Diamond Dogs

33⅓ Main Series #143

by Glenn Hendler

After his breakthrough with Ziggy Stardust and before his U.S. pop hits "Fame" and "Golden Years" David Bowie produced a dark and difficult concept album set in a post-apocalyptic "Hunger City" populated by post-human "mutants." Diamond Dogs includes the great glam anthem "Rebel Rebel" and utterly unique songs that combine lush romantic piano and nearly operatic singing with scratching, grungy guitars, creepy, insidious noises, and dark, pessimistic lyrics that reflect the album's origins in a projected Broadway musical version of Orwell's 1984 and Bowie's formative encounter with William S. Burroughs.

In this book Glenn Hendler shows that each song on Diamond Dogs shifts the ground under you as you listen, not just by changing in musical style, but by being sung by a different "I" who directly addresses a different "you." Diamond Dogs is the product of a performer at the peak of his powers but uncomfortable with the rock star role he had constructed. All of the album's influences looked to Bowie like ways of escaping not just the Ziggy role, but also the constraints of race, gender, sexuality, and nationality. These are just some of the reasons many Bowie fans rate Diamond Dogs his richest and most important album of the 1970s.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

139 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 5, 2020

Reviews

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid 3.5

I have one of those fake-nobility portraits of David Bowie hanging in my office. It was a gift. All that together should tell you exactly how wild about Bowie I am: excessively wild. And I'll share it, excessively.

And Diamond Dogs is my second-favourite Bowie album (after its spiritual successor 1. Outside). Reading this, and blasting the album as I did, was a delight -- catching new factoids, weird moments. I've never appreciated the last track more; learning about the Burroughs influence creeped me out; reading through descriptions of the dystopian universe Bowie creates in 39 minutes just really did it for me. This album is as close to a true horror movie as an album can get, and sometimes, reading this little book, it felt like that scene where the characters visit a reclusive expert to try to understand what's happening to them. They'll get some tidbits, but they'll have to put it all together for themselves.

In terms of the actual quality of the analysis, I'm of two minds -- I like that Hendler makes no bones about his personal connection to Bowie, and he's very transparent about the fact that this is HIS reading. But it's just that -- his reading, with occasional missteps into arguing for his personal song preferences, and a lot of undergrad-esque conclusions (such as a full analysis of Bowie not wanting to be "in rock and roll"...based on an interpretation of an incomplete sentence from the title track. Which he then analyzes in full later). Hendler's also playing with his own cut-up method, meaning songs pop up to be analyzed almost randomly, and throughthreads do get lost.

But overall: an incredible reminder of how completely fucking genius Bowie was, and how deeply fucking brilliant -- and pretty terrifying -- this album will forever be. Whether or not you read this book, if you haven't listened toDiamond Dogs in full in awhile, do it. It's so new, so visceral, every time. Magic.

[Ignacio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Completísimo repaso a la composición e interpretación de Diamond Dogs centrado en la música y pasando muy por encima sobre otras facetas (históricas, culturales, impacto) que suelen tener un peso determinante en este tipo de libros. Hendler despliega y analiza los temas del álbum, su visión detrás de la escritura, grabación y producción de cada tema de manera exhaustiva. En ocasiones puede caer en la sobreinterpretación y una cierta indulgencia (las ideas nazis en las que se solazó al año de aparecer Diamond Dogs). Pero su labor de estudio y transmisión son clarividentes. No se me ocurre una mejor guía para escuchar un álbum tenebroso, brillante, transformador. We are the dead.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a huge fan of diamond Dogs. I like it but it's not the Bowie album I revisit. This particular analysis is good though, with the academic and trivial nicely mixed. I learnt a lot of new things about the album so I guess that's always good.

[Tosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

We will discuss this book on Book Musik podcast.

[Ric · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favorite of the three 33 1/3 books that I’ve read so far which is surprising because it’s an album that I like but don’t love. However, the deep dives into every song and the 1984 themes and comparisons was fantastic, and it made me appreciate the album so much more.

[Chris Bookley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diamantine.

[Squash (Lex) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good analysis of a weird album. I think going into some of the technical aspects of how Bowie got various sounds would have been cool, but I know not every 333 takes on albums from that angle. I learned quite a few new things about this album that I really like. I already really loved the Sweet Thing suite, but this gave me a new appreciation for it!

