#also moonage daydream and suffragette city and others

[starchaserdreams]

People probably think being a marauders fan means going to Harry Potter World or wearing a marauders map shirt or whatever, but no, being a marauders fan is going to shit like this "to understand Remus Lupin and Sirius Black on a deeper level"

[lovecatsys]

Okay. Silly personal rating of all the songs on Ziggy the album by david Bowie because I just listened to it for the first time in a very long time.

1. Five Years - this song will always be the most beautiful song on this album for me. I think I overplayed it at one point during my Bowie phase and got tired of it, but relistening to it for the first time in so long, it's still one of the most beautiful Bowie songs ever to me.

2. Rock 'n' Roll Suicide - this song could have gotten my top vote if it was done better, it's already incredibly beautiful and had a lot of potential, but the build throughout the song was kind of anticlimactic in that the ending just wasn't what it could have been, it's too abrupt and the last part of the song is kind of mediocre, just wasn't as good of a build as Five Years.

3. Moonage Daydream - This song is a bit overplayed, but I think it's still an amazing song, unique and pretty and overall very well done. So, I'm saying it deserves to be overplayed, though it would probably be more enjoyable to most Bowie fans if it hadn't been.

4. Hang on to Yourself - a criminally underrated bop, this song makes me wanna boogie every time I listen to it. Just overall very fun and catchy, but not so much that it's annoying.

5. Soul Love - this song is such a bop, it's fun, really beautiful saxophone, and the lyrics always get me too.

6. Starman - with this one, despite how overplayed it is, it always sparks an emotional reaction in me. I truly understand why this was one of his most famous songs in the 70s.

7. Lady Stardust - This one used to be my favorite, I think that certain parts of it are kind of dry, but it's still a very beautiful song, and also gets extra points for being the gayest song on the album.

8. Suffragette City - Misogynist anthem.... I was obsessed with it at one point but. well. It's fun, but doesn't really stick out to me other than that. It is definitely the most "rock" song on the album, I'll give it that. And it is a good rock song.

9. Ziggy Stardust - aside from being the title track and focusing the most on the "concept" in this concept album, I don't really understand why this song was so popular. It's good - but kind of boring. I always say that "The Ballad of Maxwell Demon" is a much better song than this one, lmao.

10. Star - it's a bop, but doesn't really stick out other than that. A fun little thing, but kind of a filler song, nothing special.

11. It Ain't Easy - the only song I skip every time. The original is a good song but... this was just a really bad cover lol. It grates on me, almost annoying to listen to.

[ghostgirlhaunting]

an ode to david bowie

wake up you sleepy head from your infinite rest I’ll make breakfast and coffee for you, you pretty thing you are driving me insane not only with your fame, but also with your grinning soul when ziggy plays guitar, I do not need any other piece of art, not even if it is by andy warhol I don’t need you to sell me the world, I just want you back

I would enjoy facing strange fascinations with you I would like to come and meet you in suffragette city, even if it is just in my moonage daydreams because it’s been more than five years since mayor tom left for another planet I am still here checking up on you from ground control but someday I will meet you in the stars so please wait for me and when I‘ve finally reached you

...let’s dance let’s just dance and be rebels together let’s be the proof for life existing on mars

we’ll boogie together as if we were children

without you I am sinking in the quicksand of my thoughts under the pressure of having to exist and function without you, my pretty thing I tried to put out the fire in my heart, but I used gasoline because I was blinded by your modern love

we could have been heroes not just for one day no let’s be realistic you are and always will be one. a hero.

your golden years might be over but you won’t be forgotten I’ll always remember you simply due to the fact that you are somehow my little china girl I am a mess without you every film I watch, every book I read, without you by my side, is a saddening bore

sometimes dancing in the street makes me feel a bit better makes me forget the grief

this is more than an eight line poem but the intention is simple and short my intetnion is, my starman, to fill your heart wherever it might be at this very moment with love today and any other day

hang on to yourself let the people stare at the old pictures let them stare at make-up on your gorgeous face let them say whatever they want

life ain’t easy it ain’t easy but it was alright I am alright

in the end it will be ashes to ashes anyways ashes in a criminal world

hot tramp I love you so

yours dearly, lady stardust

[ch-dld-bft-brit-omm]

(HBD) David Bowie - The Legendary Lost Tapes (1972-73)

Studio & Live Recordings                                                                                        David Bowie / Mott The Hoople / Lou Reed Trident Studio Sessions London, UK May 1972 

 01. All The Young Dudes (long version) 02. It's Alright 03. Henry & The H-bomb (demo) 04. Sweet Jane 05. Shakin' All Over 06. Please Don't Touch 07. So Sad Tracks 1-3 David Bowie with Mott The Hoople. Track  4   David Bowie with Moot The Hoople, featuring Lou Reed on guide vocals. Tracks 5-7 Lou Reed with Mott The Hoople. 

 The Green's Playhouse Glasgow, Scotland 5th January 1973 (Afternoon Show) 08. Hang On To Yourself 09. Ziggy Stardust 10. Changes 11. The Supermen 12. Five Years 13. Life On Mars? 14. John, I'm Only Dancing 15. Moonage Daydream 16. Suffragette City 17. The Width Of A Circle 18. Rock'n'Roll Suicide                                                                                                                       

THE LEGENDARY LOST TAPES The second issue of this material and it is a straight copy of the CD  THE LEGENDARY TRIDENT SESSIONS (1998). Even if this CD is a copy of the original CD, the sound quality is a little bit better! -BASSMAN 

