Space Oddity

by David Bowie

For voice, backing vocals, electring guitar, acoustic guitar, flute, mellotron, stylophone, piano, synth. bass, bass, and drums.
Guitars in staff and tab notation.

Contents:
An occasional dream --
Cygnet committee --
God knows I'm good --
Janine --
Letter to Hermione --
Memory of a free festival --
Space oddity --
Unwashed and somewhat dazed --
Wild eyed boy from Freecloud.

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels, Art, Picture Books

112 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1991

About the author

David Bowie (born David Robert Jones) was an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, producer, arranger, and audio engineer. Active in five decades of rock music and frequently reinventing his music and image, Bowie was widely regarded as an influential innovator, particularly for his work through the 1970s. Bowie has taken cues from a wide range of fine art, philosophy and literature. He was also a film and stage actor, music video director, and visual artist.

Reviews

[Scarlet Cameo · Rating 5 out of 5]

English review at the bottom

En el 2011 Andrew Kolb nos presento un maravilloso homenaje a David Bowie: un libro ilustrado de una de las primeras canciones que le dieron fama: Space Oddity. Si bien todo el texto es exactamente la letra de la canción, el mérito de Andrew Kolb radica en lograr crear una historia visual, donde las imagenes no sólo se adaptan a la letra, sino que tienen vida en sí mismas.

Algo que creo que se debe aclarar es que no es precisamente un cuento infantil, es una historia ilustrada que muestra como el ilustrador interpretó la canción ¿Podría haberse realizado de manera más "soñadora"? Por supuesto, como también pudo ser más oscura por el final del Mayor Tom, pero ese trabajo le toca a alguien que visualice las liricas de otra forma, por mi parte creo que la manera en que se realiza es bastante linda, tierna y mantiene el tono y la esencia de Bowie.

Desgraciamente desde 2015 no es fácil encontrar una copia digital, pero puedes encontrarlo aquí
______________________________________________

In 2011 Andrew Kolb presented us a wonderful tribute to David Bowie: an illustrated book of one of the first songs that made him famous: Space Oddity. While all text is exactly the song's lyrics, Kolb's merit was create a visual story, where the images not only adapt to the letter, but have life by themselves.

Something I think you should clarify is that it is not just a children's tale, is an illustrated story that shows how the illustrator performed the song, Could it has done more "dreamy"? Of course, as it could also be darker by the end of Major Tom, but that will be the work of someone else cause they have to visualize the lyrics in another way, for my part I think the way it is done is pretty cute, tender and maintains the tone and essence of Bowie.

Regrettably since 2015 it is not easy to find a digital copy, but you can find it here

[Maria Mhemnoch · Rating 3 out of 5]

No sabía que el cuento era la canción en si. Creí que sería, digamos, una versión extendida contando la historia.
Es ideal, tanto para que los peques de la casa lean, como para que escuchen buena música :) y ya, si me apuras, para aprender inglés(para quien no lo sea, evidentemente)
Es una de las canciones más conocidas de Bowie que más me gustan (aunque hay tantas...)
Se lo mostraré a mis sobris.

[Nabila Tabassum Chowdhury · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Bowie এর একটা গানের উপর ভিত্তি করে ছবি এঁকেছেন Andrew Kolb। আমি এই প্রথম কোনো গান থেকে ইন্সপায়ার্ড বই পড়লাম। 'পড়লাম' বলাটা ভুল। 'দেখলাম' বলাটা ঠিক আছে। সুন্দর।

মাঝে মাঝে কিছু গান শুনে ইচ্ছা করতো যে সব সুন্দর দৃশ্য কল্পনায় দেখছি, তা যদি এঁকে কাউকে দেখাতে পারতাম! কিন্তু কিছু ডিজাস্টার চেষ্টার পর আর চেষ্টা করি না। Andrew Kolb কে সাধুবাদ। গানটা শোনার পর মেজর টমের জন্য একটা দীর্ঘশ্বাস বের আসে, বইটা বাচ্চাদের জন্য কিছুটা সফটেন করার পরও দীর্ঘশ্বাসটা ঠিক ধারণ করতে পেরেছে।

[Adriana Scarpin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Em honra de David Bowie. Cinco estrelas para a música, é claro, mas eu esperava que as ilustrações fossem mais inventivas da parte do Andrew Kolb.

[Udai · Rating 3 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS SONG!
but the illustration fell a little bit short for me

[Isa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love David Bowie, I love Space Oddity and I love Andrew Kolb for deciding to illustrate it in the most brilliant way.

If you're familiar with Space Oddity (and if you're not, drop everything and go listen to it) you realise it's not really suited for a children's book. I mean, spoilers I guess, but Major Tom does not have a very happy ending, does he?
But the book is amazing for all of us ill-functioning adults and for all Bowie fans, so basically for everyone ever, really.

And I wasn't kidding when I said I love Kolb's illustrations!



So, if you haven't yet, go read it!!

David Bowie's official site

Andrew Kolb's official site (which is absolutely full of awesome stuff!)

Read Space Oddity Here!

[Octavi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una absoluta delicia.

[Farhana · Rating 3 out of 5]

আমার খুবই কাছের একটা গানের লিরিক্যাল ইলাস্ট্রেশন , ছোটদের জন্য যদিও , খুব সম্ভবত আমি আমার বাচ্চা কাচ্চাকে দেখতে দিয়ে বলব তোমাদের আম্মুর এই গান টা খুব প্রিয় :p আমার যেই ধরণের গান খুব কাছের হয় তাদের সবার থেকে এইটা প্রথম আলাদা রকমের গান দেখে আমি নিজেই তখন খুব অবাক হয়েছিলাম - but it's okay .

[Sabelka · Rating 3 out of 5]

As tonalidades cálidas das ilustracións fánseme rarísimas porque eu sempre vin "Space Oddity" de cor índigo ou anil, e ademais non podo evitar asociar a Bowie a algo máis fantasioso e psicodélico ca o que fai Kolb, pero fixen o de lelo en paralelo á canción e realmente foi todo bastante riquiño.

[Antonis Moras · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent

[Meem Arafat Manab]

পিডিএফ পড়ছি। এখন একবার হাত দিয়ে ছুঁয়ে দেখবার মন চায়। জানি তেমন কিছু না। তবু-ও।

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this wonderfully inspired picture book, the author illustrates what he imagines while listening to David Bowie's classic song.

[Aziza H-R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no idea where this came from but I somehow had the book on my phone. I'm a big fan of David Bowie so I read it. The illustrations are great and Space Oddity will always be a classic.

[Angela Randall]

Sounds like a cool idea - Heard about it from this article. There's also a bit more detail in a post by the author here.

[surfmadpig · Rating 2 out of 5]

Andrew Kolb is a talented illustrator. This book was meant to showcase his skills to publishers. I do get how it does that, but a picture book of Space Oddity sounded dreamy, and could have been so much more in terms of interpretation, adaptation and/or inspiration.

So, yeah, as a means of self-promotion: 5/5. As an actual book, 2/5.

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woow! Short but so intense..