An exceptional musician, performer, and artist, David Bowie wasn't just one-of-a-kind, he was 10-or-20-of-a-kind-in-one. Ziggy Stardust, The Thin White Duke, Aladdin Sane... David Bowie was always turning a corner, reinventing himself, and experimenting with what his music could be and express. It was a pleasure getting to know his cast of characters over the years through his extensive discography.
420 to 30: A Music Retrospective
Here's 7 of my favorites from David Bowie.
Week 33: DAVID BOWIE
#224/420 - David Bowie & Bing Crosby, “Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy”
One of David Bowie’s best 7 songs? Maybe probably not, but as far as Holiday music goes, it’s one of the true classics out there, and in out of all the David Bowie songs out there, his utterance of, “peace on Earth,” in this song pops in my mind perhaps more than any line he ever sang. It’s as peaceful as the name implies and something I think of and hear in my mind often, really. Sometimes, I will just hum it to myself to find calm.
It was a pretty unlikely pairing of David Bowie and Bing Crosby, but they do a really good job together. Bing is great on the bass vocals and Bowie sails along on the tenor. For all the crap that floods the airwaves around Christmas time, this is one I actually look forward to hearing in the shuffle, even if it is a bit hokey.
With another year over and a new one beginning, “Peace on Earth” is indeed on the mind. And though it may never come and may in fact be unattainable, it is worth noting that as a species we have gradually become more and more peaceable over time.
So, “years from now, perhaps we’ll see.”
Happy 2019.
#225/420 - David Bowie, “Modern Love”
"But, I try. I try. Never gonna fall for modern love.”
#226/420 - David Bowie, “Young Americans”
One of Bowie’s boppin’est songs, this song (and its subsequent album) marked yet another new era for the musician, this time with more of a soul/funk meets pop sound. It also manages to be one of his most accessible sounds along with the album’s other single, “Fame”, which reached number one in the US.
Both “Fame” and this song have their Beatles influence as well, “Fame” being actually co-written by and featuring John Lennon, and this song with the memorable soul choir’s homage to “A Day in the Life” with, “I heard the news today, oh boy!”
This is definitely a David Bowie song to turn up the volume on, and while this song and its album don’t quite sound like the rest of Bowie’s catalog, it’s a great listen nonetheless and exemplary of his wide range of musical talent.
#227/420 - David Bowie, “Life on Mars?”
One of the great songs, and questions, of our time. Is there life on Mars? Though the song only vaguely has anything to do with that question, these are some of Bowie’s very finest lyrics and poetry, rich with imagery and modern mystique. There are many utterances to chew on here, from “But the film is a saddening bore, for she's lived it ten times or more,” to “Take a look at the Lawman beating up the wrong guy. Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know,” but none sound off so pleadingly as, “Is there life on Mars?”
One of the eras of David Bowie’s music I am most fond of, the piano and strings evoke the dance hall alluded to in the lyrics, but the electric guitar finds its place as a centerpiece as well. It’s a good one for sure.
#228/420 - David Bowie, “Suffragette City”
Bowie’s best rock song, in my opinion, and one that surely influenced many punk bands to follow. It rocks hard with both a crunchy guitar and bangin’ piano, and a wonderfully alarming, siren-like synth underlining it all. Bowie’s vocals are in top form too with a, “wham, bam, thank you ma’am,” that I associate with him the most. It’s an infectious song that is hard to resist and definitely one of my most played of all from Bowie.
#229/420 - David Bowie, “Five Years”
The epic start to my very favorite David Bowie album is one of my favorite story-songs as well. The world has just learned there are only five years left until everything ends. Visuals of the ordinary become extraordinary under these conditions, inhibitions leave; all the love and truth pours out.
The crescendo is one of the best, and the passion in delivery from Bowie is wonderful, building into screams and shrieks towards the dwindling time left, the orchestration and sounds of clocks spinning and spilling into the ether.
Five years, that's all we've got!
And it gives a cause to reflect… if you knew you only had five years, what would you do differently?
#230/420 - David Bowie, “Space Oddity”
What a good song. If there’s one theme I like almost as much as forest-themed music, it’s space-themed music, and this is one of the finest out there. I love creative, multi-faceted, imaginative, musical journeys and woo boy, it really makes the grade on all accounts. Though David Bowie’s career spanned many decades, my favorite moment of all remains this one, his first charting single. I greatly enjoy everything about it, especially the acting performance. He doesn’t just sing the words, he acts them out. “Tell my wife I love her very much…” “She knows!” It’s great.
My favorite karaoke memory also is doing this song with a friend. I sang the main part and he sang the harmonies. I believe we killed it because we actually had “fans” in the bar that night, and a table of girls asked us if we were British because apparently we nailed the accent too. It’s a lot of fun to sing this one and so much more-so with a friend to echo the lines.
The album to follow this song (and include it) is also fantastic, simply titled, “David Bowie”. There are a lot of very under-appreciated songs on there such as “Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud” and “Memory of Free Festival”, the latter being one of Bowie’s most epic compositions in the vein of “Hey Jude”.
David Bowie was a wonder and a true artist. I can’t think of a less conventional rock star to ever become as mainstream and widely known, but that’s the kind of transcendent performer he was. Truly missed in the world of music, but thankfully with so much left behind to enjoy. There’s many eras of Bowie I couldn’t cram into just seven songs either, so be sure not to stop at my recommendations. Low from 1977 is a very different but awesome album, and really, you just have to explore his discography for yourself.
Next week, we’ll sneak in a little more with David Bowie, who was an occasional collaborator with one of the biggest rock bands of the 1970s and 80s, notably on the song many of us know and love, "Under Pressure". They were larger than life and featured one of the most talented singers and frontmen in all of rock. My favorite band in the 9th grade, Freddie Mercury and Queen.
420 to 30: A Music Retrospective
Week 2: The Jackson 5/The Jacksons
Week 3: A Tribe Called Quest
Week 4: Weezer
Week 5: Bob Dylan
Week 6: Led Zeppelin
Week 7: 2Pac/Makaveli
Week 8: Billy Joel
Week 9: Electric Light Orchestra
Week 10: Elvis Presley
Week 11: Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band
Week 12: The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Week 13: Nirvana
Week 14: The Doors
Week 15: The Rolling Stones
Week 16: Gnarls Barkley
Week 17: Gábor Szabó
Week 18: Galaxie 500
Week 19: Simon & Garfunkel
Week 20: Gorillaz
Week 21: Ennio Morricone
Week 22: The Moody Blues
Week 23: Koji Kondo
Week 24: Rob Zombie/White Zombie
Week 25: Paul McCartney/Wings
Week 26: George Harrison
Week 27: Phil Spector
Week 28: John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
Week 29: Public Enemy
Week 30: The Love Language
Week 31: Barry White
Week 32: Frank Sinatra
View the full list of "420 Songs" here: https://tinyurl.com/y8fboudu (Google spreadsheet link)