Comments on: Book Review: “Bowie: A Biography” http://popdose.com/book-review-bowie-a-biography/ your daily dose of pop culture Thu, 24 May 2012 18:27:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: solipsistnationhttp://popdose.com/book-review-bowie-a-biography/comment-page-1/#comment-49981 solipsistnation Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:18:12 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=36550#comment-49981 Whoa, did you just diss on the second half of Low? Man. Even Brian Eno has said that he liked the form, with the poppier tunes on the A-side and the ambient pieces on the B-side. Those are some lovely pieces of texture and mood and just because you're too dense to get it rawr rawr rawr rawr etc. <br><br>(More seriously, I'm surprised you think there's nothing there. It's Bowie learning from Eno how to do that kind of textured thing. It's not deep or anything, but it's quite pretty.)<br><br>I don't have as much of an argument against your post-Let's-Dance assertion, but 1.Outside is at least interesting, and it was neat to see Bowie and Eno doing things again. Yeah, it's pretentious as all get-out, but fun. Whoa, did you just diss on the second half of Low? Man. Even Brian Eno has said that he liked the form, with the poppier tunes on the A-side and the ambient pieces on the B-side. Those are some lovely pieces of texture and mood and just because you're too dense to get it rawr rawr rawr rawr etc.

(More seriously, I'm surprised you think there's nothing there. It's Bowie learning from Eno how to do that kind of textured thing. It's not deep or anything, but it's quite pretty.)

I don't have as much of an argument against your post-Let's-Dance assertion, but 1.Outside is at least interesting, and it was neat to see Bowie and Eno doing things again. Yeah, it's pretentious as all get-out, but fun.

]]> By: mojohttp://popdose.com/book-review-bowie-a-biography/comment-page-1/#comment-49979 mojo Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:13:43 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=36550#comment-49979 I'll give you "Man who sold the world" or at least consider giving it to you; I was obviously thinking of "Laughing Gnome" and "Please Mr Gravedigger" and in general, the Deram material with that comment in the essay. MWSTW (1970) is sort of a boggy bridge between the swamp and solid ground. I'll give you “Man who sold the world” or at least consider giving it to you; I was obviously thinking of “Laughing Gnome” and “Please Mr Gravedigger” and in general, the Deram material with that comment in the essay. MWSTW (1970) is sort of a boggy bridge between the swamp and solid ground.

]]> By: edmurhttp://popdose.com/book-review-bowie-a-biography/comment-page-1/#comment-49980 edmur Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:50:31 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=36550#comment-49980 Great review, and I can't wait to read it - ESPECIALLY if he does his post-Let's Dance career some justice. I love Bowie (as evidenced by Mojo's name-check above), but man, is he inconsitent or what? He has as many distinct phases as any artist before or since, but you could distill his entire career down to about 4-5 CDs, each representing a separate Bowie time period.<br><br>And re: Ethan's comment above - most of his pre-Ziggy output was crap, other than a handful of GREAT tunes that, as I just mentioned, really could be distilled down to one excellent compilation (and just 'cause Sir Kurt covered an at-that-time-almost-forgotten Bowie nugget on his "MTV Unplugged" album, let's not overplay Bowie's "influence" on Capt. Grungepants). Ditto his post-Ziggy albums, his Berlin triptych, and his '80s and '90s work. Great review, and I can't wait to read it – ESPECIALLY if he does his post-Let's Dance career some justice. I love Bowie (as evidenced by Mojo's name-check above), but man, is he inconsitent or what? He has as many distinct phases as any artist before or since, but you could distill his entire career down to about 4-5 CDs, each representing a separate Bowie time period.

And re: Ethan's comment above – most of his pre-Ziggy output was crap, other than a handful of GREAT tunes that, as I just mentioned, really could be distilled down to one excellent compilation (and just 'cause Sir Kurt covered an at-that-time-almost-forgotten Bowie nugget on his “MTV Unplugged” album, let's not overplay Bowie's “influence” on Capt. Grungepants). Ditto his post-Ziggy albums, his Berlin triptych, and his '80s and '90s work.

]]> By: Ethan Tuckerhttp://popdose.com/book-review-bowie-a-biography/comment-page-1/#comment-49978 Ethan Tucker Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:55:33 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=36550#comment-49978 Hi, enjoyed the review. I think you're a little harsh on the pre-'71 material though. Sure, David Bowie / Space Oddity in 1969 contained doses of par-for-the-course cod-intellectual psychedelia, but also some interesting and innovative work, not to mention the single Space Oddity itself, which did well in America (but admittedly only later in 1973 on reissue). The follow-up album, 1970's The Man Who Sold The World, was more consistent and is still highly listenable today, as can be seen by its influence on Kurt Cobain. Hi, enjoyed the review. I think you're a little harsh on the pre-'71 material though. Sure, David Bowie / Space Oddity in 1969 contained doses of par-for-the-course cod-intellectual psychedelia, but also some interesting and innovative work, not to mention the single Space Oddity itself, which did well in America (but admittedly only later in 1973 on reissue). The follow-up album, 1970's The Man Who Sold The World, was more consistent and is still highly listenable today, as can be seen by its influence on Kurt Cobain.

