Drugs. What have been our greatest burn out tragedies?

Backslapping time. Well done us. We are fantastic.
User avatar
Sambient
Posts: 16613
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 14:56
Location: Nerdvana

Drugs. What have been our greatest burn out tragedies?

Postby Sambient » 22 Aug 2005, 12:14

We can speculate all we want about what Hendrix might have done had he lived on, and many other fatalities. But what about those who have continued to breathe and walk this earth who have their circuits fried? Would there be a greater awareness of Sly Stone's visionary abilities if he'd been able to continue, f'rinstance?

User avatar
copehead
BCB Cup Stalinist
Posts: 24763
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 18:51
Location: at sea

Postby copehead » 22 Aug 2005, 12:17

A lot of burnouts, burnt out because they had done all that they were ever going to do.

Much as I love Syd Barrett I am unsure as to whether he would have produced anymore great music. Ian Curtis may be in this group as well and Mr mojo Rising

Jimmi Hendrix may have though, and Cobain .
Dancing in the streets of Hyannis

Image

Bear baiting & dog fights a speciality.

User avatar
andymacandy
"Liberal Airhead"
Posts: 30035
Joined: 18 Jul 2003, 18:26
Location: MacAndys Farm

Postby andymacandy » 22 Aug 2005, 12:23

I regret that coke took away SRVs best years, although at least he did clean up in time for us to catch some of him at his best.
Paul Kossoff. We can only guess at how good Free could have been if he had been on top of his game.They were pretty feckin good anyway.
Im never sure about Little Feat and Lowell.Was it the drugs that finished him?I really like the later stuff anyway, so I dont know what would have happened, and how different they would have been.
Bless the weather.......Image

User avatar
BARON CORNY DOG
Diamond Geezer
Posts: 45153
Joined: 18 Jul 2003, 05:38
Location: Impregnable Citadel of Technicality

Postby BARON CORNY DOG » 22 Aug 2005, 12:35

Comrade Copehead wrote:Much as I love Syd Barrett I am unsure as to whether he would have produced anymore great music.


I am. What people seem to miss about Piper is that the playing/band chemistry is great, or sounds great. There's a real fire there and I think it would've taken them further.
take5_d_shorterer wrote:If John Bonham simply didn't listen to enough Tommy Johnson or Blind Willie Mctell, that's his doing.

User avatar
Walk In My Shadow
Hello Laydeez
Posts: 38714
Joined: 23 Jul 2003, 20:02
Location: The Good, the Bad, both ugly
Contact:

Postby Walk In My Shadow » 22 Aug 2005, 16:07

Keith Richards. Done it all. Still standing. Sort of.
Beneluxfunkmeisterlurvegod


Image

User avatar
Tactful Cactus
Posts: 18254
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 14:21
Location: by your window

Postby Tactful Cactus » 22 Aug 2005, 16:14

Peter Green: Given some bad acid around 1969, never the same again.
I don't think drugs helped his creative process (I stand to be corrected). It did however help the likes of Keith Richards and Brian Wilson. So without drugs, their music would have been very different.

Phil T

Postby Phil T » 22 Aug 2005, 16:16

Roky Erickson?

User avatar
bhoywonder
The Magnificent
Posts: 27391
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 19:06
Location: Bristol, UK
Contact:

Postby bhoywonder » 22 Aug 2005, 16:24

TheBoyGiraffe wrote:brian wilson springs to mind.


He was fucked up by his father long before he made the unwise decision to take acid. THe drugs certainly didn't help, but I think he was on the way anyway.

User avatar
bhoywonder
The Magnificent
Posts: 27391
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 19:06
Location: Bristol, UK
Contact:

Postby bhoywonder » 22 Aug 2005, 16:29

TheBoyGiraffe wrote:but who's to say he wouldn't have pulled through if he hadn't taken all that acid and ganja?


I give in. Who is it?

User avatar
Mozz
Irritatingly Youthful
Posts: 2970
Joined: 24 Jul 2003, 14:38
Location: Amusement Parks, U.S.A.

Postby Mozz » 22 Aug 2005, 16:30

I presume Pete Doherty wouldn't get much sympathy here... :P

User avatar
Charlie O.
Posts: 44848
Joined: 21 Jul 2003, 19:53
Location: In-A-Badda-La-Wadda, bay-beh

Re: Drugs. What have been our greatest burn out tragedies?

Postby Charlie O. » 22 Aug 2005, 16:30

Sambient wrote:Would there be a greater awareness of Sly Stone's visionary abilities if he'd been able to continue, f'rinstance?


I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Sly & The Family Stone could have been the Beatles of the 1970s, if Sylvester could have kept his head (and band) together. Granted, we wouldn't have had There's A Riot Goin' On, but I think what we would have had instead would have much more than compensated. For me, he tops the list.
Image

User avatar
andymacandy
"Liberal Airhead"
Posts: 30035
Joined: 18 Jul 2003, 18:26
Location: MacAndys Farm

Postby andymacandy » 22 Aug 2005, 16:33

Id be interested to know what Pete thinks about the effect that the heroin had on Pages output.Certainly, his post Zep output took a pretty dramatic downturn for about 10 years.On the other hand, Clapton seemed to get more technically proficient, but a lot less interesting once he gave up the h and the booze.
Bless the weather.......Image

User avatar
Tactful Cactus
Posts: 18254
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 14:21
Location: by your window

Postby Tactful Cactus » 22 Aug 2005, 16:35

Granted, we wouldn't have had There's A Riot Goin' On, but I think what we would have had instead would have much more than compensated. For me, he tops the list.



