While Pink Floyd never quite achieved the top-tier success that other British Invasion bands like the Beatles and Stones did, it certainly comes in at the very head of the "second tier" bands, with tens of millions of albums and singles sold over its decades-long career. Probably best known to American audiences for "Dark Side of the Moon" and its rock opera "The Wall" (whose lead character is based on Barrett, portrayed in the film version by Bob Geldof), Pink Floyd stood at the forefront of the nascent psychedelic movement that started to flourish in Britain circa 1964-65. By the time Pink Floyd was signed to EMI and recording (at Abbey Road, where the Beatles, then working on "Sgt. Pepper," dropped in to listen), they were generally acknowledged as the most innovative band since John, Paul, George and Ringo had taken the world by storm.

Their ostensible leader was the enigmatic Syd Barrett, whose songs "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play" became Floyd's first two singles. When one considers that "Arnold Layne" is about a gentleman who steals women's underwear, the extent to which Barrett was already pushing societal norms can't be underestimated.

Almost simultaneously with the band's success, however, came Barrett's increasingly erratic behavior, which some lay at the feet of his near-constant use of hallucinogenics and lesser drugs like marijuana. Others on this documentary say the schizophrenic seeds were sown long before his drug use, and that the drugs only exacerbated his situation. Still others claim he wasn't quite as crazy as he "pretended" (their take), and that he sought more than anything to shock people with his behavior.

And shocking it was--frequently refusing to play at live concerts, leaving a strange concoction on his head that melted down his face under the hot glare of a stage's lights, and, most hilariously, staring blankly at Pat Boone on Boone's show as "Mr. Clean" repeatedly attempted to get even one word answers from him during a segment on his show. Soon the members of Pink Floyd realized they simply couldn't work with Barrett any longer, at least not live, and Barrett's childhood friend David Gilmour was brought in to replace him.

While no ultimate answers are given in this piece (because, like Farmer, perhaps none are really available), this is an absolutely exhaustive and excellently researched documentary giving an in-depth history of both Barrett and the band he helped found. Featuring copious interviews with just about everybody associated with the band (including many of its current and former members), as well as managers and other artists influenced by Floyd's distinctive sound, as well as well-chosen and rare archival film (including home movies of Barrett), this is easily the best band biography, albeit with a personal take on one member, that I've had the pleasure of viewing recently.

The DVD

Video:
Though the box advertises this as a full frame image, it displayed as an unenhanced 1.78:1 image for me. The video quality is excellent.

Sound:
Both a Dolby 5.1 and DTS option are offered, and they are both splendid, absolutely clear and well separated.

Extras:
Virtually three hours of extras are offered, mostly consisting of additional interviews with Floyd band members, but also including an interesting trove of memorabilia, and some performances of Barrett tunes by the likes of Robyn Hitchcock.

Final Thoughts:
Anyone interested in the history of the British Invasion generally, and Pink Floyd in particular, is going to find this 2 DVD set the gold standard of information on the band. Put together by people who obviously cared deeply for Barrett (he passed away in 2006, shortly after this piece originally aired), this is a uniquely touching and engrossing experience.

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"G-d made stars galore" & "Hey, what kind of a crappy fortune is this?" ZMK, modern prophet