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A Buchla synthesizer, made specially for Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters (.guilty/Wikipedia Commons)
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“ I think they painted this multicolored bus because Ken had a kind of vision that the country was sapped by an overall fear.
In 1964, author Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters famously crossed the country in a drug and rock 'n' roll-fueled painted bus, bringing heightened meaning to the term "road trip." What’s not so famous is the footage they shot en route. Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney has turned that footage into a new movie called "Magic Trip: Ken Kesey's Search for a Kool Place," and he'll tell us all about it.
Guests:
Alex GibneyListen Live
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Comments [6]
Those poor guys were having fun, but that's because they were using inferior acid. Hate to brag.But, in '66 on 17th and Third, I took a thousand mics of "Sandoz" written on big white tablets. The original made by the guy who invented it for headaches and famously fell off his bike. No more headaches, just heads. When I took it, turned from an atheist existentialist to god intoxicate in thirty seconds. Bach organ music was God's voice, (by which I DON'T mean that white guy with a beard), but meaning moving down a corridor of blue light. Twelve hours later, someone asked what do you think of April? Later people would take acid and jump down mountains. The Village was great then. I was in my junior year at UNC, a commuter. Only problem was only three cuts a course.
@ Robots from NYC & John from office - many people took acid but a dear friend of mine suffered epileptic seisures following the trips. According to his many Drs. this promoted serious frontal lobe brain injury.
Now many years later his condition has deteriorated to the point of 'living vegetable', being cared for by his partner who also took acid with him. Clearly it affects some people's brains and some not. But isn't it more humane to protect & care for ALL when there is a strong possibility of danger and damage to SOME?
There's a lengthy article on the web allegedly written by Cary Grant about his declaration on LSD, I have no Idea how I know that but I can attest that I have seen it! I always was fascinated by the Pranksters and figured for some landmark birthday when I was old and bored I would try LSD. I guess probably that won't happen as I have had a couple of those, but it does seem like it's an entire other reality from friends who have.
@John from office
Gimme a break.
What is the matter with you guys? Kennedy was assassinated on Nov 22, 1963. 1963! NINETEEN SIXTY THREE. Stop referring to it as a 1964 event, for Christ's sake.
I love your show, but, this era lead to alot of damaged people. So, the drug asspect of this is troubling.
LSD was not a positive thing.
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