You can't say that Syd was semi-amature his only income came from music making him a profesional. The fact that he went on to record solo shows that he was an accomplished writer without Roger or the others. But to compare them is hard if not imposible, they both valued different asspects when chossing words. Syd genrally wud disregard the meaning of a word if it sounded right for the music, hence the nonsensical rhymes that have an almost hypnotic affact. Roger is the opposit he tries to put deep gravity and mening into his lyrics which leads them to being at times harsh. Really Syd was more succcesful, Roger's lyrics sometimes only have the gravity they need when put with the music wheras Syd's tend to be musical if just read aloud. However a direct comparison is not a fair judgement.

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The Pink Zeppelin Carries Aloft The Court Of The Crimson King Over Deep Purple In Rock