Re: (TV) Arthur Lee

["Jeffrey Germaine" <jpg@sirius.com>]

I tell you what the next time one of my ex-junkie friends rips you off or
breaks into your car don't criticize him or her just let it be.

----- Original Message -----
From: MICHAEL CARLUCCI <subterraneannyc@mindspring.com>
To: <tv@obbard.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2000 2:55 PM
Subject: Re: (TV) Arthur Lee


>     No one's asking you to love their disease, just not to criticize
> their disease. It's like criticizing someone for having cancer or
> epilepsy. These people have a condition and some do not know how to
> fix it or can't. I just lost  a grandfather to alcoholism. I was the only
> one in my family that knew it. Everyone else would just say, "oh he sure
> loves his beer". Yeah, 2 six packs or more a day worth of love. Peoples
> ignorance to the disease of addiction in this day and age is astounding.
> I too have a Jaco Pastorious story that's too long to get into, but he was
> constantly in the wrong place and had too many hangers on that would drag
> him down with them. The police are complete idiots when it comes to
> addiction.
> They were constantly arresting Jaco here and berating him with the
exception
> of one
> fine officer who befriended Jaco and tried to help him. You can only help
> those addicts who know they need it and want it. It's too bad that so many
> people have to
> die because of this dreaded disease. We finally have a way to combat it
with
> an African herb
> that the U.S. Government refuses to allow here because there's some
> hallucinations
> that go with the detoxification of it's use. The name escapes me at the
> moment,
> but it confirms my suspicions on the "Governments War on Drugs". There
ain't
> no war. Just load up the heroin user with Methadone which is 10 times more
> difficult
> to kick. This herb is a one shot deal. In 12 hours the addict is clean
> without the
> 3 days of withdrawal hell and no desire to use again. Does anyone know
what
> plant I'm talking
> about? M T C
> ----------
> >From: "Jeffrey Germaine" <jpg@sirius.com>
> >To: <tv@obbard.com>
> >Subject: Re: (TV) Arthur Lee
> >Date: Wed, Feb 23, 2000, 1:45 PM
> >
>
> >I only speak from personal experience.Perhaps my way is too insulting for
> >some. I'm just a very candid person. I've been a drunk,etc.. Been there,
> >done that.
> >Honestly, I have great difficulty "idolizing" some of these pathetic
cats.I
> >can appreciate their past efforts but I'm not going to "love" their
disease.
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: Joe Hartley <jh@brainiac.com>
> >To: <tv@obbard.com>
> >Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2000 8:37 AM
> >Subject: Re: (TV) Arthur Lee
> >
> >
> >> jpontrelli@nallmiller.com wrote:
> >> > JPG wrote:  Sounds like another pathetic loser.
> >> >
> >> > The man responsible for the first three Love records was no pathetic
> >loser.
> >> > "Forever Changes" is on an equal plain with "Marquee Moon."
> >>
> >> I find JPG's attitude amazingly harsh.  I have known people with drug
and
> >> alcohol problems, and have broken off dear friendships because of it,
and
> >have
> >> had friends die because of this.  There is a big difference between
JPG's
> >> smug moral superiority and necessity of pushing someone away because
they
> >> either need to get better or worse.  I wonder whether JPG has ever
> >> personally known anyone seriously addicted.  Doesn't sound like it.
> >>
> >> Artistic genius is often coupled with psychological problems that draw
> >> such people to drugs (including alcohol) like a moth to a flame.  On
> >> a very simplistic level, such people can be said to "feel" more
strongly
> >> than the average "normal" person.  How people react to this varies with
> >> each person.  Sometimes purging themselves through their art is
> >> sufficient, sometimes it's not.  The drugs come into play because they
> >> dull that feeling.  Some people can control it, others can't.  The
drugs
> >> that are most often abused to the point of addiction by artists are
> >> opiates and alcohol.  This isn't a coincidence - these are the drugs
that
> >> are most effective at toning down these feelings.
> >>
> >> You can look down your nose at the people who can't handle the reality
> >> (or the drugs), but there's a fiendish circle at work against the
artist.
> >> The feelings help put the genius in the art, but make the artist feel
> >> that he (or she) is not really in control.  Oddly enough, the drugs at
> >> first make the artist feel in control.  Used often enough, though, the
> >> physical addiction will rear its head, and then there's a whole new
> >> problem to deal with.
> >>
> >> I'm fortunate; I don't feel so out-of-balance that I need strong drugs
> >> on a regular basis to help me feel in control.  A beer or a toke from
time
> >to
> >> time does fine, and I won't go nuts if I don't have it.  I also don't
have
> >> the spark of creativity to be a good musician or writer or any other
type
> >> of artist.  I enjoy playing guitar, but I have no personal "voice" and
> >> don't write my own music.  I don't mind; I understand the tradeoffs.
> >>
> >> Yes, there are people who can make music and don't really seem to have
> >> demons to fight.  Their music is usually dull and boring.  Even people
> >> with their demons can make dull music - there are no hard and fast
rules.
> >>
> >> When I hear stories about people like Arthur Lee, I'm saddened to think
> >> of the losing battle against keeping balance they're in.  Of all the
> >> feelings I have, contempt is not among them.
> >>
> >> Much of this message came from a looong conversation I had with a
friend
> >> of mine, one of the best guitarists I've ever heard, at a time when he
> >> was off heroin and seemed to have a handle on his life and career.
Sadly,
> >> koyaanisqatsi (life out of balance) took hold later and he OD'ed just
as
> >> his career seemed to finally be taking off.  We'd gotten onto the topic
> >> when I casually remarked I'd give anything to play as well as he did,
and
> >> he replied he'd glady give it up if he could get control of things.
> >>
> >> Paul, I still miss you.
> >>
> >> --
> >> ======================================================================
> >>        Joe Hartley - UNIX/network Consultant - jh@brainiac.com
> >>      12 Emma G Lane, Narragansett, RI  02882 - vox 401.782.9042
> >> Without deviation from the norm, "progress" is not possible. - FZappa
> >>
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