Barrett was the second and final studio album of new material released by former Pink FloydSyd Barrett. In February 1970, shortly after releasing his first album, The Madcap Laughs, Barrett appeared on John Peel's Top Gear radio show where he presented only one song from the newly released album. Two days later, he began working on his second album in the Abbey Road Studios, this time with Pink Floyd members David Gilmour and Rick Wright as producers and musicians.

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The main aim for the Barrett sessions was to give Syd the structure and focus many felt was missing during the long and unwieldy sessions for The Madcap Laughs. Thus, the sessions were more efficiently run - with much unreleased material recorded - and the album was finished in far less time than it took to complete The Madcap Laughs. In addition, with the unpredictability and at times despairing nature of Madcap greatly decreased, the rigid format of the new sessions ended up giving Barrett a less inventive flavor, as a result.

Nonetheless, Barrett does indeed have some memorable songs, namely "Baby Lemonade", "Dominoes" and "Gigolo Aunt", all of which are as well known to Barrett fans as "See Emily Play" and "Astronomy Domine". Although not generally as highly regarded as The Madcap Laughs, Barrett - of which, the cover was painted by Syd himself - is still a much prized recording from its maker.

While the sessions for Barrett ran more smoothly, it didn't prevent Syd's by-now characteristically bizarre behavior from coming through. On June 6, 1970, Syd gave his one and only solo performance, backed by David Gilmour and Jerry Shirley, and baffled the audience (including Gilmour and Shirley) when he abruptly took off his guitar during the fourth number and walked off stage.