Where Are We Now? – Quintessential Bowie

Some things seem to simply fade away by midlife. I can’t even remember how long it’s been since a new song release energized me. On Tuesday David Bowie surprised fans with a new single release and an announcement. The album, ‘The Next Day’ will be released in March. It is Bowie’s 30th studio album and his first new album in 10 years. EXCITING and nostalgic! Being a 70s teen, yep I’m a huge, longstanding Bowie fan. In fact, I was a fan from the first earshot beginning with Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars to partnering with Queen, and beyond.

Of the hundred or so concerts I’ve attended no one tops the live performance of Bowie in my book. His live sound is exceptional and performance totally mesmerizing. I saw Bowie live in 1978 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, which was demolished in 2010. The concert was four hours, no warm up band, all Bowie. I recall two intermissions and three wardrobe changes. With each return Bowie wore a new outfit and performed in front of a completely different stage setting.

Not Pink Floyd with all their stage props and lights, Black Sabbath with Ozzie on vocals, Deep Purple, Heart, Iggy Pop, Bruce Springsteen, The Cars, The Beach Boys, Jerry Lee Lewis, Paul McCartney, Neil Diamond, or even my man Steven Tyler top Bowie’s stage presence. Totally mesmerizing!

Imdb.com said this of David Bowie, “Bowie has influenced the course of popular music several times and influenced several generations of musicians. His promotional videos in the 1970s and 80s are regarded as ground-breaking, and as a live concert act, he is regarded as the most theatrical of them all.”

Classic Bowie. Makes me smile, how about you?

photo credit: bowiewonderworld.com; huffingtonpost.co.uk