I know this is a kinda unusual topic for this board (being a mostly industrial/heavy music kinda thing), but was just wondering what y’all thought of David Bowie??
Personally I’m a huge fan and own just about about everything he’s ever done - even the '80s stuff! I mean, the man has toured with Reznor and has expressed interest in industrial music in general, so that must have given him at least some cred amonst the goth/metal/industrial crowd - including maybe some of the members of this board.
Does anyone here have any Bowie album faves? Or does anyone here hate the guy outright??
I only own Low, but I am definately a fan. Also the album Outside is somewhat cheesy, but behind that is some good songwriting and a rejuvination of sorts for Bowie.
I don’t think the tour with NIN worked, although I was a fan of the idea. Gothic rock music is heavily indebted to Bowie, no doubt, but he doesn’t really mesh too well with industrial rock.
I’ve listened to Bowie since I was an infant. My dad’s a big fan.
So, best: Scary Monsters, The Man Who Sold The World, Outside, Space Oddity, Ziggy Stardust, and the first half of Hunky Dory
The worst: really anything from the 80s except the Labrynth soundtrack (ok, I had to add that one under duress). I also never cared for Pinups or Diamond Dogs. I really like the weird stuff better than the 70’s-rock-ish stuff.
Dunno about Bowie. Can’t work out whether I like him or not. One minute he’ll be doing something which makes me jump for joy (like Ashes To Ashes) the next minute I’ll be wanting to dump a garbage bin over his head. Very frustrating scenario. Just can’t get that image of Bowie and Jagger out of my head - y’know, the one where they’re apparently ‘dancing in the streets’. Yuk!
Back in the '70’s, he did make a quote along the lines of Throbbing Gristle being the most ‘relevant band in the country right now’. That’s cool. I guess he deserves credit for being informed at the very least.
But he should definitely give up acting fer sure.
And STOP hanging out with Moby.
Been a Bowie fan since '83, when I first saw videos for Let’s Dance, China Girl, Blue Jean, etc. After that, I discovered his back catalogue, and now (for many years), my favorite Bowie album is Low. His ‘Berlin Era’ material is probably his best. One of my favorite Bowie tunes is “Ashes To Ashes” (I wish that anlalogue synth line at the end would go on for another 5 minutes, it’s very trance-inducing).
I don’t mind his 80’s material (ok, the Glass Spiders tour was probably his absolute low point), and Tonight has some good stuff on it (Loving The Alien - great 12" single). Outside was a weird album, but also produced a great song (“I’m Deranged”), and, more recently, dug his cover of The Pixies’ “Cactus”.
I was fortunate to see his double-bill with NIN in 1995 - it was an excellent concert.
Funny that this thread is here - I heard three Bowie songs at a pub tonight. Judging by the music selection, the owner is a big fan of Bowie, Elvis Costello, and Roxy Music… Shit I’m drunk right now.
ziggy stardust 2cd rerelease
low (dont like it much tho)
earthling (cool stuff)
…hours (really calm n stuff)
heathen (like it very very much)
outside (pretty good)
also i’ve listened to reality couple of times, bah, heathen was better.
Bowie deserves merit. I very much admire his stuff up till and including 1983 after it that it went bad (with huge exception to ‘Im Deranged’ and less exception to ‘Im Afraid of Americans’). He was always somewhat unconventional even in his most commercial phase which I admire very much, but in saying that id rather forget a lot of the stuff he did in late 80s and 90s.
I’m really rather fond of all of it, though Outside and Hunky Dory (along w/ Scary Monsters and Lodger) really stand out for me. I got into him because of the 80’s stuff, but now I almost can’t stand it - although I am, officially, the only fan of Never Let Me Down. I’m sorry, but Glass Spider is a kick-ass tune, as well as Time Will Crawl. I even own all of his movies, though Basquiat and Labrynth are the only ones worth watching. I do wish he’d do some more stuff with Eno, though.
Note: I’d be glad to share any Bowie rarities on Soulseek, just slip me a note! Also, the rerelease of the Sound & Vision Box has some great stuff on it.
Hell yeah…mostly. As Harry says when he´s good he´s great and when he´s not…it´s pretty terrible.
Got the singles collection, Black tie white noise and Low.
Olsen:
Black tie white noise, underrated album - Jump they say, amazing track. Reeves Gabrels on guitar adds great effects to the chorus, one of the best songs he´s ever done IMO.
Hunky Dory is defintily my favorite right now. In the past I’ve gone through Hereos, Low, Ziggy, and Heathen and I still hold all in high esteem. I even enjoy parts of Let’s Dance, China Girl is enjoyable for what it is. Anyone own the Double Disc edition of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou? On the second disc it has multiple Bowie songs sung by Seu Jorge, who was in City of God and somewhat popular singer in Brazil. He does all the songs wonderfully in Portugese just with an acoustic guitar. In the movie they had short 20 second clips of it, but the full songs are just brilliantly done.
No, but I’ll be sure to pick it up now, thanks! My favorite ever Bowie cover remains a version of “Space Oddity” performed by a Scottish Acapella group I saw in high school. I can’t remember their name, but it was really cool - they did the spaceship noises and radio transmission ‘static’ with only vocals, and everyone was cheering at the end. Good stuff.