Jim Gordon

I had never heard about Jim Gordon before this thread, quite enlightening.

When I clicked on it, I was thinking, "Woah, a thread about Commissioner Gordon from Batman".
 
Despite the above, it was likely Jim's alcoholism (stemming from his father, hence the letter) that was the killer.

I am a psychologist and I believe you are mistaken. Paranoid schizophrenia is much more likely to explain the what happened. Alcohol and drugs didn't help (likely lowering his inhibitions) but it seems clear from the quotes in the article above that he had persecutory auditory hallucinations and delusions involving his mother.

IMHO your remarks about Chapman are also misguided. He almost surely suffered from a sexual delusion (de Clarembault syndrome or erotomania) directed at Jodi Foster. Many people with these delusions commit violent offenses. If anyone deserves an insanity defense (or at least diminished capacity), it is someone with well documented psychosis. The courts agreed in the case of Chapman, but unfortunately not with Gordon.

Let me also add that most people with mental illness are no more dangerous than the rest of society.
 
One additional thought: At least he is now in the part of the CA penal system with some services for the mentally ill.
 
One additional thought: At least he is now in the part of the CA penal system with some services for the mentally ill.

RI - on that note, he obviously has had many, many years of re-hab. Jim was due for parole many many years ago. Given your expertise, do you not think his time has come to be released, or considered for release? It's quite a shame.
 
RI - on that note, he obviously has had many, many years of re-hab. Jim was due for parole many many years ago. Given your expertise, do you not think his time has come to be released, or considered for release? It's quite a shame.

Hard to say whether he is a threat to the public without more info. Clearly this is a tragic waste of a huge talent.

The point I was trying to make was that it appears he got a raw deal from the criminal justice system given his obvious mental illness. Not to minimize his crime, which was horrible. But from the facts available publically, it does not appear he was responsible for his actions. There is still a lot of intolerance and lack of empathy for people with brain diseases, so this thread set me off.

Also, sorry Brian if I misattributed some statements to you. Your posts have been very interesting.
 
I am a psychologist and I believe you are mistaken. Paranoid schizophrenia is much more likely to explain the what happened. Alcohol and drugs didn't help (likely lowering his inhibitions) but it seems clear from the quotes in the article above that he had persecutory auditory hallucinations and delusions involving his mother.

IMHO your remarks about Chapman are also misguided. He almost surely suffered from a sexual delusion (de Clarembault syndrome or erotomania) directed at Jodi Foster. Many people with these delusions commit violent offenses. If anyone deserves an insanity defense (or at least diminished capacity), it is someone with well documented psychosis. The courts agreed in the case of Chapman, but unfortunately not with Gordon.

Let me also add that most people with mental illness are no more dangerous than the rest of society.

You did mix-up myself and JohnW for the Chapman remarks. No problem. Thanks for the comments, it's interesting hearing from someone with a background in psychology.

I try to remember Jim Gordon for his contributions to music, rather than personal life tragedy.

As to the alcoholism, alcohol was indeed his drug of choice for many years after he attempted suicide and also made a "come-back" in 1977-1978.
I do believe that the effects of drinking (he had serious health concerns, doctors warned him his liver would fail) and also withdrawing can have a major kindling effect for the delusions and hallucinations to occur, loss of memory etc. and also perhaps vice-versa with self-medicating. Chicken or egg? He was largely drinking himself to death. I'm not a doctor and don't claim to be an expert, but I am not unfamiliar with the topic.

Jim has been kept imprisoned, more or less, for refusing to take anti-psychotic medications and not staying "on-track".
 
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You did mix-up myself and JohnW for the Chapman remarks. No problem.

I try to remember Jim Gordon for his contributions to music, rather than personal life tragedy.

As to the alcoholism, alcohol was indeed his drug of choice for many years after he attempted suicide and also made a "come-back" in 1977-1978.
I do believe that the effects of drinking (he had serious health concerns, doctors warned him his liver would fail) and also withdrawing can have a major kindling effect for the delusions and hallucinations to occur, loss of memory etc. and also perhaps vice-versa with self-medicating. Chicken or egg? He was largely drinking himself to death. I'm not a doctor and don't claim to be an expert, but I am not unfamiliar with the topic.

Jim has been kept imprisoned, more or less, for refusing to take anti-psychotic medications and not staying "on-track".

Sorry again about the mixup. I was unaware of this information. The med non-compliance is unfortunate but not uncommon with some disorders.
 
Hmm, I was under the impression that Jim was taking his meds no problem. It was just an impression, not a fact.
 
this was a great group, occasional shots of Jim. Even George is up there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4DbsNsK3jY
Yeah, great line-up! Impeccable drumming, Carl Radle is excellent as well. 22:00 is the pinnacle of groove and locking-in

Jim Gordon, Jeff Porcaro, and Vinnie Colaiuta all had/had very similar sitting positions I have noticed...they are three of the coolest looking drummers ever to me. Hal Blaine also sat behind the kit rather low, with the huge rack-tom setup.
 
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yes cool pics.
check out the line-up for the 'Midwest Rock Festival' on the poster at 0:20.
1971 was a great year in music.
 
Here's an article that gives more insight to Jim Gordon:

http://carponline.proboards.com/thread/2197/interesting-article-drummer-jim-gordon

Only Jim could make this thing feel this good for this long. Live. Great pics too if you have a free 18 minutes. Jim does a really pleasing drum solo around after the 13 minute mark. Pure Jim. I WISH it was video, OMG. I can only imagine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USYcoIZUU8o

Thanks for the link Larry! Very interesting, albeit tragic/sad, read! I was familiar with his work but did not know of all of the personal struggles and issues.
 
yes cool pics.
check out the line-up for the 'Midwest Rock Festival' on the poster at 0:20.
1971 was a great year in music.

1971 was a good year. It would cost about 100,000 USD to see all the people on that roster. (if you could) There's a really cool pic of Jimi Hendrix in there somewhere looking very aggressive onstage as compared to Delany who looks kind of intimidated by Jimi lol.

Jim Gordon makes the songs he plays on... feel so good... I don't think he gets enough credit. You can't put a price on feel like that.
 
The Med non-compliance may very well be another excuse for keeping a loyal well paying tenant.

Corrections have made millions of dollars off Gordon already, it's just too easy to keep him his entire life. Are his friends and was it his sister that are still trying desperately to get him a reprieve.

I haven't kept up, as I was so peed-off about his situation in 2000 that I could only sigh.

Similar to the guys in the mid 80's that were caught with 2 lbs. of Home-grown that was pretty much worthless, are now working on the 2nd 25 Years of their sentence when they were given 50 years.

I believe Corrections has never entertained releasing Gordon under any type of program, the money from his incarceration is too easy.

Remember, in the 80's there was no Private Corrections Lobby. Now the Private Corrections Lobby is in 4th place right behind the NRA, Big Oil, and Big Pharma.
 
Jim Gordon makes the songs he plays on... feel so good... I don't think he gets enough credit. You can't put a price on feel like that.
Yeah, you are right. No one sounded like him, or had those particular unique feels and musical sensibilities. He was and is a different drummer.

And his drums, cymbals, tuning, etc. He sounded amazing.

I really do enjoy trying to play like him (among a few others), because it's made me a different and more rounded drummer.
 
Jim used mostly older Zildjian K's and he had the natural coloured Camco's, sort of a walnut colour, but they were maple. Not sure, I think thats what is referred to as the 'Oaklawn' years model/kit. I'm always amazed that same drums are everywhere he played through the 70's.

can see them well on this show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWGa9TSIcfA
 
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