Shot! The Psycho-Spiritual Mantra of Rock

Mick Rock

I'm going to be honest, and I feel foolish coming clean about it, before I sat down tonight I did not know who Mick Rock was. Being a rock'n'roll freak, I obviously have seen his work throughout his career, I had just never been fully aware of who he, himself was. With all of this said I am so incredibly happy I had come across this documentary on Netflix.

Ziggy Stardust captured by Rock
Bowie's manager once said that
Mick Rock sees David Bowie how
Bowie sees himself.

Now for those in the mind frame I was when I woke up this morning, Mick Rock is a phenomenal photographer who's work is best recognized through the '70s music scene. Ironically Rock was born with that name; no, it was not a name change to make him sound interesting, it was a coincidence- a happy coincidence indeed.  In fact, in the documentary, Rock says that one of David Bowie's first comment to him was complementing his name.

This documentary takes you through some of the most crucial photo's Mick Rock has taken in the height of his career. From the beginning where he thanks the notorious wonder drug, LSD for sparking his interest in photography, to being there to photograph paramount moments in music history. Events such as the earliest (of course, after practicing photographing his girlfriends), former Pink Floyd member Syd Barret, including the album cover for Barrett's solo album The Madcap's Laugh.  He was there to capture chief hours,days, seconds in David Bowie/Ziggy Stardust's career. Bowie became Rock's first live performance photographs. It was heart-warming to hear Rock talk about his admiration towards Bowie, as well as Bowie treating him like he was one of them- not an outsider, as Rock explained.

Lou Reed, first night Rock and Reed met
The picture became Reed's album cover,
Transformer

Through David Bowie, Mick Rock had met Lou Reed at a Save the Whales concert. Rock was almost immediately drawn towards Reed's white face and dark eyes;

"Lou Reed man, he's absolutely unique."

Besides Bowie and Reed, Rock had captured a series of musicians and seventies icons, including Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart, Iggy Pop and The Stooges, Queen, The Ramones, Debbie Harry... He's known for capturing the captivating images of Jerry Garcia, Joan Jett, Rock Horror Picture Show, and much more - trust me, much, much more!

Freddie Mercury
Rock went on to say that when he looks
at this image, it looks like Freddie is
ascending into heaven.
Inspired by Marlene Dietrich.

The story takes a turn and pulls at your heart strings when Mick begins to discuss his struggles with drug addiction, mainly cocaine, as well as struggling with his career once he had lost connection with former friends, such as Bowie. There were days where Mick recalls that he could not sleep, he felt like he wasn't finished yet but that he was pretty well spent. Carly Simon once said that

"Mick takes great pictures but you can't find him after the session for days." 

The documentary continuously shows Mick on a table with an oxygen mask over his head and his shirt buttoned open, foreshadowing to a heart problem that took place later in life due to his drug addictions and his own personal demons.

"... Three heart attacks followed by quadruple heart bypass surgeries all in my late forties so it's times in my life that I definitely feel like a failure."  

"I Had to nearly die to figure out what this Mick Rock thing is..."

Debbie Harry

Despite his love for cocaine and adrenal with his rock and roll photography lifestyle, Mick Rock had taken a love for meditation and yoga. Even stating that before every session, since 1970, he starts off by standing on his head. Yoga added to the cocaine, it balanced it but it also enhanced it.

To this day Mick Rock is still practicing Yoga, still photographing musicians including Snoop Dogg, Lady Gaga, The Killers, and more. The documentary was dedicated to David Bowie and Lou Reed for being "True Friends" and Rock's "heroes".

If  you have an hour and a half to kill, I do recommend watching this documentary. It is not my favorite, I did find it extremely interesting but did loose my attention from time to time. I would rate the film 3-31/2 stars. Rating Mick Rock himself - 5 stars and then some.

"If you are in front of my camera you could be the worlds most fucking boring person off camera the minute you are in front of my camera you are totally fascinating."