David Bowie...

[????]

This has been bothering me. (well a bit).

I love this man's music...there was a pre-punk time when it was just him alone in my book, certainly in the UK. But, I'm acutely aware that lots of people who have similar tastes to me but are younger, just don't see it. Am I prisoner of my youth?...Is he in reality how I see Oasis, ie ok, but if you were 15 when Definitely Maybe was released you thought this was the best album ever rather than a Slade tribute. Discuss.

[Mikecg]

Well Quids I perceive Bowie as a revolutionary in song writing I think he was a master of lyrics and harmony with Mick Ronson on guitar they were an unstoppable double act. You see Quids I personally think that musicianship has nosedived over the past 20 years or so, the odd great band slips through but it will never be like it was it's all X factor now.

I think Oasis are more than a Slade tribute band, hugely influenced by the Beatles Mark Bolan and others good songs though but the string bending is always slightly grating there's just no vibrato in them and he is always a micro pitch off.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Oh god. My specialist subject and only a phone keyboard to use. Arse.

But i will come back to this

[ruffers]

I think the problem with Bowie is that he has released an awful lot of unmitigated shite. Every now and then my playlists throw out a classic track and I think 'yeah, that's what he could do'.

[sanity girl]

I first got into David Bowie when I was 11, back in the early eighties, thanks to a friend's very cool brother. Started with Hunky Dory, Ziggy Stardust and Changes and then started exploring the rest. He's still my favourite musician/artist/whatever you want to call him, 25 years later. I think there are a lot of other people like us out there...

[Mick Mac]

Well Quids - I am 41 and I have had the impression that Bowie is generally recognised as an icon of music. Anyone who is as productive as him will produce a fair amount of not so good material, but I think in general his early stuff is still recognised as groundbreaking.

Oasis, for me, Morning Glory was a brilliant album, when it came out I lived in Clapham (sorry!) and had just started going out with my now wife, and life seemed pretty good. The album produced hit after hit and that summer every bar in clapham was playing tracks from it - it seemed never ending. That album had a number of very good songs and I don't think Oasis have ever revisited that standard. It was a feelgood album.

But Oasis will never be revered like Bowie long term. Although his best material was slightly before my time I get the impression that he has a respect in the music profession that Oasis will never touch.

[capt_birdseye]

The very first CD I purchased (having been a staunch vinyl man up until that point) was Changes/Bowie in about 1991. A really great compilation, every song a winner, although it never persuaded me to go out and gather all his other work. The couple of other albums of his I later got hold of were down to loving a couple of tracks not on that compilation: Hunky Dory (Life on Mars) and Low (Sound and Vision). Low is a bit weird but lovely, Hunky Dory is fantastic esp songs like Quicksand and the Bewley Brothers.

I think that when he hits the heights few can touch him.

[????]

Intersting comments - and I'm feeling better about this - but for me it's Station to Station and Diamond Dogs but appreciate that Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane are not far off...those are the four albums for me but still good stuff on Young Americans, Low and Heroes

[Brendan]

Bowie, Oasis, Mark Bolan, Slade?

I haven?t a scooby what any of you are talking about. Did any of these guys ever play for Anthrax? Or maybe Black Flag?

[????]

>:D

[red devil]

Quids, sounds like Bowie was a soundtrack to your earlier life so you shouldn't worry what later generations think. I don't think it's fair to judge Bowie listening to compilation cd's and playlists. He was very much an album artist, and I would say his most artistically successful albums were the period between Hunky Dory up to Heroes. Bowie is and will continue to be an influence for many years to come, unlike Oasis...

[blinder999]

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Intersting comments - and I'm feeling better about

> this - but for me it's Station to Station and

> Diamond Dogs but appreciate that Ziggy Stardust

> and Aladdin Sane are not far off...those are the

> four albums for me but still good stuff on Young

> Americans, Low and Heroes

In the mid eighties my brother used to play one of the Bowie greatest hits album, and I've been hooked ever since, though all the stuff I love was done well before my time. With you on Station to Station and Diamond Dogs, though he did more great albums than anyone else imo.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Im more with quids choices (station to station, diamond dogs, low etc) rather than the classic rock albums (ziggy etc)

But after an 80s that saw him floundering big time anyone who dismisses the period from 93 to 97 and them 2002s heathen album is missing out on some of his better work

Even the 80s threw up some gems. . Absolute beginners for one.

