Getting To Know: David Bowie
By Russell Bartholomee

Who He Is:

David Bowie is arguably the most influential British musician outside of the Beatles.  He has been making important contributions to modern music since the late 1960s, when he unleashed his classic single “Space Oddity.”  Since then, he has transformed himself, both artistically and physically, with almost every new release.  Bowie has proven to be one of the most adventurous artists of the rock & roll era.  A musical chameleon, he is able to become a master of every art form he attempts.  That’s not to say he is merely a successful copycat; far from it.  In fact, Bowie has regularly been on the cutting edge of musical trends.  Now in his 50s, Bowie continues to be a vital artist in the world of music.  His longevity, like his music, defies convention.


How To Spot Him:

For a man who changes his look constantly, David Bowie is still one of the most recognizable figures in pop music.  Tall and lean, Bowie’s hair may be one of many colors or lengths at any given time.  But he will look incredibly cool one way or another.  A trend-setter in rock & roll fashion, Bowie is always dressed well, and he’s likely to be on the arm of supermodel Iman, to whom he’s been married since the 1990s.  His most distinguishing characteristic is perhaps that each of his eyes is of a different color.


Vital Fact:

David Bowie has also done some decent acting.  He won acclaim for his portrayal of the title character in The Elephant Man on stage in the 80s.  And he has appeared in several cult classic films, such as The Man Who Fell To Earth and Labyrinth.  In my opinion, his best screen performance is as Pontius Pilate in Martin Scorsese’s controversial The Last Temptation of Christ.  Bowie nails the essence of Pilate’s self-absorbed, aloof cruelty.


Not So Vital Fact:

David Bowie’s real name is David Jones.  He was starting out as a performer at the same time as the Monkees were on television; he changed his name to Bowie so as not to be confused with Davey Jones of the Monkees.  He is married to supermodel Iman and has a son, Joey, who was originally named Zowie.  Zowie Bowie.  Cocaine is a hell of a drug.


Where To Start:

Hunky Dory (1971) - "So I turned myself to face me/But I've never caught a glimpse/Of how the others must see the faker/I'm much too fast to take that test "

Though not his first album, Hunky Dory is Bowie’s first great record.  Before this, his albums were good, but uneven; here he really finds his voice for the first time.  With a killer backup band (especially Mick Ronson and Rick Wakeman), Bowie delivers superb performances throughout.  Every song is stunning.  “Changes” is an obvious classic, but there are several others here as well.  And “Song for Bob Dylan” contains the best description of Dylan’s voice (“sandpaper and glue”) that I’ve ever heard.  Key cuts: "Changes," "Life on Mars?," and "Oh! You Pretty Things."

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972) - "I could make a transformation as a rock & roll star."

Probably the quintessential Bowie record for most Bowie fans, Ziggy Stardust is the perfect blend of rock & roll swagger, arty theatrics, and solid songwriting.  It’s a concept album that actually works—no small feat, since most concept albums suck.  It’s also the first in a long line of albums featuring an alter ego for Bowie to inhabit throughout.  Ronson’s much-imitated guitar work is dazzling here.  It’s safe to say that scores of artists owe their existence to the sound of this glam masterpiece (I’m looking at you, Smashing Pumpkins). Key Cuts: "Ziggy Stardust," "Suffragette City," and "Starman."



Station to Station (1976) - "The return of the Thin White Duke, throwing darts in lovers’ eyes."

Bowie’s tenth album finds him changing musical directions yet again.  After the glam rock glories of Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane, the Orwellian Diamond Dogs, and the R&B-drenched Young Americans (all excellent records), Bowie decided to lay down the framework for the future of rock.  In a mere six tracks, Bowie (as his new alter ego, The Thin White Duke) created a phenomenal record that builds a bridge between his earlier records and the late-70s Euro-synth-rock of his Berlin trilogy.  Years ahead of its time, Station to Station sounds just as engaging and original today as it did when it came out.  Key cuts: "Golden Years," "Station to Station," and "TVC15."

Low (1977) - "I will sit right down, waiting for the gift of sound and vision."

The first (and best) of his celebrated Berlin trilogy (also featuring the excellent “Heroes” and Lodger), Low is the result of Bowie hiding out in Berlin with Brian Eno.  Keeping a “low” profile (hence the album art) proved quite productive for the pair.  A stylistic shift (yet again), Low heavily features synthesizers and ambient strings.  The latter half of the record consists primarily of instrumental tracks—a pattern that continued for the next two records.  Low is yet another artistic gamble by Bowie that paid off handsomely, and the trilogy paved the way for every synth-drenched New Wave band to follow for a decade. Key cuts: "Sound and Vision," "Be My Wife," and "Warszawa."

Scary Monsters (1980) - "My mother said to get things done, you better not mess with Major Tom."

Scary Monsters is Bowie’s best 1980s album, which is faint praise in some respects.  But it’s a brilliant record, with several of his best songs.  Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails often cites this as a huge influence.  At least he’s honest about it; every gothic rock group of the last 25 years owes Bowie royalties, as much of this record as they have “borrowed.”   The album also has the dubious honor of being lauded above every subsequent Bowie release by most critics.  For the last quarter century, every new worthy release is said to be “his best since Scary Monsters."  Key cuts: "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)," "Fashion," and "Ashes to Ashes."

Heathen (2002) - "For in truth, it’s the beginning of an end.  And nothing has changed.  Everything has changed."

