Sic Semper Tyrannis

ChangesBowie by David Bowie (1990)

A Random CD Review from the Stutzman Memorial Library
ChangesBowie by David Bowie (1990)

Well now. Is there anybody in the business of rock music that is more iconic than David Bowie? Obviously Elvis. Bob Dylan? Maybe John Lennon? Bob Marley? Pre-Disney Elton John? I don’t know.

All I can say is that I am largely confused by Bowie. I say he’s “iconic,” but that might not be true anymore. It certainly was true when he was indistinguishable from his stage persona of Ziggy Stardust. And maybe that’s a large part of why he’s confusing to me. If you factor out the visual element and try to pin him down musically, it’s still a rough go- even with the relatively limited chronological scope of this greatest hits album, which was made when songs like “China Girl” and “Fashion” were still pretty new songs.

If I was a critic, I would be confounded with Bowie’s output, even up to the point covered by this album. Stylistically, he’s a bit of a shape-shifter, isn’t he? The only commonalities would seem to be his distinctive voice and his ability to write long-ish melodies. I mean if you think about the two poles of this album-“Space Oddity” and “Blue Jean,” they really don’t sound like the same artist, from a compositional standpoint. Of course, that’s one of the things I like about Bowie, his willingness to try new things.

Favorite tracks from this album: “Space Oddity,” “Changes,” “Heroes,” “Ashes to Ashes,” and “Modern Love.” I’ve never been able to get into “Jean Genie” or “Diamond Dogs.”

Surely there are some Bowie appreciators out there. Any favorites you care to discuss?

posted by Mike @ 3:16 PM