I know real music fans dont "get" him . . Not real enough. Doesnt "roll" as well as rock. But of the generation which still tours and releases records very few are little more than authentic tribute acts. Neil young continues to strive for new work. Once a decade dylan does something. But even then they operate within much narrower paramaters than bowie.

Moot any way now. . Since the heart business i cant see him performing or even recording again

[Mikecg]

I heard Tin Machine and thought Hes past it or hes been drinking too many Tia Maria's.

[SeanMacGabhann]

I will even stand up for a good third of tin machines output. "i cant read","goodbye mr ed" and "shopping for girls" all fine songs off the top of my head

[citizenED]

Bowie wrote a song about me? Recognition at last!

[snorky]

I fail to see how anyone with a soul can fail to be gripped by Heroes, never mind the majority of the rest of his output ( guess what illegally down loaded musician Im listening to now ? him & Burt Bararach obv. )

Obviously he isnt as good as U2, but there you go

[Mikecg]

When I look at the back catalogue the Tim Machine album is a bit weak in comparison, but that's just me I'm a bit of a past masters person musically.

[Siduhe]

ruffers Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I think the problem with Bowie is that he has

> released an awful lot of unmitigated shite. Every

> now and then my playlists throw out a classic

> track and I think 'yeah, that's what he could do'.

What ruffers said. I wasn't quite 15 when Definitely Maybe was released but not that far off. That said, Golden Years and Wild is the Wind still blow me away, notwithstanding the "Labyrinth" years...

[TillieTrotter]

I love him and my young kids love him. He will always be a thrill.(tu)

[ThinLizzy]

I have his greatest hits playing constantly on my IPod -- how's that for a genre mix :)

My favourites: Starman, Ziggy, This is Not America, and the one that goes... "Oh you crazy things...don't you know you're driving your mamma's and pappa's insane..." Brilliant stuff

TL

[Tony.London Suburbs]

ThinLizzy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I have his greatest hits playing constantly on my

> IPod -- how's that for a genre mix :)

> My favourites: Starman, Ziggy, This is Not

> America, and the one that goes... "Oh you crazy

> things...don't you know you're driving your

> mamma's and pappa's insane..." Brilliant stuff

> TL

Oh you pretty things (oh you pretty things)

Dont you know youre driving your

Mamas and papas insane

Let me make it plain

You gotta make way for the homo superior

1968 Killyon Road listening to Space Oddity, remember it, as if it was 15 years ago...where's the last 40 years gone, and why so quickly?

[red devil]

That'll be 'Oh! You Pretty Things' TL, it was on the album Hunky Dory...

[Asset]

He was my idol in the early eighties. I had every album (including a gatefold sleeve of Diamond Dogs which I sold for about a quid a few years later aaaargh!). My bedroom wall was papered with pictures of him and I used to spend hours transcripting the lyrics. Saw him in concert twice and was convinced he'd looked at me *swoon*. Actually camped out all night so we could be first in to the stadium to get to the front ha!

After Let's Dance I kind of lost my obsession with him and to be honest know absolutely nothing of what he's produced in the years since then.

I still play and love anything from Hunky Dory - Let's Dance.

When you watch old clips of him performing live, say on TOTP he can sing the pants of any of the young pretenders. A real performer.

He was someone who had the knack (like Madonna) of choosing to work with talented, edgy people of the time.

[mattham]

It's fair to point out he's released lot of below par stuff...but in a career that long, does anyone hit the jackpot every time? I can't think of a musician/band that has ? particularly when the bar is set so high early on. Same with anything really...Hitchcock is my favourite director, but with nearly 80 films, there's going to be some dross.

I don't think Quids can consider himself a prisoner of his youth if the music in question is as good as 70s Bowie. But perhaps the real issue is whether that kind of quality be sustained. Can anyone think of a band that's managed it over 30+ years?