I'm really glad we came up when we did. When we got started, the record companies were concerned with building careers. They made sure you could put on a live show before you put a record out. And if your first album sold 100,000 to 200,000 copies, they were happy, because they figured you had your foot in the door on a way to a long career.
Some kids went to the movies for escape. We found it with jazz. This is where we got religion. It was a kind of raw spiritual anarchy.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights how jazz provided a profound sense of escape and spiritual fulfillment for some individuals, akin to a religious experience.
In this quote, John Densmore reflects on the power of jazz music as a means of emotional and spiritual liberation. Unlike those who sought escape in the movies, Densmore and his peers discovered a deep connection and sense of freedom through jazz, which they perceived as an almost religious experience. This 'raw spiritual anarchy' suggests a rejection of traditional norms in favor of a more visceral and instinctive expression of creativity and emotion.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the ways music can influence emotions, this quote can illustrate jazz as a form of escape.
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