Beatles

[John A. Swartz]

O.K., looks like it's confession time...

> Hmm.. I'm with you on the Beatles but.. You have a problem with
> musicians
> that use(d) drugs? Do you think BOC was clean & sober back in the day?
> Or is
> it just that you feel that the songs, having been influenced by drugs
> are
> the poorer for it? Just wondering, not advocating or condemning drug
> use.


I didn't say I had a problem with musicians that use(d) drugs - I was
merely making the observation that the Beatles did (which when I first
heard that was quite a revelation).

You could certainly say that I USED to have a problem with drug use
period - I was a straight-laced, Catholic-raised, geeky kid.  Never did
drugs.  Probably had an attitude toward people who did.

Still haven't done any drugs (any illicit ones - yes, I've drank plenty
of alchohol which is by many definitions a drug).  Not because of an
attitide, just because I think at this point in my life it's passed me
by...you know, if I didn't do 'em in college I probably never
would...probably even regret that a little - something tells me I'd have
really enjoyed pot...

Actually, two things probably really made me understand that people who
do or have done various drugs aren't necessarily evil (or, if they are,
it probably ain't because of the drugs).  First, I had to come to the
realization that the guys in my all-time favorite band, Blue Oyster
Cult, have done various drugs.  To an idealistic, naive, straight-laced
18-year-old, that was quite an eye-opener.  I could either be
judgemental of that, or say "Hey, different strokes for different
folks..."

The second thing was probably upon my research of the Beatles
themselves, and the realization that these guys did major amounts of
drugs - that "Sgt. Pepper" was probably done more under the effects of
LSD than not - or at least largely influenced conceptually by it.

Again, I wasn't passing judgement because I mentioned that the Beatles
used a lot of drugs.  And I've probably shared way more than I needed to.

Kinda makes me wonder what they put in that milkshake I had at McDonald's...

;-)

John