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is Julian
Palacios' exploration of the life and career of Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd
founder member and one of the Sixties' most celebrated and tragic British
acid casualties. A journey through the often-contradictory memories of
those who knew him and went through many of the same hazy, drug-fueled
experiences. In his atmospheric portrayal of the British Summer of
Love, Palacios culls the recollections of such London counterculture movers
and shakers as Barry Miles (also the author of the superb Sixties
retrospective HIPPIE), then-Pink Floyd manager Peter Jenner, and alternative
impresario John ‘Hoppy’ Hopkins. Barrett was possessed of a fervid
imagination capable of creating stunningly brilliant works like the campily
psychedelic ‘Arnold Layne,’ the story of a laundry-stealing cross-dresser,
and the childlike, toy percussion-laced ‘Bike.’ But his habitual use of
psychedelics shattered his fragile psyche: he was fired in 1968 by the band he
had founded. As Palacios vividly describes, his tragic decline mirrored that
of the British underground movement--by 1972, both were burnt-out cases. A
salutary exposition of the dark side of the carefree pharmaceutical
experimentation of the Sixties, SYD BARRETT: LOST IN THE WOODS is a trip in
all senses of the word. |
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2007:
The best books - Jon
Savage, Guardian & Observer ‘Most
illuminating is Julian Palacios' 'Lost in the Woods'. It deals with the
realities of Barrett's mental state without ever letting this overshadow his
work. A fine book that gets to grip with the mechanics of his
songwriting, his pioneering guitar-playing and the wider cultural
backdrop.’ - Mark
Paytress, Record Collector, April 2001 ‘Julian
Palacios tells this melancholy modern myth with vitality, compassion and
extraordinary detail. Palacios has talked to key figures in the British
underground, and brings the psychedelic scene, from the UFO club to the 14
Hour Technicolor Dream at Ally Pally, to vivid life.’ -The
Daily Telegraph, June 1998 ‘Barrett's
story has never before been told in such visceral detail. A definitive
work.’ - Q,
June 1998 [recommended book: July-October 1998] ‘A
perfect Syd Barrett book...believable and full of insight.’ -
Record Collector, June 1998 ‘Certainly
better written than the other Barrett bios, 'Lost in the Woods' is not only
about Barrett but the era that he stood for.’ -
Mojo, August 1998 The
definitive Syd Barrett biography, ‘Syd Barrett: Lost in the Woods’ is a 300
plus page analysis of Barrett's life and work. Extensive
interviews with those who knew and worked with Barrett, include: Miles
(intellectual leading light of the London Underground) John
'Hoppy' Hopkins' (Underground luminary who ran UFO, the Underground nexus) Keith
Rowe (of AMM, Barrett's key musical influence) Nigel and
Jenny Lesmoir-Gordon (longtime friends of Syd from Cambridge and
London) Mike
Leonard (head of the Sound-Light Workshops, and landlord to the early Pink
Floyd) Joe Boyd
(legendary producer of Nick Drake and Fairport Convention, who recorded
'Arnold Layne') Jenny
Spires (close friend of Syd) Emily
Young (inspiration for ‘See Emily Play’) Jenny
Fabian (famed consort to the Underground's bands, lover and confidante of
Syd) Duggie
Fields (Barrett's flatmate during his solo album sessions, and witness to his
disintegration) Peter
Whitehead (film-maker and director of Pink Floyd's 1967 studio session) David
Gale (childhood and teenage friend of Syd, in whose home Barrett did his
earliest LSD trips) Jack
Monck (bass player in Stars, Barrett's final band) Joly
MacFie (stage manager and promoter for Stars) Seamus
O'Connell (teenage friend of Syd and Roger Waters) Kevin
Ayers (ex-Soft Machine guitarist) |
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To read excerpts from
'Lost in the Woods':
The 14
Hour Technicolour Dream |
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Order from
Amazon.co.uk
(UK/Europe) Order from Amazon.com
(USA)
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