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Posted by CN Staff on November 11, 2005 at 08:13:27 PT By John Adamian Source: Hartford Advocate 
Connecticut´s Gary Higgins wins loads of hipster fans, 30 years after the original release of his dope-tinged debut, Red Hash. Admittedly, it's a journey from total obscurity to hipster fame, which is usually a kind of sanctified semi-obscurity anyway, but singer and musician Gary Higgins' story is still an unusual one. Maybe the most astonishing part of it is that Connecticut's homegrown freak-folk revival icon has simply been at it all along. And he's ready for his close-up, if anyone is interested in any of his recent music. Gary Higgins has been living mainly in the sleepy northwest part of Connecticut, making music, raising a family (his son Graham performs with him now), quietly going about his business, working as a nurse in eastern New York. He spoke with the Advocate about the unusual rebirth of his recording career. It came as some surprise to Higgins and folks in Falls Village then when copies of Red Hash , a record of moody and vaguely psychedelic acoustic songs that Higgins made with his friends over three decades ago, started going for over $200 on rare vinyl auction sites online and über-hip Chicago indie rock label Drag City re-issued the record this summer. In recent months Higgins has been featured repeatedly in the New York Times and in well-respected British music magazines. Even now Higgins is a little incredulous that his record, of which only about 2,000 vinyl copies were originally pressed, has now taken on a second life. "It's kind of magical that it even took place -- what has appeared to have taken place -- and I definitely don't want to let the opportunity slide by, or to let interest wane." The story is complicated, only somewhat, by the fact that Higgins recorded Red Hash with a prison sentence for marijuana possession looming over his head (he went on to serve 13 months at the state prison in Somers), and the drug association of the title tends to refocus attention on events that weren't completely rosy. "It was pretty devastating, that whole thing that took place, for our family and friends," he says. Higgins wasn't entirely enthusiastic about the record's title at the time, and he regrets that it's only increased the slight haze of doobage that shrouds the record, though he concedes that the perceived drug theme may have served to grab some people's attention. "I was kind of worried that [drugs] would be the focus for a certain group of people, but it just can't be helped. ... There were some drug references, but they were really just coincidental." Oddly enough, most of the musicians who played with Higgins on the record are still in the area, and many of them have joined Higgins for a few gigs he's lined up to celebrate the record's release. But now they're all grown up with lives, families and day jobs of their own, and the prospect of clearing off a stretch of dates on their calendars in order to do some touring creates some logistical problems. Plus Higgins is still scrambling to find a booking agent to capitalize on the sudden burst of interest. He played in New York City over the summer and was astonished. "It was really incredible. People knew the words, clapped and hooted when certain parts took place and were very warm and enthusiastic," says Higgins. "The biggest kick, however, was the age group of the audience; most were under 30. A whole new generation of listeners were appreciating the music. This was very, very satisfying." Dusting off old songs after 30 years could present a challenge for some musicians, but Higgins said all the time improved the material. "It has been almost like doing new songs in a way. We ended up revamping and expanding a few of them, which gave them new life and everyone approached it like a fresh project," he wrote in an e-mail. "In a way we knew that fresh ears were listening, so it made it easier and exciting for all involved." The album, Red Hash , seemed like an unlikely candidate for revival at first. It's a quiet record, with acoustic guitars, reserved singing, a few odd time signatures, strange squishy keyboards and songs that tend to pivot between a few chords. But there's a dark and somber thread woven through. Several songs touch on the subject of madness. It reminds me of Joni Mitchell's Blue and a little of David Crosby's dark drug-addled opus If I Could Only Remember My Name . Higgins grew up in the northwestern part of the state. He attended the state university in Torrington for a year before heading down to New York City and the thriving folk and bluegrass music scene in Greenwich Village in the mid-1960s. "I decided very quickly that I'd much rather play music than go to school," he says. After playing in a psychedelic rock band in New York called Random Concept with Simeon, another cult legend of the electronic rock duo the Silver Apples, Higgins returned to Connecticut to play more acoustic music. "I love acoustic guitar -- the kinds of tunes that tend to get