Which star epitomizes Rock Star Decadence best?

[Taverner]

Poll question: Which star epitomizes Rock Star Decadence best?

http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/500/27365903/Lou+Reed+Rock+n+Roll+Animal+2.png

[mitchum]

1. Bowie from 74 to 77...he had the income, imagination, and predilections at the time...

One thing that is surprising
is how humble and self-effacing he still comes off during filmed interviews at the time. And that was at the height of his coke monsterdom. Amazing.

Honorable mention (because they could also afford more drugs than Reed and Iggy):
Jimmy Page
The Eagles

Courtney Love really is the last decadent rock star, but at this point in the game, "decadent rock star" is just meaningless. pointless,and played out.

[Taverner]

2. True about Courtney

And unlike the others, she has no talent. Never did, never will. Cobain ghost wrote most of the songs on her only good album (Live through This)

[bluesbassman]

3. Grace Slick desreves a nod too.

[Taverner]

5. Yes, but was she truly decadent

She may have been decadence lite...10%...

But I doubt she ever had to shoot speed or heroin in their toes because she ran out of other spots... :evilgrin:

[Gidney N Cloyd]

11. I remember reading an interview of her where she was photographed holding a...

...bottle of Jack with a straw in it.

[Taverner]

30. Courtney Love could beat that though - did an interview with the spike in her arm the whole time

Just plain forgot about it, not that it mattered, because she wasn't totally coherent anyway....

[Taverner]

43. Grace Slick was just smarter than the cops who arrested her

Always, her arrests were for something snarky she said

She should be given a MEDAL for fucks sake!

And if I had Grace Slick for a daughter, I would be proud

[BurtWorm]

4. I'm going with Lou Reed of the Rock and Roll Animal Period

when he did everything and everybody.

[mitchum]

6. Angie Bowie said that Reed was the most fey man she had ever met...

and that's really saying something

He is my favorite srtist (who isn't named Miles Davis), but Reed never seemed like he was having fun despite all that self indulgence. I dunno why.

[BurtWorm]

9. Jewish guilt, maybe.

Electroshock therapy might have taken a bit of a toll as well.

[mitchum]

14. I think those are both factors

In that period, he was really prone to yelling some variation of "You shut up!" at audience members. In a seemingly "female" voice. Makes me suspect that Lou heard that at home.

[Taverner]

Didn't his parents try to "shock the queer out of him" with EST?

And that Curt Wilde from Velvet Goldmine was partially based on him (that part, at least)

[mitchum]

22. That is exactly what they tried to do

At that time, electroshock was considered to be a credible "cure" for homosexuality, alcoholism, depression, and other things. And his parents, being educated professional people, thought it was wise to listen to the experts.

[Taverner]

23. Jeez - I wouldn't smile anymore either

[mitchum]

24. I'm sure that those experiences had much to do with his flintiness toward other people

When the people who are presumed to love you most in the world have electricity sent through your head in order to "fix" you, it's probably pretty hard to let your guard down with others.

[Taverner]

25. Totally. Like most Americans and humans for that matter, I gots Daddy issues

But fuck, that's just irreparable

[Taverner]

20. DUPE

[Taverner]

19. Especially since Angie was wild and crazy herself

And yeah, I don't think I've ever seen Reed crack a smile

[NightWatcher]

7. How did Cat Power end up on the list?

[Taverner]

8. Chan Marshall...she's the last seriously talented seriously doomed decadent rock goddess

[flvegan]

10. Ronnie Wood.

I've read parts of his book. Lucky to be alive, that man.

[mitchum]

12. He's a perfect example of that saying "god looks out for fools and children"

In that book, he just comes off as an incredibly stupid man incapable of learning from his mistakes. He excels at self absorption, but possesses not a whit of self insight.

[SteppingRazor]

13. Other: Sid.

First off, everyone on your list except Jim Morrison is still alive -- and if you're still pushing air through your teeth, you're not the best example of rock star excess. Plenty of other rock stars have ODed, but Sid Vicious is the only one who stabbed someone to death before he did so.

[Taverner]

27. Well, part of being truly decadent (as your avatar well knows) is being able to walk away from it

And choosing your own time of death (as St HST did)

If you die from decadence, then you were just a lightweight at the wrong time and place

But if you walk away, and then do it again, by Jove YOU'RE ONE DECADENT MUTHAFUCKA!

[SteppingRazor]

47. And as I well know too, for that matter. It's a good point. And by that rationale...

I'd have to go with Keith Richards, or maybe Ozzy Osbourne, if you can a call him "alive."

[Iggo]

15. All Of The Above.

[trof]

46. Gets my vote.

;-)

[LynneSin]

16. I would say it's a tie between Keith Moon and John Bonham

THat's my 2 cents.

[SoxFan]

17. Keith Moon

[Quezacoatl]

18. Elvis

[Taverner]

26. Do the decadent shake Nixon's hand?

I THINK NOT!!!

[NoPasaran]

32. If you're as stoned as the King was...

Decadent!

[Taverner]

34. If I had a chance to meet Nixon, during that time, I would have given him a brownie

Because, come on, that man's life was SCREAMING "GET ME HIGH!!!"

If Nixon had smoked pot, right now we'd be in Republican Underground.

[Urban Prairie]

21. Uriah Heep

Allegedly the band whose members were the inspiration for "Spinal Tap"

Female: Wendy O Williams

Male: Keith Moon

[Fire Walk With Me]

28. GG Allin.

[Taverner]

29. No that's self loathing and suicidal

Whole different genre, whole different set of chords

:P

Not to say the genres don't overlap

[Fire Walk With Me]

31. Yer right.

Although I do demand that the definition of R&R decadance include that the person has died from it. I think of Keith Moon, not Hedonismbot :)

[Taverner]

33. Sure, Keith Moon was decadent when it came to his whiskey

But was he SEXUALLY decadent?

Did he have a harem at home, waiting for and on him? (Brian Eno)

Did he have sex with anything that found its way into his life? (Lou Reed, David Bowie...too many to list)

Nah, he liked his Jesus Juice and Rye :)

Nothing wrong with that!

[Fire Walk With Me]

36. Ah. I don't pay much attention to "who whats who"...

:rofl:

[Taverner]

37. It's not who whats who but who whats what

[Fire Walk With Me]

40. Ah!

:toast:

[bamacrat]

35. Eh. Who the hell is letting her fur burger hang out.

That's pretty gross. And I have no idea who she is.

[Taverner]

38. Chan Marshall

AKA Cat Power

Probably the only voice with real soul still out there

[arbusto_baboso]

39. Surprised you didn't mention Freddie Mercury.

Some of the parties he hosted are still considered epic.

[Taverner]

41. Yes he has the sexual decadence down, but not the pharmeceutical decadence

He was a pretty clean man, drug wise, as far as I understood

[arbusto_baboso]

42. Really? Midgets serving cocaine from trays?

Sounds pretty damn decadent to me.

But then, to me, adding midgets to anything makes it decadent, so what do I know?

[Taverner]

44. Ahhh but did they have midget serving coke EVERY NIGHT?

Or better yet, did he ever hole up in an LA Bungalow surviving on nothing more than coke, milk and peppers? For a year?

[arbusto_baboso]

45. I concede your point.