Re: Nirvana & Society

["Scott Schrade" <schrade@akrobiz.com>]

> I have another question about this.  Musicians who die young are always 
> preserved in the public conciousness as young and beautiful, while 
> performers who continue after they become very old and/or ill seem to 
> tarnish their images. 

Well, there are two types of Rock & Roll deaths.  Let's call the first type
the Buddy Holly type.  That would be a *completely* accidental death,
due in no part to the artist himself.  Then there is the Kurt Cobain type.
This includes either suicide or enough drug intake to cause death.  These
deaths were all ultimately caused by the artist himself.

If the artist dies by either type at an early age there is a certain martyrdom,
for lack of a better word, that ensues.  But there *are* subtexts.  Janis Joplin
is a martyr *but* her genius will always be tainted by the fact the she got
off by sticking needles in her arms.  Hendrix - genius but.....  Morrison -
genius but.....  Moon - genius but.....  Buddy Holly - just genius.

However, Moon kinda fits into yet another subcategory which we'll call
the Elvis type.  These are the artists who pretty much make it past their
early youth only to die in their 30's or 40's.  These artists, too, when spok-
en of often have some kind of a qualifier tacked onto their career summa-
tion.  Elvis was great *but*..... he got fat.  Moon was great *but* ...... he 
got fat.

Because Elvis & Moon both lived past their 20's we have more of their 
careers to judge.  More to be critical of.

Remember, the Kurt Cobain type deaths, while mystifying & legend-mak-
ing, all come with qualifiers - Shakespearian-type "fatal flaws" which di-
rectly or indirectly lead to the artist's death or downfall.

Sticking around *does* take more guts.  But sticking around also means
albums like WHO ARE YOU, FACE DANCES, & IT'S HARD.  Janis
Joplin's fans don't have to worry about her making a crap album.  Then
again, they'll never experience her making another *good* album either.


- SCHRADE in Akron