On Bowie

The thing I like about Rob Sheffield's music writing is that he eschews the distanced approach of music critics, and while he's writing as a fan, he's not writing a hagiography of his musical heroes. Instead, Sheffield writes about how fans engage with music and the artists that create it. This is particularly significant in Bowie's case as Bowie himself was a fan who never hid his influences, collaborated with many of his favorite musicians, offered support to young up and coming artists, and even on his final album took some inspiration from the much younger artist Kendrick Lamar. Bowie also engaged directly with his fans, treating them as special people, and encouraging their creativity. The funny thing is that Sheffield presents show more Bowie fans as the outcasts of society whereas I came to Bowie later in my life because when I was young I never felt cool enough to listen to Bowie. Regardless of how you come to Bowie, this is a great book with stories of his life and how he created his music.

Favorite Passages:

"Nobody enjoyed laughing at his humiliations more than he did."

"That's one of the things David Bowie came to show us -- we go to music to hear ourselves change."

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This is not a meticulously researched music biography. It’s Sheffield’s response to being asked to write a book in a month in the wake of Bowie’s death. I like the way Sheffield thinks and writes, even if I don’t agree with his interpretations a lot of the time, and he’s funny. Reading this book was like talking to a friend and fellow fan, discussing different Bowie TV interviews and other ephemera, which is a feeling I really enjoy in these isolated times.

This is a terrific book from music writer Rob Sheffield. He approaches Bowie's career as a fan, not as a critic. For those of us who admired and loved Bowie's music, but might not have been aficionados of his every musical and cultural nuance, this book hits the sweet spot. It never dives into minutiae or feels heavy handed. It's like coffee with a Bowie fan who wants to share a fair assessment of his hits and misses, his humanity and his struggles.

The book, chaptered by albums and eras, takes us from his early days as David Jones to his passing in 2016 and the luminous "Lazarus" that capped off his career. I'd recommend it to anyone who is looking for an introduction to Bowie, or a high-level appreciation of his life and artistry. If show more you know the lyrics and session players for every album from "Low" to "Never Let Me Down", this might be a deep enough dive for you, but you'll appreciate Sheffield's honesty, respect, and awareness of Bowie and his impact on our culture. show less

Full of references to Bowie's music as well as other artists' and literature ("The California kids are face-to-face with something commensurate to their capacity for wonder" borrows from Fitzgerald), ON BOWIE is not as autobiographical as Sheffield's previous books, nor is it a biography; it's an extended fan paean to Bowie. It's probably best for hardcore Bowie fans...or they may skip it and go straight to the music itself.

Quotes

"...one isn't totally what one has been conditioned to think one is. That there are many facets of the personality that many of us have trouble finding." (89)

But maybe I keep changing my mind because it's fun to change your mind about things. That's one of the things David Bowie came to show us - we go to music show more to hear ourselves change. (93)

Personality is a fun drug to fool around with, but too much of it can take a toll on your - well, let's call it your soul. (97-98)

"He had reduced rock stardom to its roots: being a rock star is the intersection of who you are and who you want to be." (GNR guitarist Slash, 112)

AS with so many Bowie fans, what he learned from the master was how to turn loneliness into a grand theatrical gesture - how to turn your loneliness into a work of art. (154)

MTV began broadcasting in 1981, in the lag time between Bowie albums, but it was a Bowie shrine from the start. (159) show less

ORIGINALLY POSTED: https://bibliomantics.com/2016/08/01/my-year-in-reading-cassie-las-july-2016-wra...

I’m going to be honest, this book destroyed me. I’m talking almost crying in public levels here. Part love letter to David Bowie, part biography, part music criticism, Sheffield’s book taught me even more about Ziggy Stardust, the Thin White Duke and all the iterations of David Jones in a mere 200 pages. Get ready to binge on Bowie tunes after reading! You know, more than usual.

Sometimes a book really strikes the right notes at the right time in your life. Having just lost my father to cancer, I really appreciated Mr. Bowie's dignity before his passing. This was a love letter for David. Well worth reading.

Personal reflection/biography of Bowie by a Rolling Stone journalist, written in a month after his death. Sheffield's knowledge of, and passion for, Bowie and his music shines through, but there's not a lot that's new here - even as only a moderately interested fan I knew most of this stuff.

On the negative side, unsurprisingly it doesn't go deep into the darker side of Bowie's life (no mention of allegations that he slept with underage girls, the fascist comments/"salute" are brushed aside). And Sheffield's insistence on incorporating lyrical quotes into almost every page (along the lines of "My mind was blown by Bowie on TOTP. Hey that's far out, so you heard it too?") starts to grate.

OK, but I'm sure there are better Bowie books out show more there. show less