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Strange Fascination: David Bowie: The Definitive Story
The Sunday Times bestseller.David Bowie was arguably the most influential artist of his time, reinventing himself again and again, transforming music, style and art for over five decades.David Buckley's unique approach to unravelling the Bowie enigma, via interviews with many of the singer's closest associates, biography and academic analysis, makes this unrivalled biography a classic for Bowie fans old and new. This revised edition of Strange Fascination captures exclusive details about the tours, the making of the albums, the arguments, the split-ups, the music and, most importantly, the man himself. Also including exclusive photographic material, Strange Fascination is the most complete account of David Bowie and his impact on pop culture ever written.
592 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
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July 2, 2017
David Buckley gives us The Dame’s life in impressive detail in Strange Fascination: David Bowie: The Definitive Story. It’s not actually definitive, though; the last word is reached in 2005, before Bowie’s more-or-less retirement and more than a decade before his death.
Buckley, who has written a lot of books about pop and rock stars, declares early on that his position is that of a Bowie fan. And indeed, the sort of person who wants to know who designed Ziggy’s kabuki costumes (Kansai Yamamoto) or what Bowie ate during his coked-out Thin White Duke phase (green peppers and milk, apparently) will find much to interest them here. There’s even a kind of epilogue – more like a final chapter – addressed especially to them.
Yet Buckley says this biography is all about the music. He makes an important point about the integrity and depth of Bowie’s music-making early in the book, and pays far more attention to his musical output than to the star’s storied private life. Far from muck-raking, he seems to want to push that aspect of Bowie’s life out of the picture – a project which could be regarded, depending on your own bias, as either laudable or laughable. My own feeling is that he should have gone into it a little more, simply because a lot of David Bowie’s music was made on drugs, and it reflected the ideas and feelings of a mind on drugs. True, drugs never seemed to get in the way of Bowie’s artistic output or affect his work ethic, but come on – would Diamond Dogs, Young Americans and Station to Station have sounded the same if he wasn’t caning it to Olympic standard at the time he wrote and recorded them? Would the three-year comedown of Low, “Heroes” and Lodger have been anything like so edgy and disturbing?
You could disagree with this criticism on moral grounds or aesthetic ones, but there are other problems with Strange Fascination. If you’re going to write a book about a musician then it might be a good idea to know something about music. In several places, Buckley describes Bowie’s voice as a ‘vibrato’, which is not a pitch range but a vocal effect (despite his freakish vocal range, Bowie was in fact a baritone whose voice deepened over the years). At one point a chimeric ‘Rhodes Fender Stratocaster’ is mentioned; at another Buckley provides a description of gated reverb that is likely to leave the reader baffled rather than enlightened. We do learn a lot about Bowie’s studio methods, but though the author analyzes and criticizes every single track of Bowie’s huge recorded output, he makes no effort to discuss them in musicological terms. One receives the impression of an author who knows little about music, musicianship or, indeed, the musical traditions from which David Bowie drew so freely.
Also, if it’s rock music you’re writing about, it probably doesn’t help if you’re not very keen on electric guitar. For all his saxes and synths, Bowie’s albums contain some of the spikiest, most challenging lead guitar work ever heard anywhere. Yet Buckley can never resist a jab at guitar-god heroism or solo self-indulgence, sometimes entirely out of place, such as when discussing the guitar style of a long-standing Bowie sideman, Earl Slick. Only rhythm guitarist and bandleader Carlos Alomar gets unstinting praise.
Worst of all my issues with this book was Buckley’s auctorial style – or rather, the lack of one. I honestly cannot think when I last read such dull prose in a published work. It reads like an essay turned in by a lazy and careless A-level student. One doesn’t expect literary excellence from a rock biography, but surely it doesn’t have to be quite as pedestrian as this?
Buckley, who has written a lot of books about pop and rock stars, declares early on that his position is that of a Bowie fan. And indeed, the sort of person who wants to know who designed Ziggy’s kabuki costumes (Kansai Yamamoto) or what Bowie ate during his coked-out Thin White Duke phase (green peppers and milk, apparently) will find much to interest them here. There’s even a kind of epilogue – more like a final chapter – addressed especially to them.
Yet Buckley says this biography is all about the music. He makes an important point about the integrity and depth of Bowie’s music-making early in the book, and pays far more attention to his musical output than to the star’s storied private life. Far from muck-raking, he seems to want to push that aspect of Bowie’s life out of the picture – a project which could be regarded, depending on your own bias, as either laudable or laughable. My own feeling is that he should have gone into it a little more, simply because a lot of David Bowie’s music was made on drugs, and it reflected the ideas and feelings of a mind on drugs. True, drugs never seemed to get in the way of Bowie’s artistic output or affect his work ethic, but come on – would Diamond Dogs, Young Americans and Station to Station have sounded the same if he wasn’t caning it to Olympic standard at the time he wrote and recorded them? Would the three-year comedown of Low, “Heroes” and Lodger have been anything like so edgy and disturbing?
You could disagree with this criticism on moral grounds or aesthetic ones, but there are other problems with Strange Fascination. If you’re going to write a book about a musician then it might be a good idea to know something about music. In several places, Buckley describes Bowie’s voice as a ‘vibrato’, which is not a pitch range but a vocal effect (despite his freakish vocal range, Bowie was in fact a baritone whose voice deepened over the years). At one point a chimeric ‘Rhodes Fender Stratocaster’ is mentioned; at another Buckley provides a description of gated reverb that is likely to leave the reader baffled rather than enlightened. We do learn a lot about Bowie’s studio methods, but though the author analyzes and criticizes every single track of Bowie’s huge recorded output, he makes no effort to discuss them in musicological terms. One receives the impression of an author who knows little about music, musicianship or, indeed, the musical traditions from which David Bowie drew so freely.
Also, if it’s rock music you’re writing about, it probably doesn’t help if you’re not very keen on electric guitar. For all his saxes and synths, Bowie’s albums contain some of the spikiest, most challenging lead guitar work ever heard anywhere. Yet Buckley can never resist a jab at guitar-god heroism or solo self-indulgence, sometimes entirely out of place, such as when discussing the guitar style of a long-standing Bowie sideman, Earl Slick. Only rhythm guitarist and bandleader Carlos Alomar gets unstinting praise.
Worst of all my issues with this book was Buckley’s auctorial style – or rather, the lack of one. I honestly cannot think when I last read such dull prose in a published work. It reads like an essay turned in by a lazy and careless A-level student. One doesn’t expect literary excellence from a rock biography, but surely it doesn’t have to be quite as pedestrian as this?
June 15, 2017
David Buckley really knows his stuff and has interesting, and new - to me, a reasonably knowledgeable fan - observations to make about the myriad twists and turns of David's career.
As a teenage Bowie freak I finally lost interest during the 1980s when David seemed more interested in making money than art. Reading this book stimulated me to revisit his 1970s glory years, and to better understand how and why his career played out the way it did. I enjoyed reading the book with my iPod on, and listening to each track/album as David Buckley brought his expert analysis to bear. If you're reading this, you probably don't need me to tell you that David enjoyed a musical renaissance since the mid-1990s which - his heart attack aside - gives the book an upbeat ending and a certain symmetry.
