David Bowie

[Grant]

so i've never really been a fan, but there is quite a bit of him music i really enjoy - most of being "B side" tracks - the less known and somewhat more unusual stuff of his.
my favorite album, without any doubt is "scary monsters"

starting off with "scary monsters", is probably his most unusual track: "it's no game".
music critics all loved it, but had difficulty in describing it.
eventually consensus was reached in that the track is "somewhat menacing"
it has bowie almost screaming the lyrics, interspersed with a female japanese narrater - narrating with a strange sense of urgency.
do take a listen - most have never heard the track

next up, same album: - the title track "scary monsters"

again, same album: "teenage wildlife"

 

[Grant]

two tracks written for movies

"this is not america" from the falcon and the snowman

"cat people" from the movie of the same name

 

[dualmeister]

Legend.

 

[Grant]

some other older stuff

"modern love"

"john, i'm only dancing"

"young americans"

"blue jean"

"never let me down"

 

[Grant]

a track many are familiar with
"ashes to ashes"

the video features bowie's mother (walking along the beach together)

interesting thing about this track most are unaware of - it it a follow on to the older "space oddity"
space oddity was about astronaut "major tom"
in that track something seemingly goes wrong, major tom is unable to return to earth, and destined to die alone in space.

the track "ashes to ashes" coming many years later, reveals a little dark secret about major tom:
he was a junkie, strung out on drugs and an embarrassment to ground control - ground control invented a mishap that supposedly prevented major tom returning to earth:

Do you remember a guy that's been
in such an early song
I've heard a rumour from Ground Control
Oh, no, don't say it's true

They got a message from the Action Man
"I'm happy, hope you're happy, too
I've loved, all I've needed, love
Sordid details following"
The shrieking of nothing is killing me
Just pictures of Jap girls in synthesis

And I ain't got no money and I ain't got no hair
But I'm hoping to kick but the planet is glowing
Ashes to ashes, funk to funky
We know Major Tom's a junkie
Strung out in heaven's high
Hitting an all-time low

More interesting there is a 3rd part to the story, a track by peter schilling, called "major tom - coming home".
Major tom is finally returning to earth.
however, in the final minute of the video, one sees a spacecraft plummeting to earth in a ball of flames.
major tom never made it home

 

[Nanfeishen]

One of the best openings to any song, to be listened to with headphones as loud as one can handle.

 

[Bernoldus Niemand]

 

[Bernoldus Niemand]

 

[Grant]

"under pressure" - david bowie & annie lennox

 

[Grant]

life on mars

 

[Grant]

scream like a baby - from the album "scary monsters"