Well, I was raised on Sixties pop, rock, beat, prog, psych or whatever we now subdivide & call it…….and the ‘Floyd of ‘Piper at the Gates’ and ‘Saucerful’ WAS a different animal to what came after Barrett’s ousting…….not hard to see why when you consider that (1) any music to greater or lesser degree reflects the times it’s created in (Love, Peace & Freedom DID suffer a sort of post-coital depression after 1970 or thereabouts), & (2) when a band finds a successful formula after years of striving, there’s a huge temptation to re-create ‘within the box’ rather than risk failure through adherence to some provenly unbankable esoteric artistic vision, so to speak.

With Barrett out of sight and out of mind, the colour, creativity, risk and chaos all pretty much went with him….(not hugely different, actually, – in terms of the ushering in of a more ordered, structured, businesslike approach that lessened the likelihood of any spontaneous ‘high’ – to Wyatt’s departure from Soft Machine) …..although not immediately, it must be said. I bought the albums after ‘Saucerful’ in hope and stayed a fan up to about their fourth or fifth, before finally abandoning them.

A Wikipedia contributor cites Roger Waters as saying the failure of PF’s 3rd single – “Apples & Oranges” – the first of theirs to fail to chart in the UK – was down to poor production values not of his liking………..

This, for me, is maybe the crux of it all, because ‘Apples’ for me is just about my favourite single of all time! Huge, chaotic, wall-to-wall ‘garage-y’ guitar, trademark ‘Floyd atmospheric sounds, brilliantly ‘English’ Barrett-y vocals complete with a few weird psyched out-duck noises, the whole thing an absolute and utter gem….

…but a hit on ‘Top Of The Pops’ ? – never in an infinity of parallel universes!

Although it’s a widely known fact that I’m never wrong, I take your points on board. Even so, I think the earlier incarnation crackled with an energy that seemed to have fizzled out once the 70s were well under way. Maybe it’s just a symptom of how they’d matured musically, but things became a little too “pipe and slippers” in places for my liking.

I suppose the vast amounts of money involved – leading to the bitterness you mentioned – coloured things too, making it a case of only having to turn up to collect a fat paycheque.

Always meant to read Nick Mason’s book but never got around to it. I’ve shuffled it nearer to the top of my “to read” list on your recommendation.

A couple of points to make:

1. This is really one of those issues (something like was the ball over the line, or not) that can only properly be discussed in the pub with plenty of lubrication.

2. You’re wrong.

Well, you’re wrong about which Pink Floyd is the greater. I do happen to agree that Wish You were here is their best record. However, its not the music that really makes the difference (odd as that may sound) – its the themes.

Waters took the opportunity to explore his ideas and feelings about life through music and lyrics. I mean just look at the titles on DSoM – Time, Money for a start. As a kid i spent many hours in my suburban bedroom listening to what was NEW music – when the albums have become such a huge part of rock culture its easy to forget that they were once unknown and unheard. For me and many others (HFoS included, i would hazard a guess), Floyd’s work had a transformative effect.

On the downside, I can remember seeing an interview with Waters in the 1980’s around the time of the Berlin Wall gig. He was wearing a tie. I was so disappointed. And, perhaps slightly more important, its such a shame that they had all the bitterness etc. Nick Mason’s book is a depressing read (albeit a well written and fascinating one)

Needless to say, they’re not as good as Yes.

Thanks for a fun article HFoS.