Some very random highlights:
- the impact of the Ziggy era and its contribution to Punk a few years down the line
- Mike Garson - keyboard maestro - who is asked at least once a week (1973-present) about his keyboard solo on Aladdin Sane
- David's prodigious mid-70s cocaine intake not getting in the way of creating the majestic Station To Station
- David's more bizarre duets
- how Glam kicked the crap out of the hippy dream
- and oh so much more
I think David Buckley is to be congratulated on a great achievement: a fascinating book that does its subject justice. Weighing in at nearly 700 pages it's more for the fan than the casual reader. And you don't need me to tell you that David Bowie is one of the late 20th century's most significant musical figures.
EDIT (15 June 2017): Just reading 'Kraftwerk: Publikation' by David Buckley which prompted me to check if I'd read any of his other books. I had a nagging feeling I had - and that feeling proved correct. The original review was written back in 2007.
As a teenage Bowie freak I finally lost interest during the 1980s when David seemed more interested in making money than art. Reading this book stimulated me to revisit his 1970s glory years, and to better understand how and why his career played out the way it did. I enjoyed reading the book with my iPod on, and listening to each track/album as David Buckley brought his expert analysis to bear. If you're reading this, you probably don't need me to tell you that David enjoyed a musical renaissance since the mid-1990s which - his heart attack aside - gives the book an upbeat ending and a certain symmetry.
Some very random highlights:
- the impact of the Ziggy era and its contribution to Punk a few years down the line
- Mike Garson - keyboard maestro - who is asked at least once a week (1973-present) about his keyboard solo on Aladdin Sane
- David's prodigious mid-70s cocaine intake not getting in the way of creating the majestic Station To Station
- David's more bizarre duets
- how Glam kicked the crap out of the hippy dream
- and oh so much more
I think David Buckley is to be congratulated on a great achievement: a fascinating book that does its subject justice. Weighing in at nearly 700 pages it's more for the fan than the casual reader. And you don't need me to tell you that David Bowie is one of the late 20th century's most significant musical figures.
EDIT (15 June 2017): Just reading 'Kraftwerk: Publikation' by David Buckley which prompted me to check if I'd read any of his other books. I had a nagging feeling I had - and that feeling proved correct. The original review was written back in 2007.
March 20, 2016
I grew up listening to Bowie, "discovering" him at age 10 by stealing a listen of my older brother's and sister's Ziggy Stardust albums, then Aladdin Sane, Hunky Dory, Diamond Dogs....and my Bowie obsession had begun. I'm still mourning the loss of this great artist.
This book brought him back to life for me, and maybe that's why I didn't want to finish it. I kept savoring it in little pieces at a time. And of course it kept sending me back to listen to my old favorites and some others that I hadn't heard before and others I wasn't crazy about but gained a new appreciation for after getting more of the back story and giving another listen. And this book is filled with all those fun back stories about how certain songs came about, how particular albums came together, and what was really going on behind the scenes during different tours.
But most of all you learn more about the man behind the music, from his early life growing up in the lower middle class suburbs through his entry into the art and music scene and his rise to fame. But Buckley isn't overly gushy. He's brutally honest at times about some of the misses between the hits, and about some of his shortcomings in his personal relationships.
A must read for any Bowie fan.
Now to find another Bowie book because I can't bear for it to be over!
This book brought him back to life for me, and maybe that's why I didn't want to finish it. I kept savoring it in little pieces at a time. And of course it kept sending me back to listen to my old favorites and some others that I hadn't heard before and others I wasn't crazy about but gained a new appreciation for after getting more of the back story and giving another listen. And this book is filled with all those fun back stories about how certain songs came about, how particular albums came together, and what was really going on behind the scenes during different tours.
But most of all you learn more about the man behind the music, from his early life growing up in the lower middle class suburbs through his entry into the art and music scene and his rise to fame. But Buckley isn't overly gushy. He's brutally honest at times about some of the misses between the hits, and about some of his shortcomings in his personal relationships.
A must read for any Bowie fan.
Now to find another Bowie book because I can't bear for it to be over!
March 22, 2018
Cam așa trebuie să arate o biografie a unui cântăreț legendar: David Buckley te introduce în cariera lui David Bowie, pe care l-a studiat atât în calitate de fan, cât și de critic muzical. Fiecare album este disecat, încă de la momentul concepției sale în mintea lui Bowie trecând prin momentele de studio, apoi de ieșirea în fața publicului (cântecele sunt descrise și analizate atent), apoi turneele promoționale și cifrele de vânzare sau din topuri. Chiar dacă volumul este masiv (700 de pagini), viața personală a lui Bowie ocupă o parte infimă, pentru că un ascultător avizat este interesat mai mult de muzică și de artist, nu de bârfe și de ceea ce face în dormitor.
Am citit atent, am avut prilejul, citind fiecare capitol, să-i ascult și albumele în tihnă (rămân fanul anilor 70-80, cu Starman, Space Oddity, Life on Mars, Ziggy Stardust, Changes etc.)
O carte de colecție pentru iubitorii muzicii bune.
Am citit atent, am avut prilejul, citind fiecare capitol, să-i ascult și albumele în tihnă (rămân fanul anilor 70-80, cu Starman, Space Oddity, Life on Mars, Ziggy Stardust, Changes etc.)
O carte de colecție pentru iubitorii muzicii bune.
January 28, 2025
boy! 5 stars til page 400-something, then it all went downhill and the minutiae became so overwhelming and I had to skim most of the 90s and 00s. took me a month and a half to read but ultimately a good look at an incredible musician. learned a lot. loved the photos. wish there were more photos. also wish I'd made some sort of annotated playlist of all the music referenced. I definitely have more thoughts but tbh I'm so glad to finally finish it that this is all I have for now
February 28, 2016
Perhaps being a little mean to this book because it did give me what I wanted, a summary of his life and music, adding some things to the period I already knew well (1971-1982; although it finished in 2000, before 'Heathen' came out), and filling the gaps of that 1983-2000 period where I let go. And it's quite a feat too, to manage such a heaving mass of material and keep it coherent. It is filled with long quotes from the people around Bowie too at the time (although not much from the man himself) - eg. Carlos Alomar, Tony Visconti etc. It goes into all the music, how it came about, who he collaborated with ...
But it's the workaday, cliche strewn style that disgruntled:
In many respects, Bolan paved the way for Bowie.. Both had ploughed similar furrows in the late 60s.
It paves and ploughs away. However you do have to admire the amount of work put in, a thorough and tricky job done well. There were many, many sources to track down, and it did what all books like this should do - sent me right back to the music, to listen to the overlooked. 'Revolution in the Head' it ain't, though.
But it's the workaday, cliche strewn style that disgruntled:
In many respects, Bolan paved the way for Bowie.. Both had ploughed similar furrows in the late 60s.
It paves and ploughs away. However you do have to admire the amount of work put in, a thorough and tricky job done well. There were many, many sources to track down, and it did what all books like this should do - sent me right back to the music, to listen to the overlooked. 'Revolution in the Head' it ain't, though.
