For some, music and drugs go together like tea and toast. An altered state of mind has produced countless unforgettable albums as well as listening experiences.  

So, psychoPEDIA asked a few friends and associates what music they first heard when they were stoned -- and subsequently ended up loving. Most didn’t respond to the query -- our guess is that people are less inclined to brag about intoxicated states these days, especially if they cross legal boundaries. (Maybe some would have ‘fessed up if it was in a casual conversation, and felt naked as an interview subject on the topic.)

For this writer, it’s a draw between shooting heroin with my bass player and hearing Heroin by the Velvet Underground for the first time, to hearing Nina Hagen in a Nazi’s art studio whilst on acid. 

But here are some more anecdotes from brave souls willing to admit to finding great music while getting “lost.” 

Barbara, a pirate queen Portland promoter, publicist, and journalist, and small label owner: “I had a experience that might fit - it was at a house party in my friend Jacob's apartment where Death Cab for Cutie, Western

State Hurricanes (became the band the Long Winters), Marigold and Drive played -- and at the end of the night, when everyone was nice and tipsy on red wine, someone put in Keep It Like A Secret by Built to Spill. I’d never been a fan before, but suddenly everything made sense and life (and the record) was beautiful.”

Roy, manager of an international heavy metal label: “It was 1986 and I was drunk on Boone's Farm and playing spin the bottle. The Van Halen album 5150 was spinning as I started French kissing a girl named Shonda. The current single Love Walks In came on and made perfect sense as we swapped spit and cheap strawberry flavored wine with one another. Shonda said I was a good kisser. I had a crush on her brother. I bought the cassette of 5150 the next day.” 

Rob, of NYC band the Baskervilles: Actually no! I don't do any intoxicants besides for booze, and I only started drinking about 7 years ago. So my entire teen period and early 20s were devoid of any kinda experiences remotely like that.”

Paul, co-founder of the band Transmissionary Six: “Stryper while under the influence of four mugs of Thera-Flu (certainly Jesus would understand when a dude has a cold?).”

Odee Spodee, a DJ in Scotland and long-time lover of a great lady underground comics artist: “Eugene Chadbourne's album Vermin of the Blues and Shockabilly (which also featured Chadbourne) album Psychedelic Basement on magic mushrooms with my good friends in our scuzzy attic apartment, Glasgow 1992. We laughed till we were sore, and then some more. Choice cuts ‘Rakeman’ and ‘Bo Diddley Is A Communist’ -- with the line, “He sends his advisors into Angola.”  A year or so later Eugene visited our city and we Got to see him play live.”

Here’s THANKS to those who were honest, and a giant &#$% #@& to those who either lied or weren’t willing to play this game! Imagine you would have had a little free promotion for you or your work if you’d at least tried to say something charming -- we live in paranoid times, don’t we?