-from the book, 'Things David Bowie Never Said'.
― Steven James, Wednesday, 6 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
A lot of goth girls seem to be totally obsessed with that movie for that reason. I never quite got that, though the movie is okay. Bowie looks too much like Linda Evans on Dynasty.
Doesn't a certain ILM poster own this movie on dvd? ;-)
Oh, and as far as Bowie's classic status, lots of posters here have stated the case far more eloquently than I ever could.
― Nicole, Wednesday, 6 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
I've never seen Labyrinth, but I have a funny feeling we'll be watching it tonight... weex!
― masonic boom, Wednesday, 6 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
A 60s period vaudeville song like 'Uncle Arthur', about a man who refuses to grow up, is Ray Davies style social observation as noted by an extra-terrestrial. It betrays deep sympathy for the oddball. The songs about children, like 'There Is A Happy Land', are childhood seen from within. I particularily love the little-known 'When I'm Five', which could easily have been horribly winsome, but is freshened by a feel for the strangeness of a child's vision (reflected in the strange language). Even the much-maligned 'Gnome' has something oddly affecting going on, despite the cheerfully bad puns and cheap tech-gimmicks: is it a schizophrenic's overheard conversation with himself?
Such contrasts are typical of a man who, in 1975, wore only plain preppy clothes he ordered from the Brooks Brothers catalogue -- but made even such unpromising material look rakishly Martian. He is quintessentially British, yet quintessentially Other. Every oddball's Invisible Friend. As Roger Daltry once observed, The Guv'nor.
― Momus, Wednesday, 6 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
No, that's the Hunger. Goths seem to like that one too, but it seems like I always hear them going on about Labyrinth.
So yeah, Bowie would be a classic just for making Labrynth alone, never mind his music which all kicks ass.
― Ally, Wednesday, 6 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― -- Mike Hanley, Wednesday, 6 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Paul Strange, Wednesday, 6 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― DG, Wednesday, 6 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
What's the name of the song at the end of Labrinyth (yes, I realize that's the third different spelling of that word I've put forth so far)?
Anyway... The track at the end was called 'As The World Falls Down', if I remember correctly, and it was actually rather good. One of the two good tracks in the film. 'Underground' was also good.
Sadly, though, all the good tracks were completely negated by 'Magic Dance'. Sample lyrics: 'Tell me about the babe/ What babe/ The babe that cast the spell/ What spell/ Power of voodoo/ Who do?/ You do/ Now tell me about the babe...' Oh dear.
And to clear a certain assertion back up there up, I do own _The Dark Crystal_ on DVD, sure, but not _Labyrinth_. Not yet, anyway. ;-)
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 6 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
HOWEVER... I do have to say that that Fire Dance song is the *BEST* track that Olivia Tremor Control never recorded. Call Elephant 6 now!!!!
― Mike Hanley, Wednesday, 6 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Kodanshi, Thursday, 7 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
Bill
― Bill, Friday, 8 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― beth, Sunday, 19 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Jack Redelfs, Sunday, 23 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
obv he's he a v.textural music-maer — esp.since tangling with eno, but actually he already was — so uses the permutable specifix of his "backing band" to strong local identity effect: but again, HOW he does this changes a lot less than what he can do with it.
― mark s, Sunday, 23 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― del a robbo, Thursday, 9 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― florencesamouel, Thursday, 26 December 2002 17:59 (twenty-one years ago) link
that was "the gospel according to tony day." and it's the only listenable thing he did pre-"space oddity." (nb to momus: your post upthread about bowie's sixties stuff inspired me to get that deram anthology. but that stuff's just awful! i mean, "we are hungry men?" and the belches after it?)
― Tad (llamasfur), Saturday, 21 June 2003 12:07 (twenty-one years ago) link
― mark s (mark s), Saturday, 21 June 2003 12:14 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Saturday, 21 June 2003 12:18 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 21 June 2003 16:21 (twenty-one years ago) link
PS New new digital revamp of "Ziggy: The Motion Picture" is Mick Ronson's finest hour and a half.
― Chris Clark (Chris Clark), Sunday, 22 June 2003 13:51 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Tad (llamasfur), Friday, 27 June 2003 06:54 (twenty-one years ago) link
― James Blount (James Blount), Friday, 27 June 2003 07:02 (twenty-one years ago) link
Let's talk about Bowie. I want to talk about Bowie. Is the "David Live" album any good?
― Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You, Monday, 28 July 2008 00:41 (sixteen years ago) link
Not very, no.
― J0hn D., Monday, 28 July 2008 00:43 (sixteen years ago) link
Sorry to sound all "rockist," but "over-rated or justifiably hated," without a "good-to-great" option? Seems wrong.
― Daniel, Esq., Monday, 28 July 2008 00:52 (sixteen years ago) link
He's overrated by those who think he can sing, sure.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Monday, 28 July 2008 01:45 (sixteen years ago) link
'stage' is the live album to get. adrian belew!
― haitch, Monday, 28 July 2008 01:58 (sixteen years ago) link
belew 'em all off the stage, didn't he
― goole, Monday, 28 July 2008 03:14 (sixteen years ago) link
last interesting round of ilm bowie chat was here:
BOWIE VS STEELY
― goole, Monday, 28 July 2008 03:15 (sixteen years ago) link
Stage is rather bad. Live, Bowie is best seen rather than heard.