June 25, 2012
David Buckley covers all of David Bowie's complicated life and career...From the earliest singles in the 60's...to his peak period in the 1970's...to his dreadful albums in the mid 80s, and his creative comeback in the 1990's...Buckley does a great job chronicling Bowie's growth and development...as well as his many changes over the years. We get to read all about the making of such classic albums as "Hunky Dory', "The Rise And Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars", "Aladin Sane", "Diamond Dogs", "Scary Monsters," "Let's Dance" and many more...David Buckley had access to an incredible amount of research...including extensive interviews with most of the major players in David Bowie's illustrious career...veteran producer and friend Tony Visconti, long-time guitarist Carlos Alomar, veteran keyboardist Mike Garson, ex-manager Ken Pitt, veteran producer Ken Scott, legendary lead guitarist Earl Slick, former lead guitarist Adrien Belew, 90's musical collaborator / lead guitarist Reeves Gabrels and many more.
The portrait Buckley paints of Bowie is of a brilliant, extremely complicated, and highly unpredictable man...filled with a strong sense of alienation, and general cold detachment from the world at large. Bowie is the ultimate ADD artist...constantly living his life in movements...figuratively speaking...and literally. As a young man, he was bold and confident...and could do no wrong, even when he WAS wrong. Blessed with a pitch perfect voice, and gift for wordplay...Bowie grew up as David Jones in a modest household in the United Kingdom...His hero has a young man was his older half-brother Terry. It was Terry who opened up the young David Jones' eyes and ears to the world of music....sharing his music, and taking young David to concerts (such as Cream in 1966, when David was 19). Unfortunately Terry descended into madness, due to acute schizophrenia, around this time...and never recovered. Bowie was haunted by the memory of his half-brother for years to come...and spent much of his life wondering if he too would descend into madness. Starting his professional career as a teenager, it took many years before Bowie broke through to a mainstream audience...yet even then, he was always on the outside...always one step ahead of his fans...
Like any great artist, Bowie can be selfish, cruel and indulgent. His loyalty is to no one but himself. Even important collaborators like guitarist Mick Ronson, Tony Visconti, and Carlos Alomar were often treated as hired hands...whose employment was subject to Bowie's flights of fancy. David Bowie always does whatever he wants to do...regardless of who gets hurt or insulted along the way. He's in some ways otherworldly...and in other ways, quite human. Like any good rock star, Bowie has had his share of women, men, drink and drugs...as well as dabbles in the occult, fascism, mime, fine art plus insane emotional and physical starvation. He can be a kind, and thoughtful man...yet can also be a paranoid, manipulative, egotistical bastard. Much of the later portion of the book focuses on Bowie's transition from creative, ground-breaking superstar in the 70's...to sell out, corporate baron in the later 90's. Buckley discusses the "Bowie Bonds" scheme at length (where Bowie sold financial bonds on the open market based on the value of future royalties from his vast catalog) towards the end of the book.
For the most part, I really enjoyed "Strange Fascination - David Bowie: The Definitive Story." David Buckley certainly knows his stuff...and his wealth of resources was definitely impressive. His approach to Bowie comes from a strictly British point of view, which has its strengths and weaknesses. On a positive note, Buckley has a profound understanding of where David Bowie comes from....the people, the influences, places and things. He approaches Bowie not as foreign entity, but as one of his own. Bowie's impact in Great Britain was always bigger than anything over here in the United States. In the U.S., we had Elvis Presley...yet in the UK, it was David Bowie. So to, an American writer probably would not have the same connection to Bowie than a Brit like David Buckley has. That said, as an American...I did feel at times left out of the party. Some of Buckley's references to people and places in British culture went right over my head. Too often in the book, he refers to popular contemporary UK artists that I know very little about, or have never heard of...such as Goldie, Blur, etc...I wish he considered writing for a more...global audience perhaps.
As much as I enjoyed David Buckley's book...I wasn't so sure I liked his style of writing. It did not charm and enthrall me in the way that say... Jimmy McDonough did with his 1994 Neil Young biography "Shakey." The story in "Strange Fascination - David Bowie: The Definitive Story" was great, yet there was something about the telling of it that seemed...lacking. Perhaps it was a bit too heady for me at times...too intellectual perhaps. Lots of facts, yet not enough heart. I was particularly bothered by Buckley's overuse of the word "sartorial" when describing things about or connected to Bowie. Yes, I've heard of the word before...yet it's just not a word or a term used very often. It felt as if Buckley knew this, yet wanted to flaunt his own elegance or intelligence by constantly using the word...to the point that it had no meaning.
I do admire "Strange Fascination - David Bowie: The Definitive Story" though, and am very glad that I read it. At least David Buckley was willing to admit that he (or shall I say...we?) will never really know the real, true David Bowie. His public life and work is filled with thousands of grand performances...concerts, interviews, records, CDs, videos, theater, etc...Yet the core of who David Bowie really is? It's unlikely we'll ever know. No matter, David Bowie is, and will always remain to be a fascinating subject to read, watch, listen, and learn from...and I am glad that a book like "Strange Fascination - David Bowie: The Definitive Story" at least attempts to come to terms with it all...
The portrait Buckley paints of Bowie is of a brilliant, extremely complicated, and highly unpredictable man...filled with a strong sense of alienation, and general cold detachment from the world at large. Bowie is the ultimate ADD artist...constantly living his life in movements...figuratively speaking...and literally. As a young man, he was bold and confident...and could do no wrong, even when he WAS wrong. Blessed with a pitch perfect voice, and gift for wordplay...Bowie grew up as David Jones in a modest household in the United Kingdom...His hero has a young man was his older half-brother Terry. It was Terry who opened up the young David Jones' eyes and ears to the world of music....sharing his music, and taking young David to concerts (such as Cream in 1966, when David was 19). Unfortunately Terry descended into madness, due to acute schizophrenia, around this time...and never recovered. Bowie was haunted by the memory of his half-brother for years to come...and spent much of his life wondering if he too would descend into madness. Starting his professional career as a teenager, it took many years before Bowie broke through to a mainstream audience...yet even then, he was always on the outside...always one step ahead of his fans...
Like any great artist, Bowie can be selfish, cruel and indulgent. His loyalty is to no one but himself. Even important collaborators like guitarist Mick Ronson, Tony Visconti, and Carlos Alomar were often treated as hired hands...whose employment was subject to Bowie's flights of fancy. David Bowie always does whatever he wants to do...regardless of who gets hurt or insulted along the way. He's in some ways otherworldly...and in other ways, quite human. Like any good rock star, Bowie has had his share of women, men, drink and drugs...as well as dabbles in the occult, fascism, mime, fine art plus insane emotional and physical starvation. He can be a kind, and thoughtful man...yet can also be a paranoid, manipulative, egotistical bastard. Much of the later portion of the book focuses on Bowie's transition from creative, ground-breaking superstar in the 70's...to sell out, corporate baron in the later 90's. Buckley discusses the "Bowie Bonds" scheme at length (where Bowie sold financial bonds on the open market based on the value of future royalties from his vast catalog) towards the end of the book.
