Have drugs ever enhanced your creativity as a songwriter or player ?

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Also I don't know that I could justify the cost of drugs.


Every spare dollar goes to more cables and strings.
 
I can honestly say I've done pretty much everything as far as the common street drugs in my area, though I can think of a few I haven't- Ecstasy was never a part of any scene I was around, so I never did that.. Not much interest in it either. Any fruity psychedelics like peyote, mescaline...stuff like that I've never done or had access to. Meth doesn't make it up here a whole lot so I've never done that and don't want to anyways. I've seen too many meth mouths on TV and have a pretty good idea what kind of chemicals go into it.

In general I never liked coke. Every once in a while I do a little bump if someone offers, but more often refuse it. I don't think I've actually paid for it 5 times in my middle-aged adult life. The come down, the joneses, the instant gratification and psychology of need...all this weird dark stuff surrounding it sometimes make me stiffen up a little if it's around, though I haven't even been around it for a few years now. And I just don't like any kind of upper...they don't mix with me. I'm a little spazzy as is and anything that jacks you up just makes me go into some kind of geeked out catatonic state. Pseudoephedrine, or those meds kids take for ADD... ick, no thanks.

So now if any of you were thinking of sending me drugs, you know what not to send.
 
Noooo.. drugs dont do anything. i mean smoking a little weed is always cool i certin peoples eyes, but if your trying to make some serious work i wouldnt suggest it
 
I'm not against smoking da fatty but I've noticed I play better straight. I used to think it helped me to relax and kick out some better jams but I don't think so. I've listened to some of my recordings where I was baked and the same tunes when I wasn't. There wasn't a huge difference but on the ones where I was straight, I was more accurate.

Although, I have come up with some pretty off the wall riffs under the influence.
:D
 
I think only Keith Richards can say successfully that heroin has made him the multi millionaire that he is today. :rolleyes:
 
Dogbreath said:
There wasn't a huge difference but on the ones where I was straight, I was more accurate.

Although, I have come up with some pretty off the wall riffs under the influence.
:D
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Right, you're not going to increase precision under the influence...and I don't think anyone would use "mood enhancement" for that purpose...but like you said, it can open up the imagination and lead you to new creative territory.

Once you have things all worked out and you're as good as you can be at it, adding a touch of mood enhancement shouldn't be an impediment, and it may even let you go beyond your usual "safe" comfort zone when playing/creating.
So there's a right time and a wrong time for it.

If I'm just messing around and jamming, and looking to flush out something....there's no concern for precision and accuracy, it's not about that....it's about new/fresh ideas and letting the imaginaiton run free. A little buzz can be fuel for that....:)...though sometimes the new ideas don't sound as good when the buzz is gone. :D
 
I know a lot of bands that drink,smoke and what ever during practice and feel out of place once they get to a gig then they have to drink,smoke or what ever to have that same sensation of false perfection of performance. ....... Sad really.
 
moresound said:
they have to drink,smoke or what ever to have that same sensation of false perfection of performance. ....... Sad really.
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don't agree it's sad unless the person has a problem with it.
I flat out play better with a few tokes ...... period.
I have recordings that prove it and I have had quite a few anti-erb "you only think you play better" people thru the years listen to me play a set straight and then a second set stoned and without fail, even though they were loath to do so, they all said I played better and with more fire stoned. Sorry to disappoint you ...... and I don't see how that's sad in any way at all.

I mostly don't toke unless I'm playing and I NEVER drink anything if I'm not playing and even then only whatever people buy me .... and I only drink a couple of those since the last thing I need is a DUI.

Not really seeing any sadness there.
 
Lt. Bob said:
don't agree it's sad unless the person has a problem with it.
I flat out play better with a few tokes ...... period. ...
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I agree. Play and write riffs better with a little smoke in me. Beer makes me think I can play, or play better, ...but no. Not even close.
 
Any drugs I've used in the past have only hindered my creativity, including alcohol.
 
I've had some good drugs in my time on this planet. (Probably more than my fair share)

Did they make me creative? No. Some of them made me want to dance. Others turned me into a drooling vegetable. Ketamine yack! Some chilled me out that much that my guitar was the last thing on my mind and food was the first. Not for me though, anymore. I grew up.

I've heard some great music recorded by people under the influence though and inspired by. I guess they're not for everyone.
 
I can really only judge my creativity by the path that I have followed.

Short story:

Wake n bake with weed from 10-14 years of age. Many a hallucinogenic drugs from then to 18. Much too much smoking of coke til 19. Then I found a band that had possibilities. Even with what seemed like perfect management for my band, it inevitably fell apart. That was 25 years ago.

In between then and now, years of alcohol and twisted cocktails of broken dreams occurred.

To the point of whether drugs enhanced creativity or songwriting? I don't fucking know really. It didn't work out like I had planned though.

I feel more comfortable now recording others projects with perspective of 'not' being as high as I was when I was expecting to be a rock star of sort.

I suppose I never did enough nor became popular enough to be an icon of drug use?


We all learn from our mistakes. Drug use was a big one that fucked me. Whatever anyone uses as inspiration is up to them. I make no judgements there.

That being said, I know many that still use, and are making a living playing and recording. Every person has their own level of usage that makes them feel comfortable. Whether the drugs make them more creative or not, is not up to others to decide. Each individual makes that decision themselves. If it don't work, well we are there to judge them and tell them they suck right? lol!

I can say that I have recorded failed attempts of tracks in my studio due to drunk players. The stoned ones tend to be more on top of things, but the ones who actually show up to play, without medication are the ones who shine always.
 
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The last time I ate mushrooms I decided to just lay down and relax, the house was empty and very quiet.

What followed was a fairly intense trip with plenty of color and especially a lot of audio "hallucinations".

If I had talent and some more knowledge it would be incredible to be able to put those sounds to disk.

 
Jerry said the key to understanding the context of this cut was to listen to it on nitrous oxide.

If you've had a prolonged nitrous experience at the dentist you should understand.

 
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