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1. •  
     CommentAuthorMATT
   • CommentTimeFeb 5th 2010 edited

    
   I've been studying jazz for a while, and I ended up focusing on Chet Baker for a while. Anway, while browsing some of his music on youtube (pretty relaxing actually) I came across a video of him performing in Tokyo, 1980 something, and he sounded (honestly, and sadly) terrible. Upon further research (youtube coments) I found out he was on herione for a while, and I read some guy's comments about it.
   
   

   Some guy who's so full of himself, he's damn near spilling over...Chet is a prime example of how many artists escape the world they live in, simply because they are so open, so naive, so in love with every moment they pass in wonder, it hurts like nothing else to actually have to live. Heroin was probably not necessary for his music, but for him not to crumble every second in his life. Musos, actors, artists, we don't use drugs for recreation, as much as for escape from our own minds, and our own grandeur. Our own need to obtain perfection. It's a thumb to suck on.

   
   
   Now I disagree. First, this guy assumes that he knows every facet of Baker's mind, which is absurd, and almost everyone who is using drugs uses them for recreation (I'm going to bullshit about ninety percent). My flat out opinion is that people who think they need drugs to deal with life are addicted. Hell, I take medication to balance my brain chemistry, I'm probably an addict too. On the idea of perfection, anyone who aims for what is literally impossible is bound to be dissapointed, if you take drugs to deal with the fact that impossibilites are impossibilities, then you're an idiot. You started sucking the thumb because you couldn't man up and face your issues without frying your damn brains out, its you own damn fault your addicted, so stop taking the drug. The world won't crumble, it might seem like it though, and that's called withdrawl. Withdrawl ends, no more dependancy, life goes on.
   
   Opinions?
2. •  
     CommentAuthorAkuta
   • CommentTimeFeb 8th 2010

    
   I can see where he's coming from : Whereas most people "use drugs for fun" (well, at least until they become addicted...), many artists don't use drugs in the same manner (those that DO use them, mind you) in my experience. It's more of a part of their lives instead of just "a weekend thing" so to speak. I DON'T agree that it's for "an escape from our own minds, our own grandeur and own own need for perfection". I think that's a cop out and an excuse for using drugs in the first place. It's a crutch for the crutch.
   
   The heroin is a totally different topic. Heroin is determinedly one of the most difficult things to kick because the feeling of not feeling is too appealing to us humans (which is why I think we use drugs at all, really. It's all just different levels of the "not feeling" that we get from each of them). The world to any addict feels as though it will crumble... feels as though there is no way out. This is why many people commit suicide after stopping or getting off of chemical balancing drugs (such as yourself). And yes, you too are an addict... Just not an ILLEGAL drug addict.Death is life's way of telling you that you've been fired.