For the most part, I really enjoyed "Strange Fascination - David Bowie: The Definitive Story." David Buckley certainly knows his stuff...and his wealth of resources was definitely impressive. His approach to Bowie comes from a strictly British point of view, which has its strengths and weaknesses. On a positive note, Buckley has a profound understanding of where David Bowie comes from....the people, the influences, places and things. He approaches Bowie not as foreign entity, but as one of his own. Bowie's impact in Great Britain was always bigger than anything over here in the United States. In the U.S., we had Elvis Presley...yet in the UK, it was David Bowie. So to, an American writer probably would not have the same connection to Bowie than a Brit like David Buckley has. That said, as an American...I did feel at times left out of the party. Some of Buckley's references to people and places in British culture went right over my head. Too often in the book, he refers to popular contemporary UK artists that I know very little about, or have never heard of...such as Goldie, Blur, etc...I wish he considered writing for a more...global audience perhaps.
As much as I enjoyed David Buckley's book...I wasn't so sure I liked his style of writing. It did not charm and enthrall me in the way that say... Jimmy McDonough did with his 1994 Neil Young biography "Shakey." The story in "Strange Fascination - David Bowie: The Definitive Story" was great, yet there was something about the telling of it that seemed...lacking. Perhaps it was a bit too heady for me at times...too intellectual perhaps. Lots of facts, yet not enough heart. I was particularly bothered by Buckley's overuse of the word "sartorial" when describing things about or connected to Bowie. Yes, I've heard of the word before...yet it's just not a word or a term used very often. It felt as if Buckley knew this, yet wanted to flaunt his own elegance or intelligence by constantly using the word...to the point that it had no meaning.
I do admire "Strange Fascination - David Bowie: The Definitive Story" though, and am very glad that I read it. At least David Buckley was willing to admit that he (or shall I say...we?) will never really know the real, true David Bowie. His public life and work is filled with thousands of grand performances...concerts, interviews, records, CDs, videos, theater, etc...Yet the core of who David Bowie really is? It's unlikely we'll ever know. No matter, David Bowie is, and will always remain to be a fascinating subject to read, watch, listen, and learn from...and I am glad that a book like "Strange Fascination - David Bowie: The Definitive Story" at least attempts to come to terms with it all...
April 17, 2016
Still in search of a truly satisfying Bowie soup-to-nuts biography, this applicant to the post is a revised version of Buckley's 1999 book, which alongside its comprehensive view of the stunningly creative years also serves to provide the best description of his post-Let's Dance years that I've yet read. This gives it the most complete narrative arc of any of these books, helping us to get more of an insight into the man's fractious moments with his muse, the lure of an easier path to fortune following the MainMan debacle, the desire to be "normal" for a while… And then he's back to creativity, but it's a different world in the 1990s and a Bowie well into his 40s is a different proposition in so many regards.
Occasionally some howlers creep in (like the suggestion that Tiny Tim was Australian), and there are some attempts at humour that intrude and spoil the sense of an impassioned but impartial onlooker that Buckley sets out early to establish, but for the most part it's solidly written and engaging. Rather telling is an anecdote told by Buckley himself elsewhere (not in this book) about being contacted by Bowie to work on a book, which eventually came to nothing, leaving Bowie superfan Buckley without the desire to even play Bowie's music for a couple of years. This cold-eyed insistence on his legacy is something that has in some ways been a boon for Bowie's longevity and scope as an artist, but on another level suggests that his matey bonhomie in interviews could be far different when one happens to approach his artistic core. That said, one of the most chilling anecdotes in this book is Hugh Padgham talking about Paul McCartney's withering response to any form of questioning in 1986 ("how many hit singles have you written?"). The fact that Bowie generally doesn't seem to have fallen into that kind of solipsism seems clear from the many and varied professional relationships he has taken up over the years and their generally positive words about his approach.
Another aspect that is given some more sense here is Bowie's time in Tin Machine. It's hard to overstate how unusual it was/is for a star performer of this level of fame/"responsibility" to enter a democratic band. Wings was most definitely not that. Imagine Jagger or Prince or Springsteen in a band. Or even Marc Bolan or Bryan Ferry. It was an attempt to clear the decks, to recover his own musical elan vital, and to some extent it worked, if Tonight and Never Let Me Down were any indication of where he might have been headed. Which is not to say that the Tin Machine albums are any more than curios that extort a whole array of caveats and concessions from the listener, but at least they have a place in the overall narrative arc of a career that seemed to get a third act about as close to under the radar as a superstar could manage. That is, Tin Machine got people off his back and allowed Bowie to pursue his own path. (Then again, Hours… with its attempt to be a grown-up popmeister may be seen to belie this thesis).
All in all, this is a balanced treatment of a truly multimedia artist: a Capricorn who wanted to touch all the bases he possibly could and who forged all these paths in a time before it was regarded as an option. And his achievements were felt in a series of much broader echoes: his stunning subversion of cock rock was probably a big blow to male domination of the artistic culture and paved the way for some of the modest gains in cultural attitudes towards LBGT people and women, while his full-blooded embrace of science fiction as both modernity and nostalgia intertwined provided a new grammar that has been mined many times since by film, TV and music. Buckley does a good job of zooming in and out, maintaining a sense of objectivity while also allowing his enthusiasm to rub off on the reader. A worthy effort and I'd say the most complete Bowie book I've read so far, if not quite as instantly impressive as The Man Who Sold The World.
Occasionally some howlers creep in (like the suggestion that Tiny Tim was Australian), and there are some attempts at humour that intrude and spoil the sense of an impassioned but impartial onlooker that Buckley sets out early to establish, but for the most part it's solidly written and engaging. Rather telling is an anecdote told by Buckley himself elsewhere (not in this book) about being contacted by Bowie to work on a book, which eventually came to nothing, leaving Bowie superfan Buckley without the desire to even play Bowie's music for a couple of years. This cold-eyed insistence on his legacy is something that has in some ways been a boon for Bowie's longevity and scope as an artist, but on another level suggests that his matey bonhomie in interviews could be far different when one happens to approach his artistic core. That said, one of the most chilling anecdotes in this book is Hugh Padgham talking about Paul McCartney's withering response to any form of questioning in 1986 ("how many hit singles have you written?"). The fact that Bowie generally doesn't seem to have fallen into that kind of solipsism seems clear from the many and varied professional relationships he has taken up over the years and their generally positive words about his approach.
Another aspect that is given some more sense here is Bowie's time in Tin Machine. It's hard to overstate how unusual it was/is for a star performer of this level of fame/"responsibility" to enter a democratic band. Wings was most definitely not that. Imagine Jagger or Prince or Springsteen in a band. Or even Marc Bolan or Bryan Ferry. It was an attempt to clear the decks, to recover his own musical elan vital, and to some extent it worked, if Tonight and Never Let Me Down were any indication of where he might have been headed. Which is not to say that the Tin Machine albums are any more than curios that extort a whole array of caveats and concessions from the listener, but at least they have a place in the overall narrative arc of a career that seemed to get a third act about as close to under the radar as a superstar could manage. That is, Tin Machine got people off his back and allowed Bowie to pursue his own path. (Then again, Hours… with its attempt to be a grown-up popmeister may be seen to belie this thesis).
