Few figures in the history of rock music remain as mysterious and intriguing as Syd Barrett, the co-founder of Pink Floyd who departed the band in 1968 and who essentially left the public eye from 1972 until his death in 2006. A 2023 documentary called Have You Got It Yet? The Story of Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd offers a fresh look at the enigmatic Barrett.

Unsurprisingly, Got uses a standard framework that mixes archival footage and new interviews. In the latter domain, we hear from Pink Floyd members David Gilmour, Roger Waters and Nick Mason, sister Rosemary Breen, biographer Rob Chapman, physician/musician Doctor Sam Hutt, former managers Peter Jenner and Andrew King, filmmaker Peter Whitehead, former girlfriends Jenny Spires, Lindsay Korner and Libby Gausden, art school professor Jasper Rose, former lighting engineer Peter Wynne-Wilson, musicians Pete Townshend, Jerry Shirley, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Rob Dickinson, Graham Coxon, Andrew VanWyngarden and Nick Laird-Clowes, writer Mark Blake, comedian Noel Fielding, curator Will Schute, biographer Julian Palacios, former Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs chair Professor David Nutt, psychiatrists Doctor Mark Collins, RD Laing and Professor Julian Leff, philosopher Tim Freke, former fiancée Gala Pinion, music publishers Cora Barnes and Peter Barnes, former road manager Phil Taylor, playwright Tom Stoppard, and friends Storm Thorgerson, Andrew Rawlinson, Johnny Gordon, Maggi Hambling, Anthony Stern, Diana McKenna, Nigel Lesmoir-Gordon, Aubrey Powell, David Gale, John Davies and Seamus O’Connell, Mick Rock, Sue Kingsford, and Duggie Fields.

Got covers Barrett’s young life and interest in the arts, the formation of Pink Floyd, Barrett’s use of LSD, the development of Pink Floyd’s music and the band’s success, Barrett’s departure from the group and his brief solo career, and his life after he retired from the public eye.

I must admit Pink Floyd never really connected with me, whether in their original Barrett-based incarnation or the massively successful version with Waters and Gilmour as the lynchpins. Not that I dislike the band, but their immense appeal escapes me.

That said, I do understand the mystique behind Barrett. Musicians who depart bands that go on to huge popularity without them always offer intriguing subjects, but obviously Barrett was no talentless Pete Best sort.

No – as Got makes clear, Barrett had lots of skill and imagination. But he couldn’t sustain his creativity in a functioning manner well enough to maintain a career.

If you want answers about what happened to Barrett’s mental state that led him on his path, you’ll not really get it from Got. The film does hint at some potential issues – particularly related to possible damage done from Barrett’s use of LSD – but it doesn’t give us a neat ‘n’ tidy summary of Syd’s psyche.

Instead, Got delivers a solid view of the man from those who knew him. The film goes to the sources and features an impressive array of folks who were close to Barrett.

Of course, it seems especially great to see the surviving members of Pink Floyd. Keyboardist Rick Wright died in 2008, but with Waters, Gilmour and Mason, we find the perspectives of those who worked in the band.

Their information seems terrific, and the slew of others from Barrett’s past add immense value as well. Got becomes fascinating due to its use of all these primary sources.

Got also scores major points because it doesn’t attempt to reinvent the documentary wheel. Going into it, I feared it’d attempt to seem “psychedelic” and trippy to match its subject.

Nope. Instead, Got goes through matters in a brisk and logical manner that always feels straight ahead and coherent.

I also appreciate that Got doesn’t treat its subject with kid gloves. I thought it might exist as a puff piece intended simply to glorify Barrett.

Don’t get me wrong: the film does communicate why he became a legend. However, it also gets into his flaws and controversies as well, so it doesn’t shy away from tough areas.

All of this adds up to a pretty terrific documentary. My only complaint? It should be much longer, as I could watch hours and hours of this content.

Footnote: additional interview comments appear during the end credits along with part of Pink Floyd’s performance of “Wish You Were Here” from 2005’s Live 8.

