7. Syd Barrett
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEr6w7P44Nk Were it not for Syd Barretts mental illness and adoration for mind-bending drugs, Pink Floyd could have really been something. Maybe thats a statement a little too contrary but it is fair to say that without Syd, the Floyd lost something akin to a shamanistic visionary. You only need to hear Arnold Layne and See Emily Play to understand this; two hallucinogenic hymns in full possession of a Carrollian persuasion, bending English eccentricity into something curiouser and curiouser. Sadly, the schizophrenic Saucerful of Secrets cut, Jugband Blues, was to be Barretts final contribution to his beloved band, before his erratic and unreliable behaviour led to his ostracising. The Madcap Laughs, Barretts debut, is the work that best snapshots the fractured psyche of the estranged Floyd front man. Awhirl with hypnotic rhythms, dark poetry and a bucketful of bum notes, the albums lo-fi and ragged nature made it sound as if it were rush-recorded in the bare living room that graces its cover. Assisted by his frustrated ex-band mates, recording proved difficult, the improvised feel of the record symptomatic of Syds squandered talent. Following up this collection with self-titled final solo album, Barrett, later in 1970, the madcap libertine submitted himself to seclusion from the worlds prying eyes until his death in 2006. A tragic tale.
Worth the (solo) effort? At times painful to listen to, Barretts solo recordings present a tender poet who had lost his mind in an uncompromising pleasure pursuit. Record company exploitation or an unstable man's last hurrah? You decide.