All in all, this is a balanced treatment of a truly multimedia artist: a Capricorn who wanted to touch all the bases he possibly could and who forged all these paths in a time before it was regarded as an option. And his achievements were felt in a series of much broader echoes: his stunning subversion of cock rock was probably a big blow to male domination of the artistic culture and paved the way for some of the modest gains in cultural attitudes towards LBGT people and women, while his full-blooded embrace of science fiction as both modernity and nostalgia intertwined provided a new grammar that has been mined many times since by film, TV and music. Buckley does a good job of zooming in and out, maintaining a sense of objectivity while also allowing his enthusiasm to rub off on the reader. A worthy effort and I'd say the most complete Bowie book I've read so far, if not quite as instantly impressive as The Man Who Sold The World.
March 11, 2016
In music radio it’s common practice for us as presenters to note and commemorate the passing of a major musical figure, and in my adult lifetime I can’t remember the death of a bigger star than Bowie. Ray Charles is the only one that comes close. He was certainly significant, and in some ways he was just as musically influential as Bowie, but for many reasons (fairly or not) the universal appeal wasn’t the same. My career in radio took a new direction at the beginning of 2016, and on the air in Amman, Jordan was where I announced the passing of Bowie. I then did what felt natural to many fans and re-visited Bowie’s catalogue and read material on his life, including this book.
Part of the genius of Bowie was his ability to represent different ideas to different people, without ever being locked into a particular statement. There was an authenticity in his constant discarding of music and image that has parallels in philosophy and religion. All is ephemeral and only the essence is real. Yet at the same time he was a stable representation of the “star” of the 1970s through his method of change. He will always be known as that kind of star that in today’s world is not really possible. The availability, ease of access and increase in various kinds of entertainment sources have diluted our attention to the point that we simply aren’t able to focus on one figure like we did with Bowie.
One of Buckley’s underlying themes is this: the media star is that personality that can absorb the ideas of a particular time and place, understand them to the point of transcending them, then communicate them back to the audience in a timeless message this also predicts the future. This was certainly Bowie in the 1970s, as were the Beatles in the 1960s.
To me, he represents contradiction and the realization that full immersion in identities and ideas is ok because at our core we are more than that. “Bowie was living proof that our personalities are constantly in flux, constantly being made and remade, not fixed in stone by age, class or gender.” (6) His music of course was ahead of its time, and brilliantly crafted but imperfect enough in its method to be authentic despite its carefully planned presentation.
Buckley’s book was carefully researched and his access to Bowie’s friends and inner circle makes for an interesting read, although at times the writing carries the feeling of a wealth of raw data without quite knowing how to interpret it. Perhaps that’s appropriate though for such a complex subject. What ends up being fascinating about looking at the life of someone like Bowie is the commentary it makes on the culture and society that produced him, which is ultimately a commentary on being human.
Part of the genius of Bowie was his ability to represent different ideas to different people, without ever being locked into a particular statement. There was an authenticity in his constant discarding of music and image that has parallels in philosophy and religion. All is ephemeral and only the essence is real. Yet at the same time he was a stable representation of the “star” of the 1970s through his method of change. He will always be known as that kind of star that in today’s world is not really possible. The availability, ease of access and increase in various kinds of entertainment sources have diluted our attention to the point that we simply aren’t able to focus on one figure like we did with Bowie.
One of Buckley’s underlying themes is this: the media star is that personality that can absorb the ideas of a particular time and place, understand them to the point of transcending them, then communicate them back to the audience in a timeless message this also predicts the future. This was certainly Bowie in the 1970s, as were the Beatles in the 1960s.
To me, he represents contradiction and the realization that full immersion in identities and ideas is ok because at our core we are more than that. “Bowie was living proof that our personalities are constantly in flux, constantly being made and remade, not fixed in stone by age, class or gender.” (6) His music of course was ahead of its time, and brilliantly crafted but imperfect enough in its method to be authentic despite its carefully planned presentation.
Buckley’s book was carefully researched and his access to Bowie’s friends and inner circle makes for an interesting read, although at times the writing carries the feeling of a wealth of raw data without quite knowing how to interpret it. Perhaps that’s appropriate though for such a complex subject. What ends up being fascinating about looking at the life of someone like Bowie is the commentary it makes on the culture and society that produced him, which is ultimately a commentary on being human.
January 18, 2019
On the day Bowie died I was having some beer with older co-workers and the topic surfaced. A lot of the people there did not seem to know much about Bowie, but there was one person who proclaimed himself a great fan. I started chatting with him about Bowie and about how I was also a fan. He was surprised, indeed I was born 20 years after Ziggy Stardust so I was not even part of my parents' plans when Bowie's career was at its peak.
Then my colleague asked me what I consider to be one of the most difficult questions you could ever ask me: "Which is your favourite album?". I struggled to answer, Bowie has so many great albums, choosing one is like choosing which of your kids you love the most. I answered "Diamond Dogs", but I could have as well answered many others, maybe today I would answer "Station to Station".
This is why I decided to read a Bowie biography. The history of rock is written by two types of figures. There are those artists that suddenly appear, they achieve stardom very quickly, they are destructive and incorporate the nihilistic essence of rock. After 3 or 4 albums that sound very similar the inspiration starts to wear itself and decadence comes as fast as success did. With these artists we see the history of rock moving - yeah yeah, hard rock, prog rock, punk, post-punk, grunge, shoegaze, indie...
And then there are those artists that seem immune to most of this, just like Kant's God they are in a different dimension, a spaceless and timeless dimension. They go from album to album always with the same capacity to reinvent themselves, with an agility that shows no risk of a fall.
They are the artists of a lifetime... ours and theirs.
Bowie is clearly in the second group.
Buckley does a great job in this book, he starts with David's adolescence and reveals a lot of the process of creation and the influences in the life of the artist. He compiled several interviews with the people surrounding David. The result is a book that goes deep inside the world of David Bowie, that reveals (as much as possible) the man who created all those brilliant albums and who changed pop and rock forever. Unfortunately, the book does not have information about the last years of Bowie's life (as it was written before that) and fails to include his last two albums which David released to the surprise of everyone and which again expanded beyond the territory he had explored before.
I recommend that as you read the book you relisten to his complete discography, obviously.
Then my colleague asked me what I consider to be one of the most difficult questions you could ever ask me: "Which is your favourite album?". I struggled to answer, Bowie has so many great albums, choosing one is like choosing which of your kids you love the most. I answered "Diamond Dogs", but I could have as well answered many others, maybe today I would answer "Station to Station".
This is why I decided to read a Bowie biography. The history of rock is written by two types of figures. There are those artists that suddenly appear, they achieve stardom very quickly, they are destructive and incorporate the nihilistic essence of rock. After 3 or 4 albums that sound very similar the inspiration starts to wear itself and decadence comes as fast as success did. With these artists we see the history of rock moving - yeah yeah, hard rock, prog rock, punk, post-punk, grunge, shoegaze, indie...
