The Sincere Affinity Jimmy Page Has for Pink Floyd’s Syd Barrett: “You Can Really Feel the Genius There”

Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd are two of the most influential rock bands of all time, and they both reached their apex of fame during the 1970s. Despite the overlapping time frames in which they existed, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin held no rivalry with each other. In fact, they were both fans of one another, especially Jimmy Page and Floyd’s former member, Syd Barrett.

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Syd Barrett was one of the founding members of Pink Floyd and the premier creative force in the band’s 1960s era. Notably, Barrett pinned iconic Pink Floyd tracks “See Emily Play” and “Arnold Layne”. However, in 1967, Barrett’s mental state started to deteriorate. Why remains unclear; though, drug use and preexisting mental conditions are what Barrett’s decline are often attributed to.

In 1968, Pink Floyd made the tough decision to ask Barrett to leave the band due to his unpredictable and destructive behavior. After that, Barrett pursued a fleeting solo career, and then later would become a recluse. This tragic story doesn’t diminish Barrett’s genius in the slightest, and one person who agrees with that notion is Led Zeppelin’s own genius, Jimmy Page.

To Jimmy Page, Syd Barrett Was Ahead of His Time

Given Syd Barrett’s unfortunate career trajectory, it seems the masses exclude him from the ranks of other influential rockers like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Brian May, Pete Townshend, and the rest of the 60s and 70s’ most notable musical minds. Jimmy Page, however, is not one of those people, as he has paid his respects to Barrett as a genius musician.

In the book, Light & Shade: Conversations With Jimmy Page, Page stated, “Syd Barrett’s writing with the early Pink Floyd was inspirational. Nothing sounded like Barrett before Pink Floyd’s first album. There were so many ideas and so many positive statements. You can really feel the genius there, and it was tragic that he fell apart.”

Concluding his praise, Page divulged, “Both he and Jimi Hendrix had a futuristic vision in a sense.” When it was all said and done, Pink Floyd not only continued without Barrett but also flourished. Although per Page’s comments, one can’t help but wonder what untapped potential Pink Floyd missed out on in light of Syd Barrett’s “genius” absence.

Photo by Lester Cohen