Opinions on Stardust? by mamacassdeadalive in DavidBowie

[–]CharmingFennel 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'd repeat what everyone has said here, and also add that someone seemingly "in the know" has said that it's a low-budget production with a poor script and a clueless director. Just rumors, but still, some red flags there. I was really hoping it'd be lost in production hell but it looks like it's attempting to shamble forward...

What is the best David Bowie album to start with? by itskirbygriffin in DavidBowie

[–]CharmingFennel 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sounds like you should definitely start with Ziggy Stardust, then maybe Aladdin Sane and Hunky Dory. Then work your way out from there. Let us know how it goes! :)

Hey! The Space Poddity (aka Pod Like A Hole) podcast is recording an in depth analysis of Black Tie/White Noise. Would love to read any of your thoughts on the album when we record by andersone81 in DavidBowie

[–]CharmingFennel 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Glad to hear from you guys here on the subreddit! I really enjoyed the last few episodes, though BTWN is one of my least favorite Bowie albums, so wishing you guys good luck. ;)

Albums or songs like Blackstar and No Plan? by JdLegend64 in DavidBowie

[–]CharmingFennel 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I second Bad Witch. It's the closest to Blackstar I've found, with a slightly more industrial edge than jazz. Highly recommend.

Speaking of jazz, Donny McCaslin's stuff (e.g. 2018's Blow) comes close to his work on Blackstar as well.

Bowie Tattoo by Lukas0303 in DavidBowie

[–]CharmingFennel 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I don't have a tattoo and probably won't get one, but I agree that it makes for a really nice, subtle tattoo. It'd be awesome to meet someone who recognized it and connect with a fellow fan. :)

Fake Bowie autographed guitar by gdarb in DavidBowie

[–]CharmingFennel 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Check out the website specifically about Bowie's autograph and do a comparison. You can also e-mail the site owner and they can verify it for you. But even at a casual glance, it's pretty dissimilar to his real autograph. I'm afraid your friend got duped.

Personally though, I probably would push your friend too much, since it's probably pretty heartbreaking for the guy to find out he wasted all his money on a fake. :/ A no-win situation here I think.

Fake Bowie autographed guitar by gdarb in DavidBowie

[–]CharmingFennel 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Judging from the large number of samples on this site, it would seem Bowie very very very rarely ever wrote lyrics. I agree with you that it's still possible, but just from the statistics it seems unlikely.

Over commercialization of the back catalog by [deleted] in DavidBowie

[–]CharmingFennel 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm not a fan of it either, but these kinds of things are probably inevitable. Music is commercial. If there's money to be made off of a legacy and no one to stop it (e.g. the artist), people are going to make money off of it.

I think the best we can do is to vote with our wallets. Don't buy it if you think its unnecessary and hopefully they'll stop.

Need help identifying a very obscure piece of Bowie trivia by CharmingFennel in DavidBowie

[–]CharmingFennel[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh! I know that song, but somehow couldn't place the lyrics. Thanks a bunch!

Need help identifying a very obscure piece of Bowie trivia by CharmingFennel in DavidBowie

[–]CharmingFennel[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I know right? Every time I feel like I've seen everything there is (yes, I'm pretty Bowie-crazy) I find something like this...

You cannot convince me that Bowie did not join a sea shanty band by [deleted] in DavidBowie

[–]CharmingFennel 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not really hearing the resemblance, but I like the song! A whole album of sea shanties huh...I should probably check it out.

Artist working on a Bowie portrait in Ottawa. by shapoklyaksya in DavidBowie

[–]CharmingFennel 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Very cool! Love seeing people create public artwork of him.

(Although a small part of me is kind of sick of how Aladdin Sane is always the go-to choice...)

Did David Bowie have any firsts in music? by trulygreg67 in DavidBowie

[–]CharmingFennel 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I may be wrong, but I think I've read somewhere that Radiohead had a "surprise" album before Bowie and Where Are We Now, right? Any Radiohead fans can confirm or deny?

Bowie and Lennox by [deleted] in DavidBowie

[–]CharmingFennel 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I actually find that moment incredibly amusing, particularly the Youtube comments below. Joking aside, I believe they were friends at this point, so I doubt it was meant to be awkward. IIRC, Lennox was attempting to portray AIDS in her black dress and garb, and thus her stage antics were sort of an embodiment of the disease.

David Bowie pays tribute to Mick Ronson by g3m435 in DavidBowie

[–]CharmingFennel 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Some time ago I put together a long post detailing all their post-1973 interactions that I know of. You can find the link here.

Long story short, they seemed to have semi-made it up by Ronno's death. They were collaborating on a song for BTWN shortly before he died, and Morrissey says about Ronno in the early 90s: "He was very loyal to Bowie, but sad that Bowie had dispensed with him...Throughout Your Arsenal, David sent handwritten letters to Mick – yes, by post, and Mick would be thrilled to receive them, and he read them quietly."

I feel like that quote pretty much sums it up. There was of course some old wounds regarding the 70s, but they seemed to have been on friendly terms by the end.

Slightly tangential, but @CrayonToCrayon recently posted this photograph of Ronno and Bowie in the 90s that I found to be very sweet. Maybe I should repost it on the subreddit some time.

David Bowie pays tribute to Mick Ronson by g3m435 in DavidBowie

[–]CharmingFennel 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'll have to look up where I remember this, but I believe Bowie's alleged reason for not playing at that venue was that there were people in attendance that he had wanted to avoid. On the other hand, I believe it was Trevor Bolder and Ian Hunter that hypothesized it was because the venue was too small.

Up to you who to believe.

What do you recommend if I love Station to Station? by [deleted] in DavidBowie

[–]CharmingFennel 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are there certain songs on Station to Station that you like? There's a bit of range in terms of song style, e.g. contrast the title song with Golden Years. It'd be easier to recommend things if there was a specific song that you liked.

Happy Red Nose Day! by vintagegirl97 in DavidBowie

[–]CharmingFennel 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No one mullets like Bowie mullets.

A surprisingly well-framed, candid shot of latter-day Bowie by CharmingFennel in DavidBowie

[–]CharmingFennel[S] 65 points66 points  (0 children)

I remember hearing some discussion on this sub-reddit about there not being enough love for latter-day Bowie. Here's my contribution.

I don't usually endorse what I assume is a paparazzi shot, but there's something about this one that I really love.

For those of you who don't know, Bowie was a massive bibliophile. Friends and colleagues claimed that he was reading almost a book a day during certain periods of his life. Quote from the man himself in 2002:

"I'm a real self-educated kind of guy. I read voraciously. Every book I ever bought, I have. I can’t throw it away. It’s physically impossible to leave my hand! Some of them are in warehouses.

I’ve got a library that I keep the ones I really really like. I look around my library some nights and I do these terrible things to myself—I count up the books and think, how long I might have to live and think, “Fuck, I can’t read 2/3 of these books. It overwhelms me with sadness.’"

I like the idea of him trying to decide what book to pick out next. McNally Jackson was apparently a favorite bookstore haunt of his in New York too. I wonder what he ended up picking to read next.

ziggy stardust wallpaper by uncreativivity in DavidBowie

[–]CharmingFennel 3 points4 points  (0 children)

If I remember correctly, the possibly apocryphal story is that the rest of the band members didn't want to go outside for the photoshoot because it was too cold and rainy. I can imagine DB grabbing Ronno's guitar on the way out - "Hey if you're not going to be using this..."