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| Photo: moonagewolf, Mug: davidbowie.com/Livenation Merch |
Bowie had the biggest impact on me of anyone besides those I
know personally.
Of course I’d heard Bowie as a kid, seen his picture, even
by chance watched part of a scathing interview with Angela Bowie. But the
moment his work really resonated was when I was in high school, after my
stepfather introduced me to his classics: Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane. I was hooked. Next were Pin Ups, Young Americans and David Live. Those were all on tapes copied from vinyl. They were mainstays in my
Walkman as I commuted to school.
What was it about Bowie? “Part of the reason we remember
songs from our teenage years is because those years were times of
self-discovery, and as a consequence, they were emotionally charged; in
general, we tend to remember things that have an emotional component,” says Daniel
J. Levitin in This Is Your Brain on Music.
Certainly there was Bowie’s androgyny. His intellect. Maybe it was his free
association. Sensuality and poetry seemed to coexist in a way I hadn’t heard
before.
Around that time Bowie released his Outside album. He was interviewed by Now magazine for his
tour and show at the “Sky Dome”. Nine Inch Nails was the opener. Bowie’s
perspective so impressed me that I asked for the album for Christmas. A very
dark piece, I have to say it scared me. It took some time before I was ready
for it. The album has some gorgeous, atmospheric tracks, like The Motel, which
is one of my favourite Bowie songs.
Soon I was reading anything I could about him, watching his
movies and talk show appearances. I was dyeing my hair like the Thin White Duke
and getting contact lenses so I could have one blue and one dark eye. As a teen
I can remember dropping $200 at once on his discography at Sam the Record Man.
I’ve never had that kind of disposable income again.
Bowie’s staying power and continued relevance is amazing.
Last year his 24th studio album came out to critical acclaim. The
video for The Stars Are Out Tonight
plays with the public’s obsession with celebrity and features personalities as
Bowie, including Tilda Swinton. In 2013, a collection of his memorabilia,
costumes and rare footage were exhibited at London’s V&A and the AGO.
Despite all his personas, there’s a relatability in his
music. In the ‘70s he chanted, “Give me your hands,” and in the audience we
still feel a kind of connection to him. Onstage he talks to specific people in
the crowd. He shares personal stories. He plays long shows, is completely in
the zone and consistently has a huge grin. Here’s a person who clearly loves
what he does.
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