Wasted Talent
by Tod (A) of Cop Shoot Cop
93
hen he
was 18 years old, Adolf
Hitler packed his bags
and set off for Vienna,
with dreams of becoming
a great painter. The only
son of a housewife and a
civil servant, young Adolf's
parents had hoped that he
would enter into a more
secure and lucrative profes-
sion than the arts. But Hitler
had other ideas. He would
rise above the decadent and
patriotic realism in the arts;
He would lead an artistic
movement that glorified
Germany and her rich history.
Unfortunately for Hitler (not
to mention the world), the
admissions department at the
National Blah blah blah didn't
think he had the goods. But he
would prove them wrong. If
there was one thing Adolf
Hitler was good at, it was hold-
ing a grudge.
History is often shaped by a
strange combination of random
events. Coincidences. If Adolf
Hitler hadn't been rejected from
art school, there might never have
been a World War II. Or take
Chuck Manson. All the poor guy
wanted was a record deal. He'd
suffered. He'd been beaten and
abused as a child. He'd lived most
of his life behind bars. Hell, all
Chuck wanted was a chance to tell
the world his story, his personal
philosophy. Was that so much to
ask for? I mean, he even had some
decent material. Most of it was
better than anything the Turtles
ever did, and they got a damned
recording contract. The Beach
Boys' Brian Wilson was pretty
chummy with Chuck for a while.
With his brain addled by all the
illicit fun the Family could provide,
Brian made a bunch of promises
he never kept. Charles was pissed.
He felt betrayed. The Family would
wreak their revenge on society for
this grave injustice. What could
have ended as another mediocre
hippie rock album instead ended
in terror and bloodshed.
Or what about David
Koresh? Another frustrated musi
cian. He had gone to Hollywood
on a mission to make it big on the
metal scene. Dreams of Bible-
clutching nubiles danced in his
head. The industry proved unre-
sponsive, however, and Koresh was
forced to return to Texas.
Depressed but not defeated,
he played the local bar circuit, a
big fish in a small pond. We all
know what happened next. The
Wacko from Waco would make
nationwide headlines when he
and his followers became so
much barbecued meat steaming
in the Texas sun.
Then there's Frank Corder, the
guy that stole the plane and
crashed it into the White House.
As the pilot's brother would reveal
in an exclusive interview, the man
at the controls of the kamikaze
Cessna had been very depressed
in the preceding months due to a
poor relationship with his father
and frustration over the unsuccess
ful career of
his Christian rock band. The nightly
news showed home video footage
of this poor bastard playing in a
gymnasium somewhere. You can't
really blame the guy. Who
wouldn't have been depressed,
playing their heart out for some
dumb high school jocks that would
rather be listening to Pearl Jam
or Soundgarden?
It's always easy to blame the
Hitlers. The leaders. The liars. The
guys with the smooth lines and the
easy answers. Yes, of course Hitler.
was a bad person. But there
couldn't have been a Third Reich
without the willing participation of
several million people. Con men
couldn't exist without the suckers
who bite the line and swallow-
hook, line and sinker. And for that
matter, Hitler might have been a
happy, well-adjusted man had he
not been rejected from art school.
Would it have really been such a
huge sacrifice to have admitted
him? So his painting sucked... big
deal. It would have been a small
price to pay. Millions of lives,
and billions of dollars in
property might have been saved.
And David Koresh might have
turned out to be just another irri-
tating voice on classic rock radio
instead of a demagogue that led
80 people to their deaths. Lord
knows there are plenty of crappy
bands already-one more wouldn't
have killed anybody.
Charles Manson's music is now
beloved by millions, and his songs
have been recorded by artists as
popular and diverse as Psychic TV
and Guns n' Roses. Why was he
snubbed in his own time? We
might be enjoying Sharon Tate on
some TV miniseries right now if
Brian Wilson hadn't jerked poor
Chuck around so goddamn much.
So much wasted talent. So many
wasted lives. But have we learned
anything from our mistakes? If
there's any lesson to be learned,
it's probably that the next time
some creepy friend of yours gives
you his demo tape and asks you
what you think, just smile and say.
"Cool. Yeah, sounds pretty
good..." Then buy one. The life
you save could be your own.
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NOTHER
TONGUE
The debut album available now.
Produced and Engine
SUWEY
DAMAGE
Hear, see,
and experience
Mother Tongue
on the Internet-
http://www.music.
sony.com/Music/
Artistinfo/
Mother Tongue.html
72