written, melodies and everything, it's just a different approach. Quieter. You can go into areas it's not quite as easy to do with electric music. It was kind of going back to my roots, more in instrumentation than in sound." Higgins is thrilled with the re-release of his 1973 record and with the burst of interest in his old music. The attention has caused him to re-evaluate the past in a way. "Actually it's given me a little bit more of an appreciation of the past," he says. But he's been making, writing, playing and recording music the whole time, and he only hopes that all of the attention on the old stuff won't keep the crop of new fans from appreciating what he's been up to for the past 30 years. His timing might be perfect. Higgins isn't the only obscure musician from the 1960s who's been championed by a whole new group of fans in the Internet age. British singer Vashti Bunyan has a similar story. Her first record, Just Another Diamond Day , was made over 30 years ago, and it was finally re-issued on CD last year. She recently released a critically acclaimed record of recent material. "It's flattering that a younger generation appears to like the music," says Higgins. "That's really satisfying. But, there's lots of stuff that's happened in the last 30 years, and I would like to actually have the same group of people hear that." Source: Hartford Advocate (CT) CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archives Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #38 posted by potpal on November 14, 2005 at 16:21:26 PT |
| Thank you, Hope! My pleasure to share it with you. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #37 posted by FoM on November 14, 2005 at 15:28:53 PT |
| Thank you. What a powerful song about the Vietnam War and the addiction that happened to so many Vets. Heroin was free flowing over there at that time. I know. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #36 posted by potpal on November 14, 2005 at 15:21:45 PT |
| That song is Sam Stone. I'm really glad you enjoyed it. http://www.jpshrine.org/lyrics/songs/jpsamstone.html Aloha. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #35 posted by Toker00 on November 13, 2005 at 21:11:06 PT |
| You got it, Hope. Racism and Fascism are the Main underlying forces behind prohibition. In 1937 it was Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and whoever the hell played Jazz Music. But it was also about Fascism. Now it's Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and whoever the hell plays Hip-Hop. And it's still about Fascism. I like all Music, I like all Races. Another thing the 60's changed about SOME White people. But not near enough, obviously. Just as SOME Whites changed, SOME Whites stayed the same. (I'm not blaming just white people here, but you get my drift.) It's time for another round of the 60's, 21st Century style. We can start by removing one tool the anti's have used for far too long. Cannabis prohibition. Let's mellow out society again, but teach the lessons learned about abandonment of responsibility, personal/familial/spiritual/and societal. Let people pursue their interests as far as they can. But don't allow business to replace our precious Constitutional Republic. Let laws be made by lawmakers, but approved by the people, after careful consideration. Replace the Corporaticians with Policy makers carefully ELECTED, not SELECTED or APPOINTED. Ban racism and class-ism in the workplace, for starters, although I believe these two things can only be defeated from within our selves, no matter how much you involve legislation. Remove the laws that protect high ranking politicians, subject them to the same accountability as the rest of us. Stand up to tyranny and protect Liberty. Stepping down now. A New World is possible. Wage peace on war. END CANNABIS PROHIBITION NOW! [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #34 posted by FoM on November 13, 2005 at 18:59:55 PT |
| That was excellent. The last song I remembered hearing before. I don't know what it was called but the lyrics went like this. There's a hole in Daddy's arm where all the money goes. Wow it's been years since I heard that song. Thanks for the link. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #33 posted by FoM on November 13, 2005 at 17:40:12 PT |
| You're welcome and thank you. I'm watching it now. My husband and I are not into country music unless it is like John Prine's music. We commented on how good he was on the Austin City Limits last night. The song I mentioned hit home for me because I have lived that song sitting in a church in a pew and not feeling things were connected right. I've lived in PA for many years and a few of my early years in MD. Baltimore to be exact. I might buy the new CD if you think it is really good. I guess he battled cancer and won he said. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #32 posted by potpal on November 13, 2005 at 17:25:31 PT |
