Syd Barrett and Dark Side of the Moon

Does anyone else think that Syd Barrett was the main inspiration for Dark Side of the Moon? I'm working on a research about about Syd's demise and it's effect on Floyd's music, and the more I read the more I think that. Also want to know if there are any other big Pink Floyd fans out there. I've been a fan since I was..12? and they are the epitome of music to me.

 

Big Floyd Fan here!

And yes I do beleive Dark Side was influenced partly of not entirely by Syd. The Wall, too, if you think about it...and obviously Wish You Were Here.

 

Yeah, while doing research for my paper I went through a lot of interviews and Roger Waters said that Eclipse and Brain Damage in particular are about Syd. "The lunatic is on the grass" was inspired by Syd's tendency to walk on the grass at Cambridge University that had "keep off the grass" signs everywhere. And "Mother" is in reference to Syd's mom who was apparently very doting and overbearing. Also, the scene from the movie version where Pink shaves off all of his hair was something Syd actually did at one point.

 

Well I think there are tons of nods to Syd throughout their musical catalog. But I'm not sure I would go as far to say the entire album was influenced by him. I think the only album that would obviously take that title is WYWH.

The wall was originally inspired by a concert the band was having, and there was a net between the band and the fans and a fan was climbing the net and Roger spit in his face.

But yeah, I think a lot of Roger's writing found its way to several references to Syd.

 

Syd;s in there a bit, especially on brain damage, but Dark Side is more about life and pressures in the modern world

 

According to nick mason, dsom was originally about the pressures of modern life but roger waters turned it into a meditation on insanity.

and the concert that inspired the Wall was in 1977, and the fan wasn't climbing the net, he was just yelling the whole time and being rowdy and Roger spit on him because Roger's one of those musicians who doesn't appreciate audience participation. he thinks its their job to basically sit down, shutup, and take it in. its actually a pretty far cry from their early gigs at London's UFO club.

 

I had read that he was climbing his way up to the stage, but regardless I think that experience made Roger take a step back.