King Crimson

Oh, the Joy of Vinyl.

I settled down for a retro music evening and I really needed a spliff to complete it, but had to make do with a Lava Lamp and some fine brandy instead. 

When I first listened to this album, I couldn't afford either intoxicant and never owned a Lava Lamp, but that never detracted from the music. I haven't listened to this album for, erm, well a few years lets say. I heard a comment that the title track, 21st Century Schizoid Man, could be regarded as the forerunner to punk. Don't know about that, but it's certainly (still) raw and vibrant, which is what punk was all about. I was always surprised how such raw music could be made to sit side by side with other, really rather beautiful etherial pieces on this album. No pidgin holing going on here, just creative music making. Listen to the whole album turn the lights down and volume up, and become a hippy for while. 

I miss that intensity that used to come with the playing of a vinyl record. The fact you listened, I mean REALLY listened, all the way through. Today, it doesn't really happen anymore. It's too easy to skip tracks and move on. Or listen while doing something else. That's not listening to music! No, you have to turn the lights down, get comfy with a nice drink, turn the volume up, close your eyes and listen. Take some time to immerse and drift away.

This shot looks deceptively simple. It's actually a three-shot composit. One exposure for the lamp, one for the electronic lights and one for the background ambiance. The ambiance was created by me shining a torch for a few seconds during the thirty-second exposure needed. Then the three were blended together. Voila!