| Mr. Prine is indeed da man as far as incredible tunesmiths go. Admired him for many moons. Just purchased his most recent album last week...Fair and Square and enjoy it very much. The song you mentioned is on it, I'll have to give it a closer listen. Thanks for even including me in a thought that included John Prine. I think you'll enjoy this, an interview w/John Prine via the Library of Congress...tax dollars well spent. http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=3677 Just got back from PA, I live in MD, think I'll indulge in a little bird flu vaccine...I kid, but one never knows, do one? Science, where are you? [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #31 posted by FoM on November 13, 2005 at 14:27:17 PT |
| Thanks for the link. I couldn't get another dog right now. My Rott is going blind and he is going blind in both eyes I think. He's real spooky and worried so until he adjusts I'm trying to keep things as normal and unintimidating as I can. He does have a companion, a little huskie type dog we got from animal rescue so he does have a friend. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #30 posted by Hope on November 13, 2005 at 13:50:18 PT |
| I want to repost her post, comment #2, just so it doesn't get lost. Somebody has to realize this possibility besides us. ___________________________________________________________ E_Johnson said in Comment #2: Hmmm could cannabis protect lungs from bird flu? ****************************************************** WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Scientists in Hong Kong say they may have helped explain why the H5N1 bird flu virus kills so many healthy young adults -- it apparently causes a "storm" of immune system chemicals that overwhelms the patient. The H5N1 virus caused proteins known as cytokines to rush to infected lung tissue -- evidence of a so-called cytokine storm, an immune system overreaction that can be fatal. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051111/sc_nm/birdflu_storm_dc ********************************************************** Hmm, cannabinoids block many of these inflammatory cytokines! That's why smoking pot doesn't cause emphysema, isn't it? Dang, this is interesting. Oh gosh, I hope somebody in science asks this question soon and finds a way to test it. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #29 posted by Hope on November 13, 2005 at 13:44:00 PT |
| That's bad that you lost your four legged friend like that...but I'm glad it wasn't a whole kennel of them, which is what I feared. I've been looking at dogues and found where they are looking for a home for one named Rosie, in Ohio. Maybe your Rott would like the company. http://www.mypetweb.com/ddbs/AvailDogues.htm In looking at them, I found this...which I really like in a dog. "Today, the Dogue is most commonly used as a guardian of the home. He assumes this responsibility with vigilance and courage but without aggressiveness. He enjoys human companionship with a fierce loyalty to his family, he is affectionate, devoted to his master and excellent with children." I like a dog that will stop an intruder in their path...but I don't like truly dangerous dogs at all. If the sight of that face...and the body it's on, didn't stop an intruder...he'd have to be blind or crazy. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #28 posted by FoM on November 13, 2005 at 13:02:44 PT |
| I'm sorry. I only had one Dogue de Bordeaux and he weighed 150 pounds. He was a sweet dog. He died of the disease. I isolated myself from the world for many months so the disease would die out on my farm and it did work. I wouldn't allow anyone to visit until I knew it was over. He was very contagious and I couldn't take him to the vets for fear of spreading the disease to other peoples pets who would be exposed at the Vets office. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #27 posted by Hope on November 13, 2005 at 12:41:47 PT |
| Oh no! Did you have to put them down or did they die of the disease? That's a lot of dogs and investment to lose at once. I can only imagine how awful it must have been. I have to say, that with the pandemic of bird flu that the world is facing, I dearly hope, for goodness sake...for the sake of humanity, that the puritanical and prohibitionist "smoked is not medicine" crowd doesn't keep research from being done, and heeded if something valuable is found. Their criteria for life though seems to be to do as much as harm to as many people as they can while they can. I'm dreaming now...but wouldn't it be something if a little, oh say 150 dollar, vaporizer rig could be set up in each household emitting a healing and protecting vapor for the entire household? I noticed an article recently about Americans not being as inventive and imaginative as they used to be. Maybe it's because they are now forced to stay within so many "boxes" that the facists say we can't even look outside of, much less step out side of. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #26 posted by FoM on November 13, 2005 at 11:19:04 PT |
