Stuck On David Bowie: Are you having trouble adjusting to new music and bands?

United States
March 13, 2007 6:46pm CST
I'm hopelessly stuck in David Bowie mode. Ever since high school I've been a loyal David Bowie fan. Bowie already had an impressive body of work by the time my friends introduced me to Ziggy, so I had a lot of years to catch up. Did you collect albums, like I did? On my meager allowance for lunch, I saved money every week, buying a $5 or $7 record. I used to take them home and absorb them, playing them over and over again until I thought I grasped the music and the lyrics. Then came MTV, and David was in front of me for free, so long as I sat watching for a few hours. In the meantime I was catching up with "Diamond Dogs", "David Bowie Live", "Changes One Bowie", "Changes Two Bowie", "David Bowie" (the Geffen release), "Pin Ups", "Low"...the list goes on and on! Each of Bowie's albums had a new character, with a new style of music - so much that it used to short-circuit my brain. He was always innovative, always cutting edge, always just left of main-stream. By the time I had worked my way to "Bertolt Brecht's Baal", I was so hooked that I could not contemplate other bands. It took me many years during one of Bowie's writing hiatuses to relearn the history of Rock n' Roll. I had to listen to everything from 1950 and on - always marvelling at David's one-step-ahead approach. Even today, I cannot contemplate any new group or singer without comparing it to Bowie's work. Sometimes I think that there will never be as good an entertainer again, especially when I hear the music that's being churned out of the record companies today. Often I feel sickened by the formulaic styles of "alternative" bands. Will I ever find a genius again, such as Bowie? I doubt it.
8 responses
@prestocaro (1251)
• United States
14 Mar 07
I completely understand your post, I'm the same way. Most of the bands I listen to came out of the 60's or 70's. I really think I was born a few decades late :)
1 person likes this
• United States
14 Mar 07
Oh, Prestocaro - you're so right! I have felt (for most of my life) that I should have been a flower girl - the only problem? I would definitely not have lived this long. ;)
@mobyfriend (1017)
• Netherlands
29 Mar 07
No I don't mind exploring new music and bands since that is what Bowie doing himself.
1 person likes this
@caramello (4377)
• Australia
14 Mar 07
I was lucky enough to see David Bowie when he came to Australia years ago and his concert was fantastic! He is a unique artist in his own way and would not think anyone would even come close to him as a person!
1 person likes this
@soulist (2985)
• United States
20 Mar 09
I do find it hard to adjust to today's music and I do love david bowie's voice. I have seen him in Laberynth, and I haven't gotten any of his cd's but I have downloaded some songs. I like Major Tom, and China Girl.
@bonbon50 (659)
• United States
14 Mar 07
Well, I was known as a 'Bowie fan' and attended his Ziggy Stardust tour. Yes, that goes back a ways! I've been to countless concerts; all the big names and I think I enjoyed Bowie's Ziggy concert the best! I also saw is 'Young Americas' tour but was a little disappointed that he had shed the glitter! LOL! Glad to see he's still being appreciated. Rock on!
@merondu (18)
• Israel
27 Jan 10
I don't think there's anything wrong in comparing other singers to David Bowie. Most bands, of all genre, have been inspired by..cough..couch..ripped off..cough other artists. I listen to a lot of new artists, and a lot have been inspired by bowie. What can you do, he's probably one of the most important musicians of the later half of the 20th century. I had a problem of being stuck on his stuff a while ago. It was hard, but I started listening to newer bands (the charts are a good place to start, or even the rock charts), and now I've have come over the addiction.
@Pythonis (233)
• United States
1 Apr 07
I totally agree. And he's 60 and still fabulous! He really ushered in several different eras in rock, so don't try to get over him! There's no use! He will forever be in your mind. Good stuff, Bowie.
16 Aug 07
I'm 14 and not a lot of people i know like David bowie, I personally think he is a legend. I like many new alternate bands and singers, but being surrounded by people who love rock and heavy metal, I'm thankful to David Bowie For The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars!