The Story
A Successful Young Songwriter In 1960S Becomes Derailed By Lsd And Resulting Madness.Craig Smith Was A 1960S Golden Boy Good Looking, Charismatic, Outgoing; A Preternaturally Gifted Musician And Songwriter Whose Songs Were Recorded By Some Of The Biggest Names In Entertainment Andy Williams, Glen Campbell, The Monkees. His Future Success Seemed Assured, Until An Unexpected Turn Of Events Plunged Him Into A Terrifying Darkness. Cleancut Craig Smith Became Maitreya Kali, The Selfproclaimed Psychedelic Messiah. He Laid Out His Poignant, Disturbing Schizophrenic Vision On A Sprawling Selfreleased Doublealbum Before Disappearing Completely. Author Mike Stax Spent Fifteen Years Piecing Together The Mystery Of Maitreya Kali, Uncovering One Of The Strangest And Most Tragic Untold Stories Of The 1960S And 70S.Swim Through The Darkness Reveals Author Stax'S Fifteen Year Quest In Tracking Down This Strange Saga Of American Pop Culture. Included In The Story Are Smith'S Close Ties To The Monkees, Particularly Mike Nesmith, Who Produced And Promoted Smith'S Band, Penny Arkade. Also Covered Are The Bizarre Selfreleased Albums He Made As Maitreya Kali, Which Now Command Thousands Of Dollars Among Psychedelic Music Collectors.
Description
A Successful Young Songwriter In 1960S Becomes Derailed By Lsd And Resulting Madness.Craig Smith Was A 1960S Golden Boy Good Looking, Charismatic, Outgoing; A Preternaturally Gifted Musician And Songwriter Whose Songs Were Recorded By Some Of The Biggest Names In Entertainment Andy Williams, Glen Campbell, The Monkees. His Future Success Seemed Assured, Until An Unexpected Turn Of Events Plunged Him Into A Terrifying Darkness. Cleancut Craig Smith Became Maitreya Kali, The Selfproclaimed Psychedelic Messiah. He Laid Out His Poignant, Disturbing Schizophrenic Vision On A Sprawling Selfreleased Doublealbum Before Disappearing Completely. Author Mike Stax Spent Fifteen Years Piecing Together The Mystery Of Maitreya Kali, Uncovering One Of The Strangest And Most Tragic Untold Stories Of The 1960S And 70S.Swim Through The Darkness Reveals Author Stax'S Fifteen Year Quest In Tracking Down This Strange Saga Of American Pop Culture. Included In The Story Are Smith'S Close Ties To The Monkees, Particularly Mike Nesmith, Who Produced And Promoted Smith'S Band, Penny Arkade. Also Covered Are The Bizarre Selfreleased Albums He Made As Maitreya Kali, Which Now Command Thousands Of Dollars Among Psychedelic Music Collectors.
