Its an inhibition thing, and an energy you get. I play guitar and sing messed up all the time, and sound better than I do if Im in some rut sober. By far. Its better than the worst or average sober song, but the best and most focused work Ive ever done I did it sober when I was inspired naturally.
Youve cut your chops on a potent stimulant drug, it only simulates what you could potentially accomplish, without actually accomplishing that though. Its lacking next to a sober, real voice, grounded to the root of what you can do.
I bet all these musicians who burned out or died young. Either in part, or in full to their drug abuse - they could have accomplished as much and absolutely more. Mostly they found their voices outside of the drug life anyway, it wasnt drugs that made them great, really.
Layne Stayley was a hell of a singer before he started to succumb to crack and heroin for instance. That lifestyle definitely inspired some great music, all of Alice in Chains' best records were great in part to that deterioration. The strung out tonality, the frailty of those performances were incredibly powerful and even real to that kind of person in that kind of life. But what does that mean?
It wouldve been better otherwise. Deterioration does not equal a realized potential. Guy lost his teeth, most of his power, and died incontinent 80lbs and 6 foot 1 of a speedball surrounded by gold paint cans. I suspect the same kind people huff. Great singer now huh? Would still be without the rampant drug abuse, and lack of life.
Thats pretty extreme yeah I know. Theres absolutely value in that music, but its damaged. That can be beautiful but its sad. What happens after coming up? You come down. Every day. Then you cant get up again, prematurely with this kind.of dope. You cant develop your skills fully with hard drug use wearing you down. You might not even live.
I think second could become first if you just relax a bit, find yourself, its all there. Drugs just activate chemicals that are already there and fuck with your regulatory systems to the point it can drive you insane how bad it gets. Its second rate.
Thats not the real you or the best you can do. May sound great for a time, but again. Its the fast track its cutting corners majorly. Youll find youre better sober once you hash out how to do this sober, singing seriously.
Dont buy into the drugs = creativity thing. Its bullshit. Im wasted sounding good sometimes too, but the rest of the time Im just fuckin lost in cacophony, probably not even playing music. No melody there whatsoever.
The rest is a mess to be cleaned up when Im there. Back to earth, and not strung out all over some fuckin' drug thats ravaging me and making me forget how to play for real. Or what I can really do. Wrecking what represents me, belying my art for some substance thats destroying everything Ive ever been or done. Its a fuckin waste.
That kind of art has a time and place, but not at the expense of your life or ability to sing soberly. Trust me, youll find your voice if you look, and itll sound better than smoking some meth ever did.