| As we get older we can look back and make observations from our own past. We see more then those who are really young. We see that all things aren't always right and we recognize when things are right fairly quickly. That doesn't mean that those who are older are better but life has shown them many things and we just are wiser. You are a farm girl and you know how disease can be spread on a farm. I had a horse get Potomac Horse Fever and he spent 5 days in intensive care at Ohio State Large Animal Hospital to save his life which we luckily did. Even the Vets at OSU didn't know where this disease came from and no other horses on my farm got sick not even a new born foal we had. Viruses, microbes, bacteria can cause grief and death. When we had the Plague here and I lost my 150 Dogue de Bordeaux and many cats I traced it to a flea outbreak and a summer of unbelievable volumes of chipmunks. As cute as they are they carried the fleas to the dog and cats. Now we have about ten cats that are outside cats only but have almost eliminated the chipmunk population which was in my opinion the host. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #25 posted by Hope on November 13, 2005 at 11:04:44 PT |
| But even foolish people given to persecuting others over a smoke, even if it's no where near them personally, might see that "Desperate times call for desperate measures", and relent and not stand in the way of such "outside the box" research. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #24 posted by Hope on November 13, 2005 at 11:00:31 PT |
| If three women on one site are thinking this... maybe...hopefully, and just maybe, there are others out there who have been given this thought, too. I just hope someone with the power to do something about it conceives of it, too. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #23 posted by FoM on November 13, 2005 at 09:35:48 PT |
| Last night we watched Austin City Limits and John Prine performed. I remember him because of the song 'Illegal Smile' but he sang a really good song called 'Some Humans Ain't Human' He really tears up Bush in this song about him invading Iraq. I hope others get to hear it too. http://www.johnprine.net/store/ [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #22 posted by FoM on November 13, 2005 at 08:26:18 PT |
| I think we are on to something. I believe that Cannabis would help a person if they got sick because it helps control pain and reduces being anxious which would allow the body to fight the virus better. Stress causes our immune system to drop. Maybe that's one reason that happy pot people are healthier then those who grumble and are always down in the mullygrubs. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #21 posted by Hope on November 13, 2005 at 08:13:40 PT |
| We all know that too much smoke, like in a burning house, can overcome and kill a person, but perhaps like other medications, which are poisonous in large amounts, a relatively small amount is more beneficial than not. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #20 posted by Hope on November 13, 2005 at 08:09:51 PT |
| It makes sense to me. Maybe the smoke is still warm enough to affect the airbone viruses and bacteria temperature wise and the weight of density or possibly grabbing power of some kind might be part of the smoke's protection. I feel like there really is something to it and it should be considered by doctors and scientists. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #19 posted by FoM on November 13, 2005 at 08:00:34 PT |
| I am glad I'm not alone in thinking that way. I have Mulberry and Strawberry incense sticks right now and burn them because they just smell really good but it could help. Here's why I think smoke can help. We can see smoke. We can't see air borne viruses. Smoke in the air might overpower viruses just because of smokes mass. I sure hope that makes sense. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #18 posted by Hope on November 13, 2005 at 07:58:02 PT |
| I really enjoyed it...and this slow to stopping computer loaded it amazingly quickly and smoothly. Home grown...and home grown music from a home grown guy. Thanks, I liked it and I really enjoyed getting to hear your voice. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #17 posted by Hope on November 13, 2005 at 07:54:47 PT |
| E_Johnson, please, write some letters to researchers that you know of, like Dr. Abrams for instance, that might look into the possibilities of cannabis protection from that Bird Flu. EJ, they connection you made about the inflammatory cytokines, makes sense to me. It's obviously something that needs to be looked into carefully and soon. The three or four years of my life that I pretty much stayed under the influence of cannabis were also some of the healthiest. I never...and I mean NEVER... caught colds and my allergies didn't have to be treated at all during that time. FoM, I've also noticed that even just smoking tobacco, I have less colds and catch less other contagious stuff than other people I knew who didn't smoke. I've always felt that there seemed to be some possibility that tobacco smoke in and around me might be protecting me from airborne viruses and bacteria. Before I read you alls posts, I had decided, a month a so a go, that I was going to keep a pretty good cloud of smoke going on in and around me if that stuff reaches our area. Really...I had. But EJ's cannabis and the cytokines theory is very exciting. Very! [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #16 posted by Hope on November 13, 2005 at 07:36:02 PT |
