My introduction to Pink Floyd was relatively standard: Loaned copies of The Wall and Wish You Were Here on CD from an old friend’s dad while I was still in high school. Until that point, the little I knew could be traced back to a vinyl 45 of “Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2″ that my father owned, but he was more of an adamant Led Zeppelin and AC/DC kind of guy. After 2001, I went from driving between home and work, hearing The Wall in its entirety, to claiming that Obscured By Clouds is an underrated classic, and discovering the legendary Philips BBL-7512 that I am still working to obtain a copy of.

It’s rare to find other folks like me, those born in the ’80s, who dig deeper into the Floyd’s catalog to discover Piper At The Gates Of Dawn or singles such as “Paintbox”, when the reins of lyrical expression were laced with the maddening of a man named Syd Barrett.

In 2006, the former lead creative force and future inspiration behind Floyd’s epic Wish piece, “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”, died of complications from pancreatic cancer. Syd Barrett retired from the Floyd during its psychedelic era, and having probably done enough drugs to draw Keith Richards comparisons, the madcap himself essentially went into hiding; in between all of this, there came his solo material, some of which was given added production credit by David Gilmour himself.

Anybody curious as to the in-depth tales? Any of you Floyd fanatics aching for some good reading and musical accompaniment? Are you a purchaser and avid listener of The Madcap Laughs or Barrett, and simply wish to know the man a little better? Time to make a new memory, boys, because Consequence of Sound is here to deliver.

Courtesy of Cornerstone Promotion in New York City, NY comes the Syd Barrett Album/Biography Giveaway, just in time for the holidays. A winner will be selected from those who have registered to CoS and commented below with a statement detailing how you learned about the Floyd, and why you consider yourself a lifelong fan. Best storyteller wins, but it should be noted that, for this particular giveaway, only United States residents need apply. This awesome package will include:

– Syd Barrett’s biography, A Very Irregular Head by Rob Chapman
– The compilation CD, An Introduction To Syd Barrett
– A collectible poster

The compilation will include both solo tracks by Barrett and songs he’s done with the Floyd, so it should sate everyone’s palate excellently. For everyone who is interested in seeing more details surrounding the album, go here for a full experience with the booklet and artwork. Should you not be the lucky winner, the album is available for purchase at iTunes.

Let the games begin!