David Bowie - Review

Can You Hear Me, Major Tom? 

On the 10^th January 2016, news broke that devastated fans the world over – David Bowie had, days after releasing his final studio album, passed away. Having just turned 69, Bowie led an incredibly varied life, having been a musical artist, an actor, and even a mime, so it’s unsurprising that his death was headline news and fans mourned the loss of a man who had been a hero to many. Years on, the impact of his life – and death – is still being felt, with a prequel to the much-loved Labyrinth which saw Bowie play the enigmatic Goblin King Jareth having been confirmed. Why was Bowie so loved, and why, years after his passing, is his music still resonating with people today?

If you speak to many fans, their journey to discovering, and falling in love with, Bowie’s work is often deeply personal. I myself am no exception to this rule, having watched Labyrinth on repeat as a young child (and to be fully transparent, fairly often as an adult) and cherishing the memory of my dad creating a cassette tape of Bowie’s music for me, a gift that would come to shape my tastes in music for years to come.

Bowie was a master of reinvention, and his creativity shaped his albums into eclectic, exciting works of art. You never quite know what you’ll hear when you ask a fan what their favourite album is, given how often his music changed and evolved – my personal favourite is Hunky Dory, which includes “Life on Mars?”, “Changes” and “Oh! You Pretty Things”, some of my favourite songs of all time – but it was what followed almost immediately afterwards that truly cemented Bowie as being one of the greatest artists of all time.

In 1972, aged just 25, David Bowie introduced Ziggy Stardust to the world. “Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars” wasn’t just an album, it was a story, the first of many Bowie reinventions, an instant classic. Ziggy became Bowie’s alter ego, an androgynous, alien rockstar who, alongside his band, including Mick Ronson, shot to fame after performing “Starman” on Top of the Pops. What followed was a tour like no other, instant success and fame, yet it wasn’t set to last forever. Ziggy Stardust was a story about a man who “made it too far” and, despite their success, Bowie was never one to stick to an alter ego indefinitely. The strains of “becoming” Ziggy meant it couldn’t last forever. In 1973, Bowie announced live on stage that this would be Ziggy’s – and the spiders - last performance. This came as a shock to everyone, not least his band, who had no idea that they were about to be sacked live on stage.

This of course wasn’t the end for Bowie. During the years that followed, Bowie released album after album, including “Aladdin Sane” (1973), “Heroes” (1977) and “Let’s Dance” (1983) to name just a few. Aside from his solo work, Bowie also collaborated with some incredible names in the industry, including John Lennon, Iggy Pop, Queen, Mott the Hoople and Mick Jagger. Bowie also acted, some of his best work including his iconic roles in Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, a film confirmed to have a prequel on the way, and which still has a cult following to this day, and his moving performance in the incredible war drama Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence.

Despite disappearing from public view for a prolonged period of time after the late 90s, Bowie wasn’t quite finished. In 2013, Bowie fans were delighted and surprised when a new album, “The Next Day”, was released – and it was good! His first studio album in decades, “The Next Day” was thought provoking and reflective, with Bowie looking back on his life and experiences and the ways his life had changed over the years. In 2016, fans were delighted with Bowie’s final album, “Blackstar”, a masterpiece which blended his iconic art rock style with jazz influences, an experimental, emotional and artistic farewell to one of the greatest artists of all time, who sadly passed just two days after its release. Blackstar was, in my opinion, an absolute work of art, but one I struggle to listen to. Bowie knew he was dying whilst he created the album, making it a truly beautiful, bittersweet album, with songs like Lazurus hinting at his imminent passing.

To this day, you can find Bowie fans around the globe, for good reason. His love for reinvention meant there was something for everyone, his respect in the industry meant that he worked with some of the best musicians of all time, and his quirky, eclectic sense of humour and style gave him a mysterious, alien like energy, making him a fascinating public figure - one who will still be loved for generations to come.

Written by Tam Page

Posted by Mr. Tomney

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