David Bowie - over-rated or justifiably hated?

Astoundingly great. Generally speaking, I actually consider the studio albums he did throughout the seventies, from _The Man Who Sold the World_ to _Scary Monsters_ (okay, fair enough, that was 1980), to be the most amazing run of unqualified artistic smash after smash any high profile UK or American artist has ever done. Every year he had at least one new album, I believe, and the fact that the same guy did _Hunky Dory_, _Ziggy Stardust_, _Diamond Dogs_, _Young Americans_, _Station to Station_, _Low_ and _"Heroes"_, among others, is just breathtaking to me. He's coasted after that and had some definite disasters in the eighties and early nineties, but more recent songs like "We Prick You" and "Looking for Satellites," among others, show he can still put it together when he wants to, indifferent backing musicians aside. I just picked up Nicholas Pegg's hyperexhaustive _The Complete David Bowie_ this past weekend and plan to read every last page.

I hear he's influential as well.

Still, I'm with Ned -- Bowie's output from 1970 through 1980 was nothing short of remarkable. I'm most partial to the Station to Station to Scary Monsters era stuff, though I like the Ziggy-era stuff quite a bit too. His lyrics are hit-and-miss, but there's still some pretty classic ones ("Life on Mars," "Andy Warhol," "Repetition," "Beauty and the Beast"). After a ten-year stretch like he had, I suppose that Bowie can be forgiven for just coasting thereafter.

I never understood the complaints about Bowie's lyrics--at least post-Space Oddity. I remember reading a Lester Bangs review in the 70s where he made fun of the "like some cat from Japan" line in "Ziggy Stardust". I didn't get what was so bad about the line, still don't. I mean it doesn't make complete sense, but it doesn't make me cringe. All those Creem writers seemed to regard him as some evil Brechtian ice princess poseur, as if there was anything wrong with that. Also, he was the man who nearly destroyed "Raw Power", I guess that might have something to do with it. You don't mess with the Stooges!

And, finally, I think plenty of people--like, most Americans-- are lukewarm about David Bowie.

God, the Seventies were awesome!

Beta: Hunky Dory, Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, Low Side 2, early Mod singles, "Absolute Beginners", Heroes except title track, "Dame" nickname (orig. a Smash Hits coinage)

Gamma: Man Who Sold..., Diamond Dogs, Lodger, Scary Monsters, Let's Dance, "Under Pressure"

Delta: Space Oddity, Pin Ups, "Heroes", Tonight, live albums.

Omega: Everything from Never Let Me Down onwards. Continued press attention whenever rubbish new record gets released.

He's an artist who is not afraid to go to extremes, even if it results in some bad art, or even worse, him looking like a fool. Sometimes the results are the sheer baroque poetry like "Hunky Dory" and sometimes, well, it's crap. But still. He still manages to intrigue.

How can you put everything I hold dear about Bowie into the Betas? Early mod singles? Classic!!! "Let Me Sleep Beside You" is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard in my life. That cello/12-string interaction is just pure gorgeousness.

OK, but then again I actually *like* Laughing Gnome and Please, Mr. Gravedigger, so I'll shut up now. Ahem.

That said, for every great Bowie moment there's an absolute clanger. 'Running Gun Blues' from The Man Who Sold The World springs to mind ('I see the corpses left and right, I find I'm not so tidyyyy'), as does 'Time' ('falls wanking to the floor' - er, explain further Mr Bowie) from Aladdin Sane, and those blessed silly voices at the end of 'Bewlay Brothers', which I realise is a homage to Bowie's own tragic brother but it just sounds ridiculous. The song is beautiful, and genuinely moving up until the 'starving for me gravy' moment...

I consider myself a huge Bowie fan, and I guess one of the most endearing things about him is that he can at once be so influential and at the same time responsible for some of the most ridiculous career faux-pas imaginable. 'Labyrinth' fright-wig, anyone?

-from the book, 'Things David Bowie Never Said'.

A lot of goth girls seem to be totally obsessed with that movie for that reason. I never quite got that, though the movie is okay. Bowie looks too much like Linda Evans on Dynasty.

Doesn't a certain ILM poster own this movie on dvd? ;-)

Oh, and as far as Bowie's classic status, lots of posters here have stated the case far more eloquently than I ever could.

I've never seen Labyrinth, but I have a funny feeling we'll be watching it tonight... weex!

A 60s period vaudeville song like 'Uncle Arthur', about a man who refuses to grow up, is Ray Davies style social observation as noted by an extra-terrestrial. It betrays deep sympathy for the oddball. The songs about children, like 'There Is A Happy Land', are childhood seen from within. I particularily love the little-known 'When I'm Five', which could easily have been horribly winsome, but is freshened by a feel for the strangeness of a child's vision (reflected in the strange language). Even the much-maligned 'Gnome' has something oddly affecting going on, despite the cheerfully bad puns and cheap tech-gimmicks: is it a schizophrenic's overheard conversation with himself?

Such contrasts are typical of a man who, in 1975, wore only plain preppy clothes he ordered from the Brooks Brothers catalogue -- but made even such unpromising material look rakishly Martian. He is quintessentially British, yet quintessentially Other. Every oddball's Invisible Friend. As Roger Daltry once observed, The Guv'nor.

No, that's the Hunger. Goths seem to like that one too, but it seems like I always hear them going on about Labyrinth.

So yeah, Bowie would be a classic just for making Labrynth alone, never mind his music which all kicks ass.

What's the name of the song at the end of Labrinyth (yes, I realize that's the third different spelling of that word I've put forth so far)?

