I finally got a new MP3 player, so now I can start the Spring of Bowie in earnest! I'd say "David Bowie Month", but that's never how it works. "Beatles Month" went on for like half a year, "Depeche Mode Month" is on day 51, and kind of morphed into Dave Gahan Solo Record Week (and threatened to expand into I Still Really Need To Listen To Black Celebration And Where Is That Copy of Songs Of Faith And Devotion?), before becoming some weird overlapping gray area where I go back and forth between the three. Today was the first day I was really like, "This is it. Bowie. Now." so here I am.
I will catch up on all of the DM live non-commercial fan-made concert recordings later. Do you need 12 (for now) concert recordings from the same band? If the band's been around for 30-something years you do! Besides, they changed it up so much it's like six bands in one. Man, where was this technology in the 70s? Where's the Live Led Zeppelin edited for better sound clarity and without people screaming all over it? Bowie record-wise, I decided to just pick a few that seemed interesting and work my way around from there. Up first, Aladdin Sane, Station to Station and Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps). I haven't listened to any of them yet, this is just preliminary rambling.
Question. Does "China Girl" offend people? I remember it was big back in ::Wikipedia run:: '83, but I was 7, so I wasn't really paying attention. Now I am like, "Hold up, did people protest this? Did he just say, 'I'll give you television. I'll give you eyes of blue.
I'll give you man who wants to rule the world"? It didn't offend me, but I just can't see that getting released today without there being some sort of group going, "Oh no he didn't!" and me going "Calm down, it's just a song."
I also see that he released a concert video in 83 called Serious Moonlight. I applaud this because every time I hear "Let's Dance" I think that that phrase would have made a cool title for something. So, I'm glad to see that I'm not alone.
Here's where I talk about some songs that I really like. I only know 24, so I'm sure in a few weeks there will be changes.
Favorite All-Time Bowie Song Going Into This: Modern Love.
How I know it: It was huge when I was a kid. As I said before, back in those days I had no idea he was a Super-Duper Musical Legend. I just thought he was a less-rockin' version of Billy Idol. It's like how I knew George Harrison was the guy with the awesome "I've Got My Mind Set On You" video and not Beatle George Harrison. When I found out, it blew my mind! Anyway, 1980's MTV Superstar Bowie is the David Bowie I know best. I am a big fan of a lot of the music of the 80s, so most of the songs I love so far are either ones I remember hearing as a kid (Let's Dance did not make the list, but if it was Top 10 instead of just 5, it would have. Also, Puff Daddy tainted it with his super-lame rapping over it, so sometimes, in the back of my mind I hear his song and it makes me mad) or ones that I discovered later that I found were released around that time.
God and Man/No confessions/God and Man/No religion/God and Man/Don't believe/in Modern Love
Click to view
Other Songs in My Bowie Top 5:
Fashion [from 1980's Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)]
How I know it: I think remember it from back in the day, and when I heard that Glee remake it made me look it up again. I didn't recall much about the original, but watching Lea Michele kill it (and not in a good way) I was like, "This sounds pretty light for Bowie". Then I looked up the original and realized that their version took all of the funk and the edge out of it. I'm just watching the video for the first time as I type this. I don't even know what is happening here, but whatever era Bowie this is is great. I feel like all of the artists I've been reading about who were like, "Oh! I get it!" And he's not really even doing anything.
It's loud and tasteless/and I've heard it before/You shout it while you're dancing/on the whole dance floor
Click to view
John, I'm Only Dancing [Stand-alone single, 1972]
How I know it: Like a lot of things, I heard it at my old job, scribbled down some lyrics and came home to find it. I just thought it sounded cool, then I actually listened to it and was like, "Oh. Well, this is awesome." What is it about? Who is John? Why does he care if you're only dancing? Who even cares? This song is great. I need to add it to my playlist of songs that sound innocent when it's just on in the background, but then when you actually listen, it's like "Wait. What?!" Those really are some of the best songs. Just from some of the things on this list, I have a feeling I'm about to encounter a lot of those.
I saw you watching from the stairs, you're everyone that ever cared/Oh lordy, oh lordy, you know I need some loving/Move me, touch me
Click to view
Stay [from 1976's Station to Station]
How I know it: Scribbled lyrics from work. Modern Love is the feel-good, upbeat, toe-tapping, hand clapping sentimental favorite, but this is the song that fits best with the type of music I usually gravitate towards. It's got great lyrics, it's funky and it rocks, how could I not love it?
But what I never say is/stay this time/I really meant to so bad this time/'Cause you can never really tell/When somebody wants something you want too
Click to view
Ashes to Ashes [from 1980's Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)]
How I Know It: Probably the same as the the last two. (Apparently Bowie was big on whatever station we were listening to.) but it could also be from back when I was watching the UK version of "Life on Mars" or from looking it up after watching, and being confused by, the "Bowie" episode of "Flight of the Conchords". All I know is that I do not remember this at all from back in the day.
Ashes to ashes, funk to funky/We know Major Tom's a junkie/Strung out in heaven's high/Hitting an all-time low
Click to view
Bonus: "Bowie" by Flight of the Conchords. I'm just sad it does not include the part where Ziggy Stardust Era Bowie tells Bret to "wear the funky eyepatch".
Click to view
Newest Bowie Discovery that I Already Love, But Top 6 Sounds Weird, Plus It's Really New
Cracked Actor [from 1970's Aladdin Sane]
How I know it: Dave Gahan (who I think it has been made abundantly clear I will listen to sing anything) performed it at the 2011 MusiCares MAP Fund Benefit Concert. After listening to his version countless times, I said "You know, maybe I should look up the original". I've always figured that if someone whose music I love loves a song it has to have some sort of value, right? (I have found that a good source for new music is the "What's on your iPod?" musician interview.) Even if nothing else comes out of this, the fact that I now know this song makes Bowie HoweverLongThisLasts a success. This really is a dark, dark song. But again, if you're not really listening, you would not even know.Crack, baby, crack/show me you're real/Smack, baby, smack, is that all that you feel?/Suck, baby, suck/give me your head/Before you start professing/that you're knocking me dead
Click to view
I am now listening to Ziggy Stardust for the 2nd time ever. I really like the main guitar riff, but the song needs more bass or power or something. It's very... I don't know... quiet.
Twenty minutes later and I'm already editing things in. I really like the song "Aladdin Sane". It reminds me of a really mellow Steely Dan-type track. That is a statement I would not have been able to make two years ago.