 THE LEGENDARY TRIDENT SESSIONS  Wow! Amazing stuff! A rumour has been circulating that Lou and David joined Mott at at least one session during the recording of the "All The Young Dudes" album, while they were recording Lou's "Transformer" album. Here is the proof. Bowie sings ALL THE YOUNG DUDES and Lou sings SWEET JANE. They also participate on most of the other songs, playing guitar, sax or singing back up vocals. I had a tape of this session before, and I can't understand why the running order has been changed? The sound quality is excellent, but a little bit distorted (just as on the original tape!). The Glasgow show is remastered, and the sound quality is actually very good! The boring thing is that it isn't complete, and according to the cover the cuts between the songs comes from the the original tape. That isn't true! I have the tape and it doesn't feature any other cuts than the cut between side A and B. I also doubt that ROCK'N'ROLL SUICIDE is from the Glasgow show? I have never heard of any tape that lasts longer than SUFFRAGETTE CITY. Even the songs are roughly cut on the CD, not only the space of time between them! There are two missing songs, and they are LET'S SPEND THE NIGHT TOGETHER / THE JEAN GENIE / THE WIDTH OF A CIRCLE should have come after FIVE YEARS. Anyway, because of the Mott session this is a great disc. -BASSMAN

[bowietracks]

The fourth track of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is Starman. It, along with Rock 'n' Roll Suicide and Suffragette City, were the last songs written and recorded for the album, in early 1972 (the main recording phase happening in November of 1971, before the release even of Hunky Dory). Starman was also the lead single. Out in late April ’72, it had taken a real long time climbing the charts, hitting #10 during the week of 23-29 July in perfect time for the album which came out the previous month, the album probably also contributing to the success of the single too (along with the Top of the Pops performance, of course) – in some kind of reciprocal determination. It is the most pop orientated track of the project, and brilliant placed in the running order. After the conceptual mise-en-scene tracks of Five Years and Soul Love, Moonage Daydream is a song written by Ziggy, encountered by and capturing the audience. With Starman, the camera cuts to a close-up. This is Ziggy’s manifesto. Bowie later told novelist William S. Burroughs in a Rolling Stone interview in 1974: ‘Ziggy is advised in a dream by the infinites to write the coming of a Starman, so he writes “Starman”, which is the first news of hope that the people have heard. So they latch onto it immediately... The starmen that he is talking about are called the infinites, and they are black-hole jumpers. Ziggy has been talking about this amazing spaceman who will be coming down to save the earth. They arrive somewhere in Greenwich Village. They don't have a care in the world and are of no possible use to us. They just happened to stumble into our universe by black hole jumping. Their whole life is travelling from universe to universe’. Make of that what you will! The original version of Starman – both single and UK album – had the ‘Morse code’ section between the verse and the chorus loud in the mix. The US album, other territories and later UK releases had that section low in the mix. I have included the loud mix in previous entries for the UK single, and the edited US single, while I have the low mix of the track below, as that is how most of us, apart from the very first people who got that first pressing of the UK album, will have heard it, and will still hear it, it being considered the definitive mix… Oh… and the first of the four songs of the album with ‘star’ in the title!

Written by David Bowie. Recorded 2-4 February 1972. Released 16 June 1972. Available on The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)

[paulisded]

The Ledge #524: Birthday Covers

When I read that the 35th anniversary date of the release of the fifth Replacements full-length album, Pleased to Meet Me, fell on a "Ledge" night, it obviously became the focal point for a theme. I decided to celebrate the birthday by recreating the album's track listing with covers of each and every song.

This became a bit of an issue, however, as some songs were missing from my initial search through my archives. And while I inevitably found some of the missing pieces, I still was short two songs just days before tonight's show. Luckily, I was alerted to a message board compilation of Replacements covers that included a track donated by our friend Jeremy Porter. Since this comp also included a version of "Red Red Wine", I quickly contacted him to see if he had the whole release! Well, not only did he have the needed track, he actually played on it! The Regulars were his high school band, and on this cover he played guitar and provided backing vocals! Yes, I was set!

Unfortunately, a few minutes in my show I was informed that June 17, 1987 was not the actual release date for the album. "Trouble Boys" author Bob Mehr tweeted, "Every June 17, I try not to be a killjoy to those celebrating the release of The Replacements' Pleased to Meet Me on this date. But, once again, I must point out that the album actually came out April 27, 1987." 

Well, I decided to carry on with the celebration anyway, and also included a set devoted to the demos and outtakes that Tommy Stinson recorded during the album's sessions. If you love his later solo band, Bash and Pop, you'll really dig these rare tracks.

To fill up the rest of the show, I included covers of two other albums that recently saw their 50th birthdays. David Bowie's "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars" came out June 16, 1972, and my favorite record of all time, Exile On Main Street by the Rolling Stones, came out on May 26, 1972. It's a fun, varied show that should appeal to fans of all three of these legendary records.

I would love it if every listener bought at least one record I played on either of these shows. These great artists deserve to be compensated for their hard work, and every purchase surely helps not only pay their bills but fund their next set of wonderful songs. And if you buy these records directly from the artist or label, please let them know you heard these tunes on The Ledge! Let them know who is giving them promotion! You can find this show at almost any podcast site, including iTunes and Stitcher...or

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. The Get Up Kids, Beer For Breakfast

2. Cockeyed Ghost, I.O.U.

3. Brad Shepherd, Alex Chilton

4. Bnlx, I Don't Know

5. The Rail, Nightclub Jitters

6. Addison Blue, The Ledge

7. Blank Pages, Nevermind

8. The Cheap Cassettes, Valentine (Live at The Sunset Tavern) 

9. mattcatastrophe71, Shooting Dirty Pool

10. The Regulars, Red Red Wine

11. Tiltwheel, Skyway

12. Justin Townes Earle, Can't Hardly Wait

13. The Dirty Truckers, Can't Hardly Wait

14. Orville Peck, Can't Hardly Wait

15. The Replacements, Make This Your Home

16. The Replacements, Trouble on the Way

17. The Replacements, Awake Tonight (Demo)

18. The Replacements, Hey Shadow (Demo)

19. The Replacements, Even If It's Cheap (Demo)

20. Old 97'S, Five Years

21. A Bunch Of Jerks, Moonage Daydream

22. Golden Smog, Starman

23. The Get Up Kids, Suffragette City

24. Charles De Goal, Hang On To Yourself

25. Miracle Legion, Ziggy Stardust

26. Old 97'S, Rocks Off

27. Louder Than Milk, Rip This Joint

28. The Gaslight Anthem, Tumbling Dice

29. Bill Janovitz, Sweet Virginia (w/Crown Victoria)

30. Street Dogs, Torn And Frayed

31. Pussy Galore, Loving Cup

32. The Dirty Truckers, All Down the Line

33. Bill Janovitz, Let it Loose (w/ Crown Victoria)

34. The Replacements, Tossin' n' Turnin' 

[thisdayinphishtory]

