music reviews and drugs !!!

[will-c]

When I was growing up I always had a propensity for 60's music and became obsessed with Bob Dylan. At the time I couldnt comprehend people who would listen to Dylan, The Doors, Floyd, Hendrix or many more of the all time favourites without the use of drugs.
I think looking back that I could not imagine listening to music without the use of my loved drugs. They kind of went hand and hand; like carrots and peas, beans on toast or fish and chips.

Looking back, I have fallen in love with certain kinds of music during listeing to them in my darkest moments, like going through City Roads when I was 20, despite only lasting 4 days being exposed to, SuperTramps Breakfast in America and Marianne Faithfuls 'Broken English'.

One of the main musical extravaganza I have watched and listened to for the past twenty five years is The Last Waltz, The bands last concert, with Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mithell, Dr John, Van the Man and many more. I must have bought and lost the DVD at least 5 times over the years and can recall endless people I have watched it, with who are no longer in this world. I did get the original poster for the concert bought for my as a birthday present many years ago, cost 250 dollars from a seller in Hollywood and £175.00 to frame it, thats hanging on an ex partners wall still. mmmmmmmmmmm

What are other peoples musical hero's/reviews

ps:  if this should be a blog, I dont mind deleting it

   

[mcdermott]

When I was growing up, it pretty much was the 60's.  I can remember on the last day of Junior school, we had this hip teacher who brought in her copy of Sergeant Peppers, and we listened to that all day.

For me, music is like everything else in my life. I get completely obsessed with something -- be it an artist, a genre, etc. -- and thn consume everythiing I can like a rabid dog. Over time, I get bored with my obssession and move on to something else.

These days, I listen only to Hip-hop and Country and Western. Sometimes, I kill two birds with one stone.

[Ursula]

That is a splendidness.  Thanks!

I'm finding myself getting more into the Americana/C&W thing the older I get.  Blame my partner, who took me to see Steve Earle for our first proper date at the peak of his post-prison, pre-Atkins shambling man-mountain phase.  I still left with a stonking great crush on him...

[will-c]

I like the country punk, slide into hip hop style of Alabama Three but think they have died of death from releasing too many greatest hits over the last 5 years, Exile on Coldharbour lane...


Seasick steve was my last purchase

[will-c]

I am a big fan of country as well, more on the credence clear water revival, bluegrass, karen kraus, emilou harris and all the old counrty classic like johnny cash, billy jo spears and what not.

I was listening to Dylan's Nashville hits for a few months there on the Ipod...

Did I mention the band

[penny]

If you like Americana/C&W, then The Silver Jews are ace. All the albums are lovely, but American Water and Lookout Mountain Lookout Sea are particularly gorgeous (anybody that rhymes 'Tennessee tendencies' with 'chemical dependencies' gets my money...)

[alli]

I've been listening a lot to supertramp's - 'take the long way home' recently, and a new one I love is Ne yo's 'closer' - great dance music.  Heard Seal sing James Brown's 'its a man's world' the other day and it was by far the best version i have ever heard - that man has some voice - its made me want to buy his new album - think someone is getting it for me for x-mas, - hoping!.  Love Sargeant Peppers - love all the beatles music.  Love Reggie but havn't listened to it for a while - lost all my old albums.  Love 3rd World and Mighty Diamonds.  The 12" version of third world's 'now that we've found love' is one of my favourite records of all time - certainly one of the best to dance to.  Also love the Police, Madness, Specials, Tom tom Club, and Bob Marley - (went to see him in Glasgow in early 80's, also saw the police around then too - outdoors new year's eve concert near Edinburgh Airport, and Madness and Specials bout then too.)  Love Motown music - too many to list.  And lots more - can't remember them all but want to start replacing all the music I've lost and left behind over the years. alli x

[will-c]

love sly and the family stone, The temptations. I have heard some of the seal album, i more liked his otis reading cover, then I am a big otis fan. 

[will-c]

country music, I like Jimmy Buffet.

Listening to Patches by clarence carter now, kind of just googling old songs like the chirpy cheap song and knock three times on the ceiling.

Might branch out to some dolly parton in a minute

[Ursula]

I love YouTube - it's so easy to hunt down fantastic stuff.  I spent a night looking at Andrews Sisters and Shangri-Las footage recently (sadly, they never worked together - a Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy/Leader of the Pack mash up would be skill). 

[Mark Gilman]

Patches by clarence carter

Unbelieveable! I come on here for a lurk before heading off to teh Racing Post for the runners and riders for Boxing Day Horse Racing and theres crime fiction and Clarence Carter and Patches. This record got me through my 12th year on the planet. My Dad died in February 1969 leaving my Mum to run a local shop on quite a rough council estate in Bury, North Manchester/South Lancashire (well it was regarded as roughish then - it would be posh now by modern standards of rough!). I was an only child and the words "its up to you to do the rest!" formed my values to this day - wow! 

[skroe]

Well my first love of music, was Rap music, It was the mid 80s, I begun to paint graffiti, after seeing my uncle and his mates start around 1983, At the same time you had Hip hop, well the so called four elements (Graffiti-B.Boying, B. Girls, known as Break Boys & Girls, cause they where Break dancers, DJ'ing, and Rap.)
Along with a good few films, including Style wars 1982 (Shown here first in 1984 on Channel 4) Wild Style, Elevated Tracks, Plus the silly mass appeal film's Like Beat Street.lol.
Well I got into Rap that way via Graffiti. (Link for Style wars, Amazing Documentary,)   http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5065949310221269915

I was more so fond of the Electro, style of Rap, Anyway all my peers where, into this scene at the time, you where a writer (graffiti artist) or a Break dancer, the rappers came later.

