25
Dec
Week One- Bowie
In all fairness, I feel it necessary to disclose that David Bowie was my first celebrity crush. In fact, he may have been the first man I ever envisioned having parts that would in later life, prove to be most delightful. Prior to Bowie, boys were people with whom I could share my love of reptiles & deviousness. After Bowie, boys took on a new aura.
I have never been naive enough to believe that this experience was unique to my love of Bowie, but prior to this biography, my understanding of Bowie’s influence & breath was limited mainly to his music (& my love of high cheekbones). I had no context for just how powerful & influential he had been in every aspect to the community who created most of the music & culture with which I had grown up.
Spitz’s presents the super-star Bowie, empowered by the world around him, able (& plausibly super human in his skill) to interpret & assimilate new sound scapes; and simultaneously, without contradiction, the lost & lonely Bowie; self-exiled from his son, damned by the drugs & paranoia.
All told, this book is remarkably researched, executed, & put simply, a joy to read. Not only for it’s impeccable unveiling of Bowie’s life & work, but in the ever entwined worlds that are exposed having been, both directly & indirectly, influenced by his creations.
If it weren’t for Spritz’s last words on the subject (namely his self gratifying “Bowie is mine forever, but he, of course belongs to everyone blah blah blah” soliloquy) I would consider this as an almost pitch perfect biography. But, then again, who I am to moan on about hero worship. All my ex’s look just a bit like Bowie…
