The Bowie guy - I do just love him, don't even know why...

[Maaja]

I started listening to david Bowie 2 or even 3 years ago. And ever since I've been enjoying and re-enjoying his music. Well, actually I don't like that much his new songs but his music from the mid 70's to late 80's is just great! I've never payed any attention to his political belonging, so I'll raise the question does anybody know anything about it?

[Felicia]

Yes, yes Bowie does have a certain .....something. "Lalala.....I'm afraid of americans....lalala" (I suppose that would be new stuff).
I'm not familiar with his political beliefs though.

[Zippy]

Bowie = God. :)

His older stuff (Ziggy Stardust, Aladin Sane) is amazing, yes, but that doesn't discredit his newer work. I liked Earthling, and you've got to give the man credit for being inventive in what he does. I haven't heard his new album yet, but i heard a single of it on Radio2 and it wasn't bad.

Zippy.

[vox]

A lot of Bowie's stuff in the Eighties sucked, and he's the first to admit it. But the stuff he did in the Seventies, and some of the stuff in the Nineties, is damn fine stuff.

Politically, hmmm, I don't know. I know that in the Seventies, in the "Station to Station" period, he was accused of giving a Nazi salute (he was doing the whole Thin White Duke thing at that time) and made some outrageous comments, as I recall, but nothing too serious (or he wouldn't be around today). It should also be noted that, at that point, he was doing a lot of cocaine, too, and who knows what else. This was just before he took off to Germany and then came out with the trilogy of "Low," "Heroes" and "Lodger," and, I think, musically, "Scary Monsters" sums up that time (and is a DAMN FINE AND UNDERRATED ALBUM).

Beyond that, I really don't know. Bowie indulged in some typical Sixties hippy stuff back in the day (check out the "Space Oddity" disc) but has never really made an overt political statement that I know of. Though he has used political themes in his work, most overtly, of course, being "Diamond Dogs," which was his take on 1984. I believe he wanted to do a stage production of 1984 but couldn't get the rights from the Orwell estate for it, so "Diamond Dogs" was the result, and, of course, "Outside" has a political subtext, I think (too bad it wasn't a stronger disc).

And, in "Panic in Detroit" there's the line, "He looked a lot like Che Guevara...." :)

Hmm, I'm rambling.

vox (Bowie fan from way back when)