| Toker00 said "All the laws against this plant stem from an industrialist's vision of greed and (false) glory. These laws keep the world from feeding it's hungry, clothing it's children, treating it's sick, enlightening it's spiritual, healing the addicts whose souls have been tortured by really dangerous drugs, and all the other many uses of cannabis. This will forever be a scar on the human story. Heap shame on those who continue this madness!" Except you've got to mention the blatant racism involved in the persecution that continues to this day. Amen! [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #15 posted by FoM on November 13, 2005 at 07:05:56 PT |
| Thank you. It's so adorable. What a nice way to start my day. I love your guitar playing too. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #14 posted by potpal on November 13, 2005 at 05:49:49 PT |
| ...to the muzzical world. Have a listen to a song I wrote during (1992) my growing days. I remember my phototron well...how my friends would stop by and bow to it like an alter. It surely was a beautiful site when it's occupants displayed their flowers or even when they were just greening (growing leaves). I tended to tend them each and every day. It became a habit. Sitting their pincing and pruning. The tron's design also would recycle the air in the room several times a day thus scrubbing it and replenishing it perpetually. I miss my tron. LEDs carted it off along with any paraphanilia including a number of books. I wonder where they burned them. Okay, enjoy, I'm a bit paranoid that my host will balk at the traffic (they host my site for free). But what the hemp...I wanna share it with my community right here. Here potpal sing his hit, Home Sweet Homegrown http://www.atbeach.com/burgerlink/hsh.mp3 Aloha! [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #13 posted by FoM on November 11, 2005 at 17:12:54 PT |
| It really is interesting to think how our society has been taught to shun smoking and for good reason I understand but what if smoking helped during the Plague? *** Excerpt: Authorities ordered fires to be kept burning night and day, in hopes that the air would be cleansed. Substances giving off strong odors, such as pepper, hops or frankincense, were also burned to ward off the infection. London residents, including young children, were strongly urged to smoke tobacco. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Plague [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #12 posted by Toker00 on November 11, 2005 at 16:32:35 PT |
| Very interesting EJ,FoM... Wage peace on war. END CANNABIS PROHIBITION NOW! [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #11 posted by Toker00 on November 11, 2005 at 16:28:39 PT |
| Enough to make you livid, huh, gloovins? SAFER concentrated on a campaign of safety of cannabis over alcohol. We need to come up with something to end this sentencing madness. Comparing the crime of cannabis possession to the crimes like gloovins cites, invasion of privacy by perverts. A pervert is above someone possessing a helpful plant? A murderer is more trusted with early release and a shot at an education than a cannabis merchant/possessor? Violent, homosexual prison rape is a just punishment for curiosity of a plant? I'm sure women fear pot dealers FAR more than ANY of the lesser criminals, like rapists and physically abusing alcoholic spouses. All the laws against this plant stem from an industrialist's vision of greed and (false) glory. These laws keep the world from feeding it's hungry, clothing it's children, treating it's sick, enlightening it's spiritual, healing the addicts whose souls have been tortured by really dangerous drugs, and all the other many uses of cannabis. This will forever be a scar on the human story. Heap shame on those who continue this madness! Wage peace on war. END CANNABIS PROHIBITION NOW! [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #10 posted by runderwo on November 11, 2005 at 15:46:51 PT |
| They're being used as scapegoats for the problems of society. If only we lock up all those herb growers and throw away the key, the world will be a better place. And keep chanting this mantra so we don't have to think about other possible causes of crime, poverty, poor health, traffic accidents, mental problems, etc. As long as we can blame it on the weed we can justify "staying the course". Hmm that sounds familiar. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #9 posted by gloovins on November 11, 2005 at 14:29:54 PT |
| FRANKLIN, Ky. Police say the pot-growing operation they found in Franklin, Kentucky, was "highly sophisticated."
