Syd Barrett

IN COMMON with Brian Wilson, Captain Beefheart and Phil Spector, Syd Barrett is a musician whose work is often overshadowed by the myths that surround his personal life. Though this has elevated Barrett's status as one of rock's most enigmatic figures, it means that the erratic genius of his music often takes second place to a seemingly never-ending string of tales documenting his eccentric behaviour. But though interest in Barrett has always been keen, 1988 has been earmarked by fans as the year which will at last deliver some of his long-lost recordings. This promise has already been partially fulfilled with the released of Syd's 1970 Top Gear radio session of Strange Fruit Records; the much promised EMI album of unissued studio material is still in the pipeline