First, ...let this be known. Brian was an incredible instrumentalist. He could play anything. He could literally "learn" how to play an instrument quite well in a matter of hours. As well, he was one of the best guitarists in the mid-sixties (before Keith started to mature and excel).


Aside from all this, yep... sadly, he was pretty darn messed up. It was apparent he was emotionally and mentally screwed up from what we know of him early on in The Stones. Later, he got worse, and heavily into drugs... to the point of sitting in the studio most of the time completely useless. None of them tried to save him.. they just let him slide into a sort of oblivion before firing him. The reason he was fired is because he simply could not contribute anymore he was so down in the muck (drugs mostly...not to mention his emotional issues).

As for Keith, he stole his girlfriend. Well ...they kina found each-other while Brian was becoming a wreck. It wasn't quite as bad as it sounds. Brian would beat her and Keith even had to save her once or twice. Still ... I don't know if I could of went there as Keith did. Although as Keith said..."Shit Happens". Keith said he doesn't think Brian ever really forgave him for it.

After The Stones fired Brian there was kina a semi-cleaning up for Brian as I gather... for a few weeks anyway and he even talked about forming his own band. Sadly, just about a month after being fired from The Stones for being helplessly unproductive and too gone during projects... not to mention his emotional problems. He was found dead by drowning in a swimming pool. Quite an skeptical death as you know and many feel he was murdered, or possibly unintentionally drowned by some workers or a worker there. It is still subject and the case was even re-opened at one point or two I believe.

Back then The Stones did NOT try and help one another, as they did recently with Woody in pushing him toward rehab. Back in The 60's, 70's, and even 80's The Stones were a group yes, but if things other than the music turned you upside down they did not lend the helping hand to one another in those days. Not because they completely hated one another or anything really, ....it was more a matter of being a big boy and handling life/rock super stardom. If you couldn't ...that was your issue and your problem.

That is the story of Brian in a nutshell. Again, sadly, yes, he was darn messed up by the time they fired him. Far too messed up to tour, or record productively at the end..and they knew it. This is the main reason they ousted him. As well, there may of been a jealousy issue early on, and as Brian grew worse, Mick and Keith began to ban together in seizing all creative control pushing Brian underneath them, rather than him being toward the top of the group as he once was.

It was not a sudden fall for him either. He had been getting worse and worse in a steady decline for a few years leading up to it.


Ian

He just couldnt handle it. Drugs, fame, wealth, power. There was no "rehab" then. No diagnosis of emotional problems. And as is coming out in many items i have read, the LSD in those days was very strong (and in some theories, supplied by the CIA to stop the"youth problem"). From todays standpoint, we know he was insecure, immature, arrogant, selfish - and combine those inherent traits with wealth and (until he was harrassed) a certain freedom to do as he pleased. We've seen all that self-destruction time and again, but more or less, he was the first of the rock era.

And i lay no fault with Jagger or Richards either. They did drugs. The had women. They drank. Smoked. Played hard. But they remained focussed. From 68 onwards, they were really blossoming. I cannot blame them at all for being ruthless and inpatient. Brian had missed alot of shows. They needed to tour badly. He was in no shape to do anything towards the end. They are raring to go, and there is some one holding them back. When your 25 or so, and in the postion they were, i would probably have treated Brian worse!

If you can find it read "Death Of A Rolling Stone" by Mandy Aftel.  It was recommended to me in the Brian thread above, and it was a very good book with less of the sensationalism that usually is contained in a Rock biography, especially one about Brian.

Ive read many books about Brian, and this was the best. Im a big Brian fan, and this book kind of explained allot to me.

Pdog wrote on Oct 20^th, 2011 at 5:44pm:


Yeah that's about as messed up as a person can get!