They say the whole operation was concealed underground. To get to it, you had to use an elevator in a shower stall inside a barn. State police, national guardsmen and Drug Enforcement Administration officers say they found 774 marijuana plants growing there this week. The street value of the pot is estimated at more than three (m) million dollars. The owner of the barn near the Tennessee border was arrested, and could face life in prison if convicted. Another man who was also arrested could get 40 years. Last night on the news there was a guy here in California, a girls volleyball coach who had installed a camera in the womans shower & had dozens of girls naked & in various forms of undress on videotapes. He pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor child molestation charge & felony eavsdropping. His sentence? Well, he hasn't been sentenced yet but they said he faces "18 months" behind bars. That's it: 18 months! Now they want to sentence these Ky guys to 40 years & LIFE!??....For growing plants underground!!?? When people, does the madness end? [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #8 posted by mars on November 11, 2005 at 13:00:13 PT:
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| perhaps Dr. Donald Abrams at UCSF would be interested... [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #7 posted by FoM on November 11, 2005 at 09:42:21 PT |
| The pandemic is coming and will kill millions of people. The invisible world of microorganisms wants to eliminate people because they want to survive. Anyone that knows anything about viruses will understand that. Our battles for survival are from an invisible enemy. Cannabis could help keep viruses at bay I think. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #6 posted by E_Johnson on November 11, 2005 at 09:32:05 PT |
| FoM, we could be on to something, but it needs to be tested by science, and how can we get them to do that? The powers of this simple weed continue to amaze me. Could it indeed turn out to be the savior of civilization? With a bird flu pandemic on the horizon, now it's more crucial than ever to knock down the federal restrictions on medical marijuana research. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #5 posted by FoM on November 11, 2005 at 09:20:26 PT |
| This is my theory. Cannabis drys up lung secretions. Viruses need mucous to get embedded. I don't know if that's right but that's what I think. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #4 posted by E_Johnson on November 11, 2005 at 09:15:41 PT |
| What if bird flu wiped out everyone on Earth but the marijuana users? But seriously, this is interesting. Someone needs to test whether cannabinoids block the same cytokines as are released by the bird flu virus. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #3 posted by FoM on November 11, 2005 at 09:15:30 PT |
| I know that incense and smoke helped during the Plague and I also know that many years ago when we stopped smoking everything I got bad chest colds all the time but didn't while I was smoking. It always was strange to me. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #2 posted by E_Johnson on November 11, 2005 at 09:12:28 PT |
| ****************************************************** WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Scientists in Hong Kong say they may have helped explain why the H5N1 bird flu virus kills so many healthy young adults -- it apparently causes a "storm" of immune system chemicals that overwhelms the patient. The H5N1 virus caused proteins known as cytokines to rush to infected lung tissue -- evidence of a so-called cytokine storm, an immune system overreaction that can be fatal. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051111/sc_nm/birdflu_storm_dc ********************************************************** Hmm, cannabinoids block many of these inflammatory cytokines! That's why smoking pot doesn't cause emphysema, isn't it? Dang, this is interesting. Oh gosh, I hope somebody in science asks this question soon and finds a way to test it. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #1 posted by FoM on November 11, 2005 at 08:29:34 PT |
| It makes me happy to know that the younger generation is seeing some of what we saw all those years ago. [ Post Comment ] |
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