What is your Opinion of Drug Influenced Music?

1. 60

   darvinbunderposted 11 years ago

   What is your Opinion of Drug Influenced Music?
   
   Many artists are known for using drugs to "inspire" their music? What are your thoughts? (No, I don't want to hear whether drugs are good or bad)

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2. 35

   Johnathan L Groomposted 11 years ago

   the popular sentiment is that most historically great musicians become morans after they have stopped using-

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      Sherry Hewinsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      morans? example please

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3. 59

   K Kissposted 11 years ago

   If the outcome is as good as the work produced by Rollingstones..then so be it..Drug has been used throughout history for music, poetry, literature, etc for a reason. I am not endorsing drug use blah blah blah...just the end product.

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4. 72

   Sullen91posted 11 years ago

   It's not a big deal. Music nowadays is devoid of meaning anyway.

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      darvinbunderposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      False. Mainstream music is devoid of meaning. However, I do believe that music is taking a turn for the better. Now, Mumford & Son's is played on the radio along with a few other good bands. Lets just hope it's not infected by dubstep.

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      TheMagicianposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      If dubstep manages to infect such awesome bands, then I'm leaving this planet.

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      Sherry Hewinsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I hate when people say things like that. If the music you're listening to is devoid of meaning, you're listening to the wrong music. If you care, make a little effort and I bet you can find music that has meaning for you.

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5. 92

   peeplesposted 11 years ago

   Some of the greatest groups in American History were known for using drugs but had great music. Grateful Dead, The doors, Pink Floyd, all drug users who made great music. The rapper Eminem was known for being a drug user and his music was good. He quit using drugs and started to suck. If drugs get us great music it won't bother me.

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6. 61

   RunAbstractposted 11 years ago

   I don't think I can actually tell when a song is or is not drug inspired.  Especially if alcohol is considered a drug.
   Great question!

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7. 59

   nightwork4posted 11 years ago

   music is about using ones mind to make a point. when a person is high, they tend to think deeper and it gives then the ability to close out other things. great music and drugs go hand in hand, it's the perfect mix.

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8. 0

   Headfullofsoundposted 11 years ago

   LSD: I think that in the 60s it was generally a good thing, since most of the artists were in the right frame of mind to (allegedly) have more "good trips" than bad.  But the flip side of this is that it sent a skewed message to their counterculture audience - "take this, and you'll be GUARANTEED to find happiness!"  By the 70s, scores of druggies found this wasn't necessarily the case.  Plus there are plenty of artists that don't need drugs at all in order to be creative - Frank Zappa is the most prominent one that comes to mind.  Just because something's different or experimental doesn't mean there was an acid tablet sitting on the vinyl.
   
   POT: Marijuana is a known barbiturate.  In other words, it slows down activity in the brain.  This can relax the mind into "clear-headed" inspiration, or take it down another road and get someone too stoned to create anything.  But AFTER taking some weed, inspiration can happen!  I'm honestly all for that.  But again, let's remember just because something sounds "stoned" (like Pink Floyd) doesn't mean it has anything to do with drugs.
   
   AMPHETAMINES: They can send you into a playing/writing frenzy at first but let's not forget they're extremely addictive and can hurl you into a mental wall crashing and burning just minutes later.
   
   COCAINE: Nothing good has EVER been inspired by cocaine. 
   
   HEROIN: This both relaxes AND stimulates - double duty! But heroin is one of the most addictive drugs of any, period.  I would never even so much as hint that it's good for you.

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      Sherry Hewinsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Why the prejudice against cocaine? Everyone including musicians were doing it in the 70s.

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      Headfullofsoundposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Well, Sherry, it pretty much destroyed the careers of a number of talented musicians then, that's all.  If you'll remember artists like the Rolling Stones and Neil Young went into serious slumps in the mid-70s due to this fact.

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9. 86

   rebekahELLEposted 11 years ago

   Fortunately we have it.  Some of the best music has been drug influenced/inspired.  Every decade has it's own unique crop of hipsters making music. Early Pink Floyd, Velvet Underground, Beatles, Alice in Chains, Nirvana, various blues artists, Amy Winehouse, Dylan, on and on.  Listening to their music gives it's own high without the use of drugs.  Listen to Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb for your own dose of feel good endorphins.

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10. 0

    Janhornerposted 11 years ago

    Hi, good question.
    
    Artists from painting to composing music to performing on stage; whatever is their role, have been doing some kind of drugs for decades.  In today's media orientated world we are just more aware of it.
    
    I remember the flower power (ha! that's how old I am!).  Drugs are something which become out of control and then it's a downward hill I'm afraid. 
    
    I would imagine (and don't know because I have never indulged) once under the influence the creative juices may flow and all restrictive thoughts present when 'sober,' are diminished!  Does that make sense to you?
    
    I like your question because you have said you don't want to hear what is good or bad just what inspires the music.  Hope I have offered some thought.
    
    Jan

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11. 93

    Sherry Hewinsposted 11 years ago

    Plenty of wonderful music has been made while the artist was on drugs. But I have certainly seen examples of artists who got too stoned to play. For instance I was at a Doors concert in 1969 where Jim Morrison was too messed up to stand much less sing. But in that era it would have been hard to find a popular musician not on drugs.
    
    Some use the music as an excuse to continue using, as they say they can't play without it. But Stevie Ray Vaughn springs to mind as an example of an artist who proved that you can clean up and still make fantastic music. Maybe artists play great in spite of their drug use, not because of it.

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12. 75

    cherriquinnposted 11 years ago

    Opium was especially used throughout the 19th century and relied upon to stimulate creativity by many artists.

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13. 84

    daisydayzposted 11 years ago

    Well the Beatles did ok! lol! There is no way half those songs were written without some drug induced hallucination!

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    emmahunter588posted 11 years ago

    Some people are actually productive when they are under the influence of drugs but many also went to opiate addiction treatment because of it. Visit http://best-treatment-centers.com/ to know this.

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