Music for the Novel Legal High Generation

[Halif]

There's a lot of interesting discussion which I think is mostly relevant, or at least interesting.

I just re-read the original post, and it occurred to me that I don't actually know what it specifically means:

I've been asked to sum up the War on Drugs in music and discussion

Mr Platypus, Could you elaborate on what you mean by sum up the war on drugs in music? (The discussion part is self-evident).

Are you asking for a list of songs that are specifically written about the war on drugs? Or just tracks which mention some aspect of the effect the war on drugs has had? Or just songs about illegal drugs in general?

Also, could you please give an example or two so as to clarify exactly what you need?

Ie. There are some great Alice in Chains songs related to addiction, use, and disregard for the law.


From the classic album "Dirt", the song 'Junkhead' includes lyrics which appear to be challenging, disrespecting the authorities and/or societal norms.

You can't understand a user's mind
But try with your books and degrees
If you let yourself go and opened your mind
I'll bet you'd be doing like me


Is that relevant? I'm having trouble actually grasping how one would summarise the war on drugs through music.....

 

[drplatypus]

Just loving the responses to the thread- it has certainly updated my musical knowledge!

Perhaps to clarify, esp for Halif, I'm not necessarily looking for songs that specifically refer to 'The War on Drugs' in their lyric or title. I'm more interested in songs that punctuate the era of 'The War on Drugs'- about the last 100-120 years.

For example, Louis Armstrong was one of the first celebrity consumers of marijuana, and one of the first famous musicians arrested for it's use. The Rolling Stones are a great band to use for the '70's, corresponding to the declaration in '71 by Nixon of a formal 'War on Drugs', to his rejection of the Schaffer Report in '74. There's JJ Cales 'Cocaine' (which everyone thinks is Eric Clapton's), The Beatles' 'Lucy in The Sky of Diamonds', any Jimi Hendrix- all of which are part of our accepted cultural heritage, all written and played by people taking drugs.
So while I'm quite happy with musical references to use as little signposts up until the around the 2000-2005 mark, my 'carefree' clubbing days are over- I'm usually working if I'm at a club! I was interested in songs / tunes / anthems that the current crop of Bluelighters will look on fondly in 20 to 30 years time as marking a specific time in their social activities.

For me, God help me, 'Ride on Time' by Black Box is a song (like it or loathe it) that is irrevocably associated with the rave scene of London in the early 90s. It got to a point where I wanted to gouge my eyes out when it got played, but I heard it again recently and great memories came back, of a very innocent era... No doubt Bluelighters will look back in 20 years time, when their 10 year old kids (and my grand-kids!) are all off-tap on some optical/digital product, and hanker after a more innocent era! What will be the music of their innocence?

As to the lyric from 'Dirt', I think those who best understand the consumers mind are those that do consume, or who have consumed, and take the time to inform themselves about the science / medicine of what they are doing. The modern misconceptions regarding drugs of any nature are largely due to the fundamentalist commentaries of those who refuse to see the other side of the coin. It's one of the reasons I continue to love Bluelight, and Bluelighters, and keep coming back to you all for advice. Sure, you've got your fair share of nut-jobs online, but then so do we in Medicine. Most of you still have PLUR in your hearts, (even if the young 'uns don't know what it means anymore!)

 

[Halif]

Thanks for the clarification, that makes a lot more sense. I'll put my 'listening' cap on now and see if I can find some really relevant examples.

And I really appreciate that you have summarised/paraphrased what those lyrics are about. Layne Stayley's story is a tragic one, indeed. But he left us with some tracks that are almost anthem like for addicts. They're not glorifying drug use or warning people of the dangers. Those tracks on Dirt just tell it like it is in the thick of it. So raw, and ultimately, so sad.

EDIT: Forgot to say that I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiments in the last paragraph. In my mid-thirties now, and having used legal and illegal drugs since I was 11, I've been through the wringer with all the trouble that full blown genetically hardwired substance abuse tendency brings. One of the worst parts of it all, is the few times I've seen psychologists/psychiatrists/counsellors (about five over 20 years now, not exactly frequent) I always end up feeling more alone than ever because the man or woman in the other chair has not had any of the experiences I've had (or if they had, they kept it secret). The worst ones actually had a condescending attitude and asked "Do you know what you are doing to yourself by taking these drugs?", and "How can you keep on knowing the damage that this is causing?" - that makes me want to jump out of the nearest window because it shows that they have NOT A SINGLE JOT OF AN IDEA about the people they're supposed to be helping (ie. those with severe emotional, psychological imbalances).

 

[Standup]

Rusko (dubstep) made an album where he admitted to making each song on a different drug

 

[lovepsychadelics]

Rusko (dubstep) made an album where he admitted to making each song on a different drug

Who gives a shit? Many different artist use different drugs at all kinds of different times for all kinds of reasons check the ketamine discussion shows a painting I did a few years ago on K and MXE... really difficult. Big one here though is who gives a shit. After having created the work it's all mote. It's very different during the creative process and the effects on your emotional, intellectual and visual experience alters the end result. Difficult to gauge the effect of say 2ce one day and the next aMT or if your like me then 2ci and 2ce with aMT then allyescaline with some meth and diazepam... until you get some nasty serotonin toxicity.

Got to say I agree with Halif it is important for those treating people to be non judgmental or even better to have actual experience and a degree of empathy. Also getting older makes you have trouble processing the drugs and my days are fading along with Halif's and dr platypus at least the illegal stuff. Also can't agree more with the condescending attitude some psych's etc have and yet they peddle scripted drugs that can be just as dangerous. I got so sick from "prozac" after taking a scripted dose and drinking 1 beer almost like food poisoning for 24 hour after. Also zoloft was awful as well and had to take a quarter tablet as I was prescribed 50 mg and side effects were fucking awful. Good to see some psych's in the USA wanting to legalize mdma for psychological therapy. Working in the medical field can be a bitch and you see the ass end of addiction so it's stupid that I have used drugs like RC's with such a flippant attitude but I didn't care then as much as I do now. Maybe the odd bit of MXE or similar for a doof or good DJ but fuck the rest of it sure over the festivals....