Books about Syd - recommendations?

[Mandi Apple]

Hi there, I'm a total newbie so if there's already a thread like this (I didn't spot one) then please feel free to delete it...

I've been a PF fan for many years now, but it's only recently that I've developed an interest in reading and learning more about Syd - he seems like a real enigma to me However, there are about 4357844578 books dedicated to him and I was just wondering if any of you knowledgeable folks could recommend some good titles to me? I almost bought a book the other day until I saw it got ripped to shreds here and I was glad I checked in first before forking over the cash...

Any help at all would be really well appreciated

[oldperfume]

Mandi Apple....welcome to our group! This is a great site & all of the people here are true Syd fans...This would be just one guy's opinion but the books on Syd I would reccomend would be the one by Tim(or is it Tom?!) Willis. It's kind of short but it debunks alot of the "Urban Legend" crap written about Syd.I think it's called "The half life of Syd Barrett". If you go online, you'll find it. Also Julian Palacios wrote "Lost in the Woods" which is longer & a little more in depth, but some of his facts aren't right. Overall, a great book with some good photos too.
"Google" Syd as well & you'll be able to find some old interviews he did (Not many though) & of course others' opinions on him, his music, guitar,etc,etc. Hope this helps!!

[Damn!t]

This is a great site

True.

& all of the people here are true Syd fans...

...bit less true.


I dont think theres good books only about Syd around.
You'll learn the most by reading either Masons inside out or Blakes pigs might fly.

[zag]

Check D. Parker´s book http://www.amazon.com/Random-Precision- ... 1901447251

[Keith Jordan]

Indeed, the Tim Willis one has been the best in my opinion as it cuts out all the crap and presents the story in a way you can believe happened. A great book, especially the hardback. Get a copy!

Tim Willis - The Half-life of Syd Barrett

[Floydian]

I've only read 'Crazy Diamond: Syd Barrett & The Dawn of Pink Floyd', but I thought it was great and plan on reading it again in the future. It seems well researched.
http://www.amazon.com/Syd-Barrett-Crazy ... 888&sr=1-1

[Mandi Apple]

Thank you all so much for all your brilliant recommends - I'll go bother Mr Amazon with my credit card in a mo' And thank you so much for your lovely welcome, oldperfume! This is truly an awesome site! I had just had to come out of lurkerdom and join in

[karmania]

You can always just write your own Syd Barrett book JUST MAKE IT UP AS YOU GO ALONG - Wouldn't be much more inaccurate than everything written so far.

[Mandi Apple]

Rightyho, I'll go bash something together about "mad old Rog", pretend I've done an interview with him before he passed away, and nick a whole bunch of low-res pics from the Internet, I'll make £££££

I noticed that there seems to be a new one coming out whilst I was forking over disproportionate wodges of cash at Amazon yesterday - anyone know anything about it? Syd Barrett: A Very Irregular Head by Rob Chapman... I dunno, I don't even like the title or the cover, so I don't hold out much hope of it being any good, but I thought I'd mention it in passing...

[moom]

& all of the people here are true Syd fans...

I'm a Syd obsessive, so come in

[zag]

From the official site:
"Rob Chapman's A Very Irregular Head, a new biography of Syd, promises to ring the changes in that it concentrates far more, and in greater detail, on Syd's formative influences than other tomes. The book's 400-plus pages spend a considerable amount of time dissecting the artistic (both literary and visual) inspirations for Syd's creative world.

We hope to be able to bring you an extract of the book in due course, courtesy of publishers Faber and Faber. In the meantime the book, available on 6th May 2010, can be pre-ordered from Amazon and other online retailers as well as Waterstone's and other High Street bookshops.

Rob Chapman is the former singer/lyricist with Bristol based avant-punksters Glaxo Babies, and moved through broadcasting into full-time music journalism in 1995 when he began contributing to Mojo, having written for a few fanzines, most notably early issues of Syd fanzine Terrapin. After eight years of writing for Mojo, including cover stories on Brian Jones, Keith Moon, Massive Attack, and Brian Wilson's Smile album, Rob moved to Uncut in 2003, returning to EMAP publishing house 2006 in time to write Syd's Mojo obituary. His other books are Selling The Sixties, a history of offshore pirate radio, The Vinyl Junkyard, an alternative history of record sleeves, and his debut novel, Dusk Music, published in 2008."

Ian Barrett: "Myself and other family members have been involved in it's creation and can assure you it will be WELL worth a read.
Rob has spent several years working on the book and has analysed his life from the perspective of what he created rather than what he MIGHT have done, or MIGHT have thought..."

Sounds good to me !