Shine On You Crazy Diamond - One of the best tribute and remembrance songs, imho...

[cayugafalls]

My Memorial Day pick for song of the day.

[SheltieLover]

1. Superb!

[cayugafalls]

2. Hey SheltieLover!

[SheltieLover]

3. Hi hi

[happybird]

4. Lovely pick

One of my all time favorites. This is a nice version:

[hlthe2b]

5. The band never forgot him, either. He always got a nod "to Syd"--even after Barrett's death

[happybird]

11. On every compilation or Greatest Hits album they always included

at least one song by Syd so he would get royalties/continuing income.

I read that a couple years ago (maybe in Nick Mason’s book?).
They are a fine bunch of gentleman.

[-misanthroptimist]

6. "You wore out your welcome with random precision."

Just a brilliant line in a brilliant piece of music on a brilliant album.

One thing I've always wondered is if the saxophone at the end of Part V is symbolic of Syd. It starts very melodic and smooth, a perfect solo that works well with other music. Then it gradually becomes more frenetic, discordant, and withdrawn. Part V ends with that receding, frenetic sax and the mechanical noises beginning of Welcome to the Machine.

I'm probably over-analyzing, but it seems to me to fit.

There's a not dissimilar sort of thing at the end of Part IX, but I won't bore people with it.

[cayugafalls]

7. Good music is composed to convey a feeling and tell a story...

These were all very polished musicians by this time, as you said, brilliant.

Part V (Waters, Gilmour, Wright; from 11:10 to 13:32) Part IV is followed by two guitars repeating an arpeggio variation on the main theme for about a minute with the theme of Part II. A baritone saxophone overlays the sounds, played by Dick Parry. The saxophone changes from a baritone to a tenor saxophone, as a time signature switch from 6/8 to 12/8 creates the feeling that the tempo doubles up. The sax solo is accompanied by a Solina string synthesizer keyboard sound. A machine-like hum fades in with musique concrète and segues into "Welcome to the Machine".

Wikipedia

Arpeggio is a broken chord...a doubling of tempo with the addition of the jazz-like frenzy makes me think that, mid-career (Part V), Syd had increased his artistic pace while members in the band were worried about his erratic behavior and moods.

Part IX (Wright, from 9:17 to 12:28) is played in 4/4 time. Gilmour described Part IX in an interview as "a slow 4/4 funeral march... the parting musical eulogy to Syd".[21] Again, Wright's keyboards dominate, with little guitar input from Gilmour. Mason's drums play for much of this part, and the keyboards play for the final minute before fading out. On the fade-out, a short keyboard part of the melody of "See Emily Play" (at 12:07), one of Barrett's signature Pink Floyd songs, can be heard.

Wikipedia

My guess is, that you are spot on.

[-misanthroptimist]

8. Not bad for a musical ignoramus (meaning me)

I fell in love with Floyd just before DSOTM came out. Someone introduced me to Umma Gumma. An even double-album, I'll admit, but the good parts were so amazingly good and so different from anything else I'd heard that I just went nuts for it.

I think the four albums DSOTM, WWYH, Animals, and The Wall may be the most incredible four albums ever released. My favorite among them varies depending on the day. Even The Final Cut is good, but very, very dark. No other band is quite like Floyd.

That's not to say that there aren't other works out there just as good. They just don't speak to me quite the same way.

[ProfessorGAC]

9. Agreed!

I don't think there's a comparable tribute to a former band mate.
And, I'm only a passing Pink Floyd fan! But, that is a great song!

[pecosbob]

10. One of this group's finest pieces

It has long been one of my favorites. It's length ironically has made it a go-to piece for enjoying a bit of Floyd....not too short, not too long...just right.