NR Essentials #11: David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust
 

David Bowie
The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
1972, RCA

Alright, there's no denying that I am a man who loves his concept albums. I can't help it. But there's not enough great things to say about this album.

When I was a child, David Bowie was just that dude with the weird bulge in Labyrinth. But when I hit puberty the mighty distorted guitar of the title track one day reached out of the radio and slammed my face into a wall to wake me the fuck up one day. It was amazing to me to hear this guy who assumed was some washed up weirdo that my parents used to like singing about Kurdt. Or was it Jimmy? Ah, well you get the idea.

I immediately seeked the record out and found that every single track was brilliant. From the skit-skat drums that fade in slowly on "Five Years" (that's all we've got! what a heart-wrenching way to open a record), to the slick cofffee house coolness of "Starman," or the uplifting ballad of the sexually confused "Lady Stardust" and the balls to the walls rawk of "Suffrogate City" this was a record not to be fucked with.

It's so sweaty. So sexy. So rocking. So well told a story... that I still don't want my parents listening to it.

Hm. I'm not sure I can agree on this. I fucking love "Starman," but it's the only song I end up listening to on it. I guess I haven't given it as much of a chance as Aladdin Sane/Diamond Dogs, though, which I prefer. "Five Years" is probably one of my least favorite 70's Bowie songs.

Still, a respectable pick.

Also, "Suffrogate City" is on Rock Band or something, and the doing the vocals on it was by far my favorite part of the game. It made me like the song more.

Bowie will probably always be my favorite artist. I don't think I would've branched out into the musical wilderness if I hadn't grown up with this records.

acousticrock... we obviously have different tastes. "Five Years" is one my favorite Bowie 70's songs. The intensity in his voice is amazing on that one. It's great.

And sort of like Decayed said above, the reason this album is essential to me is it was a sort of "entry drug" album that led to a lot of other great discoveries.

Five Years, Moonage Daydream and Hang On to Yourself are my faves.

Great album.

Thanks Green Mag -- you never saw my thread about yr old avatar, and now you've changed it. Oh well.

Great album. Possibly my favorite Bowie record, tremendously dynamic, ahead of its time, yet very much in-tune with what was ''hip'' for its day. David Bowie is a Main-Man artist.

if anyone is on comcast cable tv, there was an airing of the final Ziggy Stardust show last night...just check on demand for the listings. my wife had started it so i don't know what sub-category it was under (Palladia was the source). the video was pretty noisy/lo-fi, but the audio was fine, and it was a cool watch.

thanks narlus!

I was just thinking this morning about how I need to pickup the sndtrk.

Indeed! There's something both timeless and time-capsuley about it.

Yeah, this is definitely my go-to Bowie album. 'Five Years' is one of the greatest opening tracks on any album.

The drums alone are one of greatest album openers of all time!

Completely. They're so sinister. A pop apocalypse that sort of inverts the more triumphant snare at the beginning of Dylan's 'Like a Rolling Stone'.

Undeniable classic (but not as good as Station to Station or Hunky Dory).

Fucking loved the Ziggy Live in Santa Monica album that finally got an official release last year too, Ronson's wildy out-of-tune backing vox and all...

Yeah I need to grab that live album, big time.

The only Bowie album I like is Low. Am I weird in thinking this?

YES

What thread? There are threads being made about me and/or my avatar?

Oh dear.

Do it, it's amazing - worth the price of admission alone for his take on Jacques Brel's "My Death Waits" which completely floored me when I first heard it.

I asked if yr last avatar was a poster for I KNOW WHO KILLED ME.