While I'm not in the camp that says any Floyd is good Floyd, (I happen to abhor A Momentary Lapse of Reason, The Division Bell and the Final Cut), I don't feel that the band began and ended with Syd.
Well it definitey began with him because he was the only one in the group with any clear sense of musical direction and a spark of creativity. They really would not have made it if it wasn't for Syd. The rest of them were too lazy and unimaginative.
When they pushed Syd out, for obvious and justifiable reasons, and David Gilmour joined, it was more of a "Holy Shit" feeling, we just lost our muse and principal songwriter. What the **** do we do now??!!
This was when they had to shit or get off the pot as the saying goes. And that fear of losing it all was what motivated them to press on, albeit in a direction that was completely different from Syd's.
Let's face it, Roger was not going to write the same little psychedelic ditties that Syd could roll off so easily. His musical sense is too dark and powerful. Rick was the only one with slightly the same capabilites, but he was too inhibited to come to the forefront. David was the "new boy" just trying to get along, and Nick, not a songwriter at all, just a drummer, a fantastic one at that.
The period of 1968-1972 was the golden age of the Floyd, even though they were still a cult band until Dark Side. Still trying to find their new sound and experimenting with everything along the way. And in turn grinding out some of the most beautiful and haunting music the rock world has ever known.
The violence of Careful With that Axe, Eugene, the tender ballads such as Green Is The Colour and Stay, soundscapes like Mudmen and Main Theme from More, not to mention the atonal insanity of Saucerful of Secrets. Oh yeah, and they continued to play Interstellar Overdrive and Astronomy Domine at their live shows for years after Syd's departure.
Piper was and still is an amazing album, and the fact that Syd's shadow inspired some of their greatest songs and continues to haunt the band 30- 40 years on, is a testament to his genius and influence.
Anyway i'll get off my soapbox now.
