McCartney on drugs

[supermonkey]

I agree. But nowadays, its seems pretty clear that not only musical or artistic creativity can be stimulated and expanded by drugs, but violence and perversion as well.

Not to pick on Jbass or veer too OT, but this seems like the classic "baby + bathwater" attitude about drugs, employed by the brilliant architects of Our Great Nation's oh-so-successful war on them.

Use of mind-altering substances hardly originates in 20th century western culture. Humans (and probably pre-humans) around the globe have used them for their entire history on the planet.
Beer: brewed by Egyptians almost 5000 years ago.
Cannabis: used across Asia and Asia Minor for centuries.
Coca leaves: chewed by the Incas for centuries, still used to this day.

These things are just a reflection of what humanity does -- we strive to experience and thereby find what exists within and without ourselves.
Mind-alertring substances are not criminal, and they're not evil -- they're reality. And there's a possibility they played a pivotal in forming some of the roots of human culture, technology, religion, and art.

I don't mean to get all Anthro 101, Psych 267, and Neuroscience 301, but to really make an informed decision about drugs in our society it's important to realize that:
1) there are VERY BIG DIFFERENCES between different classes of substances, and their FX. Pot <> Heroin <> Crank.
2) It's a natural part of life on Earth (isn't outlawing a plant kinda stupid at an existential level?), and has been for our entire history.
3) It's not really an issue that the criminal justice system can effectively deal with, as has been proven IMO.
4) There is/are very, very little hard data about drugs (or banishing them) and their positive/negative FX on society in the long term.

* end rant *

 

[rickbass]

Really? Harrison always said that it was his exposure to the sitar after seeing an extra in the Help movie play one which led him to the instrument and, in turn, Ravi Shankar.

(Hope I don't sound like I'm conducting a trivia contest, Steve), but my info is just what the Byrds books that I mentioned say. That doesn't mean your info. is wrong though. I imagine it's all peoples' recollections of that time.
One source says it was Crosby who turned Harrison on to sitar while they were in a hot tub, tripping on acid at a get-together hosted by the Byrds.

If memory serves, George played sitar on "Norwegian Wood" before the Byrds even hit the radar screen.

Actually, the Byrds album, "Turn, Turn, Turn" was recorded and released months, (June,`65), earlier than "Rubber Soul" (which, as you know, contained "Norwegian Wood")......recorded in October and released in Dec. for Christmas sales.
As you probably know, both groups influenced each other quite a bit, quid pro quo.
But George certainly made more use of the sitar. Next thing I knew, Brian Jones was playing one on "Ed Sullivan."

 

[James Hart]

my spin....

idiots and people with issues abuse drugs.
Musicians and other creative people generally have issues




oh wait... I mean...

CLOSED