RIP David Bowie

[mkaroly]

So I have been thinking a lot about his death the past couple of days; as a musician, I think the thing that was most unique about him was that every album was different - you never knew what to expect with the next one. He was incredibly eclectic, esoteric, and any number of other things, but in the end he was entertaining as heck and will miss the anticipation and excitement of a new album release. I had just finished listening to his new album (BLACKSTAR) and then a few hours later I found out he was dead...wow...and Keith Richards is still somehow alive! Lol...

I have not seen many movies with him in it; the two that are most memorable for me were LABRYNTH and his turn as Nikola Tesla in THE PRESTIGE. I never saw THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH or MERRY CHRISTMAS MR. LAWRENCE but kind of want to now!

RIP David Bowie.

[AndyDursin]

Bowie was obviously a very unique and singular talent. These days that is hard to come by...needless to say.

I have to be honest -- I'm not into his music, so it's hard for me to really have an appreciation of it. I found some of it weird and not very appealing -- to me -- but there are obviously some songs that were easy for anyone to embrace. I understand what you are saying Michael about his presence and energy on-stage...those are things only a few artists have going for them.

As an actor, I've seen LABYRINTH -- and I always thought it was weird this older, vaguely bi-sexual "Goblin King" was coming on to a teenage Jennifer Connelly (lol) -- and MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR. LAWRENCE...plus THE HUNGER and THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH. A weird and eclectic filmography as unique as his music.

RIP. And I'll always remember this -- as I think many of us will!

[mkaroly]

I understand what you are saying...I don't understand his schtick and never did really...he had a tendency to embrace the alter-ego thing (Ziggy Stardust, The Thin White Duke, etc.), but I would never be able to explain him or his body of music. Still, there was something appealing and interesting about his music that keeps me coming back and listening to his catalogue. I also agree, especially with LABRYNTH, that generally speaking the characters he played on screen had a tendency to be odd.

His new album too...with all the circumstances surrounding it...Tony Visconti said basically it was his parting gift to the fans and contains themes of coming to terms with his death. Then he dies right after its release...just bizarre and weird like Bowie's whole career! Lol...anyway, definitely unique!

[Paul MacLean]

Bowie was obviously a very unique and singular talent. These days that is hard to come by...needless to say.

I have to be honest -- I'm not into his music, so it's hard for me to really have an appreciation of it. I found some of it weird and not very appealing -- to me -- but there are obviously some songs that were easy for anyone to embrace.

This is pretty much how I feel. I've never been much of a rock 'n roll fan (tho I do like The Beatles) but I certainly agree with others that Bowie was a unique performer with an original style, whereas these days all pop and rock star personas are all honed (if not manufactured outright) by record companies.

I was more a fan of him as an actor than a singer, and wish he had appeared in more films. I recall he also won considerable acclaim for appearing in The Elephant Man on Broadway (without make-up too, if I'm not mistaken).

[DavidBanner]

I was saddened to hear of the death of Bowie. Over the course of his career in both music and films, he gave us some memorable performances in both arenas.

In music:
Space Oddity - one of the strangest, and most memorable pop songs ever written.
Young Americans - one of those songs that's both incredibly upbeat and sad at the same time, and it has a great beat to it
Fame - probably the most sinister Top Ten song I've heard in my lifetime - even "Every Breath You Take" doesn't have the power of this one (and a guitar performance by John Lennon)
"Heroes" - one heck of an anthem
Scary Monsters - A great counter-step to both disco and New Wave
Under Pressure - a great duet with Freddie Mercury
Cat People - one of the best movie theme songs I've ever heard
Let's Dance - an unabashedly open romantic dance song, with a dash of sadness
Outside - my favorite of the 90s songs from Bowie
I'm Afraid of Americans - probably the best result of the Bowie work in techno music

In movies:
The Hunger - Bowie gives us a fairly convincing performance as a vampire who literally ages 20 years in a doctor's office
The Last Temptation of Christ - Bowie's Pilate was one of the more interesting choices in the movie
The Prestige - Bowie's Tesla was a highlight of the film

And I recall Bowie performing as The Elephant Man on Broadway.

Truly a full and eclectic life. He could have just made the same record 20 times. Instead, he tried everything he could. Not every record was the greatest, but when he was on his game, the results were tremendous.

[mkaroly]

I was saddened to hear of the death of Bowie. Over the course of his career in both music and films, he gave us some memorable performances in both arenas.

In music:
Space Oddity - one of the strangest, and most memorable pop songs ever written.
Young Americans - one of those songs that's both incredibly upbeat and sad at the same time, and it has a great beat to it
Fame - probably the most sinister Top Ten song I've heard in my lifetime - even "Every Breath You Take" doesn't have the power of this one (and a guitar performance by John Lennon)
"Heroes" - one heck of an anthem
Scary Monsters - A great counter-step to both disco and New Wave
Under Pressure - a great duet with Freddie Mercury
Cat People - one of the best movie theme songs I've ever heard
Let's Dance - an unabashedly open romantic dance song, with a dash of sadness
Outside - my favorite of the 90s songs from Bowie
I'm Afraid of Americans - probably the best result of the Bowie work in techno music

Great list of tunes! Today at work we listened to the full albums of YOUNG AMERICANS, LET'S DANCE, STATION TO STATION, and the first TIN MACHINE album. I loved Bowie's work with Tin Machine - that first album had so much energy and rawness to it...reckless and aggressive. YOUNG AMERICANS is a solid album, and I love Fame and Win off of it. LET'S DANCE is just infectious from start to finish (I love Modern Love, China Girl, Let's Dance, and Ricochet off that one), and STATION TO STATION is a disturbing album with an amazing collection of songs: Stay has a great, "dirty" groove to it that I can't help but get into, but the songs Word on a Wing and Wild is the Wind still move me to this day. HUNKY DORY is one of my favorite albums of his (Queen Bitch is such a freaking cool song...lol...), and of his more modern stuff the one song I keep coming back to is Thursday's Child from 'HOURS...'

Truly a full and eclectic life. He could have just made the same record 20 times. Instead, he tried everything he could. Not every record was the greatest, but when he was on his game, the results were tremendous.

A thousand times "yes!" He will be missed.

[Monterey Jack]

As an actor, I've seen LABYRINTH -- and I always thought it was weird this older, vaguely bi-sexual "Goblin King" was coming on to a teenage Jennifer Connelly (lol)

The voiceover on the Labyrinth trailer always cracks me up..."The imagination of Jim Henson! The wizardry of George Lucas! The magic of David Bowie!"

[AndyDursin]

As an actor, I've seen LABYRINTH -- and I always thought it was weird this older, vaguely bi-sexual "Goblin King" was coming on to a teenage Jennifer Connelly (lol)

The voiceover on the Labyrinth trailer always cracks me up..."The imagination of Jim Henson! The wizardly of George Lucas! The magic of David Bowie!"

LOL I always felt the same and I remember that trailer vividly also. Especially when I was 11 when that movie was released -- I was like, "huh?" Bowie was like the last thing that movie's intended audience would've been interested in seeing.

[Eric W.]

RIP. Helluva talent.

[Monterey Jack]

LOL I always felt the same and I remember that trailer vividly also. Especially when I was 11 when that movie was released -- I was like, "huh?" Bowie was like the last thing that movie's intended audience would've been interested in seeing.

My mistake, the EXCITEMENT of David Bowie.



"DAVID BOWIE...Jennifer Connelly...And numerous goblins and creatures."