And then there are those artists that seem immune to most of this, just like Kant's God they are in a different dimension, a spaceless and timeless dimension. They go from album to album always with the same capacity to reinvent themselves, with an agility that shows no risk of a fall.
They are the artists of a lifetime... ours and theirs.
Bowie is clearly in the second group.
Buckley does a great job in this book, he starts with David's adolescence and reveals a lot of the process of creation and the influences in the life of the artist. He compiled several interviews with the people surrounding David. The result is a book that goes deep inside the world of David Bowie, that reveals (as much as possible) the man who created all those brilliant albums and who changed pop and rock forever. Unfortunately, the book does not have information about the last years of Bowie's life (as it was written before that) and fails to include his last two albums which David released to the surprise of everyone and which again expanded beyond the territory he had explored before.
I recommend that as you read the book you relisten to his complete discography, obviously.
March 10, 2009
David Bowie was my hero when I was 12 years old, and this was before I knew anything about Ziggy or the Thin White Duke - he was the Goblin King, and that was good enough for me. Now I've stumbled upon this book that is a concise account of his rise to stardom, and I find myself even more enthralled by his perseverance and creativity as an artist. Strange Fascination focuses on his career, with anecdotes from collaborators from every period and mask he's worn. The writing is obviously biased toward Bowie's early works, and we definitely don't share a devotion of all things Bowie, but I feel seeing Bowie through the eyes of someone purely focused on his work as an artist has allowed me to step out of my idolatry, and see him as someone who's worked hard to become the icon that he is today. Extremely well researched and written, I highly recommend this book to any Bowie fan who wants to see past the celebrity gossip view of all things Bowie.
October 12, 2016
Wordy, overwrought, and pretentious, "Strange Fascination" is classic music snob writing. Fortunately, David Bowie is the topic, which saves the book from a one-star rating. Buckley treats us to tangents on peripheral figures -- Marc Bolan and Gary Numan come to mind -- that last for several pages. At those points in the book, it's hard to escape the feeling that Buckley is just rubbing our noses in how much he knows about pop history; true, both are key artists who influenced or were influenced by David Bowie, but pages of background on their own respective music careers is overkill.
Ultimately, Buckley delivers the goods on Mr. Bowie, ably situating him as a lodestar in pop history. He just takes about 250 pages too many, while giving us the sensation that the book is as much about the author's vast knowledge as it is about David Bowie.
Ultimately, Buckley delivers the goods on Mr. Bowie, ably situating him as a lodestar in pop history. He just takes about 250 pages too many, while giving us the sensation that the book is as much about the author's vast knowledge as it is about David Bowie.
December 18, 2018
A passionate and (reasonably) critical look at the life and work of one of the most complex voices and personalities in pop music, Strange Fascination is an enrapturing reading, full of in depth reviews of each album and tour, based on an extensive research and interviews with the major collaborators of each era. For a biography written by a self-proclaimed fan, his view on the achievements and short-comings of each era is remarkable clear and (almost) unbiased, and helps to paint a fully rounded image of Bowie and his music. This book will surely fascinate both Bowie fans and those interested in getting a deeper understanding of his music and his life (both on and off stage). Hopefully, one day this book will be updated again and include a review of Bowie's later years and his last two masterpieces.
June 6, 2017
This book is overrated. There is good information in it, but there is too much fanzine content repeatedly telling us how great Bowie was. The book would have been a better read without this sort of thing.
The second last chapter is weird as the author in effect finished the book and goes on to rave on for another chapter.
I suggest reading books written by people who knew Bowie rather than someone giving us quotes that could be taken out of context.
The second last chapter is weird as the author in effect finished the book and goes on to rave on for another chapter.
I suggest reading books written by people who knew Bowie rather than someone giving us quotes that could be taken out of context.
January 10, 2018
A fairly serviceable Bowie biography, though this one's unique in that it really pulls no punches with its criticism of the man and his work (which varies from being refreshing to grating in parts). Not even nearly the definitive guide anymore, it's a fairly interesting read, but it really does suffer quite a bit from Bowie's lack of involvement. This feels like the rough sketches for a much better book.
January 25, 2024
A very thorough review of Bowie's music production, but a dry reading. There is very little on Bowie as a man and artist, on his artistic influences and motivations. The book provides almost a song-by-song analysis for each album and a lot of commentary (mostly critical) of Bowie's musical choices. I found some criticism interesting, although I did not agree everywhere, but overall the book structure turns out repetitive and not engaging.
April 15, 2012
This is a book for the Bowie music fans. It definetly goes deep into the creative process and music of David Bowie, however you won't come out knowing much more about the actual person. If you are interested in Bowie the musician this is good, but I came out dissapointed as I have absolutly found nothing revealing about Bowie the man
June 3, 2013
The joy of this is how well written it is. A fan, but not a rose-tinted view and focussed on the art not the gossip. Particularly appreciated the insights and perspectives of longtime collaborators,being given due recognition. And the self-aware tone challenging some of the sexism of rock history writing in assessing the less-sympathetically regarded women in his life.
September 25, 2014
Muy buena biografía que, afortunadamente, ha quedado desactualizada dado que su original en inglés fue publicado en 1999. No obstante esto, no se me ocurre un mejor trabajo sobre el camaleónico intérprete.
May 12, 2016
I don't understand how this book was rated high. Told with absolutely no input from David Bowie himself this is simply a time travel through his career, and from a great distance. very little insight into the artist himself and mostly just the authors own opinion. Disappointing.
July 12, 2012
Essential for any Bowie fan.
November 1, 2012
I found this book very heavy going. There's a lot of interesting stuff in here, but I'm just not sure it was worth the effort.
January 27, 2021
Muy completo y ameno, aunque se echa en falta la edición en español.
Aunque la biografía que hace Paul Trinka en Starman me parece superior a esta. Quizá por la forma de redactar o quizá porque da más datos sobre el background de Bowie.
Aunque la biografía que hace Paul Trinka en Starman me parece superior a esta. Quizá por la forma de redactar o quizá porque da más datos sobre el background de Bowie.
January 10, 2024
If you want a real deep-deep dive into Bowies life and music, this book is for you. The author goes into real exact detail for many aspects of Bowies career.
I enjoyed the book and learnt so much more about Bowie but it took me a long time to read!
I enjoyed the book and learnt so much more about Bowie but it took me a long time to read!
February 8, 2021
A journey through the evolution of David Bowie from band member, to alien superstar, and finally to the rock star family man. This biography looks at every detail of Bowie’s career to date and gives readers an exclusive insight into the life of one of the world’s biggest enigmas. Throughout this narrative of his life, we learn about Bowie as a man, Bowie as an artist and Bowie as the ultimate creator.
The author of this biography had certainly carried out extensive research which was incredibly impressive and absorbing. The style of writing keeps reader’s interested and reads more like a story than a piece of research literature. Although Bowie’s mind and thought process remains a mystery to everyone but the man himself, I feel that I now have a deeper understanding of what kind of person David Bowie was. That is a deeply thoughtful, creative and extremely interesting man with a penchant for the extraordinary.