Anyway... The track at the end was called 'As The World Falls Down', if I remember correctly, and it was actually rather good. One of the two good tracks in the film. 'Underground' was also good.

Sadly, though, all the good tracks were completely negated by 'Magic Dance'. Sample lyrics: 'Tell me about the babe/ What babe/ The babe that cast the spell/ What spell/ Power of voodoo/ Who do?/ You do/ Now tell me about the babe...' Oh dear.

And to clear a certain assertion back up there up, I do own _The Dark Crystal_ on DVD, sure, but not _Labyrinth_. Not yet, anyway. ;-)

HOWEVER... I do have to say that that Fire Dance song is the *BEST* track that Olivia Tremor Control never recorded. Call Elephant 6 now!!!!

Bill

PS New new digital revamp of "Ziggy: The Motion Picture" is Mick Ronson's finest hour and a half.

Let's talk about Bowie. I want to talk about Bowie. Is the "David Live" album any good?

Not very, no.

Sorry to sound all "rockist," but "over-rated or justifiably hated," without a "good-to-great" option? Seems wrong.

He's overrated by those who think he can sing, sure.

'stage' is the live album to get. adrian belew!

belew 'em all off the stage, didn't he

last interesting round of ilm bowie chat was here:

BOWIE VS STEELY

Stage is rather bad. Live, Bowie is best seen rather than heard.

That is to say, it works better with the visuals. There was an amazing '77 concert at Muzikladen on the Youtube a while ago, but it got taken down once Matrixsynth picked up on it

I really like David Live. The total inhumanity and coldness of the record appeals to me and is ideal for him. In a way it's his Metal Machine Music if we're talking depersonalisation. It's as if he's stranded on Mars and all his songs are in a lay-by in Stanmore.

Let's talk about Bowie. I want to talk about Bowie. Is the "David Live" album any good?

eh it's alright. Stage is ten times better.

is that really great version of "Blackout" on Stage? Blackout Live is Bowie POV for sure

Is it safe to say that David Bowie is one of those artists with NO DISCERNABLE INDIVIDUAL SONGWRITING STYLE, from album to album? I don't know if this means he's very diverse, or just a corporate whore.

In my mind, I'd say, there's a very tangible sense of Bowiesque songwriting.. All of his songs have a sort of simplicity and, excluding his more abstract material, melodic verve. I'd say it's harder to reconcile "TV EYE" and "Candy" being written by the same man than it is "The Man Who Sold the World" and "Ashes to Ashes." I think Bowie's lyrical style is a dead giveaway, too. Did anyone ever notice that "Fantastic Voyage" and "Boys Keep Swinging" are the exact same chords and song structure with different songs on top? I always thought that was a remarkable feat of songwriting, and one he pulled off ina very unique way.

Also Red Money/Sister Midnight

Thought I saw an ad for a new album today but it turns out it's just a release of that VH1 thing he did around when hours... came out. I guess he's just going to relax and do random backing vocals from here on in or something.

The thought of someone hating David Bowie DOES NOT COMPUTE.

My mom told me a little bit ago the 'Ashes to Ashes' was playing on the hospital room TV while she was in labor & she was annoyed bcz my dad was paying attention to it and not her. I don't blame him!

While she was in labor...WITH ME!!!

I miss his original choppers, tho.

My favorite site untouched by time.

More specifically: http://areaology.com/area.html

I listened to Reality for the first time in ages. A very good record – a lesser Lodger, of which it's a thematic and aura cousin.

(xxxpost)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtrjZRQ8TzU

While she was in labor...WITH ME!!!

"Abbott to Abbott..."

"My mama said to get me born
She had to tell Dad to stop being torn..."

<3

reality is alright, I liked it a lot at first, then really hated it, now I'm back to thinking "eh". it's no heathen. I hope that when he gets around to doing a new album it's at least that good.

Heathen had too many ballads. Then again, maybe that's all he can write and sing now.

As found/shared by Tom E. on Twitter -- a new blog dedicated to reviewing Bowie's output song by song (currently in late 1966):

http://bowiesongs.wordpress.com/

good use of "cat people" in the new tarantino movie. couldn't tell what song it was at first

Just out for a stroll.

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/418843_253659648083931_1472298826_n.jpg

Something tells me he knows he's being photographed.

You don't say.

Something tells me he's trying to look like an "American".

a young one at that.

RETURN OF THE THIN WHITE DAD

throwing darts in photog's eyes

"You know, before I go to the reviews section to find out what exciting acts are coming up from the underground...let's just check where Uncut put me on this 100 icons thing."

might as well, right?

The Top Ten
1. Dylan, Bob – Highway 61 Revisited
2. Presley, Elvis – Heartbreak Hotel [7”]
3. Beatles – She Loves You [7”]
4. Rolling Stones – (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction [7”]
5. A Clockwork Orange (film)
6. Godfather / Godfather Part 2 (films)
7. Bowie, David – Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars
8. Taxi Driver (film)
9. Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the…
10. Prisoner [TV series]

He's reasonable enough that I bet his only quibble with the six above him is A Clockwork Orange

http://images.thegauntlet.com/pics/manson-fuck.jpg

Hi, I'm Marilyn Manson, please don't take my picture! (But please do, because I am Marilyn Manson, boo!)

What the shit, get that out of here.

Looks like he and Jonathan Davis can go on the "Where's My Metabolism" tour.

What's he doing to that little kid's hand?

he tore the arm off at the socket

It's actually the prehensile tale of his trained pet devil pig.

dude with camera filming while kid gets dismembered...