A Break In The Wall
With the blowing winds comes a recollection and a time to settle.
Not too long ago, and in a place very close to the heart, there existed a young artist who wrote an album that was recorded with a band, and that one-day, would be considered a great one.
The likelihood for his own popular success was very much expected and was, in large part, due to his talents with which existed a natural paradoxical ‘alienation’ from others. And soon, this ‘alienation’ became the perfect host for opposition- even tragically- by those nearest him.
For it was known that a riff between he and the band would eventually occur because of individual differences, and that it would be difficult to know the outcome of such a riff, but it must be said that it was indeed anticipated.
And surely enough, defiance would soon dictate his departure from the band- a departure made mandatory by the unruly nature and the state of conditions that were existent at the time.
The unpredictability of the artist was one that one might expect from youth: a challenging, somewhat humorous defiance that long not hesitated to act out against what might be expected - - a defiance much calibrated with youthful ignorance, and, exhibited by many people at some point in their respective lives – a kind of requiem for the imaginary voice of freedom.
And at that time around the departure from the band and leading up to this very moment many years later, people fell under the impression that he was such the unpredictable sort, as he was, that they unknowingly began to associate him with their greatest fears, fears that have given to many a name of torment. For his unrestrained curiosity to experiment even heavily at times with mind altering substances – eclipsed all other possibilities behind his unpredictability, and it was this very reasoning for which the band would give to explain his absence from the scene. And it was this exploitation for something factual - - which I am paying tribute to, because here in reality, it cannot pass for the truth.
And it is not known particularly why this young artist allowed for and eventually adopted the stereotype that he determined not to refute, but it is for certain that it became a further cause to his alienation and apparent physical deterioration throughout the course of the years.
The band wasted no sufferable duration of time in finding a like handsome replacement and of whom was by all accounts quite familiar and liked by the band -enough to help promote the debut album- and someone who proved to be a good creative collaborator from that point on and into the future. And in fact, they had already replaced the artist before he was told. Yet it must be said that, this creative collaboration though having contributed to the future successes of the band, was not the same kind of creative force as the newly departed artist... for the artist composed every lyrical piece except for one out of the nine lyrical compositions on the debut album- (a debut album that, to this day is heralded as one of the best debuts for any band.) And so, it was without question – a less threatening kind of force for the band -that would replace it's leader- and thus, a more suitable and pliable alternative in the workings of others.
In the respective time following the tragic unraveling, the band, as previously mentioned, did achieve remarkable success and even adopted the label of ‘psychedelic’ rock band, while the ‘crazy’ artist recorded only a few tracks before stopping altogether. Here it may be useful to note that of his various recordings, all would be marketed years into the future yet in the appearance of his prideful and youthfully handsome image.
While great tragedies will in someway become mythological over time, the more that this particular tragedy became popular, the more the band appeared to have regained what they had lost…
Every one that thought they knew a little about the original force in the band who had ‘lost his mind’ would carry forth the terms that were branded upon him – for adolescent crimes grow labels and names for the supposed benefit of others. Names like Schizophrenia, nuts, paranoid, catatonic and Asperger’s disease, but it is known to be that -to this day- he has not been prescribed any medication for his so-called ailments.
Yet, no more than a factual handful of people could be testament to the unspoken reality that had befallen our artist - - or the band for that matter - because not many people could understand the position that he found himself in -for good or for naught-. It has been said though of him, ‘the thing was that he tried to continue to experiment and change sounds, lyrics etc. without bowing to the pressures of commercialism…’
Likewise, no one but he would know the reasons why he hasn’t come forth publicly, in over 30 years, to dispel the myth and false accusations that followed his artistic name: Syd Barrett.
And not even did he break his silence to promote the second from latest album that the recording industry would put out, ‘Wouldn’t You Miss Me?’ from which I became familiar with his story, and which, I will add -was released to no fanfare in the U.S. on September 11, 2001.