Another aspect of this book that I was grateful for is that the author included the more controversial aspects of Bowie’s past; both personal and professional. Bowie, although given God-like status by his fans, was only human after all and, as many humans do, he experienced addiction, mental health problems, relationship troubles and creative difficulties throughout his life. I was glad that the author did not shy away from these facts and presented them in a completely unbiased manner, painting a much more stark reality of the trials and tribulations of the man behind the characters, David Jones.
The only downside to this book is that I think it seems to be more targeted towards people with a specific interest in the process of creating music and in the details of Bowie’s musical catalogue. Nevertheless, I did find the amount of detail in the description of Bowie’s albums incredible and impressive.
Reading this book now also invokes an emotional response from readers in that this book goes up to the year 2005 - Bowie is a father of 2, a husband and finally feels as if he has completed his process of metamorphosis that spanned the last 3 decades. He is quoted as ‘wanting to live forever’ to see his children grow up. As we know, Bowie sadly passed away in 2016 making the endpoint of this book even more resonating for readers affected by the tragic loss of one of the world’s most influential musicians. As sad as it is that we have lost the physical presence of David on this planet, this books proves that his spirit does live on - we still listen to his music, we still watch his movies, we still style ourselves in ways inspired by him and we still read books about his wonderful life. David Bowie established himself as an icon in his lifetime and truly secured his desire to live forever by leaving a powerful legacy.
May he live on for ever more.
The author of this biography had certainly carried out extensive research which was incredibly impressive and absorbing. The style of writing keeps reader’s interested and reads more like a story than a piece of research literature. Although Bowie’s mind and thought process remains a mystery to everyone but the man himself, I feel that I now have a deeper understanding of what kind of person David Bowie was. That is a deeply thoughtful, creative and extremely interesting man with a penchant for the extraordinary.
Another aspect of this book that I was grateful for is that the author included the more controversial aspects of Bowie’s past; both personal and professional. Bowie, although given God-like status by his fans, was only human after all and, as many humans do, he experienced addiction, mental health problems, relationship troubles and creative difficulties throughout his life. I was glad that the author did not shy away from these facts and presented them in a completely unbiased manner, painting a much more stark reality of the trials and tribulations of the man behind the characters, David Jones.
The only downside to this book is that I think it seems to be more targeted towards people with a specific interest in the process of creating music and in the details of Bowie’s musical catalogue. Nevertheless, I did find the amount of detail in the description of Bowie’s albums incredible and impressive.
Reading this book now also invokes an emotional response from readers in that this book goes up to the year 2005 - Bowie is a father of 2, a husband and finally feels as if he has completed his process of metamorphosis that spanned the last 3 decades. He is quoted as ‘wanting to live forever’ to see his children grow up. As we know, Bowie sadly passed away in 2016 making the endpoint of this book even more resonating for readers affected by the tragic loss of one of the world’s most influential musicians. As sad as it is that we have lost the physical presence of David on this planet, this books proves that his spirit does live on - we still listen to his music, we still watch his movies, we still style ourselves in ways inspired by him and we still read books about his wonderful life. David Bowie established himself as an icon in his lifetime and truly secured his desire to live forever by leaving a powerful legacy.
May he live on for ever more.
April 2, 2012
Strange Fascination David Bowie the definitive story
By David Buckley (revised and updated)
This was the second doorstopper of a biography
that I read on holiday and at 554 pages this one
is over long and nowhere near as definitive as
its author would like you to think. His claim
would only work if you have never read any other
Bowie books or aren't a real Bowie freak which
are two things he bangs on about a lot without
it would seem really being one, that said he
does a not bad job of finding about 40 songs
that are probably the best song bowie has ever
written or sung or his most interesting
performance!!
He does manage to interview a lot of the key
musicians in Bowies band but when looking at
Bowies early career misses completely the
legendary residency at the Marquee as DJ where
Bowie got to meet and hang out with many of his
later collaboraters. he also bangs on about the
bootlegs and records that you have to have to be
a real bowie freak but doesn't mention the
infamous "Wembley Wizard Touches The Dial" lp
that was used by the BPI to catch bootleggers
and Bowies comments about said bootleggers at
the time, Oh for the record I think the sleeve
for that boot is better than the music on the
record.
He has a go at the poor sound and production of
the Stage lp without mentioning that most real
Bowie nuts would say that say the Slaughter In
the Air double boot has better sound and a
better performance from the same tour. But worse
than that he even misses mentioning several
actual official releases than no real bowie
freak would be without such as his version of
Peter and the Wolf and the story behind that
album would have been cool and no mention of the
essential album the Jap import Special a great
double lp, 1980 all clear a promo only comp that
you had to have for the cover alone.
Of the era beyond my freakdom ie 1986 to now he
seems to love much of the stuff I haven't heard
but his critical voice is so damaged by this
point in the book that I can't trust anything he
would reccomend.
So only get this book if you have no other bowie
books and can't find The Pitt Report by Kenneth
Pitt, David Bowie a Chronology by Kevin Cann or
Bowie an Illustrated record by Roy Carr and
Charles Shaar Murray. Oh and only buy it from
the bargain bin like I did as it was just about
worth the £1 I spent on it!!
By David Buckley (revised and updated)
This was the second doorstopper of a biography
that I read on holiday and at 554 pages this one
is over long and nowhere near as definitive as
its author would like you to think. His claim
would only work if you have never read any other
Bowie books or aren't a real Bowie freak which
are two things he bangs on about a lot without
it would seem really being one, that said he
does a not bad job of finding about 40 songs
that are probably the best song bowie has ever
written or sung or his most interesting
performance!!
He does manage to interview a lot of the key
musicians in Bowies band but when looking at
Bowies early career misses completely the
legendary residency at the Marquee as DJ where
Bowie got to meet and hang out with many of his
later collaboraters. he also bangs on about the
bootlegs and records that you have to have to be
a real bowie freak but doesn't mention the
infamous "Wembley Wizard Touches The Dial" lp
that was used by the BPI to catch bootleggers
and Bowies comments about said bootleggers at
the time, Oh for the record I think the sleeve
for that boot is better than the music on the
record.
He has a go at the poor sound and production of
the Stage lp without mentioning that most real
Bowie nuts would say that say the Slaughter In
the Air double boot has better sound and a
better performance from the same tour. But worse
than that he even misses mentioning several
actual official releases than no real bowie
freak would be without such as his version of
Peter and the Wolf and the story behind that
album would have been cool and no mention of the
essential album the Jap import Special a great
double lp, 1980 all clear a promo only comp that
you had to have for the cover alone.
Of the era beyond my freakdom ie 1986 to now he
seems to love much of the stuff I haven't heard
but his critical voice is so damaged by this
point in the book that I can't trust anything he
would reccomend.
So only get this book if you have no other bowie
books and can't find The Pitt Report by Kenneth
Pitt, David Bowie a Chronology by Kevin Cann or
Bowie an Illustrated record by Roy Carr and
Charles Shaar Murray. Oh and only buy it from
the bargain bin like I did as it was just about
worth the £1 I spent on it!!