2 years ago: MGM Grand Garden Arena - Las Vegas, NV - 2016

Phish • October 31, 2016 • MGM Grand Garden Arena • Las Vegas, NV

Set 1: Carini[1], Your Pet Cat > AC/DC Bag > Free > Possum, What's the Use? > Wombat, Tube, Wolfman's Brother, Ass Handed, Petrichor > Run Like an Antelope[1]

Set 2: Five Years[2], Soul Love[3], Moonage Daydream[4], Starman[3], It Ain't Easy[5], Lady Stardust[6], Star[5], Hang On to Yourself[5], Ziggy Stardust[7], Suffragette City[5], Rock 'n' Roll Suicide[4]

Set 3: 46 Days > Sand > Twist[8], Meatstick > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Backwards Down the Number Line > Slave to the Traffic Light

Encore: Space Oddity

[1] Lyrics changed to reference Trey's shirt. [2] Phish debut; With Sylvia D'Avanzo, Alisa Horn, Todd Low, Antoine Silverman, Alissa Smith, and Hiroko Taguchi on strings; Trey on acoustic. [3] Phish debut; With Sylvia D'Avanzo, Alisa Horn, Todd Low, Antoine Silverman, Alissa Smith, and Hiroko Taguchi on strings and Jennifer Hartswick, Celisse Henderson, and Jo Lampert on backing vocals; Trey on acoustic. [4] Phish debut; With Sylvia D'Avanzo, Alisa Horn, Todd Low, Antoine Silverman, Alissa Smith, and Hiroko Taguchi on strings and Jennifer Hartswick, Celisse Henderson, and Jo Lampert on backing vocals. [5] Phish debut; With Jennifer Hartswick, Celisse Henderson, and Jo Lampert on backing vocals. [6] Phish debut; Trey on acoustic. [7] Phish debut. [8] Trey on Marimba Lumina and Mike and Page on percussion.

This show was webcast via Live Phish. Carini and Antelope featured lyrics altered to reference Trey's shirt. Trey teased Martian Monster in Free and Undermind in Possum. The second set "musical costume" was David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. All of the songs in the second set were Phish debuts. Five Years, Soul Love, Moonage Daydream, Starman, and Rock 'n' Roll Suicide featured a string sextet comprised of Sylvia D'Avanzo (violin), Alisa Horn (cello), Todd Low (viola), Antoine Silverman (violin), Alissa Smith (viola), and Hiroko Taguchi (violin). All the songs in the second set other than Five Years, Lady Stardust, and Ziggy Stardust featured Jennifer Hartswick, Celisse Henderson and Jo Lampert on backing vocals. Trey played acoustic guitar on Five Years, Soul Love, Starman, and Lady Stardust. Trey did not play guitar (but contributed lead vocals) on It Ain't Easy and Rock 'n' Roll Suicide. Page did not play keyboards (but contributed lead vocals) on Ziggy Stardust. Carmel Dean arranged the all of the vocals and strings in the second set. Twist featured Trey on Marimba Lumina and Mike and Page on percussion. Also Sprach Zarathustra contained Fame quotes from Trey.

[phantasmagloria]

Hello my diamond dogs!

What could ever be said about the Thin White Duke that could ever be enough? Few have managed to explore music the way Bowie did, to bring to life such diverse characters and to remain artistically true to his own vision. Pushing the boundaries of his own creativity, he built up sonic worlds, whole universes even, and took us on a journey through his mind, heart and soul. By exposing his own humanity (however alien-like sometimes), he helped us explore our own internal worlds, creating music and lyrics with imaginative, playful and intelligent finesse – undoubtedly one of the most important sonic and lyrical masters of our time.

To discuss the diverse, finely tuned universe of sounds and experimentation found of every single one of his records could take up thousands of pages – from the inclusion of classical and jazz instruments (be it a single, sexy or sad sax, a booming orchestra or a quietly plucked koto) to the use of bird song, synthesizers and invented  language. His use of the English language is also spectacular, unparalleled even. Brilliantly subliminal, beautifully delicate and undeniably powerful, Bowie subtly weaves words of poetry, literature and philosophy into his verbal fascinations.

Whether it’s the existential lyrics on his anthem ‘All the Madmen,’ with its heavy guitars and loaded meaning juxtaposing the lighter sing-along ending complete which chorus claps (too good! If it doesn’t reach in a squeeze your heart maybe you don’t have one) or the obsessive yet prayer-like lyrics on his tribute to wandering cocaine hearts eager to connect with love ‘Station to Station,’ Bowie paints a picture like no other. Both these tracks, like ‘Moonage Daydream,’ with its sexy, futuristic lyrics and its inviting, daring attitude, are perfect examples of a Bowie universe in song form – and yet no two Bowie songs have ever been alike.

When I was about 12, I got two Bowie compilation CDs, and have played them on repeat ever since. At that time electric blue was my favourite colour, and I was cutting out anything blue I found in magazines, taping the pages all around my room, making a massive, ever-growing collage of ‘blue, blue, electric blue, that’s the colour of my room”… true story. I remember ‘John I’m Only Dancing’ (along with ‘Suffragette City’) sounding like one of the most ecstatic things I’d ever heard in my life. The howling vocals, the electrifying guitar, the claps and sexy sax, that screeching, raw ending – a total banger and still one of my favourite songs of all time! Velvet Goldmine hit the silver screen about the same time and of course I was hooked.