Thats the question. Would you sacrifice a short period of great albums they made while high in exchange for a long period of drug-free (possibly inferior) albums.

No heroin, no Exile. No acid, no Smile.

I know what my answer would be.

User avatar
Charlie O.
Posts: 44848
Joined: 21 Jul 2003, 19:53
Location: In-A-Badda-La-Wadda, bay-beh

Postby Charlie O. » 22 Aug 2005, 16:40

Tactful Cactus wrote:No heroin, no Exile. No acid, no Smile.


Well, there WAS no Smile! :lol:

It's all conjecture, of course. But the records show that Brian Wilson and Sly Stone were growing creatively by leaps and bounds before drugs. I've no doubt that they would have come up with something exceptional regardless.

(You may be right about Exile, though.)
Image

User avatar
Tactful Cactus
Posts: 18254
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 14:21
Location: by your window

Postby Tactful Cactus » 22 Aug 2005, 16:45

Charlie O. wrote:It's all conjecture, of course. But the records show that Brian Wilson ... were growing creatively by leaps and bounds before drugs...


Sure, he was growing musically, but he lacked vision. It was all girls, surfing and cars. Like he says himself, he milked that motherfucker dry.
The first Beach Boys drug infleunced album was (I believe) Today! Particularly the second side. If a bit of pot opened him up enough to write more introspective songs like In the back of my mind then he clearly needed drugs to grow as a songwriter.

User avatar
Charlie O.
Posts: 44848
Joined: 21 Jul 2003, 19:53
Location: In-A-Badda-La-Wadda, bay-beh

Postby Charlie O. » 22 Aug 2005, 16:51

Tactful Cactus wrote:
Charlie O. wrote:It's all conjecture, of course. But the records show that Brian Wilson ... were growing creatively by leaps and bounds before drugs...


Sure, he was growing musically, but he lacked vision. It was all girls, surfing and cars. Like he says himself, he milked that motherfucker dry.
The first Beach Boys drug infleunced album was (I believe) Today! Particularly the second side. If a bit of pot opened him up enough to write more introspective songs like In the back of my mind then he clearly needed drugs to grow as a songwriter.


I'm still not convinced. Today was also his first album after retiring from the road - maybe that's what he needed to grow as a songwriter? (In any event, he generally didn't write the lyrics. Plus, he was listening to what the Beatles and others were doing, so the surf/car formula's days were probably numbered regardless.)
Image

User avatar
Tactful Cactus
Posts: 18254
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 14:21
Location: by your window

Postby Tactful Cactus » 22 Aug 2005, 16:53

Yeah, you could be right. Im sure the comfort of no touring commitments helped the situation too.

User avatar
bhoywonder
The Magnificent
Posts: 27391
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 19:06
Location: Bristol, UK
Contact:

Postby bhoywonder » 22 Aug 2005, 17:01

TheBoyGiraffe wrote:
bhoywonder wrote:
TheBoyGiraffe wrote:but who's to say he wouldn't have pulled through if he hadn't taken all that acid and ganja?


I give in. Who is it?


sorry, what was the question again?


Do you need a weatherman?

User avatar
copehead
BCB Cup Stalinist
Posts: 24763
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 18:51
Location: at sea

Postby copehead » 22 Aug 2005, 19:19

Boogie on Reggae Baron wrote:
Comrade Copehead wrote:Much as I love Syd Barrett I am unsure as to whether he would have produced anymore great music.


I am. What people seem to miss about Piper is that the playing/band chemistry is great, or sounds great. There's a real fire there and I think it would've taken them further.


There was that interview with him from 1971 posted on here recently where he said him and the others had been moving in opposite directions since the word go, so I think a split was inevitable.
Dancing in the streets of Hyannis

Image

Bear baiting & dog fights a speciality.

User avatar
Diamond Dog
"Self Quoter" Extraordinaire.
Posts: 69577
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 21:04
Location: High On Poachers Hill

Postby Diamond Dog » 22 Aug 2005, 19:25

andymacandy wrote:Id be interested to know what Pete thinks about the effect that the heroin had on Pages output.Certainly, his post Zep output took a pretty dramatic downturn for about 10 years.On the other hand, Clapton seemed to get more technically proficient, but a lot less interesting once he gave up the h and the booze.


I'm of the opinion more and more that Jimmy hasn't really written a great song since "Achilles Last Stand" - which was written in 75/76. If you ever get the chance to see the Earls Court DVD from '75 and compare it with the Seattle DVD of 77, the effect is quite shocking. He had really gone - there are very few (if any) nights from 77 that match 75. I think Heroin was the 'icing' on the cake - he didn't really indulge until the 77 tour (I believe). From there on, it's rapidly downhill.
Nicotine, valium, vicadin, marijuana, ecstasy, and alcohol -
Cocaine


Return to “Classic Threads & Treasury of Mirth”