But Around 1987 I first heard Acid house, and house, I really got into this in a big way, to the point by 1989 My mates who where still rap heads used to diss me, I just loved the music, and the drugs ofcause, the music was designed for drugs, very weird some of the tunes, well most of it, like tunes by phuture acid traxx  here  http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RHp2KO8cUX0

I was getting sick of Rap music by then it had lost its meaning, you had rappers with so much bling, binkni clad girls, cash $$$, cars, etc on there covers, plus you had gangster rap coming in, it had lost what it was originally about, you could see the gangster and badboy lyrics taking over in rap clubs, they become more moody and bad as in atmosphere. I didn't want to go to a club, standing in a corner watching your back. Thats not me..  People thinking they are Bad, cause they heard some lyrics on a rap album. I still wrote Graffiti though, I still do too!!

Anyway By then I was going to clubs/and Raves with a few mates from work, I knew my old mates would soon start coming to the Raves.
And I was already taking drugs, (The very First drugs I took where Shrooms, they used to grow not far from me, so we used to bunk off school and go picking, eating them raw, then trippin at my mums, pretending I been to school, Me & my Friends would meet up after our tea, still Tripping, I was only 14..lol)
By The Time I started Raving I had already used a lot of drugs, just soft drugs really, so dropping LSD was knew to me, I did'nt like smoking hash, used to freak me out, never enjoyed it apart from when I first used it, but after a while, using bongs etc it was too much, made me freaky had weird thoughts etc, it was not for me.
That time in Cardiff (late 80s) pills where £25 each, so we used to buy LSD and speed, the Acid was pretty strong, purple orms, strawberrys where more mellow, there where lots of different names for blotters, different prints etc. Anyway was going out raving during the week has well has the Week-ends.
It was a lifestyle really. by around 1990 my pals where dropping and dancing with me.. 

Pills started to comedown in price, my first pill, was very nice, a nice white dove. The music and drugs went hand in hand.
I dont want to turn this into a boring essay, but I carried on going to raves dropping, pill popping etc to drum and bass came in, then it got moody again..
plus, I was feeling strange all the time, getting panic attacks etc, thats when my drinking become more heavy, to stop the anxiety, then thats how heroin came into my life I started using drunk, noticed it chilled me out when I had no drink It also stopped the panic attacks, Because I was withdrawing from the beer in the End, lyears after I stopped Raving and dropping Acid, Pills etc,I must say I got away with using gear for a long time, I mean years before I started to cluck, I got mentally addicted to heroin first, when I was drunk, I wanted heroin!! 

Bloody hell what a shock that was when I started to cluck, it was as if one day Bang!! My body needed heroin!!, In the end, I was using, you know How it goes..  Just glad to be Clean!!

All this was over many years, but I still love my House Music, And can listern to it with out drugs these days, but Its always nice every once in a while, with my graffiti crew to buy some coke, and play some old classics, I cant dance cause of my arthritis, but Its still nice, All the music on my MP3 and Phone and PC is house of some sort, some happy mondays, some doors, pink floyd, late 60s grooves, and some old skool rap.

I keep planning to go to a rave again, I see whats happening now via facebook, instead of flyers, which brings my to one last thing, before mobile phones finding the site of a rave was so much fun, following cars, meeting up in garages, phoning from payphones, It was all fun, Raves in forests, old mansions, fields, great days, and Ibiza before it was F*cked up by beer drinking louts..   

If I ever have Grandchildren, I'll deffo play them the most craziest tunes, my mats there kids are into that grime rubbish, Its the same thing again, Apart that these you youths, don't listen to gangster rap, They have there own made version Grime, very moody music, plus if you want some drugs these days, and your regulars have nothing, if you still want, its odd that your buying from somebody younger than you..crazy!!!

Anyway sorry for the long post..
Hope your all had a great Christmas!!
Mine was chill, sober, but nice, not like it was a few years back, or last year..
Nice one..
Kevin..

 
(Ps, I'm going try to give up the fags, New year-Ive got myself two E Ciggys, I find them good, I'm kinda half way there now, Ive smoked one fag today, from 8am...)

[will-c]

no need to be sorry for your long post, I like to see passion in a persons post which yours was full of.

I got another tom waits CD for xmas

[alli]

Hi Skroe - great post.  I too never really got on with smoking hash - used to make me anxious and paranoid - didn't at first, used to giggle like mad and get the munchies.  Me partner used to deal it so people were always up at our flat rolling up - and I still used to smoke it even though it had that effect - though we used to go to the pub later and after a few drinks I'd feel much better - then got to liking that too much!  And I used to get Tranxil from my doctor (told her about the anxiety I felt - missing out what was causing it!) so I used to pop them all the time to counter the effects of the hash - would have been easier not to bloody smoke it!  Used Dexies a lot - then got a bad coke habit - until I OD'd on it and started hearing voices telling me to jump out windows!  I was at my brothers at the time and he got the coke off me and flushed it down the loo - then told me to start telling the voices to jump out their own fucking windows! - they shup up after that! - and obviously not sticking the coke up my nose every 2 minutes helped.

I did take LSD once but the guy we were with started having a bad trip and wanted to jump out the cab we were in and that set me off.  It was a nightmare - staring at myself in the mirror - remember being completely freaked out.  Ended up in bed in the featal position shaking and  praying it would wear off soon.

Was always on something listening to music and in clubs and gigs.  Usually dexies or coke - washed down with alcohol, smoking like a chimney, hash and the fags.  Giving up again tomorrow, looking forward to it actually - hate the taste it leaves in my mouth now - and it makes my chest hurt.  alli x

[Jules]

Must've missed this thread but just wanted to give my (ex) old man a plug as I was listening to him earlier and I'd forgotten how good a singer and guitarist he is.

www.myspace.com/ianhuntguitarpicker

Not sure if I've inserted the link properly but check him out.