I was reading today about the effects of drugs on the type of music that musicians make, and the author mentioned Velvet Underground's music as an example of "narcotica." I had never heard a Velvet Underground song before (as far as I can remember), and the information made me curious about the sounds that someone using heroin might prefer.
According to the source,
"narcotica" music, which is music that people prefer to make or listen to when using narcotics such as heroin, has a very different sound than psychedelic rock, reflecting the mental changes caused by narcotics vs. hallucinogens:
Quote:
Narcotica: Taking Drugs to Make Music to Take Drugs To « The Bygone Bureau
Narcotica. The term applies to any music that is influenced by the use of narcotic drugs (e.g., heroin, opium, morphine, etc.) Because of the influence of narcotics, most narcotica has a lethargic tempo, few chord changes, droning melodies, minimal percussion (dense percussion is more effort than a heroin user can muster  ) and lyrics describing how the feelings produced by narcotics surpass even the fullest of earthly love.
"Heroin" by the Velvet Underground is the seminal song of narcotica. Its lyrics (though ostensibly sardonic) extol the beauties and joys of heroin. The song’s centerpiece is a seven-minute viola drone, and Moe Tucker’s broken-dryer drumming is minimal.
|
Intrigued, I listened to "Heroin" and was surprised to find I like it, although I felt they could have cut out a minute or two from the repetitive beginning of the song. I decided perhaps I may like narcotica much more than psychedelic rock, which I usually hate.
The Velvet Underground - "Heroin"
I felt this song has a sweetly sad, innocent sound with its droning viola and sudden energy bursts. I listened for 4 minutes before I considered stopping because it was getting repetitive and predictable (slow, fast, slow, fast, etc. etc., with the viola droning the whole time)...but I went ahead and listened to the rest and found that I especially liked the wild abandon of the chaotic, noisy, scratchy strings at the end of this song.
EDIT: The song also feels sad to me because it shows the way heroin must wash away a person's priorities and concerns. It reminds me of a close friend's brother who died of a hot shot when he was a young man.
The Velvet Underground - Heroin - YouTube