The next

two Floyd albums were sketched out in several marathon sessions conducted in 1974, at which three long pieces were composed. Two of these eventually appeared as "Sheep" and "Dogs" on the 1976 Animals album; the other, "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," was used as the central theme for their next release, Wish You Were Here (1975). This time the subject was personal -- the album was a song cycle dedicated to their original guiding light, Syd Barrett, whose mental illness had forced him into seclusion.