Fever Dream part 20

 

Today was a fairly nice day for this time of year, so I decided to take care of a whole bunch of errands, including art making.  First I went to my PT place to investigate a prescription, then an auto repair place to get some new wipers for my car (needed and I decided best installed when it wasn't raining), then my insurance agent to deal with the needed renewal of my policy.  After that I was finally able to go to my Studio and get some work done.  I put my fresh paper and tools in the car, had printing stuff there already, and the block was up in the Studio.  

I wanted to print one more good proof of my latest block.  As this block has been printed twice before, inking would not take long.  For music I brought my rock/pop discs, and selected one I burned with the two (American) Beatles albums of 1967.   I had mentioned this disc once before, but never wrote it up in detail, so this time I will write about it.  The first album on the disc is Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band which is on many short lists of the greatest albums of all time.  That's a matter of opinion, but it was certainly one of the most innovative of all times.  Start with the most celebrated band of all times (then and now), the largest budget ever used ($100,000 in 1967 money) 6 months of work, the highest tech 4 track recorder available for the purpose of popular music, one of the most celebrated album covers ever, one of the first known concept albums, very innovative concepts in song writing, use of very eclectic instruments, plus a full orchestra when needed, and a recording and production team that could keep up with the band's demands.  The results blew away everyone at the time, and based on various reaction videos on the web, is still blowing people away some 54 years later. Despite no songs from the LP appearing as singles, a lot of the songs are well known and got much radio airplay.  I'm not going to get into particular songs right here, but if people want to know, it can be read about on the web.  The second album was something created for the American market- Magical Mystery Tour.  In England, the official soundtrack to the film of the same name appeared originally as a set of EPs. so there was no album.  In America, customers didn't much like EP's. but they liked albums, so it was issued as an LP, with the songs from the movie on one side, a B side of one of those songs (also issued as a single), and the A and B sides of two 1967 singles.  Earlier editions (including the one I had) included a full size book inside the gatefold cover, with photos from the film, and a story of the movie, complete with cartoon illustrations.  Later versions of the LP didn't have the story book, and eventually the British record company decided to issue the LP, thus it was turned into a CD (also without a book) when Beatles discs finally started coming out in the late 1980's.  It has often been looked at as a lesser album, but everything pales in comparison to Sgt. Pepper and the related film was seen as a disaster of a production.  Still, the songs are quite good, the production is excellent, some of the best examples of psychedelia ever produced, although also the end of that style.  The two albums fit on one recordable disc, so it made a nice addition to my Studio music library.  

So I strapped on my specially decorated print shop apron again (see above) and pulled another proof of my new block.  It was pretty much perfect, giving me two good copies of the print, which is enough for now, since I have no place to show it right now, but when I do, I can pop it into a frame on short notice. Someday I hope to have photos of it posted here, but so far I don't have the ability to do so.  (this means I have no way to submit it to shows either, though if someone offers me a whole show, I can always hang it on the wall)  I think it's a good print, so now I just have to think of what the follow up will be.  That's life as a creative person for you.

Two more stops on the way home- some needed groceries and something to bring home for lunch, since I knew we were out of sandwich materials and I didn't feel like soup again.