Beastie Boys have been consistently good, despite growing up and settling down.
I did prefer Beck when he was drunk making lousy recordings on an 8 track with a leaf blower.
Eric Clapton. Rolling Stones, all the great 60's artists who aren't dead yet.
But, yeah, the typical pattern is getting big while high, fucking it up cause you are high, sobering up, making a lame comeback record and humiliating the people who liked you in the first place.
There are the exceptions of course.

flowerofromance

Chicago, IL

May 2005

NOV 05, 2005 08:53 PM

Oh, and I must take issue with the following:

GuavaMadness said:
new york dolls - Johnny Thunders and someone else.

That "someone else" would be Jerry Nolan. Read Please Kill Me and report back to me in the morning, kthx.

sex pistols - Sid Vicious

Vicious didn't cowrite (or even play on) Never Mind the Bollocks, so he doesn't count. People give that halfwit too much creedence.

smashing pumpkins - Jonathan Melvoin

Melvoin was hired as a keyboardist for ONE tour. I think the name you're looking for would be Jimmy Chamberlin.

And if ANY artist did some fabulous work while medicated out of their gourds, it was Lou Reed.

Edited to add: Iggy Pop/The Stooges, too.

[Edited on Nov 05, 2005 by MildredPierce]

Ska_Boss

Indianapolis, IN

October 2005

NOV 05, 2005 09:44 PM

I think that Darby was always pretty fucked up when he was singing for the Germs. Darby Crash was brilliant, it's too bad he didn't live longer.

billyfivecrows

Roswell, GA

July 2005

NOV 05, 2005 10:39 PM

comeundone said:
I still think Duran Duran still kicks butt. Even for an "80's" band.

Amen! Seriously underrated. I saw them live on their reunion tour. They blew the roof off the place.

I think they fit this thread because they definitely indulged in the rockstar life while at their peak. Nick Rhodes talks about being wacked out on 'shrooms while onstage, watching the crowd of thousands undulate like a big, flesh ocean. John Taylor was a 6'4" walking stack of coke and booze. He's sober now.

I think "Astronaut" is a b+ album. It's good, but it lacks the energy and originality of the classic stuff.

grumpyoldbastard

Roslindale, MA

January 2005

NOV 05, 2005 10:41 PM

only thing i can say is THE DOORS

Fight_to_Live

Irvine, CA

September 2005

NOV 05, 2005 10:49 PM

social distortion...they kicked ass then and theyre fuckin awesome now

GuavaMadness

Miami, FL

October 2005

NOV 05, 2005 10:59 PM

desidia said:
Captain and Teneel

Tennille

Muskrat love

trippy!

thefreak

NEWSWIRE

Gardner, MA

NOV 05, 2005 11:02 PM

MildredPierce said:
Oh, and I must take issue with the following:

GuavaMadness said:
new york dolls - Johnny Thunders and someone else.

That "someone else" would be Jerry Nolan. Read Please Kill Me and report back to me in the morning, kthx.

sex pistols - Sid Vicious

Vicious didn't cowrite (or even play on) Never Mind the Bollocks, so he doesn't count. People give that halfwit too much creedence.

Did someone say Creedence?

Off-Topic Trivia: Best use of a CCR song was "Bad Moon Rising" in An American Werewolf in London.

-TM

jason

USA

August 2002

NOV 06, 2005 02:03 AM

OrKid said:
Beastie Boys have been consistently good, despite growing up and settling down.

its very kind of you to let that 9/11 song slide.

GuavaMadness

Miami, FL

October 2005

NOV 06, 2005 07:08 AM

MildredPierce said:
Oh, and I must take issue with the following:

GuavaMadness said:
new york dolls - Johnny Thunders and someone else.

That "someone else" would be Jerry Nolan. Read Please Kill Me and report back to me in the morning, kthx.

sex pistols - Sid Vicious

Vicious didn't cowrite (or even play on) Never Mind the Bollocks, so he doesn't count. People give that halfwit too much creedence.

smashing pumpkins - Jonathan Melvoin

I nominate you for SG Music Historian!

YAY!