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Bowie General > Images Vol. 42

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homebrewPosted at 2025-10-04 14:03:16(1 wk ago) (Bowie General / Images Vol. 42)


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These articles appear just as they were posted in the Usenet group alt.fan.david-bowie by group member Jamie Soule aka AladINSAnE. I have made no attempt to alter the formatting, spelling, grammar or edit in any way.

*Images*: Part 42.

I have something to say before I get started on this installment of
*Images*, an ongoing series about the characters, life, and work of David
Bowie. The purpose that I had for writing this article was forgotten
some months ago, yet I am continuing it for a few reasons that I seem to
have also forgotten. This segment however, may serve some use to those
of you who may be a little low on funds between pay cheques. There are
instructions contained in here on how to make several million dollars
with minimal effort. I would be doing it myself, but I'm too busy
writing this, for some reason that I'm sure will eventually come back to
me. Soon, I hope.

If you really think about it, it is rather boring, redundant, and never
ending. Artist bashing artist, band bashing band, and the "new"
generation bashing the former generation. "A bunch of tired old farts,"
and "in it for the money," was how Johnny Rotten summed up his
predecessors. This included of course all those bands who weren't
"talented" enough to outlive The Sex Pistols, such as The Who, Bowie,
The Stones, Pink Floyd, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Genesis, Frank Zappa, Jethro
Tull, Emerson Lake And Palmer, as well as the other one hit wonders.
Don't get me wrong here, I have a soft spot for The Pistols, they were a
fun band in my opinion and I wish I had the opportunity to see them
before the Filthy Lucre tour. I had to laugh under my breath however at
this type of rhetoric, as I watched it spread by many in the "Punk"
sect,  you could see it become the new "gospel" in many instances. "Out
With The Old, In With The New," they screamed. Well, I thought that I
heard that "new gospel" of theirs somewhere before actually. The odd
thing is, that my father heard it as well. What is really quite
something though, is the fact that my children are hearing it now from
what they listen to. I avoided the word "music" on purpose, in case you
wondered. My father avoided the word too when referring to my choice of
"racket," as he so fondly referred to it, or "crap" when it came to
Bowie, especially Diamond Dogs and Aladinsane. Ziggy was "that awful
noise." He had special descriptions reserved for Moonage Daydream, and
Hang On To Yourself. Never, mind, you get the idea. Interesting to note
was also the fact that this new wave of radicalism which was going to
topple the existing establishment, had both a "look," and a "sound,"
which shocked the parents of those who followed the  "punk anthem." It
wasn't long before the Punk Movement was branded as a serious threat to
youth, as well as a serious threat to the whole of society, and the
battle was on.

It's not that I fancy myself as courageous, but I am not overly
frightened when I am informed of these "threats" to society. That is, I
do not worry about the waves of anarchy forecast between each
generation, which are supposed to throw us back into the Stone Age. To
be straight up about it, I am really not afraid of people armed with
musical instruments. If that makes me a tough son of a bitch, well, then
that is what I am. There have been several of these warnings issued
concerning the potential destruction of the world. A quick look back,
and behold, these are some of the threats that we were told could lead
to our demise, we were to fear these things, for our very lives. Chuck
Berry, Elvis Presley,  Little Richard, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones,
The Beatles, Iggy Pop,  The Sex Pistols,  Marilyn Manson,  Eminem, blue
spiked hair, thrusting hips, Hippies, Beatniks, Mods, Unisex, bell
bottom pants, psychedelic colours, yellow submarines, electric guitars,
Jimi Hendrix and a can of lighter fluid, Jim Morrison and a bottle of
alcohol, The Who, Timothy Leary and a hit, or several hits, of acid,
Elvis Presley, The Clash, Pop Art, Ozzy Osbourne, Lou Reed, marijuana,
Abby Hoffman, Jerry Lee Lewis, Rock N' Roll, studded leather, Doc
Martins, Punk, Alice Cooper, and I could list a hundred more reasons we
almost returned to caves.

