the bowie thread

Corpsey

Corpsey

bandz ahoy
I was quite shocked by the news, and am saddened, but this is one of those deaths where I've been prompted to finally get acquainted with the work of the deceased. I've heard a fair few Bowie songs (who hasn't?), of course, but I'm basically unfamiliar with him beyond those big singles.

Is it best to go through his discography in chronological order, or check out a couple of the best albums first, do you think? I'm a bit daunted by how many of these albums I've heard praised so lavishly over the years.

With this significant proviso, R.I.P. I know social-media mourning can be a target for cynicism, but I've been very moved by the outpouring on my twitter feed today.
 
droid

droid

Well-known member
Im jealous.

Start with Man who sold the world and go forward from there. Skip pin ups.

or

Start with Low/Station/Heroes/Diamond dogs and flit around.
 
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baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
i think the second suggestion is excellent advice, though i find Heroes the album a bit less immediate than the others you've listed there (which I think are prob his three best albums).

MWStW/Hunky Dory/Ziggy Stardust are all excellent, but to me less singular and brilliant than the mid-70s stuff

Yeah, social media has redeemed itself a little this morning...
 
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Corpsey

Corpsey

bandz ahoy
Thanks. I'm at work, so not the optimum conditions for an attentive listening, but I'm making a start with The Man Who Sold the World anyway.
 
droid

droid

Well-known member
baboon2004 said:
i find Heroes the album a bit less immediate than the others you've listed there (which I think are prob his three best albums).

MWStW/Hunky Dory/Ziggy Stardust are all excellent, but to me less singular and brilliant than the mid-70s stuff

Yeah, social media has redeemed itself a little this morning...
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Completely agree. No 1 worldwide trend on twitter.
 
R

rubberdingyrapids

Well-known member
im genuinely sad about this.
usually celeb deaths dont really affect me so am surprised to be so affected.
when prince dies i will prob have to take the day off.

my favourite albums of his would be in this order - station to station, diamond dogs, aladdin sane, low/heroes/lodger, though i like pretty much everything from the 70s and early 80s, even pinups (only scary monsters is a bit passable to me except for the singles).

first three songs of lets dance are as good as 80s pop can get.

im sure plenty of bowie fans know of other great covers, but this is maybe my favourite (modern) bowie remake - beck and timbaland doing diamond dogs (wish timbo did more work with musicians). he seems someone thats quite hard to cover well (a bit like prince maybe), though obv nirvana's MWSTW is the obvious exception.

 
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Mr. Tea

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
I also feel that I really need to get much better acquainted with his work - I know a few of his '70s albums pretty well but am generally ignorant of him outside of that.

Oddly enough I don't actually feel that gutted that I never went to see him play live. I understand he was still doing really good shows until pretty recently but I would fucking love to have seen him play when I was about, oh, minus five years old.
 
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baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
glad that everyone's on the same page that 74-77 was Bowie at his absolute peak. I would've loved to have seen him live during that period too...

Beck sampled 'Win' on a song off Midnite Vultures too, which weirdly enough ended up sounding just like Prince. Come to think of it, I know very few covers of Bowie...
 
droid

droid

Well-known member
Some lovely acapella and strange edits on YT. Check out the sidebar on this one:


S'weird - discovered that 'every Bowie song' blog a couple of years ago and have been rooting around for rarities and reevaluating the catalogue again since. As well as being an introduction to all kinds of things, he was the first encounter I ever had with proper collecting. I remember seeing a mates brothers copy of a special Bowie issue of record collector back in the early 90's and being completely baffled by the obsessive minutia of catalogue numbers, bootlegs, demos etc.

Is there anyone left of his stature? Dylan?
 
droid

droid

Well-known member
baboon2004 said:
Beck sampled 'Win' on a song off Midnite Vultures too, which weirdly enough ended up sounding just like Prince. Come to think of it, I know very few covers of Bowie...
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He also did that appallingly pompous sound and vision thing.
 
Mr. Tea

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
droid said:
Is there anyone left of his stature? Dylan?
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In terms of sheer famousness, record/ticket sales and Acknowledged Importance In The Rock Canon, I guess so - but for me, meh.

Cohen? McCartney? Mick'n'Keith?
 
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baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
Scott Walker, although obviously only a tenth as famous as Bowie. But without him, Bowie would've sounded very different.

But yes, I think Dylan's the only comparable figure left in terms of individual impact and fame. Kate Bush's passing would provoke the same type of intensity of reaction amongst British people tho', if not internationally.
 
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droid

droid

Well-known member
Neil Young maybe?

There's a good case for Bowie as greatest solo artist of the 20th century and that's not just the grief talking.
 
Mr. Tea

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
droid said:
Neil Young maybe?

There's a good case for Bowie as greatest solo artist of the 20th century and that's not just the grief talking.
Click to expand...

Plenty of artists have had one blinding album, or perhaps two or three, but I'm struggling to think of anyone that consistently good for so long. There's not many people can touch him for quality *and* quantity of material, and his constant reinvention of his persona is pretty much unique to him, isn't it?
 
droid

droid

Well-known member
It must be said that the 'nazi salute' is one of the best trick photos ever.

bowie-victoria.jpg


 
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rubberdingyrapids

Well-known member
might just be the contrarian in me but after listening to 6music, with endless gushy messags from listeners (they have a right to be gushy of course), i have gone from sad to impatient.
 
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