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For nearly 40 years, some people have joined an artist named David Bowie on a journey of evolution.
An evolution of music, movies, and identity that range from Ziggy Stardust of the 70's to the White Duke to
simply David Bowie. Seasoned by his years of experiences, "Oh the stories I could tell you," he teases an
audience during a taping of MTV's Unplugged, David gives the wicked smile of a man who has seen and
done things that most of us would be happy to read, but never write about.
Music Review: Heathen-David Bowie
by Brad DeMaagd
For nearly 40 years, some people have joined an artist named David Bowie on a journey of evolution.
An evolution of music, movies, and identity that range from Ziggy Stardust of the 70's to the White Duke to
simply David Bowie. Seasoned by his years of experiences, "Oh the stories I could tell you," he teases an
audience during a taping of MTV's Unplugged, David gives the wicked smile of a man who has seen and
done things that most of us would be happy to read, but never write about.
College marked my first real exposure to David Bowie's music and that came in the form of Ziggy
Stardust (my friend was a die-hard fan of 70's era music). David Bowie's recent release, Heathen , marks my
first return to his music since I bought the single, I'm Afraid of Americans . Heathen has been played
front to back repeatedly; I hesitated to even stop the CD when I had to shut the car off. Is it Bowie's
masterwork? I wouldn't put such a label on it, but I will say it is an utterly addictive record.
What sets Heathen apart, beyond just the curiosity that arises from buying a David Bowie album, is
that it flows together perfectly. The music is a mixture of keyboard, sound effects, guitars, piano, and drums
all twining around Bowie's vocals. His singing carries the listener deep into the song, and after hitting stop
– you take a few moments to wonder where you just went. Heathen exists as its own escape, its own world
where Bowie and his music vision lure you in.
Track 3 on the disc is entitled Slip Away . The lyrics are a mesh of fairy tale rhymes and modern
times. What exposes itself beneath the surface is a song about a lost friend, a dear companion. Bowie's
voice carries an adult's sadness recounting the good times. Stirring in its simple delivery, the song stands
out because its switch from a gentle piano tempo to the surging violin chorus creates imagery of a person
lunging to grab the past before it happens.
Afraid is the title for the fifth track on this CD. The opening lyrics begin as the antithesis of one
another. First Bowie says, "I wish I were smaller. I got so lost here on the shore.' And then, "I wish I were
taller. Things really matter to me". One appears to be the cry of an adult who wishes to be young again, and
the child who wishes to be the adult. This uncertainty - this fear of the present - is the buried message
among the lyrics. Bowie's ending of this fear feeds a very modern myth of the power of the lie, the false
existence. As he offers to "smile a crooked smile", a man so desperate to not be afraid of life he will lie to
himself. Some listeners may find this track a bit too close to home, as certain times have dictated we put on a
false face to avoid an unpleasant moment.
These two tracks are merely a sampling of possibly the most complete CD I've heard yet this year,
but I wager the Grammy's won't take notice. I hesitated to even review those two tracks since interpreting
Bowie's music can be as elusive as trying to keep up with his constant flux of music style and imagery. The
mystery of David Bowie and of the meaning of his music remains a powerful draw. For Generation X - which
has stood watching this past decade unlock so many mysteries of man and his world – knowing we have a
human one left is nice. Heathen marks the return of the chameleon that is David Bowie, and I recommend
you get your copy today.
To order yours online, I recommend Best Buy or Amazon.
To learn more about David Bowie visit his fan site here, which Mr. Bowie visits daily
to keep in touch with his fans.
~~~~~
Brad DeMaagd was born in Sacramento, California in 1976. Mr. DeMaagd currently lives in Michigan, but is planning a move to Oregon in the late spring. Mr. DeMaagd attended Michigan State University where he majored in English, with minor studies in Economics and History. Mr. DeMaagd continues to pursue his goal of becoming an Acquisitions Editor at a publishing house. His past times include watching David Lynch films, NFL football, working on his stories, and reading an ever growing stack of books.
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