Customer Reviews

David Bowie: An illustrated record

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It should be noted first, that the look of this book may have spawned that primary & pastel coloured graphics look that culminated in those dodgy Culture Club-esque album covers of the 80's.

This is, however, not a bad thing. Remember that Bowie himself spawned Icehouse, Bauhaus (and therfore 'the fields of the nephilm'- a gothic embarrasment from the UK that mass cringing couldn't drive away)and a whole gamut of pass the sick, or make up, bag 'artistes'.

The photos were a revelation, in terms of size and quality, when first published and it must have been obvious to Eel-Pie (Publisher owned by Pete Townsend) that sad spotty but 'different' - i.e. couldn't score chics - schoolkids like myself were going to buy two copies at a time. One for perusing and dripping saliva on and the other for the bedroom wall. Some of us particularly sad types bought three, as some pages had 'crucial' snaps on either side.

In fairness, up until then in the UK (or at least Scotland) there were about 20 unofficial Bowie books that you could buy. All of which had little of written interest and shared the same newsprint qualiy black and whites. Face it, the photos were all that really mattered. As soon as I had parted with my pocket money, the cellophane wrapping was aibourne and my mums scissors were gummed up with cellotape as I added the latest installement to the 'installation (conversation?)piece' that was my bedroom 'collage'.

Once I had bought my third copy and actually started to read the thing (only joking, I read the second one before I cut it up) I realised that this was not going to be the same old cliche ridden sychophantic drivel that I was used to swallowing so gratefully. When you are a young teenager and your mates periodically want to beat you up 'cos you listen to a poof', it can be quite comforting having some hack confirm to you in print that 'the chamelion of rock' is actually the second coming in mascarra. Like, it says so there so it must be true!

How refreshing then, to read a book that praises and ridicules Bowie in fairly equal measure, even though it's obvious that Carr & Murray love 95% of the music they are critiquing. I didn't agree with all of their observations and conclusions, but neither I or the authors should mind about that. This was then, the first music publication that for me, made reading it feel like an adult pursuit. Just before I cut it up and used it to cover every inch of my bedroom.

Two more things, 1. If you buy a copy, you will need a bigger coffee table 2. I wish I had kept one.

In 1985 there was Live Aid, I was 14 and had just seen Bowie performing while watching this marathon concert on TV. I was smitten. Totally.

As a poor teenager with limited pocket-money, I struggled with what book of Bowie's to get first, let alone the dilemma of purchasing my first bowie album on tape. I came across this book and I can honestly say that it's the best 'Bowie' purchase I've ever made (well, apart from the concert tickets !).

So as a 14 year old girl in 1985, while all my school mates where into Wham or the new romantic type stuff, here I was pouring over Ziggy Stardust and the Thin White Duke. I was NOT popular at school. I even sported his red ziggy mullet, at age 14, when I was supposed to be growing into a precocious young girl, I was listening to this weird music and driving my mother insane relating lyrics to her while she washed dishes.

I digress. after reading this large square book cover to cover, pouring over every detailed word that Murray and Carr bestowed on just about every song on every album up until 1981 (I had the original book which ended at 1981), they all sounded so fantastic and strange and intriguing, I had real trouble deciding which album to buy first. I had settled on two choices.... Low or Diamond Dogs.

THANKFULLY I decided my 5 pounds be spent on a tape of the Diamond Dogs album.... looking back I was just NOT ready for the mysterious and haunting sounds of Low. I think if I had listened to Low first, it would have put me off for life. Of course now I respect Low for what it is, but Diamond Dogs will ALWAYS be my favorite album of Bowies'. At 38, it still is, I'm still infatuated,, and IMHO nothing he's done since Scary Monsters carries any of the fantastical, explorative and unique work he did throughout the 1970's.

In conclusion.... should anyone be only just discovering Bowie.... this is the ultimate tome for deep album exploration..... a nice list of bootleg albums at the back too, and GREAT pictures.

I need to buy a 'new' old copy.

Easily one of the best analyses of Bowie's recorded work up to 1980. Carr & Murray write thoughtfully about every Bowie release (45 and LP) from the start of his career up to Scary Monsters, charting Bowie's growth as an artist alongside the merits of each release.The writing is engaging, occasionally funny, and always enjoyable. The book also includes great photos and reproductions of album and single sleeves. In the heyday of my Bowie fan-dom, I read this countless times.

It's a shame this book is out of print. It's also a shame that it ends in 1981, as Bowie has done quite a bit of recording since that time (12 albums, including Tin Machine, not including live albums, many soundtracks, etc). Time for an update?