Saw David Bowie last night

[Eric]

I was looking forward to this as I enjoy his music (Scary Monsters, Heathen, Station to Staion, Lodger, etc.). While the show had a few fun moments, it was for the most part a little slow. He did play a bunch of stuff off his latest album and it sounded kind of arty/interesting, but also kind of self-indulgent.

The rap on Bowie has always been that he is a style-hopper, never really creating anything that is really HIS. I guess that is OK if you are Journey, but then Journey does not have the reputation that Bowie does. Anyway, I think the genre-hopping is partially what lead to my likewarm response. I also think some of his "artier" stuff simply does not translate well to a live environment (for example, "Sunday" off Heathen).

The other thing that is perhaps unfair and perhaps offbase is that it seems much of his music seems to be a 2nd rate attempt at re-creating various styles of American music. I am not sure exactly why I felt this way, other than as the show went on, it became more apparent. I also got the sense that he is probably one of the more overrated "rock artists" out there. Not that it is bad, but frankly a lot of it just felt superficial.

The older I get the more I prefer local bands - regardless of genre (country, jazz, blues, you name it) - that just have fun. I really prefer the closer proximity you have to the musicians, the ability to dance if you want and the ability to see someone you really like over and over. I guess my dependence on the musical hype machine is finally starting to fade ...

Eric

Edited May 11, 2004 by Eric

[sidewinder]

Interesting to hear this, Eric, sounds like Bowie may be having trouble adding a fresh angle to his music after all these years. As a jazz/Bowie aside, I think I read somewhere that good ol' Ronnie Ross actually taught Bowie how to play the sax...

[couw]

from a sept 2003 Rolling Stone interview:

Did you take lessons?

Ronnie Ross -- who was featured in Downbeat as one of the great baritone players -- lived locally, so I looked in the telephone book, and I rung him up. I said, "Hi, my name is David Jones, and I'm twelve years old, and I want to play the saxophone. Can you give me lessons?" He sounded like Keith [Richards], and he said no. But I begged until he said, "If you can get yourself over here Saturday morning, I'll have a look at you." He was so cool. Much later on, when I was producing Lou Reed, we decided we needed a sax solo on the end of "Walk on the Wild Side." So I got the agent to book Ronnie Ross. He pulled out a wonderful solo in one take. Afterward I said, "Thanks, Ron. Should I come over to your house on Saturday morning?" He said, "I don't fucking believe it! You're Ziggy Stardust?"

[David Ayers]

The older I get the more I prefer local bands - regardless of genre (country, jazz, blues, you name it) - that just have fun. I really prefer the closer proximity you have to the musicians, the ability to dance if you want and the ability to see someone you really like over and over.

A musician friend of mine once said that he personally knew the people in every one of his favorite bands. And that included me! (need a blushey, false-modesty smiley here...)

[Eric]

To balance my earlier comments, he was a very affable guy and seemed to enjoy himself and the crowd. There was a great high point that I forgot to mention - his cover of White Light, White Heat (the Lou Reed reference jogged my memory ). Now THAT smoked!!!

Eric

[BruceH]

The other thing that is perhaps unfair and perhaps offbase is that it seems much of his music seems to be a 2nd rate attempt at re-creating various styles of American music.

Have you listened to the album "Young Americans" lately? A good example of what you're talking about.

[7/4]

[Jim Alfredson]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4zV4pJ8MwM

[marcello]

I only saw him once. That was in the early / mid- 70's because I was curious. I was very underwelmed. I remember he did this shadow boxing routine that was really silly!

For Bowie, I guess it was a historical night because later he was busted in his hotel for propositioning a undercover vice cop to come up to his room for party and she busted him for pot. Now I grew up in the same neoighborhood as this girl and she was rather homley to say the least! Dog faced, we Italians say.

Bad taste!

Edit: I see now it was 1976:

Unseen image from rock star's 1976 Rochester pot bust surfaces

[BruceH]

Funny photo.

The fact that he's watching the Scooby-Doo show takes it to an extra level.

[JohnJ]

Lost Bowie 'Top of the Pops' footage found. Brings back memories!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16280335

[sidewinder]

Great that this has resurfaced (and not from Bob Monkhouse's garden shed either) - wish there would be the same sort of luck with missing Jazz 625s etc.

[A Lark Ascending]

As an unreconstructed prog-rocker in '73 Bowie just sounded like commercial record company product draped in tinsel to my prejudiced ears*.

Intrigued how the performance of Jean Genie was presented on the BBC News last night as an example of a time when pop bands knew how to play live in the studio and knew their craft, something young bands today need to aspire to. We love our Golden Ages in the past.

(*Yes, I know I was wrong!)

[David Ayers]

If you haven't yet seen the whole thing - you need to! I caught it by accident while channel-surfing. What a surprise!

Anyone have a link to the whole clip yet?

[JohnJ]

If you haven't yet seen the whole thing - you need to! I caught it by accident while channel-surfing. What a surprise!

Anyone have a link to the whole clip yet?

This seems to be it!

[David Ayers]

[AllenLowe]

Bowie's always been a lightweight, though if you read much about him you see what a pseudo intellectual he also is, full of a grand sense of himself (see gary valentine's book, New York Rocker).

[A Lark Ascending]

If you haven't yet seen the whole thing - you need to! I caught it by accident while channel-surfing. What a surprise!

It was the blues harmonica that struck me - never having paid much attention to Bowie, I'd never consciously heard it before. Placed the song right in the British blues rock tradition.

[Rooster_Ties]

I 'like' 70's Bowie (mostly, though not fanatically), but I really LOVE Bowie in the 90's and 00's.

Seriously. Exepecially everything he's done in the last 20 years with Mike Garson on piano.

He's a way better singer since about 1995, than he ever was in the first half of his career.

[clifford_thornton]

I like the old stuff - not enough to hold on to any of the LPs, but I appreciate him as an important musical figure who did some neat stuff at one time. Seems like a cool guy; the Ronnie Ross story was a hoot!

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Does anyone believe Bowie's statement that he's officially retired?

[AllenLowe]

well, we can always hope.

[Rooster_Ties]

Does anyone believe Bowie's statement that he's officially retired?

Unfortunately, the longer he's out, the more believable it becomes.

As I said before, I really love post-1995 era Bowie (better than all his 60's/70's/80's output combined), and I'd love it if he'd come out with more.

[jostber]

Does anyone believe Bowie's statement that he's officially retired?

Unfortunately, the longer he's out, the more believable it becomes.

As I said before, I really love post-1995 era Bowie (better than all his 60's/70's/80's output combined), and I'd love it if he'd come out with more.

Any especially favorite albums?

[DTMX]

I really liked Everyone Says "Hi" from Heathen and Fall Dog Bombs the Moon from Reality.