Syd Barrett Essentials

Whether on his kaleidoscopic solo albums or with his formative contributions to Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett always approached music with an exploratory sense of whimsy. Early Floyd single "See Emily Play" is awash in woozy slide guitar and sun-kissed harmonies, and "Interstellar Overdrive" was the iconic group at their wildest, dissolving into oscillating, disorienting organ and guitar. Barrett only got more free-spirited when he went solo. "Octopus" is jaunty folk-pop that keeps twisting in a new direction, and the tuba-propelled "Effervescing Elephant" was the songwriter at his most childlike and playful.