Earthling :: David Bowie

Building on the theme of albums we listened to in high school, my album for the week is David Bowie's Earthling. It came out in 1997, but I was 12 at that time and not cool enough to listen to David Bowie. I was introduced to this CD at a New Year's Eve party junior year, sometime after midnight when the music video for "Little Wonder" came on the TV. It was late, so I was loopy, but even so, this music video completely entranced me. It was directed by Floria Sigismondi, which explains how quirky beautiful it is.

The album's sound is clearly influenced by electronica, and was a favorite of mine for driving to school on cold winter mornings. In a broader sense when I started listening to more David Bowie, I appreciated this particular evolution of his music because I felt it sounds a little more focused than some of his other cds from the same decade. Either way. This music puts me in my happy place where I can just kind of zone out and enjoy the joy of David Bowie.

I've included a few videos from this cd, among them "Little Wonder," "I'm Afraid of Americans" and "Dead Man Walking."

Dancing in the Streets :: David Bowie and Mick Jagger

I like this video because it makes me feel gay. Super gay. But like, gaiety gay. I like the sexual tension between David Bowie and Mick Jagger. I also like when Mick Jagger pauses to drink from his Diet Coke, and when the camera does a freeze frame on their butts. -Brenda

Is it me, or is Mick Jagger wearing Reebok Princess sneaks? Cuz those were my shoe of choice for grades 4-6. I think Bowie could have danced the blues even better if he was rockin the Princess sneaks. Now that I'm on the subject of Mr. Bowie, all I can say is that his trench-coat flutters like a nightingale's song at dusk. -Erika

Heroes :: David Bowie

Hi folks! I've been a bit lame and out of the loop lately, so today I'll put forth one of my "golden oldies:" "Heroes" by David Bowie. This is one of Bowie's more understated, less-danceable songs, but for whatever reason, it reaches something inside of me and pulls. Hard.

So here's the song:

I
I will be king
And you
You will be queen
Though nothing will
Drive them away
We can beat them
Just for one day
We can be Heroes
Just for one day

And you
You can be mean
And I
I'll drink all the time
'Cause we're lovers
And that is a fact
Yes we're lovers
And that is that

Though nothing
Will keep us together
We could steal time
Just for one day
We can be Heroes
For ever and ever
What d'you say

I
I wish you could swim
Like the dolphins
Like dolphins can swim
Though nothing
Will keep us together
We can beat them
For ever and ever
Oh we can be Heroes
Just for one day

I
I will be king
And you
You will be queen
Though nothing
Will drive them away
We can be Heroes
Just for one day
We can be us
Just for one day

I
I can remember
Standing
By the wall
And the guns
Shot above our heads
And we kissed
As though nothing could fall
And the shame
Was on the other side
Oh we can beat them
For ever and ever
Then we can be Heroes
Just for one day

We can be Heroes
We can be Heroes
We can be Heroes
Just for one day
We can be Heroes
We're nothing
And nothing will help us
Maybe we're lying
Then you better not stay
But we could be safer
Just for one day

For extra Bowie fun, you should check out his 1970s movie [biopic?] "The Man Who Fell to Earth," as well as the "Bowie in Space" send-up by Flight of the Conchords. I would embed these things here for you, but I can't get to YouTube presently...