David Bowie!

MinnaJ said:

ridski said:

tom said:

Not to say this in a flip way, but among rock stars he was by far the best actor. He was always someone you had to pay attention to.

If you ever get a chance to see Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, stop whatever you're doing and see it. It is a beautiful, harrowing and poignant film and Bowie, alongside Ryuichi Sakamoto, Takeshi Kitano and Tom Conti are amazing in it. Easily Bowie's finest performance.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, sorry, that movie was the most painful I've ever watched.  I saw it at an industry screening and it seemed to go on and on and on endlessly.  I finally walked out, which I only did once before in my movie-viewing life.  I LOVE his music, but that movie....... "> 

Double Ohhhhhhhhh! The ending is reason to watch it! Maybe it's one of those things where seeing it on TV in the mid-80s where I was maybe 14 or so made it special.

My preferred internet (and local Twin Cities) radio station is playing him all day...stream away!

http://www.thecurrent.org/feature/2016/01/11/remembering-david-bowie 

yes, that ending!!! 

And later (years later) hearing him talk about the why and how of trying all these new things, taking these chances. 

Tom_Reingold said:

His music (and other arts) never drew me in. I now must make a concerted effort to understand why people I respect liked his work so much.

This surprises me. I thought Bowie was the one musician who literally EVERYONE agreed on. 

One of my Facebook friends wrote this: "People often called him a chameleon, but that was inexact. A chameleon changes to match its background, while he changed to change the background."

I happened to listened to a couple reviews of his new album on NPR this weekend. So I initially thought today's news was a bad publicity stunt or internet rumor. I'm so sad to be wrong. I loved this music. Bowie continually redefined music and what it means to be a musician. RIP, Ziggy.

MinnaJ said:

ridski said:

tom said:

Not to say this in a flip way, but among rock stars he was by far the best actor. He was always someone you had to pay attention to.

If you ever get a chance to see Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, stop whatever you're doing and see it. It is a beautiful, harrowing and poignant film and Bowie, alongside Ryuichi Sakamoto, Takeshi Kitano and Tom Conti are amazing in it. Easily Bowie's finest performance.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, sorry, that movie was the most painful I've ever watched.  I saw it at an industry screening and it seemed to go on and on and on endlessly.  I finally walked out, which I only did once before in my movie-viewing life.  I LOVE his music, but that movie....... "> 

I have to agree with you there. I found the movie intolerable. But I loved the new age soundtrack - which is how I came across the movie. You have to admit it, though, he was beautiful to look at.

I posted this elsewhere today...a couple of NJ related notes regarding Bowie. Bowie covered Springsteen before most people even in New Jersey knew who he was, back in 1974. And Roy Bittan is the pianist on what I think is Bowie's most underrated album, Station to Station. Bowie told Springsteen in '74 he is the only American he wanted to cover. The other NJ icon that Bowie loved and also wrote not one, but two songs about was Uncle Floyd Vivino. Bowie would watch the Uncle Floyd Show daily with a guy named John Lennon.

Growin' Up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2ym3J5iEcQ

Slip Away https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFtNAXxwn-I

It's weird because he was an ageless Peter Pan type.  He never looked old.  I'm sure I haven't heard any of his albums since the 80s but its a sad shocking moment.

Have to admit, his teeth always made me cringe And some of the clips I've seen for the Blackstar album make a point of highlighting his fragility, aged appearance, wasted frame. Now, of course, we understand this was not for effect, it was probably him, burning with creative energy and determination. 

We've just listened to Blackstar; I was going to today anyway (my Tuesday music treat). I thought the album very thought-provoking, and not just in light of his illness and death. The video for Lazarus is quite witty, very funny in fact in parts. And the last track, I Can't Give Everything Away, nearly had us both crying. 

pretty much every band I grew up listening to and currently listen to can list Bowie as an influence. 

Hope my friend Steve on FB doesn't mind me sharing this story of his.