You can be well assured that I am besieged with amusement as I look at
Johnny Rotten and The Sex Pistols. How can one not be, when they see
that they are the product fabricated by a gentleman by the name of
Malcolm McLaren. He was  a man who came to realize that you can't
deceive the vast majority of people with the same trick twice, as a
matter of fact, you can quite often use the very same trick to deceive
the vast majority of people hundreds of times over again, without any
fear that they'll ever catch on.  Now, if you want to make a quick
million, or perhaps more, you may wish to take a page out of history.
The page you want is the one that is "common" to each of these scourges
of society I have just mentioned. Step one. Piss off, infuriate, shock,
anger, offend, scare or intimidate people in the age group of thirty
five to seventy. This is accomplished simply by finding what behavior
this age group considers to be in extremely poor taste. Behavior
includes, language, clothes, lifestyle, moral values as well as just
your general demeanor.  Long hair, wearing make up, safety pins stuck in
the face, thrusting, grabbing or exposing your crotch, coloured hair,
sexual deviance, starting a Fourth Reich, destroying your instruments,
smashing up hotel rooms, alcohol abuse, adultery, excessive drug use,
improper display of religious icons and inappropriate language have all
worked well in the past.

The whole idea is to be seen as a "threat" to youth. In other words, set
a terrible example, be a role model that will terrify parents at the
very thought of their offspring aspiring to follow in your footsteps.
The best way to gain the  attention  of parents, the authorities, and
certain levels of government, in order to properly offend them, is
through your music. Your sound should be "fresh,"  and therefore it is
necessary to find new sounds, and experiment with them  at a variety of
different decibel levels, in order to ascertain which ones are the most
irritating to people thirty five years of age, and above. It has been
proven time and time again, by previous entertainers, that the best way
to  showcase  your poor character, bad attitude, lack of respect, and
repulsive ideologies, is through your lyrics. The first rule of thumb
regarding your lyrics is this. You do not have to believe anything you
say. The second rule is to attack the ideas, values, icons, beliefs, and
institutions that are held in high esteem by parents. Taking a few well
aimed swipes at authority, and telling kids that everyone in the world
is completely fucked up, except them of course, is also prudent. Now,
although this sounds quite illogical, it is, in reality, extremely
logical. While many artists fight to get airplay on the radio, your
ideal situation is to have a good percentage of your music kept from
being played on the radio. This is accomplished by writing lyrics  that
are perceived as offensive, as well as enough of a threat to the
"morality" of young people, to cause parents, and special interest
groups which advocate decency, to mount a successful campaign to have
some of your music BANNED from the radio. You will also want these
people to cause enough of a frenzy, that your record company is forced
to put big colourful WARNING LABELS on the outside of your cd's.  That's
all, by the way.

Malcolm McLaren was an entrepreneur, who owned a clothing boutique, and
understood the value of marketing. The Sex Pistols were a marketing
creation of McLaren's using the techniques that I have just described to
you. Get the parents upset and this attracts the media, which give you
lots of coverage. Now, a guaranteed fact is that  kids will purchase the
music that most offends the "establishment," and there is a time
honoured reason for this. It is called "identity." Each new generation
has sought to have a separate identity from the previous generation, it
allows this new generation to have a place in society that is
"exclusively" theirs.  This uniqueness is best obtained by going against
the "ideals" of mainstream society, and this technique continues to
work, as it has for countless generations. Each "new" generation shocks
the previous one, adding to the well known question, "What are kids
coming to these days?"  Artists have continued to capitalize on this
need for identity, by giving kids something to identify with.  What they
give them is a focal point with their music, and this music defies the
things that mainstream society identifies itself with. Quite often this
music is defined as "SHOCK ROCK," simply for the effect it  has on many
people, and entertainment figures such as Marilyn Manson, Censored, Alice
Cooper, Eminem, The Who, The Rolling Stones, The Tubes and most notably
James (Iggy Pop) Osterburg, are all fine examples of people who have
employed this technique. What "shocks" me however, is the fact that the
exact same technique continues to work as well today, as it has in the
past. This is a point easily proven by counting the number of artists
who continue to use this approach, most often with very satisfying
results.

