OK,, so he's just a naturally manic, wildly inconsistent performer? I can't wait for the movie, all those wholesome japes and hijinks on "Leave it to Ryan".

Actually, though, after reading through the postings, he makes several good points. The posts kinda ring true from the creative side of the industry, so if the poster isn't Ryan it is someone with a feel for the artist's perspective.

Stacy - I'm not sure why this drug thing upsets you so much? I'm a cycling fan and most of my favourite cyclists were kicked out of this year's Tour de France on suspicion of doping. I think that's fair because they're attempting to enhance their performance at the expense of cyclists who adhere to the rules.
Do you think Ryan Adam's drug habit is a performance enhancer that gives him an unfair advantage - thus he's a hypocrite for denying his habit?

Unfair disadvantage would be a better call. IMHO the mood swings, intemperate behavior, and audience alienation will do far more damage than an occasional manic insight fueled by drugs could ever remedy, much less move over into the "plus" column.

Drugs as a creative tool are vastly overrated, and that isn't usually why artists get stoned anyway. They get stoned because they like to turn the damned world off every once in awhile. Must be hard to be both sensitive enough to write great tunes and tough enough to perform them onstage.

I think they are looking for the "off" switch. Too bad it is sometimes permanent.

Ryan doesn't take drugs and Barry Bonds never took steroids!

It's the "hypocrite for denying his habit" option for me, definitely. I don't care if Ryan Adams does the drugs, not one little bit. It's just that I'm kind of insulted, as a fan, that he thinks his fans are so stupid that he can lie to us about it and expect us to not call him on it.

"I been smokin' dope, snortin' coke, tryin' to write a song/forgettin' everything I know 'til the next line comes along."
Yeah, those "mood swings, intemperate behavior and audience alienation" really kept the Lennons and Zevons and countless others from fulfilling their artistic potential. Ever listen to any Bill Hicks? I couldn't agree more than when he says that without drugs, we'd never have had all the rock 'n' roll we listened to in the '60s and '70s. If drugs were "vastly overrated" as a creative tool, we'd all still be listening to Bing Crosby. Please. And what's that about turning the world off? Go back and watch "Yellow Submarine." Only in the truly desperate are drugs about turning the world off. For the truly creative, drugs are about seeing the world in relief, about seeing the mountain from the other side -- that's one of the things that gives artists insight, that enables one to say something profound enough for it to be recognized as such, rather than the hackneyed and trite.
Which, naturally, brings us to the incredibly overrated Ryan Adams. The guy is ... not bad. I can listen to three, maybe four of his songs in a row. I still think his best work was with Whiskeytown, and that was far from anything that'll be remembered as greatness 10-15 years from now. If alt.country, whatever that is, has decayed to the point that Adams is now considered some kind of standard-bearer, music is in a lot bigger trouble than Kazaa could ever put it in. So, who cares if he wants to travel the well-trod (and boring, and cowardly) path of obviously drug-infused musicians who want to deny their use? Yes, it's insulting, but should we expect any more from someone so self-indulgent to believe that seemingly every word that flits across his consciousness is worthy of preservation for posterity? Geez -- next thing, the guy will be changing his name to an unpronounceable symbol.

I like Bing Crosby. Sinatra was a little too wild for me, and with those furrin accents I could never understand what the Beatles were saying.

Yes yes, drugs are wonderful! Let's put teachers on them! And bus drivers! Their performance will only be enhanced! Plus then they'll buy more Twinkies and Doritos, hiking grocery store stock. This plan has something to love for Democrats and Republicans both! So America will come together in partisan love and understanding, and we'll have another great Woodstock, and everything will be perfect like it was in the '60s and '70s, except for the whole gas problem again.

Not to mention what hallucinogens could do for the crews manning our nuclear and chemical aresenal.

We already know our politicians are a bunch of lecherous old hedonists, so we're already seeing the gain in productivity there...

Uhhhhh, Sharon? Do you actually *know* any teachers or bus drivers? Cuz, y'know, I do. Or maybe they just don't act the same in crime-free D.C.?

So, hanging out with all of these wildly creative bus drivers and teachers, can you share some insight as to how they plan to achieve their personal best while sleeping in pools of their own vomit?

Just curious.

I'm clearly not a scholarly enough sort to put up much of an argument against the aristocratic Mr. Pipkin, but perhaps he could apply his scientific method and delve deep into his fertile imagination to interview some of these bile-soaked minions of whom he so eloquently speaks and knows so much. And since I'm not in the habit of arguing with the uninformed and/or unbalanced ... the coveted Last Word is yours, wingnut.

Nice riposte, and at least you're smart enough to live where the weather's cooler, Mark.

Also, I've always considered myself more of a lag bolt.

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