September 3, 2014
This is a well researched and thorough look at the career of David Bowie. Some of the pluses are how in depth it is and the fact the author takes time out for long direct quotes from the people he interviewed - that is in contrast to many bios that paraphrase what the people said or take a short quote out of context. I like the fact that he is also willing to go in detail about the songs and music - that is why we love Bowie so it is nice to get some insight into this aspect. A lot of music bios seem to ignore the music when covering the musician's life.
I rated it a bit lower because, from an enjoyment standpoint, I didn't really "enjoy" it. I found it interesting and highly recommend it as a reference book for any fan, but one of its strengths (its thoroughness) also worked against it when it came to me enjoying it. Also, the writer's style didn't allow him to tell an interesting story. I think this is again a strength (him being accurate) working against the enjoyment factor (some authors make the bio more interesting through embellishment). As well, the book could have used more insights from Bowie himself - we get a lot of quotes from others but less from him, so we are on the outside looking in. The last problem I did have with the author's writing is that he inserted his own opinion as if it were fact, and that always irritates me. I don't mind "many consider this Bowie's finest album/song" but I do mind "this IS Bowie's finest album/song". The first offers up an opinion as an opinion, the second acts like art can be quantified.
Overall, a little overwhelming a book for someone (like me) who loves Bowie's music but wanted a more scaled down version of his life, but still an excellent book.
I rated it a bit lower because, from an enjoyment standpoint, I didn't really "enjoy" it. I found it interesting and highly recommend it as a reference book for any fan, but one of its strengths (its thoroughness) also worked against it when it came to me enjoying it. Also, the writer's style didn't allow him to tell an interesting story. I think this is again a strength (him being accurate) working against the enjoyment factor (some authors make the bio more interesting through embellishment). As well, the book could have used more insights from Bowie himself - we get a lot of quotes from others but less from him, so we are on the outside looking in. The last problem I did have with the author's writing is that he inserted his own opinion as if it were fact, and that always irritates me. I don't mind "many consider this Bowie's finest album/song" but I do mind "this IS Bowie's finest album/song". The first offers up an opinion as an opinion, the second acts like art can be quantified.
Overall, a little overwhelming a book for someone (like me) who loves Bowie's music but wanted a more scaled down version of his life, but still an excellent book.
May 12, 2021
'Strange Fascination' is a strange beast. 'The Definitive Story' of its subtitle? Absolutely not. It is full of 'stuff' about Bowie, but rarely brings all the stuff together to form a coherent view of the man or the artist.
Of course that may well be impossible, as Bowie's progress from chancer to elder statesman and all the addictions and weird obsessions and artistic meanderings in between surely indicate a restlessness that won't lie down to be anatomised. But David Buckley's attempts at finding meaning rarely rise above the level of undergraduate essay-writing and simplistic analysis, and are let down by factual errors and over-reliance on quotes from a handful of musical associates which are all too often more about themselves than about Bowie.
The bottom line is that, in a book about Bowie it feels that Bowie is absent a great deal of the time. Perhaps his fickleness and restlessness meant that the man himself would never have opened up to a mere biographer, but the world deserves a better, more sympathetic attempt than this. The fact that Bowie's final years (the book ends in 2005) aren't covered is also a major failing. No biography can be definitive that omits two of the man's best albums, and a return to the artistic questing which made him so fascinating in the first place.
Distance, perspective and a better writer are needed for anything approaching 'definitive', and that may be a long way off yet.
Of course that may well be impossible, as Bowie's progress from chancer to elder statesman and all the addictions and weird obsessions and artistic meanderings in between surely indicate a restlessness that won't lie down to be anatomised. But David Buckley's attempts at finding meaning rarely rise above the level of undergraduate essay-writing and simplistic analysis, and are let down by factual errors and over-reliance on quotes from a handful of musical associates which are all too often more about themselves than about Bowie.
The bottom line is that, in a book about Bowie it feels that Bowie is absent a great deal of the time. Perhaps his fickleness and restlessness meant that the man himself would never have opened up to a mere biographer, but the world deserves a better, more sympathetic attempt than this. The fact that Bowie's final years (the book ends in 2005) aren't covered is also a major failing. No biography can be definitive that omits two of the man's best albums, and a return to the artistic questing which made him so fascinating in the first place.
Distance, perspective and a better writer are needed for anything approaching 'definitive', and that may be a long way off yet.
February 5, 2017
For an absolutely fanatical Bowie fan like me, this book was a treasure trove of valuable nuggets which continually impressed me by virtue of the breadth and depth of the research. Buckley has spoken to so many of the important people in the life of David Bowie from the very early days up to the last days. This not only gives the reader an intimate understanding of the man but also helps us to understand the pressures he lived under and the reasons for some of his more unusual artistic adventures.
I loved the way the book provides almost a line-by-line analysis of many of his best loved songs and the social, psychological and geographical context behind them. I couldn't get enough of the first half of the book but, as Bowie had only recently died when I received the book as a birthday present, I found the latter half of the book a little depressing and less enjoyable but that's probably more to do with my grief at his loss and my preference for his earlier works than a lack of quality from the writer.
Perhaps not ideal for the general music fan because of the intense level of detail, the book is bound to delight anyone who loved his music and theatricality. A book I shall return to many times.
I loved the way the book provides almost a line-by-line analysis of many of his best loved songs and the social, psychological and geographical context behind them. I couldn't get enough of the first half of the book but, as Bowie had only recently died when I received the book as a birthday present, I found the latter half of the book a little depressing and less enjoyable but that's probably more to do with my grief at his loss and my preference for his earlier works than a lack of quality from the writer.
Perhaps not ideal for the general music fan because of the intense level of detail, the book is bound to delight anyone who loved his music and theatricality. A book I shall return to many times.
September 9, 2020
There's a lot of really good, interesting, telling information in this book. If you enjoy dry non-fiction, this is for you. I do enjoy that, so my complaints lie elsewhere.
First, this book goes up to 2005. It could use an update, but that's neither here nor there, and I don't begrudge Buckley this. My two true criticisms are with the way that the author starts to outline the albums. First, Buckley does the same thing he accuses critics of the time of doing. Each album he reviews (until maybe "Tonight") seems to be Bowie's best and most important album. Second, when we get to the '90s, the chapter format turns into a breakdown, song-by-song, of each album. It comes across as almost like a Wiki page.
The first part of the book, however, is great. Good pacing, a satisfying mix of musical facts and personal trivia, and overall more intrigue. But around maybe two-thirds through, Buckley seems to get a little bored.
First, this book goes up to 2005. It could use an update, but that's neither here nor there, and I don't begrudge Buckley this. My two true criticisms are with the way that the author starts to outline the albums. First, Buckley does the same thing he accuses critics of the time of doing. Each album he reviews (until maybe "Tonight") seems to be Bowie's best and most important album. Second, when we get to the '90s, the chapter format turns into a breakdown, song-by-song, of each album. It comes across as almost like a Wiki page.
The first part of the book, however, is great. Good pacing, a satisfying mix of musical facts and personal trivia, and overall more intrigue. But around maybe two-thirds through, Buckley seems to get a little bored.
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