Lost in the Woods: Syd Barrett and the Pink Floyd

by Julian Palacios

Soon after creating the experimental pop group, Pink Floyd, in 1966, Syd Barrett took to using hallucinogenic drugs, which led to schizophrenia. He has now abandoned his past. Through interviews with Barrett's family and friends, this book provides an account of the man and his illness.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction

344 pages, Paperback

First published June 19, 1998

Reviews

[Mark]

‘Lost in the Woods’ succeeds in its assessment of Syd Barrett’s musical legacy. Early Floyd and solo tracks are analysed in detail and certainly encouraged this reader to give them another listen with a fresh appreciation of just how groundbreaking his creative approaches to playing and writing were. The biography is less successful in painting a clear picture of the man behind the myth. Friends and acquaintances of Syd don’t seem to know him intimately even at the height of his powers and his mental collapse seems to elongate their distance from him. It’s easy to romanticise Syd and speculate about what he might have achieved had his star burnt for longer, but Palacios shuns that perception and focuses instead on the personal cost of his breakdown.

[Esther]

Picked up during a recent trip secondhand and read a lot on the plane home. I'm a big Floyd fan, have been since my teenage years, but not read anything about them in ages. To be honest much as a I like the music, I don't think a survey of post-Syd Floyd would be a book that would interest me much. But the story of Syd: that brilliant weird unique genius and his retreat is fascinating. Its also a really a great book for painting the scene of mid to late 60s underground London.

[Richard]

I've previously read Watkinson and Anderson's "Crazy Diamond" and Rob Chapman's "A Very Irregular Head," both creditable Barrett bios. This one is stronger on recreating the psychedelic era and goes into more detail about Syd's individual songs. It also redirects the focus from Barrett's lost years onto when he was an innovative and influential songwriter and guitarist.

[Crowey]

A compelling biography of Syd Barrett, that is very sensitive to his breakdown. The book was clearly written by a fan, but one that tried to give us an understanding of Syd, the times (especially with respect to Syd's peers relationship with/to drugs - especially LSD), and his breakdown. We are left better understanding Syd's genius, and little about his breakdown - we are not fully sure, because clearly the author is not sure whether Syd's breakdown was exclusively the result of LSD and/or an inherent condition that was exacerbated by LSD. Extensive research with his nearest friends leaves one no more sure, and since he wasn't saying (he was institutionalised at least once, so he may have been clinically diagnosed ... or not), we are left to draw our own conclusions. What the author leaves us with is an understanding of what a loss to music Syd's breakdown was (he was essentially finished by 21-23!), and, although moot with his passing, that his fans should leave him alone to live his life free from the past (which he finds too traumatic).

[C]

This book goes very in depth with the life of Syd Barrett and talks to many people who knew him. Of course no one knows completely what was going on his head but that should go without saying. I think my only annoyance factor with this book is the fact that it bullshits so much about "The British Underground" which for the most part, I don't really care about. It's also a bit of a depressing book and not something to read if your already down. (At least for me) But if you're interested in Syd Barrett and want a lot of information. Grab this damn book.

[Nate]

Very good rock bio of a personal favorite rocker/madman.

[Joshua Nomen-Mutatio]

Listening to The Mad Cap Laughs (first solo record of Barrett's) basically "changed my life."

[Bob Breckwoldt]

Written before Syd's death but still an exhaustive account of his life and times. A great read for fans and those who have only a cursory knowledge.

[Shona]

Well researched with facts from people who were in his life at the time make this the best book I've read about Syd Barrett.

[Ben Silver]

It's Pink f'ing Floyd! How can you go wrong?