Heathen is Bowie’s best record since Scary Monsters.  (Sorry, couldn’t resist).  That’s not to say his 1990s output is without merit.  Actually, there are some wonderful records between the two.  It’s just that Heathen is so very good that the others are eclipsed.  Released well after anyone expected a classic from Bowie, it is nevertheless one of his best recordings.  It sounds both perfectly modern and perfectly at home with the Berlin trilogy.  With the fabulous Reality close on its heels, Bowie in the 21^st Century (and in his 50s) is still doing some of his best work.  Key cuts: "Sunday," "Slow Burn," and "Cactus."

“Under Pressure” (1981) - "It’s the terror of knowing what this world is about, watching some good friends screaming, ‘Let me out’”

“Under Pressure” isn’t on a proper David Bowie album, but it’s absolutely essential listening.  This collaboration with Queen is one of the best singles of all time.  Even Vanilla Ice couldn’t ruin its powerful bassline (though he tried).  The vocal interplay between Bowie and Freddy Mercury will make your neck hairs stand at attention.


Where To Go From There:

Young Americans (1975) – Following Diamond Dogs,  a soul record must have been a shock for a lot of Bowie fans.  But Young Americans is a really fine album, with two huge hits—the title track and “Fame.”  The latter is a collaboration with John Lennon (the album also contains a nice cover of Lennon’s “Across the Universe”).  And that’s none other than Luther Vandross singing backup vocals on the title track.

Let’s Dance  (1983) – My friend and fellow Bowie fan Otis will chide me for including this (as will a few other Bowie purists), but I unabashedly appreciate this record.  It was my first exposure to Bowie, and I may like it more for nostalgic reasons than anything else.  Still, it contains three of my all-time favorite David Bowie songs: “Modern Love,” “Let’s Dance,” and “China Girl.”  Yes it’s too 80s slick, and there are a couple of filler tracks.  But Stevie Ray Vaughn does some beautiful guitar work throughout, and the bowties were cool.

1. Outside (1995) – After a decade of being written off (unfairly) as a has-been, Bowie again collaborated with Brian Eno on this startlingly good concept album.  A non-linear futuristic tale of art and murder (and murder-as-art), the record contains Bowie’s most solid collection of songs since, well, Scary Monsters.  It gets bogged down once or twice by spoken-word interludes of the story’s characters, but a few minor quibbles aside, it’s a dark-yet-rewarding art project.  It benefits from the fantastic guitar work of Reeves Gabrels, and also features the crowd-pleasing “Hallo Spaceboy,” a raucous goth-rocker that showed the alternative rock world where Trent Reznor got his best ideas.

Reality (2003) – This most recent Bowie record is really just about as good as Heathen.  Written specifically with touring in mind, Reality is devoid of dull moments.  Written in post-9/11 New York, the album contains many references to the city’s landmarks, with lyrics that evoke the mood of the current state of affairs without being preachy or trite.  “New Killer Star” and “Never Get Old” are both terrific tracks.  This is by far the best album in this section.
 

What To Avoid:

The Deram Anthology 1966-1968 (1997) – If you see this collection of 27 early recordings on sale in a shop for a few bucks, put it down.  You could get a cup of coffee for that money!  Strictly for the die-hard fan, these songs are really quite bad.  They sound very much like the sort of novelty songs regularly featured on Dr. Demento releases, especially the excruciating “Laughing Gnome.”  Just trust me.  This isn’t for you.

Tonight (1984) – This follow-up to Let’s Dance has all of that album’s flaws, and precious few of its strengths.  Aside from the great single “Blue Jean,” and “Loving the Alien,” there’s just not much here.  Not his worst, but not worth your time.

Never Let Me Down (1987) – The worst record in the David Bowie catalogue.  This gets my vote for most ironic title, though.

Tin Machine II (1991) – Much worse than its predecessor, though not without its merits.  “Baby Universal” and “One Shot” were decent, if forgettable singles.  Tin Machine was Bowie’s attempt at being a member of a band instead of a solo artist.  The first record (which dated badly, though I really liked it at the time) was more convincing.  This just seems like Bowie trying too hard to be relevant.  Thankfully, he got this all out of his system.


What To Watch:

David Bowie: A Reality Tour (2004) – This is an outstanding concert film, with footage taken from Bowie’s most recent world tour.  It heavily features new material, but old favorites going all the way back to “The Man Who Sold The World” are included as well.  The sound quality is great, and the performances are all top-notch.

Best of Bowie (2002) – A comprehensive, career-spanning video collection.  There are 47 tracks stretched over this two-disc set.  Disc one is essential, containing one stunning video or live performance of classic material after another.  Disc two is very good as well, though it does have a few clunkers from Bowie’s late 80s slump.


Everything Else You Need To Know:

http;//www.davidbowie.com – Bowie’s official web site, BowieNet, is really great if you’re a big fan.  There are exclusive song and video downloads available to registered members of the site.  Membership isn’t free, but the benefits are pretty extensive.  For the more casual fan, you may want to start with the next web site. 

http://www.teenagewildlife.com/ - A fantastic fan site, with links to every important bit of Bowie-related information you could hope to find.  A thorough discography, with links to all lyrics is one of the site’s best features.  The picture archive is nice as well.

Strange Fascination: David Bowie : The Definitive Story by David Buckley – This biography, released in 2000, does an excellent job of telling Bowie’s story.  It’s not an exercise in bootlicking, but neither is it a hatchet job.  It concentrates on the artist and his art, putting both in a narrative context that’s well-written and informative.


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