I was enchanted and excited by every one of his personas – some closer to the heart than others but all carrying their own sound and vision that in turn uncovered a different side of my own self. His ability to wear different creative masks, then shed his skin and reinvent himself, while simultaneously framing his existence within an infinite universe of stars and possibility, giving a perspective to the concept of existence that encouraged embracing life, was a game-changer for me. Why be one thing other people want, when you can be everything you want to be? Why be one colour, when you can be a beam of light and channel a whole fucking rainbow? The collective impact of songs like ‘Starman’ and ‘Life on Mars,’ ‘Rock’n’Roll Suicide’ and ‘Velvet Goldmine,’ ‘Rebel, Rebel’ and ‘Modern Love’ literally shaped who I am today, a testament to how Bowie affected his listeners, deeply altering their perception of…well, everything.

And yet, even when Bowie is singing in a language we can’t even understand (as he does on Low), or when he delves into avant-garde territory (as he does on ‘Neuköln’ for example), whether dripping with classical influences or brimming with electronic innovation, he still creates something totally unique and soul-shattering. When it comes to composition, his influences beautifully shine through, be it Scott Walker, John Lennon, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, John Cage, Steve Reich or Tangerine Dream.

It’s hard to single out just one Bowie record as the best because it’s hard to even compare some of them, he’s so consistently diverse. To me, however, Low, written in Berlin in an almost destroyed state, stands at the centre of his creations. His records before and after are equally impressive and impressionable, total classics I love, but Low from The Berlin Trilogy to me sounds like the ultimate sonic evolution: the highest state of his creative self-actualization, borne of a phoenix-like incineration, never to be the same again after it. Along with Heroes, Low was reworked by Philip Glass, two sublime pieces of work to say the least. Glass’ signature repetition, cyclical progression and pizzicato playing (think Glassworks) come through wonderfully in his rendition of ‘Some Are (Part 2)’.

Also on this show we hear pieces from the soundtrack Bowie did with Syuichi Sakamoto from Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, Aphex Twin remixing Glass reworking Bowie, a very dark collaboration Bowie did with Massive Attack covering ‘Nature Boy’ for the Moulin Rouge soundtrack, and (a match made in heaven) Bowie with the absolutely fabulous Pet Shop Boys on ‘Hallo Space Boy’ (I was obsessed when it came out). We basically skip everything else (because there simply wasn’t enough time!) and close it all off in the year 1997 (a good year for music), that finds Bowie pushing his electronic boundaries and delving into drum and bass (the opening to ‘Little Wonder’ could have easily fit into Prodigy’s The Fat of the Land that came out that same year).

Until next time, ‘don’t fake it baby, lay the real thing on me. The church of man, love, is such a holy place to be.’

With love from outer space,

—Stardust Rebel

Storm Stereo #33: Bowie Special Hello my diamond dogs! What could ever be said about the Thin White Duke that could ever be enough?

[cjostrander]

David Bowie:The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

Hello everyone! Today i am back to do one of the essential reviews since i wasn’t really having anything that really sparked me in any direction. This one is a very well known album by David Bowie; so it’ll be a good one to scratch off before the new year begins. It’s actually a little short on the runtime at just under 40 minutes long so this one may be a bit of a straightforward review; depending on what i have to work with. Hope all of the Bowie fans on here are looking forward to this one! Also if you guys are a fan of Marilyn Manson’s Mechanical Animals album (i reviewed); then you are going to notice extremely similar concept themes (Aliens arriving and a rock star becoming their prophet kind of deal) Manson dealt more with drug abuse and presenting the jaded side of being a rock star product; with similar themes of ambiguous sexuality. It’ll be a nice pair of albums to check out if you are a fan of one or the other.

Five Years: We begin the album with a slow entry of soft drum patterns before keys signal for David to deliver a classically ambitious vocal melody. You can immediately sense the authenticity of his emotion and will find yourself immediately captivated by it. The lyrics are very substance filled and will provide the listener with a nice pacing to follow along to as the song eases the listener in with its reserved complexity. You can certainly tell during your initial listen if you were following his work in order; that this album is going to be the start of his commercial rise to stardom. David grows with a nice level of showmanship during the pre-chorus that will do very well to get a live audience feeling strong doses of ambition. The chorus makes clever use of engaging high notes and backing harmonies to lift them even higher. The use of strings during this segment is a very smart trait since it lifts things further in terms of complexity; without running the risk of bloating it. For a five minute song (longest on the album) it holds your attention very firmly without strangling you and breezes by surprisingly quick for its speed. Definitely sparks a high level of interest during a first time listen and the album itself is great driving music. 9.5/10

Soul Love: Now this one is a personal favorite of mine due to its interesting psychedelic roots (i’m by no means a fan of that but find it to be rather remarkable in this use). Drums begin with a Lion King like tone and the guitars arrive with a rather acoustic atmosphere full of beauty and romance. David utilizes a more angsty delivery that helps to balance the song’s experimental vibe. The brass is carefully placed in the background to give it a nice support and add further ambition to the song before the chorus arrives. The chorus has a nice show of energy before the guitars deliver a very thought provoking brass solo. Its melody and careful timing are very well done and will do a good job of converting modern listeners to what brass elements can actually add to a song. The lyrics continue to be a nice focal element and the guitar solos do well when they arrive to stretch things out a little while longer. It also gives the listener ample time to bask in David’s genius and fully appreciate what he was able to do in this 1972 album. 9/10