///
Not too long ago, and in a place very close to the heart, there existed a young artist who wrote an album that was recorded with a band, and that one-day, would be considered a great one.
The likelihood for his own popular success was very much expected and was, in large part, due to his talents with which existed a natural paradoxical ‘alienation’ from others. And soon, this ‘alienation’ became the perfect host for opposition- even tragically- by those nearest him.
For it was known that a riff between he and the band would eventually occur because of individual differences, and that it would be difficult to know the outcome of such a riff, but it must be said that it was indeed anticipated.
And surely enough, defiance would soon dictate his departure from the band- a departure made mandatory by the unruly nature and the state of conditions that were existent at the time.
The unpredictability of the artist was one that one might expect from youth: a challenging, somewhat humorous defiance that long not hesitated to act out against what might be expected - - a defiance much calibrated with youthful ignorance, and, exhibited by many people at some point in their respective lives – a kind of requiem for the imaginary voice of freedom.
And at that time around the departure from the band and leading up to this very moment many years later, people fell under the impression that he was such the unpredictable sort, as he was, that they unknowingly began to associate him with their greatest fears, fears that have given to many a name of torment. For his unrestrained curiosity to experiment even heavily at times with mind altering substances – eclipsed all other possibilities behind his unpredictability, and it was this very reasoning for which the band would give to explain his absence from the scene. And it was this exploitation for something factual - - which I am paying tribute to, because here in reality, it cannot pass for the truth.
And it is not known particularly why this young artist allowed for and eventually adopted the stereotype that he determined not to refute, but it is for certain that it became a further cause to his alienation and apparent physical deterioration throughout the course of the years.
The band wasted no sufferable duration of time in finding a like handsome replacement and of whom was by all accounts quite familiar and liked by the band -enough to help promote the debut album- and someone who proved to be a good creative collaborator from that point on and into the future. And in fact, they had already replaced the artist before he was told. Yet it must be said that, this creative collaboration though having contributed to the future successes of the band, was not the same kind of creative force as the newly departed artist... for the artist composed every lyrical piece except for one out of the nine lyrical compositions on the debut album- (a debut album that, to this day is heralded as one of the best debuts for any band.) And so, it was without question – a less threatening kind of force for the band -that would replace it's leader- and thus, a more suitable and pliable alternative in the workings of others.
In the respective time following the tragic unraveling, the band, as previously mentioned, did achieve remarkable success and even adopted the label of ‘psychedelic’ rock band, while the ‘crazy’ artist recorded only a few tracks before stopping altogether. Here it may be useful to note that of his various recordings, all would be marketed years into the future yet in the appearance of his prideful and youthfully handsome image.
While great tragedies will in someway become mythological over time, the more that this particular tragedy became popular, the more the band appeared to have regained what they had lost…
Every one that thought they knew a little about the original force in the band who had ‘lost his mind’ would carry forth the terms that were branded upon him – for adolescent crimes grow labels and names for the supposed benefit of others. Names like Schizophrenia, nuts, paranoid, catatonic and Asperger’s disease, but it is known to be that -to this day- he has not been prescribed any medication for his so-called ailments.
Yet, no more than a factual handful of people could be testament to the unspoken reality that had befallen our artist - - or the band for that matter - because not many people could understand the position that he found himself in -for good or for naught-. It has been said though of him, ‘the thing was that he tried to continue to experiment and change sounds, lyrics etc. without bowing to the pressures of commercialism…’
Likewise, no one but he would know the reasons why he hasn’t come forth publicly, in over 30 years, to dispel the myth and false accusations that followed his artistic name: Syd Barrett.
And not even did he break his silence to promote the second from latest album that the recording industry would put out, ‘Wouldn’t You Miss Me?’ from which I became familiar with his story, and which, I will add -was released to no fanfare in the U.S. on September 11, 2001.
///
posted by jackdeluxe at 5:52 PM
0 comments