Have You Got It Yet? appears in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 on this Blu-ray Disc, though some footage shows up in its natural 1.33:1 state.

As always, I viewed the old material and the new shots with different expectations. The archival stuff jumped all over the place.

It could look pretty good at times, but we also got some messy, clips. I didn’t have any real problems with those, however, as I figured they were about as good as we could get.

In any case, the flaws of the old bits didn’t interfere with my enjoyment of the program. They blended just fine and didn’t cause distractions.

Overall, the new footage offered nice visuals. Sharpness was good, as virtually no softness impacted on the new footage. Those elements appeared concise and accurate.

Colors were reasonably natural, and no notable defects affected the new footage. Blacks and shadows followed suit, as they seemed perfectly positive. Overall, the visuals were solid given the program’s parameters.

As for the DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack of Got, its reliance on music made it a little livelier than I’d expect from a documentary. Songs were a constant companion, and they spread to the side and rear speakers.

Stereo delineation seemed erratic. The tunes used all the channels but only occasionally used the speakers in discrete ways, so at times, the music felt a bit “blobby” in terms of localization.

Audio quality was solid. The new interview comments sounded just fine, as they offered perfectly acceptable clarity. No issues with edginess or intelligibility occurred, as they provided warm and natural tones.

Music also demonstrated good range and definition, while the rare effects appeared decent. Even with the sporadically spotty localization of music, this mix did enough right to earn a “B-“.

A few extras appear, and we get an audio commentary from director Roddy Bogawa and producers Rupert Truman and Julius Beltrame. All three sit together for a running, screen-specific look at aspects of the film’s development and creation, the involvement of late co-director Storm Thorgerson, conducting interviews, photography and editing, music, and connected domains.

Though the track sputters at times, the participants generally give us an informative take on the production. We get a good mix of insights.

Two live performances of Pink Floyd’s “Arnold Layne” come next. A 2006 version features David Bowie and David Gilmour, while a 2007 rendition comes from Pink Floyd.

Bowie loved Syd’s Floyd and indeed covered “See Emily Play” on his terrific 1973 covers album Pin Ups. Bowie retired from touring after a 2004 heart attack and this 2006 guest spot represents one of his final handful of live performances.

Bowie brings real gusto to the song. That helps make this a memorable rendition – and also prompt me to feel even more depressed that Bowie’s no longer with us.

As for the 2007 gig, that represents the final appearance of Pink Floyd, albeit a version without Roger Waters. Though he appeared at the show, he left before this reunion of the other three members, a fact that leaves the 2005 Live 8 spot as the last time Waters played with the band.

This performance works for historical reasons but it doesn’t seem especially strong. Perhaps that’s because it just can’t compete with Bowie.

After this, we get an Interview with Director Roddy Bogawa. It spans seven minutes, 58 seconds.

Here Bogawa discusses the project’s genesis, collaborating with co-director Storm Thorgerson and aspects of the production. Bogawa avoids too much repetition from the commentary so this chat merits a look.

On Syd’s Paintings goes for four minutes, seven seconds. It involves notes from artist/curator Will Schute.

We find information about Barrett’s artwork. This turns into a useful examination of this aspect of Barrett’s life.

Finally, On Syd’s Lyrics lasts four minutes, 18 seconds. We find remarks from comedian Noel Fielding, poet Rob Fitterman and actor Gerard Bell.

They read selections of Barrett’s lyrics and offer brief thoughts about the work. Not much actual substance materializes here, as we get such short comments that we don’t find much in terms of insight.

A second disc provides a DVD copy of Got. It includes the same extras as the Blu-ray.

With Have You Got It Yet?, we find a balanced and well-told look at famous rock star/recluse Syd Barrett. Via its impressive collection of interview subjects, we get a great take on Barrett. The Blu-ray brings appropriate picture and audio as well as a decent array of bonus materials. Expect a fine documentary that only disappoints due to its short running time – we need an extended cut!