Moonage Daydream: Guitars and drums enter with a triumphant roar before David enters to deliver some rather enchanting vocals. You can sense a real sense of melodic beauty and charming power in his voice. You can definitely sense that while he was still only about five years into his career; his songwriting and singing abilities were really well developed by then. The subtle acoustic elements work very well with the keys and bass lines to keep things flowing neatly and further ensure that the listener is confronted by their powerful classical elements. The solo is a nice one that infuses a nice combination of brass and regular supporting guitar riffs to give it a nice sense of uniqueness that has proven to age very well over time; as well as stick way above his contemporaries at the time. A guitar solo arrives towards the end that is full of melodic genius and emotional bliss that would be amazing to see in a live performance. This combines with the strings in the background to really bring a sense of awe on the listener’s part. I really wish rocks bands were still putting out music with this level of finesse. 9.5/10

Starman (single): Now this is probably the biggest hit that this album is known for; though Suffragette City and Ziggy Stardust have a very comparable popularity. Starman at the very least was a given concert staple so let that be the reason for my assessment. This single begins softly with acoustic riffs and subtle electronic ones in the background to keep them floating neatly. The bass riff is very soothing under Bowie’s voice; which will create a calming atmosphere fit for dancing. Bowie’s voice is very relaxing and takes little issue in delivering a very engaging performance once the chorus enters. It is pretty straightforward lyrically but surprisingly delivers a strong level of substance and melodic bliss to further enthrall the listener before the guitar solo arrives. The solos always seem to arrive at the most opportune times and will give the listener some very melodically charming riffs to fall in love with before Bowie returns to deliver more of his lyrical genius. This is definitely a solid single pick since it has easy mainstream appeal and is very unique enough to represent himself and that general sound of the album accurately. 9.5/10

It Ain’t Easy (Ron Davies cover): He decides the end the first half of the album with a cover and begins with a nice sense of 60′s soul. Bowie opens in the background with a nicely reserved show of angst; which still brings forth a little melody before the chorus arrives. The chorus brings forth a little extra bass and backing female vocals to really give it that southern gospel vibe that will help to keep things feeling fresh and unpredictable on the album. Personally this always felt a little odd during a listen; but it is a cover of course and does keep the listener guessing rather fondly. 8/10

Lady Stardust: Keys begin this one with a calming sense of melody before Bowie enters over a drum beat to deliver a rather soothing vocal melody. He has a stronger sense of turmoil in his voice that does very well to connect with the listener. It does deliver an interesting false sense of farewell that will surely be picked up on by the listener before moving on. It helps to keep the listener feeling fresh while the lyrics carefully hold onto their focus for dear life. This one definitely makes for a rather beautiful and easygoing piece to unwind to at night. It does feel a bit short; but that will be a plus for it; since it will prevent the listener from encountering repetition and becoming bored as a result. 8.5/10

Star: The keys and drums begin with a nice show of life; which will do well to get the listener up and dancing. The vocals are catchy but retain a slight echo quality; which will help to keep a sense of uniqueness in them as the song ventures further on. The backing harmonies are well placed to help emphasize certain segments of his lyrics. The guitars serve mainly a support role while the keys and drums comprise of the major instrumental focal points in the song. It is not a bad touch since it reminds you of certain elements of Elton John that are always a crowd pleaser. It’s another smartly short one to pass things along without running the risk of boring the listener. 8/10

Hang On to Yourself: The guitars begin this one with an equal dose of life; but work to infuse an interesting rhythm into the mix. This rhythm will be nice to dance along to and makes things easy for David to keep going with his soothing vocal melodies. He is low in tone but the texture in his voice does very well at keeping things feeling interesting. His lyrics are a little muffled by the lowness but they work well to infuse the song with an interesting vibe before the instrumentals embark on a little jam segment. The jam nature of this track will make for a pretty good live piece as well; so no complaints here ha ha. 8.5/10

Ziggy Stardust: This next song begins with some rather soothing yet ambitious guitar melodies while the drums keep a rather interesting beat going. The guitars make sure to bring forth some classical 60′s vibes before Bowie starts singing. His vocals are very soothing to the tone and the lyrics work very well at delivering a strong sense of substance to the listener. Instrumentally it keeps thing pretty simple and easygoing; which manages to work very well at this stage of the album. It will keep things flowing rather smoothly and help maintain a specific mood as opposed to making the listener encounter a lot of highs and lows. 8.5/10

Suffragette City (single): The guitars on this one begin with a strong push and brass support; which Bowie uses to really get the heart pumping. His combination of lively verses and backing vocals will serve well to get the listener up and dancing with ease. The chorus is highly infectious and will beg for the listener to sing along with them. The brass elements are very fitting in the mix and fill in gaps perfectly while sticking out as a very crucial element in the song as well. I would suggest paying close attention to this one due to its strong live appeal and general strength on the album as a whole. Bowie definitely sticks out as a vocalist and will stand a strong chance of attracting newer fans when they encounter this well aged gem. 9/10

Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide (single): This is the final track on the album and will seek to infuse things with a somber feeling of farewell. It kind of has that slight hangover feeling you get when you know the party is just about over and you start cleaning up. Bowie opens very softly over an acoustic melody; which creates for a very melodically blissful atmosphere. The brass eventually arrives to help Bowie add a little extra jazzy elements into his voice. The jazz inclusion is minimal but does very well at helping to build thematic elements into the song as Bowie’s high notes begin to arrive. This will help to build a sense of awe in the listener yet again before the brass goes full swing with strings filling the background. Backing vocals will arrive to give it a nice sense of victory before the song fades out. It feels like a bit of an abrupt closing but it can be forgiven after looking back on how good this album is as a whole. 8.5/10

Overall album rating: 8.8/10

Well it has scored rather nicely and has tied with Station to Station for the top Bowie review on my blog. This was another really good anniversary piece to finally have off of the review list before it got too late. It turned 45 so its definitely safe to say that it has aged very well and is the hallmark of an essential album to review. I firmly suggest checking this album out if you are new to Bowie. If you like him them grab all of his 70′s work and check it out. My personal recommendations are Station to Station (reviewed), Young Americans, Alladine Sane (reivewed) and Heroes (reviewed). If that is all great then the next step would be his 90′s and onward. The 80′s were a low point as expected but for the 90′s Check out Oustide and Earthling (reviewed) to get a taste of his electronic side. Think of Nine Inch Nails in a sense for those ones but a little more clean. After that his last three albums before he died are also worth checking out. They are Reality, The Next Day (reviewed) and the Radiohead meets 1920′s jazz album Blackstar (reviewed) are real good picks. You check those out then you pretty have hit all of the highlight albums in my opinion. I gotta go now but enjoy your day! Tomorrow i may get another essential album off the list but it’ll depend on how i’m feeling.  Peace!!