The idea of giving a "new" generation something that was exclusively
theirs, and distancing yourself from the "older" generation, was a
concept that David Bowie understood well. A very close friend in England
sent me an interview with Bowie that was done in July of this year. Her
timing it seems, could not have been  more perfect, as Bowie discusses
this very topic in that interview. "You have to try and kill your
elders," was how he started. He went on to say, "We had to develop a
completely new vocabulary, as indeed is done generation after
generation. The idea was taking the recent past and restructuring it in
a way that we felt we had authorship of it. My key "in" was things like
Clockwork Orange, that was our world, not the bloody hippy thing. It all
made sense to me. The idea of taking a present situation and doing a
futuristic forecast, and dressing it to suit, it was a uniform for an
army that didn't exist. And I thought. if I took the same kind of thing,
and subverted it by using pretty materials....That Clockwork Orange look
became the first uniform for Ziggy, but with the violence taken out of
it." It is my personal opinion that David Bowie understands marketing
techniques, and  furthermore, he is one of the most talented
individuals I have ever seen when it comes to putting these techniques
into action. Did David Bowie resort to "shock rock," as one of the
weapons in his arsenal of marketing tools? Most people would jump at
"YES," as an answer to that question, immediately citing his role as one
of the artists most commonly associated to Glam Rock, the "gay"
confession to Melody Maker, and add the dresses and make up in there as
well. I agree that there are certain things which Bowie has said, or
done, for the purpose of "stirring up" the media.  I do not believe
however, that he has done this to the degree that most people think he
has, and I do not believe that the examples which people use as evidence
of Bowie's attempts to shock the media, such as those I just mentioned,
are relevant. First of all, Bowie had NOTHING at all to do with Glam
Rock, that was an invention of the media. His ideas for the use of
costumes and make up came from "intellectual" sources, such as his
interest in traditional Japanese theater from the Nho period, as well as
Kabuki, which emerged from this period, and was a blend of traditional,
and Japanese Puppet theater. Bowie read much on the subject of
traditional theater from around the world, his father was once involved
in it for a short period of time, and apart from Japanese traditional
theater, he had a strong preference for German Cabaret, circa 1930. To
associate Bowie and Glam is narrow minded thinking that is based on a
poor knowledge of Bowie's interests, and in my opinion an insult to a
man who prides his collection of books more than anything, simply for
what they have taught him.  I am not however surprised at the media for
being so irresponsible, I expect it.  The "gay" announcement to Melody
Maker can only be partially attributed to him, and only in the fact that
he went ahead and said it. The idea however originated with Tony Defries
and Angela. It is a fact that many of the "shocking" things the public
feel Bowie has done in  the past, were thought up by others. This does
not mean that he hasn't done his fair share of things that caused a
great deal of controversy. Although the Aryan label was put on him by
the media, here we go once again, he did nothing to dispel it, instead
he milked it for all it was worth. Still, it is odd to me how anyone can
think that artists themselves can believe a good portion of some of the
things they say in interviews. I have read Bowie interviews that are so
loaded with bizarre statements that I can't help marvel at how he could
possible keep a straight face while watching some magazine reporter
writing it all down thinking it was the truth. They then take this stuff
and write serious articles which they believe are truthful, as well as
revealing, and I can't keep a straight face reading half of it.

A very common practice of a lot of bands and artists as I said earlier,
is their bashing of other bands and artists. This, in most cases, is
another tool in the marketing arsenal, and used to draw an audience.
Since the "new" generation seeks a separate identity, they want their
"own" distinct brand of music. Artists attract this audience by bashing
the artists the these kid's parents listen to, as The Sex Pistols did so
often. One characteristic about David Bowie that is completely ignored,
and it shouldn't be, is the fact that he does not engage in this
practice. This to me exhibits a tremendous amount of "class" on his
part. I may be mistaken, but personally, other than comments he made
about Elton John, I have never heard him speak in a derogatory manner
about others, instead, it has been quite the opposite. Rather than bash
others, Bowie has on many occasions spoken about his "respect" for other
artists. Roxy Music, Kraftwork, Lou Reed, Devo, The Pixies, Bauhaus,
John Lennon, The Velvet Underground, Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop and Marc Bolan
are the ones that immediately come to mind. Tom Verlaine was one of
these artists which Bowie respected quite highly, enough to record a
version of one of his songs on Scary Monsters. Another credit to Bowie
is the fact that he has always taken the time in interviews to discuss
the work of other artists he admires, which can only help to boost their
careers. Talking about Tom Verlaine in an interview shortly after the
release of Scary Monsters, Bowie referred to his work as "terrific," and
called him one of the finest new writers around, adding that he wished
he had a much larger audience, but felt that would come in time.
Verlaine also had another admirer in the Bowie camp, and that was Carlos
Alomar. It was a joint decision between the two of them to record a
version of Kingdom Come, which was Bowie's favourite track from
Verlaine's latest release at the time. The "style" that Bowie wished to
emulate on Kingdom Come was that of singer and producer Ronnie Spector,
another person who he admired very much. I have often wondered what the
opinions of Bowie fans, and Tom Verlaine fans for that matter, are
concerning Bowie's version of Kingdom Come. I have a high opinion of
both, however I find the original has more "punch" to it, but then
again, well, there's Bowie's voice. I'm not even going to try.

