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Originally Posted by bjornense
And regarding the Crosby quote I still think it's horrific but mostly sad. Sad because his early years where so musically creative and I regard his first solo lp one of my favorite albums all time. Sad because we don't know how much talent that later went up in cocaine free-basing smokes and heroin syringes. We don't know what fantastic music he could have accomplished if he stayed more sober or perhaps only used herbal drugs in a more moderate way. And that goes for many others, Peter Green too.
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I dunno, I pretty much like most everything Crosby's released...even the
CPR albums he did with his long-estranged son. Doesn't seem like there was "missed talent" in David's case...he really never had much "down time" (except for his jail sentence). He's been pretty prolific throughout his career.
Now, with Peter Green, Syd Barrett & Brian Wilson, I'll give you that (oh, and Danny Kirwan, as well)...although what Brian Wilson's done in the last 10 years has made up for those "missing years". Sure, us FMac fans can make a BIG case for Peter Green, but, at least he's still making a go of it at his own pace...but then, as Stevie Nicks says "You're not like other people, you do what you want to".
Syd (RIP) & Danny are probably the saddest cases.
Then there's the "Big Three": Hendrix? Joplin? Morrison? they were supernovas....what if they had lived? They probably wouldn't be the "superstar demi-gods" that dying made them into. Hendrix was here just long enough to show what the electric guitar could do, then he was gone...would he have taken guitar playing even further? Who knows? I kind of doubt it. Janis? She (along with Grace Slick) opened the door for women in rock...she came in, flung the door open, then left it open and walked away. Jim Morrison? He was already on the downward side of his career as a rock singer...what would he have gone into next? Again, who knows...but, I seriously doubt the "star" would've kept shining long. Not every person of extreme talent is MEANT to stick around for a 90 year life span...some people's "time" is a helluva lot shorter than others, no matter what kind of lifestyle they lead. Are our lives pre-programmed or do we really have "personal choice"?