*Reviewer’s Pick*

[100albumcountdown]

40. David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (1972)

This album introduced the world to a legend. Of course it wasn’t Bowie’s first album – at this point he’d already put out several LPs that were already experimenting with various different musical styles – but it was with Ziggy Stardust that he truly burst out of his chrysalis to reveal himself as the outrageously talented artistic polymorph he would be known as for the rest of his life. Having received mostly limited success with folksy ballads, moody rock songs and music-hall romps, Bowie set about draping himself and his music in the trappings of the burgeoning glam rock scene. The real masterstroke here wasn’t just that he dreamed up the story of a decadent alien rock-star set in a doomed, dystopian future; but that he fully assumed the character for himself and took on the role, casting his backing band as the titular Spider From Mars. The resulting change seeped into every element of their creative process – the music became harder, denser, and more colourful, and Bowie’s presence on stage and in the media turned him into a sensation that could no longer be ignored. But even removed from this historical setting, and disregarding it’s place in the cultural sea change of the times, this album still stands up as a stone cold classic. Based around the already proven quality of Bowie’s song-writing, informed by the rock solid rhythm section of the Spiders, and featuring the inspiring and versatile guitar playing of Mick Ronson – whose fluid leads, tough riffs and melodic hooks would perfectly counterpoint Bowie’s androgynous vocals – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars is a record of eleven lean, hard, dramatic and theatrical songs that don’t let up from start to finish. ‘Five Years’ demonstrates the scope of the album perfectly, beginning with that hard, punchy rhythm section, as Bowie introduces us to the alien character with a call to arms that culminates with the decaying grandeur of the swooping, crashing string section that closes the track out. ‘Soul Love’ surges forward on a backing of brittle, hard guitars, sultry horns and crooning backing vocals, whilst ‘Moonage Daydream’ is absolutely huge; it’s staccato outbursts and rhythmic thrust slowly getting sucked into a vortex of swirling strings and sci-fi guitar theatrics. Tracks like ‘It Ain’t Easy’, ‘Hang on to Yourself’  and ‘Suffragette City’ keep this breathless momentum up, whilst ‘Lady Stardust’ and ‘Star’ call back to the piano driven music-hall ballads of Hunky Dory to provide some welcome textural variation amongst all the guitar drenched rock songs. Both ‘Starman’ and ‘Ziggy Stardust’ are standouts, not just on this record but in Bowie’s whole discography, although both for entirely different reasons – ‘Starman’ is a lush, acoustic ballad, utilising Bowie’s warm, melodic voice and a sweeping, psychedelic chorus that pegs it as the spiritual successor to ‘Space Oddity’, whilst ‘Ziggy Stardust’ would sit alongside ‘Rebel Rebel’ as one of the songs that would come to define his glam rock period – it’s immediately recognisable riff, melodic verses and hard-as-nails choruses pegging it as an instant classic. The album ends with the dramatic finale of ‘Rock’n’Roll Suicide’ as the album gets swept back up into the upper atmosphere in a wave of strings, horns and Bowie’s frenzied yelps. The world would applaud, thinking they’d found a new glam rock god to worship for a few years; but no one knew then just what this exotic, androgynous alien being would go on to achieve. Bowie jettisoned the Stardust character not long after the tour for this album ended, and a few years after that would abandon glam rock entirely, moving on to master a variety of other musical styles and characterisations, and eventually gaining even greater success. But it was this album that started it all – not his career, but his decades long run of absolute, undeniable genius.

Also listen to: Hunky Dory, Aladdin Sane, Station to Station

[jukeboxgraduate]

Celebrating David Bowie, New York Edition, Terminal 5, January 10, 2017

This was a lovely evening, to be sure, brought on by the camaraderie of the musicians and the enthusiasm of the audience. This wasn’t the kind of crowd that went to the Dorf benefits last year, that owned CHANGES ONE and wanted to see the Mumfords, these were the people who cheered wildly every time Gail Ann Dorsey came to the mic.

The beautiful moments were utterly stunning, enthralling, evocative, memorable. Gail standing onstage, barefoot as always, in this simple black frock, a mourning gown, singing “Young Americans” with the Harlem Gospel Choir will go down as one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. She had so much joy and sadness and pride in getting it right, every time the choir kicked in, it was astounding. Hearing Earl Slick play the intro to “Stay” again, and probably for the last time in my life, was unexpectedly emotional, and compelling. Adrian Belew was an utter delight - I was right in front of him, and he laughed and sang with us all night. Watching his hands play those riffs on “Fame” and “Fashion” and “DJ” -- it was like catechism, you know? These are my holy books.

Living Color brought the motherfucking house down. Just burned the place DOWN. They came out for “Suffragette City” which had both Doug Wimbish AND Gail Ann Dorsey on bass, and then the supplemental musicians cleared the stage for “I’m Afraid of Americans” which was heart-stopping, especially that night as Obama said goodbye in Chicago as this was happening. They owned the song like they wrote it. They should record and release it immediately. Angelo Moore (from Fishbone) was also on fire, stunning costume and makeup changes, and one of the few singers unafraid to own the songs-- “Ashes to Ashes’ and later, “Moonage Daydream”--and the stage and transform the performance while still keeping it very very Bowie.