]]> By: solipsistnationhttp://popdose.com/book-review-bowie-a-biography/comment-page-1/#comment-45455 solipsistnation Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:18:12 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=36550#comment-45455 Whoa, did you just diss on the second half of Low? Man. Even Brian Eno has said that he liked the form, with the poppier tunes on the A-side and the ambient pieces on the B-side. Those are some lovely pieces of texture and mood and just because you're too dense to get it rawr rawr rawr rawr etc. <br><br>(More seriously, I'm surprised you think there's nothing there. It's Bowie learning from Eno how to do that kind of textured thing. It's not deep or anything, but it's quite pretty.)<br><br>I don't have as much of an argument against your post-Let's-Dance assertion, but 1.Outside is at least interesting, and it was neat to see Bowie and Eno doing things again. Yeah, it's pretentious as all get-out, but fun. Whoa, did you just diss on the second half of Low? Man. Even Brian Eno has said that he liked the form, with the poppier tunes on the A-side and the ambient pieces on the B-side. Those are some lovely pieces of texture and mood and just because you're too dense to get it rawr rawr rawr rawr etc.

(More seriously, I'm surprised you think there's nothing there. It's Bowie learning from Eno how to do that kind of textured thing. It's not deep or anything, but it's quite pretty.)

I don't have as much of an argument against your post-Let's-Dance assertion, but 1.Outside is at least interesting, and it was neat to see Bowie and Eno doing things again. Yeah, it's pretentious as all get-out, but fun.

]]> By: mojohttp://popdose.com/book-review-bowie-a-biography/comment-page-1/#comment-45443 mojo Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:13:43 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=36550#comment-45443 I'll give you "Man who sold the world" for sure; I am obviously thinking of "Laughing Gnome" and "Please Mr Gravedigger" and in general, the Deram material. Brutal! I'll give you “Man who sold the world” for sure; I am obviously thinking of “Laughing Gnome” and “Please Mr Gravedigger” and in general, the Deram material. Brutal!

]]> By: edmurhttp://popdose.com/book-review-bowie-a-biography/comment-page-1/#comment-45442 edmur Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:50:31 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=36550#comment-45442 Great review, and I can't wait to read it - ESPECIALLY if he does his post-Let's Dance career some justice. I love Bowie (as evidenced by Mojo's name-check above), but man, is he inconsitent or what? He has as many distinct phases as any artist before or since, but you could distill his entire career down to about 4-5 CDs, each representing a separate Bowie time period.<br><br>And re: Ethan's comment above - most of his pre-Ziggy output was crap, other than a handful of GREAT tunes that, as I just mentioned, really could be distilled down to one excellent compilation (and just 'cause Sir Kurt covered an at-that-time-almost-forgotten Bowie nugget on his "MTV Unplugged" album, let's not overplay Bowie's "influence" on Capt. Grungepants). Ditto his post-Ziggy albums, his Berlin triptych, and his '80s and '90s work. Great review, and I can't wait to read it – ESPECIALLY if he does his post-Let's Dance career some justice. I love Bowie (as evidenced by Mojo's name-check above), but man, is he inconsitent or what? He has as many distinct phases as any artist before or since, but you could distill his entire career down to about 4-5 CDs, each representing a separate Bowie time period.

And re: Ethan's comment above – most of his pre-Ziggy output was crap, other than a handful of GREAT tunes that, as I just mentioned, really could be distilled down to one excellent compilation (and just 'cause Sir Kurt covered an at-that-time-almost-forgotten Bowie nugget on his “MTV Unplugged” album, let's not overplay Bowie's “influence” on Capt. Grungepants). Ditto his post-Ziggy albums, his Berlin triptych, and his '80s and '90s work.

]]> By: Ethan Tuckerhttp://popdose.com/book-review-bowie-a-biography/comment-page-1/#comment-45436 Ethan Tucker Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:55:33 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=36550#comment-45436 Hi, enjoyed the review. I think you're a little harsh on the pre-'71 material though. Sure, David Bowie / Space Oddity in 1969 contained doses of par-for-the-course cod-intellectual psychedelia, but also some interesting and innovative work, not to mention the single Space Oddity itself, which did well in America (but admittedly only later in 1973 on reissue). The follow-up album, 1970's The Man Who Sold The World, was more consistent and is still highly listenable today, as can be seen by its influence on Kurt Cobain. Hi, enjoyed the review. I think you're a little harsh on the pre-'71 material though. Sure, David Bowie / Space Oddity in 1969 contained doses of par-for-the-course cod-intellectual psychedelia, but also some interesting and innovative work, not to mention the single Space Oddity itself, which did well in America (but admittedly only later in 1973 on reissue). The follow-up album, 1970's The Man Who Sold The World, was more consistent and is still highly listenable today, as can be seen by its influence on Kurt Cobain.

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