I was sticking around a lot of forums lately, and I noticed how on many of these, people were talking about Syd and bringing in their condoleances almost as much as on Pink Floyd boards. There is a huge thread about it on James LaBrie's forum, for example.

You wouldn't imagine insane metal fans to even think about Syd, but it seems he really did have an impact on a lot of people.

Yeah, I know. I can't believe how many people he touched that aren't Pink Floyd fans. Like Pete Doherty, you would never expect him to practically worship Syd Barrett.

Although I am obviously very upset at Syd's death, it does make me happy to see so many people appreciating what a great musical talent he is.

Shine on you Crazy Diamond.

yeah, lots of people have been really sad on the hard rock forums that i go on... quite surprising really

There was a thread about him on a Frank Zappa forum I'm on which was pretty shocking. But it does seem like he must have had a large impact on many people.

Certainly impacted me.

pinkfloydmadchris Wrote:Yeah, I know. I can't believe how many people he touched that aren't Pink Floyd fans. Like Pete Doherty, you would never expect him to practically worship Syd Barrett.

I think they are similar in some ways.

floydianyid Wrote:I think they are similar in some ways.

Seconded

I'm surprised to think that anyone's really shocked. I'm a very metal/rock person, and I don't come on here often but Syd is my idol, and I was completely devastated. The Floyd are also my favourite band. It's because he was such an amazing talent, and anyone who appreciates any kind of music would see that.

I am one of these people who has really diverse musical tastes and probably thousands of CDs, and I listen to anything from hardcore punk to tropical music to 60's music to Asia folk music. I honestly think that many PF fans have no idea how influencial Syd really was.

I mean, for example, one of my favorite kinds of music is 80's underground college radio music (back when "alternative" really literally meant something). Syd Barrett was like a god to people in that scene. And yes, he has quite a following among metal people too. He had a very short career, but his whole mentality, approach to songwriting and words and music just changed music permanently. I hear music all over the world that I don't think would have existed without Syd Barrett. I mean, I'm listening to my Osaka homegirls Afrirampo as I write, and the whole kind of cracked, melodic humor and guitar style that sounds like the person is practically playing off the top of his (her) head, yet totally in control... could this exist without Syd?

Syd created a whole mentality that will live forever. You can hear it in T-Rex and REM and Robyn Hitchcock and Sigur Ros, in the Boredoms and David Bowie and the Minus 5 and Alice Cooper and Voivod and Camper Van Beethoven and XTC and on and on and on forever. Wherever there are weird, cool bands playing, Syd Barrett will live.

I think the most ironic thing about Syd's music (think about this) is that he was just 19-20 years old when he wrote most of his lyrics. At 19 or 20 I was a moron; I mean that I had no clue to a lot of things & here he is writing & singing the way he did. When you think of it in these terms it blows your mind away. I mean , Lennon was what, 26 -27 years old when he did "A Day in the Life" & here's the Golden boy at 19 writing Lucifer Sam & Astronomy Domine. AMAZING!!
It usually takes time to build up to that. Seriously, what ELSE could he have done after Piper?? How do you top THAT??
Discuss!!!