Editorial Reviews Bowie, David / Ziggy O.S.T., Music, Rock
Music:
Music
Liszt & Mussorgsky Piano Works
Sacred Hearts and Fallen Angels: The Gram Parsons Anthology
Saving the Best to Last [Import]
John Field: Complete Music: Rondos
Mit Dem Wind Muss Ich Weiterzieh'n [Import]
Amazon.com
The Monkees' calculated approximation of the Beatles prompted some to call them the Prefabricated Four, but it took David Bowie to create a thoroughly imaginary pop star. The androgynous Ziggy Stardust, cloaked in theatrical make- up and outrageous fashions, was the stylish trend setter of the early-'70s glitter rock movement. (The influence of Ziggy hangs over Bowie's period productions of Lou Reed and Mott the Hoople.) But Bowie's outrageous guise would have meant nothing without the sleek, hard rock of the Spiders from Mars. Mick Ronson's sustain-drenched guitar packed a wicked wallop on hard-rock gems like "Hang Onto Yourself" and "Suffragette City." Songs like "It Ain't Easy" and "Rock `n' Roll Suicide" suffered from Bowie's fey theatricality, and sound lame compared to the more musical dramatics of "Star" and "Five Years." Ziggy was just one of the many guises Bowie has worn during his career, but it is by far his most influential pose. The music of Ziggy Stardust might not be timeless although Marilyn Manson might disagree but this album nonetheless captures a singularly glittery moment in the history of rock. --John Milward --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.