Well The Flys Tried To Break His Balls!!!!!! (The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars - David Bowie)

Member Name: cata

Product:	The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars - David Bowie
Date:	08/09/01 (82 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: One of the best albums ever

Disadvantages: Kevin Keegan liked it

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars!!!!!!!!!!

Not only a seminal album for David Bowie but also an album that changed the lives of many people that listened to it.

Before this Bowie had produced some brilliant records without ever hitting the mainstream, apart from “Space Oddity” this album was to hit the listening public in the face. It was a record that shook the pop world to its very foundations. Ziggy is far more than just a musical statement it was a sea change in the way the world viewed Bowie and his music. Here was an alien being of dubious sexuality who challenged our very preconceptions about life itself.

For those of you not born at the time of this albums release, it was a time when to be gay was likely to end a career rather than further it. Bowie’s Ziggy persona broke the social stigma attached to being camp and made it easier for artists such as “Elton John” to admit their real sexuality.

The album itself was a change of direction for Bowie away from the Dylan style music he had produced on “Hunky Dory”. This was rock music for the new generation and it came along with style. The instructions on the sleeve said “To Be Played At MAXIMUM VOLUME” an instruction I and others where only too keen to follow.

It starts with a drum beat growing louder before the song “Five Years” breaks into life, it is a song that says we have Five years left and deals with the reactions of society to this fact, best summed up by the lyric “A cop knelt and kissed the feet of a priest, and a queer threw up at the sight of that”

This is followed by the most soulful track on the album “Soul Love” A song about lost hope but belief in a God on high.

This leads into “Moonage Daydream” a soaring track with searing guitar licks from the late Mick Ronson. This is the alie
n space invader at full throttle singing “I’m the space invader, I’ll be a rock n rollin bitch for you”. This song encapsulates the whole album here the rock nroll bitch that is Ziggy is in full pomp. “Keep your ‘lectric eye on me babe”

Then a quieter moment, probably the albums best known track “Starman” a track to the youth of the day telling the kids to keep it quiet from their parents this thing is to big for them to comprehend.

It Ain’t Easy follows, with it the weakest moment of the album but still a worthy song, it tells the story that life just ain’t easy even for space aliens.
This song was later covered by Kevin Keegan, yes that one, perhaps foretelling the problems the little man would face later in life.

Lady Stardust follows, a song full of languid grace, but a osng about how people reacted to the wierd and wonderful creature that was Ziggy. “People stared at the make up on his face” It was a song about love, a love that the listener felt to be unobtainable.

From the quiet of Stardust comes an out an out rocker in “Star” the dream of a young boy? to make it as a rock n roll star. His brother Tony went to fight in Belfast, Rudy stayed at home to starve, it is a song chock full of hope for the future.

Then believe it or not Star is followed by an even faster rocker in “Hang onto yourself” a song about the band “Spiders” and the inevitable groupies. “ She wants my honey not my money “ Ziggy sings.

Then the Ziggy Story takes a change Ziggy had taken it too far and had to break the band up. Ziggy has found fame and become a star instead of being sublimed into the Spiders. Being the big star he breaks free of constraints and becomes the man. A thing Bowie was to do in real life a few years on announcing that Ziggy would never tour again after his successful appearances at t
he Hammersmith Odeon.

“Suffragette City” The end is in sight Ziggy is finding the pressure of fame hard to take an appeals to his friends to leave him alone. The pressures of his lifestyle have taken there toll and he can no longer continue with the show. He no longer wants the adoration of the masses there is now only one for him and “here she comes”.

Rock n Roll suicide ends the album it is a song that closes Ziggys life as a star, he was “too old to lose it but too young to choose it “ He was in fact just another “Rock n Roll Suicide“.


Well that’s it for some people Ziggy was Bowies defining moment and for them he never changed, of course he underwent many more changes and still produces music at the forefront of the ever changing musical tastes of this world. Ziggy broke up the band but the band plays on in other guises.
I would recommend this album to anyone of any age just remember to PLAY IT LOUD>>>>>>>

Just don't expect it to change your life times have changed just remember when this almbum came out it was a differant world.

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