink Floyd records, but like everyone I was aware of the reverence in which Syd Barrett is widely held, and of his reputation as a genius who was tragically destroyed by the psychedelic drugs which inspired his music. This book, however, well written though it is, neither vindicates the claim (not his own) to genius nor clarifies the causes of his mental problems.

Roger "Syd" Barrett was born in 1946 into an incestuous Cambridge world of academic families which became a "scene" as the children grew up. He was a bright middle-class boy with a talent for drawing and a propensity, even at an early age, for eccentric behaviour. His musical and artistic efforts led to meteoric success in the mid-60s, and an enduring personality cult. However, his performing and recording career was short, finished by early 1972. His bizarre behaviour over the decades has been attributed to drug abuse by some, though this has been consistently questioned or denied by people close to him.

This book mainly consists of a 122-page narrative sandwiched between the two parts of an account of the author's brief door-stepping of an aged and uninterested Barrett at his (Barrett's) Cambridge home. There is a wealth of detail and questionable anecdotes, and, at least at first, a confusion of walk-on characters. The story is broken into sections, but remains pretty formless, and there is a persistent lack of authority in the numerous but usually very brief quotes.

Syd Barrett was a successful professional musician for about seven years, and then did nothing of note for the remaining thirty-four years of his life, living with his mum and never needing to get a job. He's still an enigma.

[Stefan Hague · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read, eradicates the beliefs that drugs were solely his downfall (even though it didn't exactly help). Good to read about an artist who has become so influential to artists of the punk era and beyond. Had its dark sides too, in particular his treatment of his girlfriend didn't sit well.

[Anton Kroogozor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Не сравнивал с другими биографиями, читал где-то в 2005-2006, и на тот момент казалась вполне информативной. Сейчас - уже после смерти Сида - должно быть что-то поинтереснее.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just more Pink Floyd.

[Canice Kenealy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Which part of the Barrett family's request for privacy did the author not understand?

[Alexander McStan 82 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent biography of one of the tragic figures of British psychedelica