Black Cat Bone

I'm listening to the radio show on the anniversary of 'Heroes' presented by Florence from FATM who has the most excrutiatingly dull, irritating, monotone speaking voice and it's making the whole programme very hard going.

I caved and bought the Paul
Morley book. We'll see...

Minnie the Minx wrote:I caved and bought the Paul
Morley book. We'll see...

it's great to begin with

Yes that's what everyone else who has read it has said. Oh well

Diamond Dog wrote:A lovely Bowie story :

http://neil-gaiman.tumblr.com/post/1660 ... old-anyone

You can imagine him doing exactly that, can't you?

That's just amazing...

Released for his 71st birthday

http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/ ... ore-137244

Diamond Dog wrote:

Geezee wrote:There's a singular moment in Absolute Beginners that has only stood out to me since his passing - in the second chorus as he sings "to feel all the hard times" Bowie's voice croaks into an unusual hoarseness. I don't know if it's the result of having been doing multiple takes of the song, late at night, or just an emotional response, but it really adds to its dramatic epicness. Surprised I hadn't noticed it before, it's a song that is like part of the furniture in my household, but these days one ends up dissecting every Bowie song like never before.

You know one of the main things that has emerged (or rather been reinforced) is just how magical Bowie was as a vocalist. He really did have an exceptional voice and it's those little nuances like the one mentioned above that make you remember.

And of course been playing this several times in relation to his birthday and anniversary over the last few days.
Another thing that has struck me about this song: there really is no reason for me to really like it, or at least all the things that I normally find in songs that I like are not there in this one. It's really quite a mundane construction: very basic chords (occasionally I find myself humming the tune of fcking Final Countdown over the song), the song is full of empty space where Bowie is not singing and the chords just strum simply along, and in many ways it just seems a very generic song that highlights how Bowie's creativity ran dry in the 80s. And yet it's majestic. And yes, much of that is primarily due to his soaring - as you say, exceptional - vocals. The rest is pretty inexplicable to me.

How Jon Culshaw became David Bowie - but not for laughs http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42860017

Tom Waits For No One wrote:How Jon Culshaw became David Bowie - but not for laughs http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42860017

That sounds like it has the potential to be really good. I'll never listen to it because it will kill me.

So the plan to dribble out inferior outtakes and pointless remasters packed up in fancy big boxes continues. Nobody needs this shit. Visconti must be a billionaire now. Remember shortly after Bowie died, he promised us all sorts of treats?

A real shame.

They’re saving all the goodies for the 80s box.

Hopefully, eventually, we’ll get the demos/outtakes collection.

Hopefully.

THE NIGHT BEAK wrote:So the plan to dribble out inferior outtakes and pointless remasters packed up in fancy big boxes continues. Nobody needs this shit. Visconti must be a billionaire now. Remember shortly after Bowie died, he promised us all sorts of treats?

A real shame.

Indeed!
I blame Visconti for the awful mastering of the A New Career In A New Town box set!
He talks a lot of shit, when he says these records now sounds like he and Bowie always intended the to sound!

Charlie's not that big a fan.

Many musicians and artists of a certain age would now be considering their legacy but not Watts, who said he was amazed at the reaction to David Bowie’s death. “I thought people would have been very sad obviously, and he was a lovely guy and he wrote a couple of good songs. But for me, he wasn’t this musical genius.”

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/feb/27/charlie-watts-it-wouldnt-bother-me-if-rolling-stones-split

I was a bit wary of reading Paul Morley's Bowie book, and had been warned of it on here I think. So far though, it's exactly what I wanted - reference heavy, personal and vaguely florid. Here's hoping it stays that way as I get further in.

It doesn’t.

I think I posted earlier on this thread, but I can’t find it. This is all very subjective, but what I found was that Morley was good on the Golden Years. I’m roughly the same generation as him so his observations about those times tends to fit in with mine. As the narrative moves into the 80’s and beyond his comments become sketchy...probably because there is less Morely can write about albums like Tonight, Tin Machine or BTWN.
There is a very interesting book waiting to be published about this period. For a preview read the relevant entries from Chris O’Leary’s blog ‘Pushing Ahead of the Dame’ ... I think ‘Ashes to Ashes’ will be published this year. I assume it will follow the format of ‘Rebel Rebel’ (chronological song entries) but it should also read well as a biography.

https://bowiesongs.wordpress.com/

If your deep of pocket and short of sight this might be up your street

http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/art ... exclusives