David Bowie RIP

On my kids lives 2 days ago I asked someone in a bar to play Under Pressure and commented one of the greatest songs of all time.

Huge shock here too Colin . I had no idea he was Ill myself but apparently he has been fighting cancer for 18 months.
 
A deep tragedy for his family and a huge loss to his fans.

I could never really get into his music or see what others saw in him.
 
Watching his duet with Bing Crosby on one of the Christmas music channels a couple of weeks ago and sort of wondered where he was these days, didn't even realise he had a new(ish) album out. I'm with Maurice really, not too fond of his music and didn't have any of his work amongst my collection. Sad though and a tremendous response on Social Media.
 
Lots of people from my ere have gone but none have shocked me to the core the way this has. One of my biggest regrets is not going to see him perform in Manchester in the early 70's when a lot of friends went. RIP
 
I would never claim to be a great fan but he epitomised English eccentricity creativeness and curiosity and for anyone of our era was simply always there. A huge star

heros is an absolutely wonderful track. The way it swings and builds. It's uplifting as all great music should be.

Rip
 
An undoubtedly great artist/song-writer, but was pretty-much exhausted creatively 30 years ago.

Leaves a rich legacy though.
 
Diamond Geezer said:
Watching his duet with Bing Crosby on one of the Christmas music channels a couple of weeks ago and sort of wondered where he was these days, didn't even realise he had a new(ish) album out. I'm with Maurice really, not too fond of his music and didn't have any of his work amongst my collection. Sad though and a tremendous response on Social Media.
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was only released 3 days ago :)

RIP David, was a big part of my teenage years
 
Grasshopper said:
An undoubtedly great artist/song-writer, but was pretty-much exhausted creatively 30 years ago.

Leaves a rich legacy though.
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i think most artists have one really strong period..some make that period last longer..but i'd say its near on impossible to be creative to that original high standard for 40 years..plenty of examples..Bob Dylan, Stones, Elton John, Rod Stewart, the who, etc..in fact anyone who has done it for 40 years at the same high level is going some i think. Everyone has their heyday.

The legacy ..as you say...is the key for me..thats what puts artists apart from others..leaving a large one..David Bowie..his music not my cup of tea personally..has left such a legacy ..and is right up there with the top echelon in the last 50 years
 
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the many aspects of David Bowie




2015-01-14-bowiehair.gif
 
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EC1 said:
i think most artists have one really strong period..some make that period last longer..but i'd say its near on impossible to be creative to that original high standard for 40 years..plenty of examples..Bob Dylan, Stones, Elton John, Rod Stewart, the who, etc..in fact anyone who has done it for 40 years at the same high level is going some i think. Everyone has their heyday.

The legacy ..as you say...is the key for me..thats what puts artists apart from others..leaving a large one..David Bowie..his music not my cup of tea personally..has left such a legacy ..and is right up there with the top echelon in the last 50 years
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i thought he had just released two very well received albums?

dont agree with this at all. It's more down to limitations of talent and perhaps motivation. Frankly t he verse verse chorus mob don't have much to work with do they?

visual artists are creative and push back boundaries over decades. Picasso you are talking 70 years. Even now Hockney and richter are producing new innovative work in their eighties. It's the norm rather than exception

Music? Well I think Beethoven Mozart and Bach sort of trump idea you can only be creative over a short period. That's to name but three. Outside of classical then miles Davis is a perfect example of someone who never rested on laurels and produced constant changing work over more than 40 years

one thing I really liked about Bowie was he was willing to experiment and he was again doing so successfully.
 
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it was Grass who said he wasn't as creative..i don't really have a view on that seeing as i don't follow his music much..yes his new album is getting good praise...will it be as impacting as his 70's 80's heyday?,,who knows

There are very few artists have the same creative abilty 40 years after their pomp in recent times...that to me isn't a negative..its how it is with the names i listed.

i'm not bothered about scoring points on a RIP thread Clive..so lets just let it go eh?..score points elsewhere as you see fit
 
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It's not scoring points but it was a very narrow view that you stated . I used it to Illustrate how admirable his creativity was and how right to the end he was motivated to push his talent.
 
i didn't say he wasn't creative..i tried to defend the point that Grass made that he wasn't as much now ..by highlighting many great artists who also weren't as creative as they used to be..because being creative..in modern times..for 40 years ..to the same impact level you originally had.. is very hard.

Did Mozart and Beethoven have as much oppo as artists have had in the last 40 years?..did the scene then change as much as it has over the last 40 years?...i don't think so Clive. Being a pathfinder 40 years ago..and being one now is one very hard task was my point.

40 years ago you to now is one hell of a bridge to span
 
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Can you guys and girls form a consensus on what you think was the best song he wrote?

My mam liked him, Ground Control To Major Tom was her favourite.

I have always liked Lets Dance and have requested it when attending older places/pubs (I'm 30), I can't think why... but its something about the intro, the bass power, and if I remember rightly one or two other artists down the years sampled that track.

Appreciate any answers, cheers.
 
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Lets Dance owes just as much to Nile Rodgers who helped with the production of it. Even though he passed it on to Mott the Hoople I've never stopped loving All The Young Dudes; it's so anthemic.
 
EC1 said:
i didn't say he wasn't creative..i tried to defend the point that Grass made that he wasn't as much now ..by highlighting many great artists who also weren't as creative as they used to be..because being creative..in modern times..for 40 years ..to the same impact level you originally had.. is very hard.

Did Mozart and Beethoven have as much oppo as artists have had in the last 40 years?..did the scene then change as much as it has over the last 40 years?...i don't think so Clive. Being a pathfinder 40 years ago..and being one now is one very hard task was my point.

40 years ago you to now is one hell of a bridge to span
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I must admit if can't believe this. I think if you are talking about "oppo" you should also think why their great works across their whole careers are hugely popular 300 years on. there have been countless composers since too

i think best eave it at that


For me

heroes
john I'm only dancing
sound and vision
 
As with the late Lemmy, no shock that Bowie has died: considering the strenuous workout both gave their bodies, to cling on for three-score-years-and-ten is deserving of a round of applause

Creative he certainly was and although I'm not really up to speed with what he's done since circa 1986 he did seem to 'push boundaries' to the end

Bit of a curate's egg for me but some of his toons were truly great and his enduring otherworldliness struck a chord

'Heroes' is wonderful: eat yer heart out Obama with your piffling 'yes we can'
'The Jean Genie' great rock with weird words
'Starman' searing and soaring through his otherworlds
'Space Oddity' wide-eyed wonder that coincided with the manned moon missions when everyone was dreaming of a brave new world and building holiday cottages on the moon by 2001, so just had to love it

A perhaps lesser known song from 'Aladdin Sane' that's a favourite of mine is 'Lady Grinning Soul'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fHoMw8tCzo

About 25 years ago I saw him, surrounded by three burly bodyguards, in the Groeningemuseum, Bruges staring transfixed at (into perhaps) some 15th century Flemish Triptych. I like to think it was a Hieronymus Bosch, which would have been kinda fitting
 
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