The undeniable greatness of David Bowie
Posted: Tue 10 May 2016, 5:53 pm
The day David Bowie (to us) unexpectedly died. I bought a copy of Blackstar. Now, I'll get back to Blackstar in a moment, but...
... until then I had utterly forgotten that I when through a particularly rough patch in my twenties, around 82-83: right around the time "Let's Dance" came out. At that point in my life, I wasn't much interested in so-called rock/pop music, but I remember the undeniable effect Bowie had on me, and it was a wonderful effect indeed. For Bowie turned a very unhappy period of my life into times that I found almost overwhelmingly wonderful: fun and something uplifting.
I had a reasonably good-paying job at the time, so I was able to afford a hi-quality Sony Walkman with excellent headphones. I used to go for long walks, and aside from the catchy dance numbers, older songs like Space Oddity, Starnan, and especually Wild is the Wind effected me deeply.
For during that period I was battling a severe drinking problem. No, I wasn't stumbling around like a drunk... I had a high tolerance for alcohol, so I could drink a lot, and developed a dependency on the drug. For I was not one of those alcoholics that typically blacked-out, did stupid things. No: alcohol fit me like a glove, it slowed down my racing brain. And somehow, I felt more normal with it than without it. It took me until 86-87 when I finally came seriously to grips with my problem, largely because my health was deteriorating rapidly. One's liver can only take so much. Luckily I was able to quit and havent had a drop for 30 years.
But Bowie, recalled my happier moments during my admittedly self-induced problem. Bowie at the time, meant a great deal to me... and when I quit drinking... shortly after "West End girls" came out (I still remember the music and video impressing me during those last few months of drinking).
However, when I quit, I essentially moved on; or back to my classical roots, and largely forgot about my "Bowie years". My exposure to the PSB was through the radio, but by that time my mindset had changed, I liked the PSB for sure, but they were not a priority. For, the re-booted me, went back to university finished his degree, and essentially went (as I've said before) back to my " classical roots": being a classically trained flautist/flute player.
I mentioned this before, but my deep interest in the PSB started after I had bought a used 1982 Mazda RX7 (pretty quick even by 1995 standards back then), and installed a decent stereo system in it. After hearing the PSB on the CBC one evening: a Bilingual preview of Discoteca, I was hooked, absolutely hooked. Instantly from my classical perspective, IMO I was clearly listening to genius. I never looked back, and have been a huge PSB fan ever since.
But what about Bowie? I remember sporadically buying some of his later albums, but with many of them he seemed to have lost "the touch" I expected from him: one or two decent songs, with quite a lot of what seemed to me (just to me!) aimless filler. Bowie still had his moments, but I remember losing the degree of interest I had in the early 80s.
Now, after all of that "me talk", let me return to Bowie's death and Blackstar. I saw the video of Lazarus a few hours after he died, and was deeply impressed and saddened. But then I got to the last two essential songs on the album: Dollar Days and I Can't Give Everything Away. The effect of these two last songs, masterpieces, had on me were overwhelming. I was transported back 3 decades. It was for me an extraordinarily moving and searing moment.
For these two last songs, are surely amongst the greatest of his career. And just after you hear Dollar Days, comes the previously mentioned last song, a clear masterpiece. With a dying Bowie giving it his all. And behind the powerul vocals, the sad almost hymnlike funereal strings gently anchor the whole song. Bowie is singing his eulogy in this magnificent last song.
Sorry for all of the personal TMI stuff. But the day after, I saw a pic of Neil placing flowers at a shrine to Bowie. For let us not forget, Neil himself said that as a young reporter, seeing Bowie live in London, was a transformational moment for him. For without Bowie and Neil's attendance at that concert: would there have been a PSB? I don't know. But I would not want to go back in time and change that moment in Neil's life.
So thank you David. Thank you.
Requiescat in Pace,
-Zog
... until then I had utterly forgotten that I when through a particularly rough patch in my twenties, around 82-83: right around the time "Let's Dance" came out. At that point in my life, I wasn't much interested in so-called rock/pop music, but I remember the undeniable effect Bowie had on me, and it was a wonderful effect indeed. For Bowie turned a very unhappy period of my life into times that I found almost overwhelmingly wonderful: fun and something uplifting.
I had a reasonably good-paying job at the time, so I was able to afford a hi-quality Sony Walkman with excellent headphones. I used to go for long walks, and aside from the catchy dance numbers, older songs like Space Oddity, Starnan, and especually Wild is the Wind effected me deeply.
For during that period I was battling a severe drinking problem. No, I wasn't stumbling around like a drunk... I had a high tolerance for alcohol, so I could drink a lot, and developed a dependency on the drug. For I was not one of those alcoholics that typically blacked-out, did stupid things. No: alcohol fit me like a glove, it slowed down my racing brain. And somehow, I felt more normal with it than without it. It took me until 86-87 when I finally came seriously to grips with my problem, largely because my health was deteriorating rapidly. One's liver can only take so much. Luckily I was able to quit and havent had a drop for 30 years.
But Bowie, recalled my happier moments during my admittedly self-induced problem. Bowie at the time, meant a great deal to me... and when I quit drinking... shortly after "West End girls" came out (I still remember the music and video impressing me during those last few months of drinking).
However, when I quit, I essentially moved on; or back to my classical roots, and largely forgot about my "Bowie years". My exposure to the PSB was through the radio, but by that time my mindset had changed, I liked the PSB for sure, but they were not a priority. For, the re-booted me, went back to university finished his degree, and essentially went (as I've said before) back to my " classical roots": being a classically trained flautist/flute player.
I mentioned this before, but my deep interest in the PSB started after I had bought a used 1982 Mazda RX7 (pretty quick even by 1995 standards back then), and installed a decent stereo system in it. After hearing the PSB on the CBC one evening: a Bilingual preview of Discoteca, I was hooked, absolutely hooked. Instantly from my classical perspective, IMO I was clearly listening to genius. I never looked back, and have been a huge PSB fan ever since.
But what about Bowie? I remember sporadically buying some of his later albums, but with many of them he seemed to have lost "the touch" I expected from him: one or two decent songs, with quite a lot of what seemed to me (just to me!) aimless filler. Bowie still had his moments, but I remember losing the degree of interest I had in the early 80s.
Now, after all of that "me talk", let me return to Bowie's death and Blackstar. I saw the video of Lazarus a few hours after he died, and was deeply impressed and saddened. But then I got to the last two essential songs on the album: Dollar Days and I Can't Give Everything Away. The effect of these two last songs, masterpieces, had on me were overwhelming. I was transported back 3 decades. It was for me an extraordinarily moving and searing moment.
For these two last songs, are surely amongst the greatest of his career. And just after you hear Dollar Days, comes the previously mentioned last song, a clear masterpiece. With a dying Bowie giving it his all. And behind the powerul vocals, the sad almost hymnlike funereal strings gently anchor the whole song. Bowie is singing his eulogy in this magnificent last song.
Sorry for all of the personal TMI stuff. But the day after, I saw a pic of Neil placing flowers at a shrine to Bowie. For let us not forget, Neil himself said that as a young reporter, seeing Bowie live in London, was a transformational moment for him. For without Bowie and Neil's attendance at that concert: would there have been a PSB? I don't know. But I would not want to go back in time and change that moment in Neil's life.
So thank you David. Thank you.
Requiescat in Pace,
-Zog