Out of the non-name folks, a gentleman named Brett Hool had been on backing acoustic all night before coming out to sing this unexpectedly countrified version of “Ziggy Stardust.” Like, imagine if Gram Parsons had sung “Ziggy Stardust.” It was bold and heartfelt and the crowd ate it up, deservedly so.

In that revolving pool of musicians, you always KNEW when the drummer had switched to either Sterling Campbell or Zach Alford, and much of my joy in the evening was listening to and watching them play, and watching their interactions with other musicians -- Zach and Earl Slick playing off each other during “Diamond Dogs” was utterly priceless. But it was a fucking drum clinic up there, as the two switched out with a third and with each other. They are just so, so, so very good.

I love Bernard Fowler and he did a great job but he did that thing at the end of songs that I blame his time with the Stones on, that inability to end a song crisply. “Rebel Rebel” has an end. End it. Don’t extend it with another two minutes of “Rebel Rebel.” The same thing went for many of the other guest vocalists. We are not here for your interpretations or your ad libs. This is not that night.

There was a huge band - there were strings. There were horns. There were alternate horns. All the guest singers sang backup and then alternate musicians would run out to sing backup. Sterling Campbell kept running out to play cowbell. The main saxophone player, whose name I did not catch, was phenomenal, the right mixture of soul and feel. I felt bad for the electronic keyboard player, who missed the opening riffs to “Sound and Vision” only to have Mr. Adrian Belew whirl around disapprovingly. It’s a tough gig. Step it up. But mostly, the band was rehearsed and we could hear all the parts and they all loved being there. Everyone stood sidestage, singing along all night.

I bought the ticket not knowing who the guests were because I trusted Mike Garson and everyone else involved to not let us down. And trust me, from a musical perspective, everyone did their best and played their hearts out and there were a lot of moving parts and everyone was prepared and clearly rehearsed. But for New York City, I think we deserved better guests than Sting’s son (who I didn’t even know existed, much less had a singing career, before tonight), and "Mr. Hudson” who thought we were there to see him, but managed to bungle the “Marks & Sparks” line in “Dudes” to an extent that I stood there going, He literally does not understand the line. He doesn’t know what it is so he threw something else in there. I thought ‘Heroes’ was too bright and cheery, and I thought the general setlist could have been more diverse for a crowd of people who came considerable distances and who knew every word of every song -- Mike introduced everything with “You might know this,” and after a while, I mumbled, “Mike, we know ALL OF IT, come on.” I mean, I do not need to hear another version of “Man Who Sold The World” ever again.

To be fair, Jon Sumner acquitted himself reasonably well on “Under Pressure,” which I didn’t expect, and was so happy to hear, but that was mostly due to the strength of Catherine Russell, there on percussion, and came out for this one number. That said, all I could think were the missed possibilities with a more worthy partner. He just didn’t have the depth or the emotion or the vocal prowess and it almost was unfair to give that to him, there was no way he’d meet anyone’s expectations on this one. It’s tough.

I bought the tickets to this show, at Terminal 5, at the second VIP level, without knowing any special guest or what VIP was going to get me. I hate Terminal 5 -- a colleague today noted it was “the worst place to see music possibly in america” and that’s not incorrect -- but for this show, and because of the VIP tickets, I thought I’d make an exception. It was only bearable because I was alone and I know how to deal with entering a venue and getting a spot. I showed up at 5:30pm and ended up well on the rail. Other people floundered about, trying to figure out if they were entitled to balcony access or not (not that the balcony at T5 is a great vantage point but it does give you more leaning potential). I will not ever do this again. (Seriously, fuck this venue where the security cannot correctly handle entry of a crowd of old people. Why is entering every concert there disorganized to the extent it feels like it’s the first time they’ve ever had a live music event there? Why is the security at every other Bowery Presents venue the polar opposite??)

For the diehards, you have no choice, you need to go to see Gail and Adrian and Mike and Earl and everyone else, they will give you the moments you need, the rest is just icing on the cake, not what you came for. Go if you can, but don’t fret if you can’t.  He’s still gone and will be gone forever and nothing will be seeing David Bowie ever again. xo

[voxpop-magazine-blog]

Vocals from David Bowie, Production from Ken Scott, Spiders from Mars.

The massively talented David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars reviewed and explained.

By Jordan Beresford

After a lengthy, and occasionally irrelevant, career, David Bowie has undeniably managed to leave his footprint on Earth as a Rock and Roll legend. For me, his most esteemed piece has to The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Exploring themes that were only dabbled with in previous albums, Ziggy creates a stunning representation of Bowie’s views on androgyny and gender identity, as well as telling the captivating tale of a non-binary, alien rock star who reaches fame in the last five years of Earth’s existence, only to be destroyed by his own ego. Only a mind like Bowie could pull off an idea so audacious.

The opening track introduces the setting of the story; Earth is dying and the human race has been given Five Years to live. News reporters are losing their composure and mankind goes into panic. The civilian telling the story, (possibly Ziggy himself) realises that other people are greatly under-appreciated and tries to reach out to the ones that he loves before it’s too late. Meanwhile, the rest of the world seeks salvation. These sombre lyrics are accompanied by a melodramatic piano score that helps set the scene for a tragic story of hope, betrayal and fame. I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s a lot of melodrama for a few catchy tunes.

The following tracks, Soul Love and Moonage Daydream, don't manage to live up to the storytelling of Five Years. Instead, 'Soul Love' talks of love and its painful complications through an interesting melody and an unsurprisingly exceptional performance from Bowie himself. Moonage Daydream, however, talks of sci-fi gibberish. And although the track features a thick, heavy guitar sound that supplies it with most of its charm, the song mainly acts as a way to emphasise the albums Sci-Fi theme. Next, of course, there's the big single: Starman. This song finally introduces the character of Ziggy Stardust as an extra-terrestrial who, according to the lyrics, wants to meet mankind but fears that his existence is too complex for us to fathom. The song overall is a well written and catchy crowd-pleaser that blends both theatrical and pop elements. Combined they produce a classic song that, over 30 years later, is bound to get arms waving at any gig.