====

It was October of 1971 and i joined 7 friends to drive from Boston Massachusetts to San Francisco California. At that point in my life I had long hair, a beard, and I dressed in lumberjack shirts and worn blue jean coveralls. The seven men i was driving to California with in a Volkswagen van were glamorous drag queens. They were all anxious to visit San Francisco, where at that time, it was perceived as the Mecca for gay men. I had a different agenda as I wanted to hang out in Big Sur, but that is a different story. 
It was the second day of our journey and I was sleeping in the van. Suddenly Charles was shaking me awake. "Get up, we have to go inside" he said. "Inside where?" I groggily replied. "The Police Station" said Charles. "Where are we?" I asked. "Salina, Kansas. We turned off the highway because Harold said we could find old Coca Cola trays in the thrift shops here. We pulled up next to a police car asked for directions to the Salvation Army Store and he said sure follow me. He led us here to the police station." 

So we were led inside and lined up before a Police Office sitting behind the desk. Everyone was dressed in silks, feathers, furs and various glam accessories. I was in my coveralls with patches. "What the hell do we have here?" queried the police Sargent. One by one he went down the line and asked " Are you a man or a woman?" When he got to me he asked " And you hippy. What are you? their husband? Empty your pockets on my desk." he ordered me. The only thing in my pocket was a crumpled picture of David Bowie. 

"And who is this? A man? or a woman? " the officer thundered at me. "Why do you have this picture?" "Because I like him" I meekly replied. "Well listen up you clowns, you are all getting back into your van and you are going to get back on the highway and keep driving till you leave Kansas." So we trooped outside, got into the van, and headed back west on the highway in silence. 

About an hour later we drove past the Welcome to Colorado sign on the highway. "Well Toto, were not in Kansas anymore" said Charles. "That cop kept my David Bowie picture" I complained.

Your friend did him a favor. 

dave said:

Hope my friend Steve on FB doesn't mind me sharing this story of his.




====

It was October of 1971 and i joined 7 friends to drive from Boston Massachusetts to San Francisco California. At that point in my life I had long hair, a beard, and I dressed in lumberjack shirts and worn blue jean coveralls. The seven men i was driving to California with in a Volkswagen van were glamorous drag queens. They were all anxious to visit San Francisco, where at that time, it was perceived as the Mecca for gay men. I had a different agenda as I wanted to hang out in Big Sur, but that is a different story. 
It was the second day of our journey and I was sleeping in the van. Suddenly Charles was shaking me awake. "Get up, we have to go inside" he said. "Inside where?" I groggily replied. "The Police Station" said Charles. "Where are we?" I asked. "Salina, Kansas. We turned off the highway because Harold said we could find old Coca Cola trays in the thrift shops here. We pulled up next to a police car asked for directions to the Salvation Army Store and he said sure follow me. He led us here to the police station." 


So we were led inside and lined up before a Police Office sitting behind the desk. Everyone was dressed in silks, feathers, furs and various glam accessories. I was in my coveralls with patches. "What the hell do we have here?" queried the police Sargent. One by one he went down the line and asked " Are you a man or a woman?" When he got to me he asked " And you hippy. What are you? their husband? Empty your pockets on my desk." he ordered me. The only thing in my pocket was a crumpled picture of David Bowie. 


"And who is this? A man? or a woman? " the officer thundered at me. "Why do you have this picture?" "Because I like him" I meekly replied. "Well listen up you clowns, you are all getting back into your van and you are going to get back on the highway and keep driving till you leave Kansas." So we trooped outside, got into the van, and headed back west on the highway in silence. 



About an hour later we drove past the Welcome to Colorado sign on the highway. "Well Toto, were not in Kansas anymore" said Charles. "That cop kept my David Bowie picture" I complained.

Ridski, making coffee just now and listening to some very old old music, it suddenly hit me: poor Charles! I have no idea what/who he listened to then or now, but all these young Brit icons, symbols of a new age who were going to remake the world with him when he claimed the throne... And the world's changed again, about 3 times and almost come full-circle...And everyone's dying off and he's still waiting...

This hit me hard -- it was my youth. I saw him at the Tower in Philly and on Broadway in The Elephant Man. Luminous, humble performances. I think it was so easy to focus on the glam, it wasn't clear what a serious artist he was. 

siriusxm is doing an all bowie tribute channel on channel 30 from 1/12/16 at 7pm et until 1/18/16

joanne said:

Ridski, making coffee just now and listening to some very old old music, it suddenly hit me: poor Charles! I have no idea what/who he listened to then or now, but all these young Brit icons, symbols of a new age who were going to remake the world with him when he claimed the throne... And the world's changed again, about 3 times and almost come full-circle...And everyone's dying off and he's still waiting...

