Who's got the Soul of Pink Floyd? Barrett, Waters or Gilmour?

Answer 1

Excellent question! I'd have to go with Gilmour. Barrett really got the whole thing going, Waters kept it together and gave it a lot of its creativity through the years, but Gilmour is the one who put the spirit into the music. Without him, Dark Side of the Moon wouldn't have been the amazing album it is. Just listen to "The Final Cut," the single most Waters-dominated Floyd album ever made. That's what you get when Waters dominates. Then listen to "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" or "The Division Bell." Gilmour's influence without Waters. Not the same level of creativity but still excellent albums.

Syd Barrett must be pissed at those guys for f**king up such a good thing. Especially Roger Waters for being so damn arrogant.

Answer 2

Has to be Syd but like all genius he was always on the verge.

He remained an ongoing influence on the others long after he left/got pushed out. They could not cope with his antics towards the end.

He then just became comfortably numb (excuse pun) and shunned the whole lifestyle. But he was and remained the Soul of what Floyd were about in the first place.

So has to be Barrett - genius, recluse and inspiration to Waters/Gilmour of what Pink floyd produced even through the later years.

Answer 3

SYD BARRETT, friend belive me!!!!
He is the Father of Pink Floyd, even when he is not in the band you may find in every single album one or more songz dedicated for him...If you don't belive me ask Roger Waters then, and if you don't know Barrett has a millions of pounds in his acount because of the band,and part of the money from the other albums when he is not playing with them anymore .Every single member from the band loved him SPECIALY Waters ....After Syd the whole band is lost , and they addmit that too...Maybe they get back in some line with the Dark Side of the Moon but with very i mean very negative energy.....
Every big Pink Floyd fan has that oppinion even some big music stars like David Bowie , boy George (Culture Club) Paul McCartney (Beatles) Robert Smith (The Cure) and much more who actualy admit that their work is inspired by Syd Barrett and his strange power , power of love, life and some other world....
Respect him very much, and never forget who is the real PINK FLOYD
Peace!!!!

Answer 4

Maybe Sid Barrett - he's there even when he wasn't.

But Pink Floyd's soul is definately not just Gilmour or Waters. Which one could you pull out of "Comfortably Numb"? You'd just have Pink or you'd just have Floyd.

Maybe Sid Barrett but his soul into Gilmour and Waters (ala Voldemort's Horcruxes). So that as long as they are alive, he's never going to be dead.

Answer 5

I don't think there's an easy answer to this question. Let's break it down:

Syd Barrett
PLUS: Original leader of band, gave them a foothold in the pop world
MINUS: Hurt his own cause due to his overindulgence in acid, to the point he could no longer perform with the band

Roger Waters
PLUS: De facto leader of the band through their most popular days, composer of some of their most lasting works such as "The Wall"
MINUS: Obsession with war, supposed control freak, bad feelings following his departure from the band

David Gilmour
PLUS: Stepped in and helped "save" the band (my thought) following Barrett's breakdown, kept the band going for a decade after Waters left
MINUS: Only two studio albums under his leadership, not necessarily the band's most notable work

Long story short (too late): they're ALL the soul of Floyd.

Answer 6

On one level, Barret. Those early records are stunning. However, I will concede that Waters definitely carried Floyd mk II creatively--at least up to and including The Wall. But let's give Gilmour his credit. He's an excellent musician, and even if he was singing Waters tunes, he made them his own. Discovered Kate Bush, too!

Answer 7

Gilmour

Answer 8

Roger Waters. He wrote all the lyrics and a lot of the music to Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall. Need I say more?

Answer 9

syd barrett by far! He started the band and was the inspiration for many of the songs after he left the band. I hear they are planning a tribute tour in honor/memory of him. Coming soon!

Answer 10

in my opinion they have all got the soul of pink floyd because they have all contributed to the depth of the music through their individual musical genious so therefore all band members past and present are the soul of pink floyd :-)