Whenever you think of Roger “Syd” Barrett, a certain repartee of words come to mind. Words such as “Genius”, “tortured soul”, “loner”, “gifted”, “lost boy”, “eccentric”, “stunning”, “unique”, “funny”, “misunderstood”, “delightful”, “casualty of fame” , “LSD misuser”, “extraordinary” , “lovable”, “vulnerable”, “magnetic” roll off the tongue. You see, our Syd was special. Not only was he an extremely talented singer-songwriter, visceral artist and charismatic front-man, he was the catalyst for so many things.
Not only did he influence Paul McCartney, Pete Townshend, Blur, Kevin Ayers, Gong, Marc Bolan, Tangerine Dream, Julian Cope and David Bowie, but he influenced Televison Personalities’ Dan Treacy, to the point where he wrote a tune “I know where Syd Barrett Lives”. Moreover, it was Treacy’s love for Syd, which influenced his music, that caught Alan McGee’s eye, which resulted him in setting up Creation Records with Joe Foster and Dick Green, which changed the British musical landscape forever, releasing a high calibre of Indie rock, shoegazing, post-punk experimental music, including a cover of Barrett’s Vegetable man by The Jesus and Mary Chain.
SOURCE: http://www.mancreview.com/2018/06/syd-barrett-the-godfather-of-psychedelica/