at what point did Brian start to seem "off"?

[KittyKat]

Random fact: hair grows at the rate of half an inch a month. He could have shaved it just a month or two before that pic was taken and had that much hair.

[phirnis]

Always thought he was just ahead of his time, cutting off the long hair a couple of years before everybody else did.

[MBE]

I've seen ones maybe a month before that of him and Marilyn and he's almost totally shaven. Goes with a story Carnie tells and fits the time frame.

[meltedwhiskeyinmyhand]

Has anyone had personal experience with someone going off the deep end from using psychedelics?  I've known some serious acid heads in  my day but I dont think I've ever seen anyone go so far that they have trouble getting back. Just curious.

[phirnis]

I've seen ones maybe a month before that of him and Marilyn and he's almost totally shaven. Goes with a story Carnie tells and fits the time frame.

Here's a somewhat different story by Ed Roach: http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php?topic=6052.125

Not that it really matters, just a bit of trivia that for whatever reason I could remember upon reading this thread...

[halblaineisgood]

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[MBE]

brian's voice
I couldn't remember where the hotspot was for Brian Wrecked His Voice On Purpose discussion. I searched Eder Voice Destroy and this thread came up. I was looking to maybe talk with Mike Eder obviously, Mike you around? Let me lay this on you, it just occurred to me while I was driving home today. It's a new theory. At least it's new to me.  Maybe(probably) I am repeating stuff, but here goes....

Brian was tired of singing in the falsetto voice, he wanted to try something new. Nothing tragic or unhealthy about that. He already made his reputation and fortune doing that type of style for 10 years, I sense a healthy curiosity in that desire, and nothing more. What if his desire to "try something new" was honestly the artistic choice he wished to make. This was his own private free will, it was his desire long before it became his wife's favorite excuse. Before it became the easiest way to get the wife out his space, so that he could get high for some reason. dramatic reenactment: " I'm not ruining my voice Mare, I'm trying something new remember?" then  she'd leave him alone. It wasn't a lie, it was just kind of... deception. or misdirection.  "But, Dear I WANt to try something new "   she thought "oh my he sounds even worse than the last time he said that"    and then worse and worse until he's nearly at the breaking point of no return still explaining to her " I WANT TO TRY SOMETHING NEW"....Marilyn apparently takes him at his word to the bitter end, and is either a very loving partner or not very smart or she was co-dependent or something .His desire predated his vocal decline. It was just a coincidence that he one day no longer was able to sing in the old style and that he literally HAD to "try something new".   I don't think I am saying anything new, or anything at all here...but perhaps ...

Well I am not sure because I felt I should tread lightly when asking him about it. Meaning I didn't attach anything negative to the question. I sensed he knew I was asking "what happened" so to speak and was happy he would talk about it a little. I didn't press him because I didn't want to make him feel I was judging him on his decision. My feeling is that he told me the truth without going into the self destructive way it came about. The tone of the interview didn't really encompass emotional issues because I felt he would be bored talking about it. We just really stuck to obscure music things I hadn't seen him asked about in detail.

[halblaineisgood]

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[halblaineisgood]

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[MBE]

I guess because it didn't get recorded as much as his voice since that time, I treasure that clear voice of Brian's. I do like some of his vocals from the 1975-62 era a lot, but usually not the ones that came out at that time. Dennis I like the early voice best too, though I think he was able to use his rasp more effectively.