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Bowie, genius or not...
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Kid Calamity
9042 posts

Re: Bowie, genius or not...
Jul 28, 2010, 20:15
zphage wrote:
I think your compatriots would be up for that.


FFS
Kid Calamity
9042 posts

Re: Bowie, genius or not...
Jul 28, 2010, 20:21
Scary Molars!
keith a
9565 posts

Re: Bowie, genius or not...
Jul 28, 2010, 20:26
If you hear Fill Your Heart, it's time to leave the dentists.
sanshee
sanshee
1080 posts

Edited Jul 28, 2010, 20:37
Re: Bowie, genius or not...
Jul 28, 2010, 20:37
...and super teeth...


:-)

x
keith a
9565 posts

Re: Bowie, genius or not...
Jul 28, 2010, 20:37
Forget Bowie and Budgie. They don't make them like this anymore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07lPjhAMk50
vince
vince
1628 posts

Re: Re:Moon Cat, genius or not...
Jul 28, 2010, 20:50
Moon Cat wrote:
Vybik Jon wrote:
Is Moon Cat a genius?

Well, Moonie - are you?

I can safely say that Moon Cat is a genus.


I only like the early stuff.


Like a Mooncat Daydream oh yeah....
Popel Vooje
5373 posts

Edited Jul 28, 2010, 22:22
Re: Bowie, genius or not...
Jul 28, 2010, 22:14
I personally don't care whether or not he's a genius, as genius is a subjective concept that's extremely hard to define. As a listener, I think his back catalogue has more bad/mediocre moments than good ones - as could be said of virtually any artist who's been releasing albums for 35 years - but when he hit's the mark, he's untouchable, and he certainly delivers.

I don't buy the argument that he's only as good as his collaborators, or that he's a dilettante who co-opts the vibe of the underground without understanding it. Whenever I've read his interviews, he's always come across as a genuine fan who has both the charisma and the clout to expose (at the time) under-rated artists like the V.U., Neu!, Cluster etc. whose music he values to a larger audience. He's been accused by one or two purist music critics like Lester Bangs of learning everything he knew from Lou Reed, but let's not forget that Reed himself described the Ziggy Stardust tour as "amazing, stupendous, incredible - one of the greatest shows I've ever seen." Or that Bangs, to be fair, changed his mind (as ever!) and wrote a highly complimentary review of his 1975 show in Detroit.

Having seen him at Glastonbury in 2000, I can't argue with his charisma as a live performer. He has stage presence in the same way as old-school showmen like Frank Sinatra had stage presence - i.e. he's an engaging enough performer to appeal to casual listeners who probably weren't even born when he was in his commercial heyday.

So does he get the thumbs up from me? Overall, I'd say yes. As long as I don't have to listen to "Never Let Me Down" again in order to prove it.
zphage
zphage
3378 posts

Re: Bowie, genius or not...
Jul 29, 2010, 01:00
Popel Vooje wrote:
I personally don't care whether or not he's a genius, as genius is a subjective concept that's extremely hard to define. As a listener, I think his back catalogue has more bad/mediocre moments than good ones - as could be said of virtually any artist who's been releasing albums for 35 years - but when he hit's the mark, he's untouchable, and he certainly delivers.

I don't buy the argument that he's only as good as his collaborators, or that he's a dilettante who co-opts the vibe of the underground without understanding it. Whenever I've read his interviews, he's always come across as a genuine fan who has both the charisma and the clout to expose (at the time) under-rated artists like the V.U., Neu!, Cluster etc. whose music he values to a larger audience. He's been accused by one or two purist music critics like Lester Bangs of learning everything he knew from Lou Reed, but let's not forget that Reed himself described the Ziggy Stardust tour as "amazing, stupendous, incredible - one of the greatest shows I've ever seen." Or that Bangs, to be fair, changed his mind (as ever!) and wrote a highly complimentary review of his 1975 show in Detroit.

Having seen him at Glastonbury in 2000, I can't argue with his charisma as a live performer. He has stage presence in the same way as old-school showmen like Frank Sinatra had stage presence - i.e. he's an engaging enough performer to appeal to casual listeners who probably weren't even born when he was in his commercial heyday.

So does he get the thumbs up from me? Overall, I'd say yes. As long as I don't have to listen to "Never Let Me Down" again in order to prove it.



Thanks for the post Popol, but I think things got derailed

Bowie's good moments are enjoyable.

I find many of his fans are similar

to Grateful Dead fans in their tunnel vision.
red paeony
red paeony
184 posts

Re: Bowie, genius or not...
Jul 29, 2010, 01:21
*****sigh*****

I really can't be impartial with opinion on David Bowie. I've adored him since I was 12, and there is no one that makes me swoon like him. He's talented, a social sponge, completely charming, was quite prolific in the earlier years, musically gifted, and creative. Everyone has some level of creativity in them, however small. But to absorb this input and turn out something different and unique and touch so many millions is a craft. He's got it, in my humblest opinion.

I don't think there was ever a song as beautiful as "Heroes".

x
vince
vince
1628 posts

Re: Bowie, genius or not...
Jul 29, 2010, 01:33
Popel Vooje wrote:
I don't buy the argument that he's only as good as his collaborators...


Think you misunderstood me a little...what I meant was that he know how to get the best out of collaborators, be they Eno, Fripp, Ronno, whoever.

I owe almost my entire introduction to the music I hold most dear - Iggy, Scott, Roxy/Eno, King Crimson, Neu!...etc - to DB. Like Red Peony, it's ahrd to be too objective when you're a big fan. Jesus, I even like Tin Machine 2!
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