You can't mean Prince Charles? I'm pretty sure he considered most modern music, much like most modern people, to be affront to his personage!

ridski said:

joanne said:

Ridski, making coffee just now and listening to some very old old music, it suddenly hit me: poor Charles! I have no idea what/who he listened to then or now, but all these young Brit icons, symbols of a new age who were going to remake the world with him when he claimed the throne... And the world's changed again, about 3 times and almost come full-circle...And everyone's dying off and he's still waiting...

You can't mean Prince Charles? I'm pretty sure he considered most modern music, much like most modern people, to be affront to his personage!

But what about all those Prince's Trust concerts?

MinnaJ said:

ridski said:

joanne said:

Ridski, making coffee just now and listening to some very old old music, it suddenly hit me: poor Charles! I have no idea what/who he listened to then or now, but all these young Brit icons, symbols of a new age who were going to remake the world with him when he claimed the throne... And the world's changed again, about 3 times and almost come full-circle...And everyone's dying off and he's still waiting...

You can't mean Prince Charles? I'm pretty sure he considered most modern music, much like most modern people, to be affront to his personage!

But what about all those Prince's Trust concerts?

Charity concerts. Andrew and Edward liked those things. Charles is far too old-fashioned and stuffy to actually enjoy those.

plus all the comedians he was known to be very fond of... Over here we knew a much more relaxed facet to his personality... (Put it down to Timbertop bush-campus and also splashing around the beach with bikini babes, I guess) Our media used to love reporting entertainment celebrities gathered around him, discussing permaculture and alternative fuels... 

I've been listening to "Blackstar". Interesting, -I've never felt like dancing to a funeral dirge before. I like it.

tabby said:
I saw the Glass Spider Tour at Giants Stadium....one of the best concerts I ever attended.......sigh......

Me too!  Fantastic show,  Bowie came out on a swing.  Opening acts Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam and Squeeze.  

ridski said:

MinnaJ said:

ridski said:

joanne said:

Ridski, making coffee just now and listening to some very old old music, it suddenly hit me: poor Charles! I have no idea what/who he listened to then or now, but all these young Brit icons, symbols of a new age who were going to remake the world with him when he claimed the throne... And the world's changed again, about 3 times and almost come full-circle...And everyone's dying off and he's still waiting...

You can't mean Prince Charles? I'm pretty sure he considered most modern music, much like most modern people, to be affront to his personage!

But what about all those Prince's Trust concerts?

Charity concerts. Andrew and Edward liked those things. Charles is far too old-fashioned and stuffy to actually enjoy those.

Son of a gun, I fell for the PR -- I thought well, he's not so bad after all.  Maybe I'd give him a pass on all that Princess Diana stuff.  NOT!  LOL!

I have to say that Glass Spider was one of my least favorite (album and tour). First of all I HATE Frampton and was horrified that Bowie was working with him. Second, that was the only period that Bowie crossed over to insipid attempts to create hits. 

The next one the "Sound & Vision" tour was also not great. It was billed as a "greatest hits tour" and the last time Bowie would play those songs (Bowie was one of those artists who retired many times). But all the songs were played at a fast tempo that made them seem rushed. And there was a lot of syncing to effects so there was zero freedom for any improvisation on the part of the band. Which was sad because it had Adrian Belew on guitar.

The best show and band I saw was definitely the tour after Low in 1978 (my first Bowie concert). Though it was great to see him at Roseland in 2002 because of the venue size.

Tom_Reingold said:

His music (and other arts) never drew me in. I now must make a concerted effort to understand why people I respect liked his work so much.

This rendition of "Space Odyssey" might be just up your alley, Tom.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/01/18/david-bowie-tribute-choir_n_9010456.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKg1_fKO1sY

jasper said:

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/01/18/david-bowie-tribute-choir_n_9010456.html

For reasons I can't do justice, that brought tears to my eyes.

Me too, Dave. It's the shared experience of all those people singing that song at that moment.

This was from yesterday's Bliss comic.