― Owen Pallett, Monday, 28 July 2008 08:32 (sixteen years ago) link
That is to say, it works better with the visuals. There was an amazing '77 concert at Muzikladen on the Youtube a while ago, but it got taken down once Matrixsynth picked up on it
― Owen Pallett, Monday, 28 July 2008 08:36 (sixteen years ago) link
I really like David Live. The total inhumanity and coldness of the record appeals to me and is ideal for him. In a way it's his Metal Machine Music if we're talking depersonalisation. It's as if he's stranded on Mars and all his songs are in a lay-by in Stanmore.
― Dingbod Kesterson, Monday, 28 July 2008 08:44 (sixteen years ago) link
eh it's alright. Stage is ten times better.
― stephen, Tuesday, 29 July 2008 03:03 (sixteen years ago) link
is that really great version of "Blackout" on Stage? Blackout Live is Bowie POV for sure
Is it safe to say that David Bowie is one of those artists with NO DISCERNABLE INDIVIDUAL SONGWRITING STYLE, from album to album? I don't know if this means he's very diverse, or just a corporate whore.
In my mind, I'd say, there's a very tangible sense of Bowiesque songwriting.. All of his songs have a sort of simplicity and, excluding his more abstract material, melodic verve. I'd say it's harder to reconcile "TV EYE" and "Candy" being written by the same man than it is "The Man Who Sold the World" and "Ashes to Ashes." I think Bowie's lyrical style is a dead giveaway, too. Did anyone ever notice that "Fantastic Voyage" and "Boys Keep Swinging" are the exact same chords and song structure with different songs on top? I always thought that was a remarkable feat of songwriting, and one he pulled off ina very unique way.
― people explosion, Tuesday, 29 July 2008 04:35 (sixteen years ago) link
Also Red Money/Sister Midnight
― Niles Caulder, Tuesday, 29 July 2008 05:55 (sixteen years ago) link
While she was in labor...WITH ME!!!
"Abbott to Abbott..."
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 3 August 2009 19:15 (fifteen years ago) link
"My mama said to get me bornShe had to tell Dad to stop being torn..."
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 3 August 2009 19:16 (fifteen years ago) link
<3
― a muttering inbred (called) (not named) (Abbott), Monday, 3 August 2009 21:32 (fifteen years ago) link
reality is alright, I liked it a lot at first, then really hated it, now I'm back to thinking "eh". it's no heathen. I hope that when he gets around to doing a new album it's at least that good.
― akm, Monday, 3 August 2009 22:26 (fifteen years ago) link
Heathen had too many ballads. Then again, maybe that's all he can write and sing now.
― Anatomy of a Morbius (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 3 August 2009 22:27 (fifteen years ago) link
As found/shared by Tom E. on Twitter -- a new blog dedicated to reviewing Bowie's output song by song (currently in late 1966):
http://bowiesongs.wordpress.com/
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 29 August 2009 16:11 (fifteen years ago) link
good use of "cat people" in the new tarantino movie. couldn't tell what song it was at first
― kamerad, Saturday, 29 August 2009 17:50 (fifteen years ago) link
Just out for a stroll.
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/418843_253659648083931_1472298826_n.jpg
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 14 August 2012 18:10 (twelve years ago) link
Something tells me he knows he's being photographed.
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Tuesday, 14 August 2012 18:12 (twelve years ago) link
You don't say.
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 14 August 2012 18:17 (twelve years ago) link
Something tells me he's trying to look like an "American".
― collardio gelatinous, Tuesday, 14 August 2012 18:18 (twelve years ago) link
a young one at that.
RETURN OF THE THIN WHITE DAD
― da croupier, Tuesday, 14 August 2012 18:19 (twelve years ago) link
throwing darts in photog's eyes
― collardio gelatinous, Tuesday, 14 August 2012 18:20 (twelve years ago) link
"You know, before I go to the reviews section to find out what exciting acts are coming up from the underground...let's just check where Uncut put me on this 100 icons thing."
― da croupier, Tuesday, 14 August 2012 18:21 (twelve years ago) link
might as well, right?
― collardio gelatinous, Tuesday, 14 August 2012 18:22 (twelve years ago) link
The Top Ten 1. Dylan, Bob – Highway 61 Revisited2. Presley, Elvis – Heartbreak Hotel [7”]3. Beatles – She Loves You [7”]4. Rolling Stones – (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction [7”]5. A Clockwork Orange (film)6. Godfather / Godfather Part 2 (films)7. Bowie, David – Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars8. Taxi Driver (film)9. Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the…10. Prisoner [TV series]
He's reasonable enough that I bet his only quibble with the six above him is A Clockwork Orange
― da croupier, Tuesday, 14 August 2012 18:25 (twelve years ago) link
http://images.thegauntlet.com/pics/manson-fuck.jpg
Hi, I'm Marilyn Manson, please don't take my picture! (But please do, because I am Marilyn Manson, boo!)
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 14 August 2012 18:26 (twelve years ago) link
What the shit, get that out of here.
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 14 August 2012 18:26 (twelve years ago) link
Looks like he and Jonathan Davis can go on the "Where's My Metabolism" tour.
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 14 August 2012 18:27 (twelve years ago) link
What's he doing to that little kid's hand?
― collardio gelatinous, Tuesday, 14 August 2012 18:30 (twelve years ago) link
he tore the arm off at the socket
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 14 August 2012 18:31 (twelve years ago) link
It's actually the prehensile tale of his trained pet devil pig.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 14 August 2012 18:32 (twelve years ago) link
dude with camera filming while kid gets dismembered...
― collardio gelatinous, Tuesday, 14 August 2012 18:35 (twelve years ago) link