Because You're Young Bowie describes as a love song. It is written from
an outsider's perspective as he looks at these "two young things,
knowing that it's all going to fizzle out one day."  I'm sure that I
would not have to look too far to find a few others like myself who
would say that subject matter aside, this is still one great piece of
music.  Pete Townsend, may I add, was quite successful in making his
presence felt on this track. What I feel is unfortunate, is the fact
that Bowie has not included Because You're Young as part of the set at
any one of the performances which I have attended.  What is really
disappointing though, is the fact that Bowie included this song, as well
as Scream Like A Baby, in the 87 tour rehearsals, and both were later
dropped. To add insult to injury, I have heard both of these songs from
the rehearsal sessions, and they were done extremely well. It really is
a shame that we were deprived of them. Oh well, maybe next time.

Bowie wanted  to create a certain feeling, with It's No Game (Part 2).
His aim was to show what happens when a protest, or an angry statement,
is thrown against the wall so many times, that the speaker finds that he
has absolutely no more energy to give it any impact any more. The
sentiments are EXACTLY the same as in the first version of It's No Game,
but this one comes across as melodic and superficial. The ambiance has
changed, it has a gentle, almost nostalgic, kind of quality to it,
rather than the very angry vehement statement at the beginning of the
album. It's the two sides of social protest according to Bowie. Once
again, Bowie was more than able to create exactly what he wished the
listener to experience. The "speakers" in most cases do lose energy, as
the nature of the protests contained on Scary Monsters usually fall on
"deaf ears."  It this regard It's No Game (Part 2) is a fitting end. It
is true that social protests of this nature are generally ignored, and
sadly, Scary Monsters is no exception. Yes, it produced hits, but that
is not my point. I agree, in that respect it got a lot of recognition.
Everyone knows Fashion, and Ashes To Ashes, but the relevance of Scary
Monsters was lost to most. Many albums of social protest have been
written over the years, Dark Side Of The Moon, Crime Of The Century,
Selling England By The Pound, Tea For The Tillerman and the list could
go on indefinitely. Peter Gabriel, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Neil
Young, Lou Reed are all part of another indefinite list of artists who
have focused their music on statements of social commentary. Now, here
comes my point, but first a few easy questions. In all the discussions
that you have been involved in, or any discussions you have heard, where
the topic is social protest in music, how many times have you heard
Scary Monsters come up? In any articles you have read about social
protest in music, how many times have you seen Scary Monsters mentioned?
If someone did a survey of music listeners to determine the twenty best
social protest albums ever made, where would Scary Monsters fit in? In
my experience the answer to question number one is zero. In my
experience the answer to question number two is also zero. In my
OPINION, the answer to the third question is that Scary Monsters
wouldn't even make the list, because the theme of the album is
overlooked by most, as I have previously stated. I am confident enough
that what I am saying is correct, that I would not hesitate for a second
bet on it. Again, it is only my opinion, but as a thirty year Bowie
listener it is not an uneducated one. As a protest  album, the
commentary on Scary Monsters stands up to the best of them. The writing
on the album is superb, and certainly is a dynamic testament to David
Bowie as a visionary.  The same can be said about Diamond Dogs, and some
of the ideas expressed on it were carried forward and restated on Scary
Monsters, yet in a much more refined manner. Fashion, and Ashes To
Ashes, are what Scary Monsters will be remembered for.  It will never
occupy its rightful place however, as containing some of the finest
writing ever done by any artist. Its intellectual depth went by
unnoticed, except to those who care to look beyond the surface of
Bowie's work. Although it is unfortunate, I am not anywhere near
surprised, that the "true" brilliance of Scary Monsters was missed by
the majority of people. Also, for an album many people argue with me
saying it is not overlooked, I don't ever hear much said about Robert
Fripp's contribution, or Bittan, or Andy Clark, or Townsend for that
matter. I find this all rather strange, especially for an album many
claim to "know" well. Can anyone offer some sort of explanation for
these oversights? I think I can. I'll go back and say it once more,
Scary Monsters is an overlooked album.

It just occurred to me, and why I don't know, but in this entire series
I have not given any mention to Bowie's album covers, and come to think
of it, I never seem to see them mentioned anywhere. Information on them,
I have discovered, is not very easy to come by. However, the cover for
Scary Monsters should not go by unrecognized, or the concept behind it,
and I will make sure that doesn't happen.

ALADINSANE

To be, or not to be..............................

*BACK TO THE INDEX <index.htm>*


""I don't begrudge any artist for finding an audience"
- David Bowie abt. 1987
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