Later tracks Star and It Ain’t Easy talk of the struggles and rewards of making it as a rock and roll phenomenon. With more heavy guitar and memorable choruses, the songs feel perfectly in place with the rest of the album adding a more Rock and Roll vibe to the album which feels refreshing in juxtaposition with the theatrical storytelling of other tracks.

In between these two songs, Lady Stardust tells us more about the androgynous rock star as he performs with his backup band, 'The Spiders from Mars'. The song talks about how fans react to his androgyny and in many ways celebrates glam rock and its impact on society. However, Bowie went beyond the point of Ziggy being a gimmick, but a part of himself. That being said, I feel that it's only fitting to mention Hang on to Yourself. The lyrics say “If you think we're gonna make it, you better hang on to yourself”. This is ironic seeing as, during Bowie's adaptation into Ziggy Stardust, he became so absorbed into his character that in order to stay sane and remember his actual identity, Bowie had to destroy Ziggy Stardust. In other words, Bowie struggled to hang on to himself.

Moving towards the end of the album, the storyline must progress in some way, and it does. One of the standout tracks in the album is Ziggy Stardust itself which explores, through the perspective of a band member, how Ziggy becomes self-indulgent and causes the other band members to betray him. The Spiders from Mars apparently “crush his sweet hands” in order to take away Ziggy's musical ability. As well as describing the fall of the character, it also acts as a tribute, talking about Ziggy as a legend. (“He took it all too far, but boy could he play guitarrrr.”)

Before the album’s curtains are drawn in a climactic finale, we hear Suffragette City. All business and straight to the point, the song throws yet another great riff at the listener and again uses the perfect blend of Rock and Roll and pop to create another classic. After the hard-hitting rock, the album reaches its serene, acoustic coda. Rock and Roll Suicide documents Ziggy's collapse as a rock star, showing his fall to a washed-up performer. The song moves from the slow acoustic guitar to full orchestration and you can, with ease, visualise Bowie screaming “Oh no love, You're not alone!” into the night.

The spectacle of this album is what makes it so ground-breaking. Being only 38 minutes long, the album is a powerful and snappy mix of Rock and Roll, glam rock, pop and theatrical storytelling that has found its place in history as a cult classic. For Bowie to take this story and bring it to life by actually becoming the character is something unseen in the music industry altogether, Bowie’s (successful) attempt to point out how “boring” the music industry can be. Bowie’s struggles with fame can’t be ignored and he did sometimes take it too far, boy could he play guitar.

[thisdayinphishtory]

12 months ago: MGM Grand Garden Arena - Las Vegas, NV - 2016

Phish • October 31, 2016 • MGM Grand Garden Arena • Las Vegas, NV

Set 1: Carini[1], Your Pet Cat > AC/DC Bag > Free > Possum, What's the Use? > Wombat, Tube, Wolfman's Brother, Ass Handed, Petrichor > Run Like an Antelope[1]

Set 2: Five Years[2], Soul Love[3], Moonage Daydream[4], Starman[3], It Ain't Easy[5], Lady Stardust[6], Star[5], Hang On to Yourself[5], Ziggy Stardust[7], Suffragette City[5], Rock 'n' Roll Suicide[4]

Set 3: 46 Days > Sand > Twist[8], Meatstick > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Backwards Down the Number Line > Slave to the Traffic Light

Encore: Space Oddity

[1] Lyrics changed to reference Trey's shirt. [2] Phish debut; With Sylvia D'Avanzo, Alisa Horn, Todd Low, Antoine Silverman, Alissa Smith, and Hiroko Taguchi on strings; Trey on acoustic. [3] Phish debut; With Sylvia D'Avanzo, Alisa Horn, Todd Low, Antoine Silverman, Alissa Smith, and Hiroko Taguchi on strings and Jennifer Hartswick, Celisse Henderson, and Jo Lampert on backing vocals; Trey on acoustic. [4] Phish debut; With Sylvia D'Avanzo, Alisa Horn, Todd Low, Antoine Silverman, Alissa Smith, and Hiroko Taguchi on strings and Jennifer Hartswick, Celisse Henderson, and Jo Lampert on backing vocals. [5] Phish debut; With Jennifer Hartswick, Celisse Henderson, and Jo Lampert on backing vocals. [6] Phish debut; Trey on acoustic. [7] Phish debut. [8] Trey on Marimba Lumina and Mike and Page on percussion.

This show was webcast via Live Phish. Carini and Antelope featured lyrics altered to reference Trey's shirt. Trey teased Martian Monster in Free and Undermind in Possum. The second set "musical costume" was David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. All of the songs in the second set were Phish debuts. Five Years, Soul Love, Moonage Daydream, Starman, and Rock 'n' Roll Suicide featured a string sextet comprised of Sylvia D'Avanzo (violin), Alisa Horn (cello), Todd Low (viola), Antoine Silverman (violin), Alissa Smith (viola), and Hiroko Taguchi (violin). All the songs in the second set other than Five Years, Lady Stardust, and Ziggy Stardust featured Jennifer Hartswick, Celisse Henderson and Jo Lampert on backing vocals. Trey played acoustic guitar on Five Years, Soul Love, Starman, and Lady Stardust. Trey did not play guitar (but contributed lead vocals) on It Ain't Easy and Rock 'n' Roll Suicide. Page did not play keyboards (but contributed lead vocals) on Ziggy Stardust. Carmel Dean arranged the all of the vocals and strings in the second set. Twist featured Trey on Marimba Lumina and Mike and Page on percussion. Also Sprach Zarathustra contained Fame quotes from Trey.