[Adam]

Rambunctious, yet muddled. The author is clearly a fan of Bowie, and his ideas, thoughts, theories, and musings are well-researched, both in terms of Bowie scholarship and Bowie fandom. However, he never seems to hit his stride with making a clear case for the album's overall story, meaning, or purpose. Then again, he's also upfront with the fact the album might be confusing by introducing the concept of "interpolation" - either you will feel Bowie directly talking to you through these songs or you won't.

Ultimately, if you are a Bowie fan, I feel this entry into the 33 1/3 series will give you much to chew on and debate about the impact of this album on the artist's lengthy career.

[Steve Klemz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never a huge fave of mine, but this deep dive into Diamond Dogs has me fascinated. Another closer listen for sure. I love the obsessive nature of these 33 1/3 series on albums. It is always clear that the author's appreciate each release in ways I might never have thought of. Always fun .

[Augusto Delgado · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diamond Dogs was my very first approach to David Bowie almost half a century ago, thanks to me cousin Jay Cee, who owned the rare (on these lands) vinyl, when we were discussing Orwell's famous book.

I thought, initially, that Bowie, the musician, was sort of a proggie with productions like this one, a story, a concept told throughout superb music. Later on, I'd discovered the many characters created by our hero before and after this favourite album.

Time passed fast, this little book was affordable, and from the first page, it sets the record straight. Diamond Dogs ended being a three part concept:
1-Side A influenced by William Burroughs's bleak futuristic landscapes, populated by mutant "peoploids" the Diamond Dogs.
2- Some musical interlude, with "Rebel, Rebel" closing side A and "Rock 'n Roll with me" opening Side B.
3- Orwell's 1984 the main theme occupying the side B closing tracks.

The author's approach is very interesting. The writing has no linearity, following the album track by track, nor is a boring analysis of the lyrics (like some other instalments of this series). On the contrary, it starts on the dialectics of the narrative: the I/you me/we oppositions in the conveying of Bowie's songwriting. Although I still cannot imagine that Sweet Thing-Candidate suite is some sort of same sex mutants fornication, it makes the reader think. Thus, yours truly discovered that not only Orwell, but Burroughs were the inspiration for each side of this concept album.

The book's highlight, methinks, is the author's immersion in the music. He definitely listened the album with care, attention and passion, in order to detect the several instrumentations put together, on which channel they are coming through and what effects were apparently used to create such fine music. This makes the reader to listen again very carefully, to identify David Bowie's virtuosity. On top of that, the subtleties of Bowie's's singing are exposed for the reader to hear.

Nice book, written the way it is supposed to be when someone is trying to explain a crucial album to the masses.

[Hernán M. Sanabria · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Someone to claim us, someone to follow
Someone to shame us, some brave Apollo
Someone to fool us, someone like you

We want you, Big Brother"

After several delays, I finally got my copy of the book Diamond Dogs by Gleen Hendler, another fascinating entry from Bloomsbury and its 33 1/3 series. I don't spin this album frequently but now I will, Hendler's passion for the record grants him excellent insights to share with his readers. Now I get that Diamond Dogs is not just a discarded project for a 1984 musical, it's a study of how cults work and how its followers vanish their "I" towards an absolutist "We"; of course, only Bowie knew how to use that knowledge to expand his boundaries once again. Don't hesitate and grab this excellent 33 1/3 title!

[Philippa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up on holidays, despite swearing we wouldn't buy any books - and it wasn't the only one! As a huge Bowie fan I enjoyed the analysis of one of his classic albums, the drilling down into what Bowie meant in the various songs, his influences (both conscious and sub-conscious) and some very interesting anecdotes. It's a little dense in places but if you can get it and you're a Bowie fan then it's a real treat.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the books in the series that I think finds a lot more success if you're magically listening to each song as the discussion carries on throughout. I think Hendler's narrative is concise to a degree, but it's hard to manufacture understanding unless you have the musical bits right there at your fingertips as you thumb through the pages. I think there's a solid bulk to this that was redeemable, though, again, its mostly a track by track analysis through one writer's lens.

[Lou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good study of a transitional album in David Bowie's career. Hendler goes into what some of the songs were intended for (some sort of musical based on Orwell's 1984), and the subsequent result of Bowie's immersion into the 'cut-up' method of William S. Burroughs and Brian Gysin. A very good study of an overlooked album in Bowie's catalog.

[Geoffrey Harden · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author is a professor of English and American studies, so we get an exploration of Bowie's thematic influences on Diamind Dogs Orwell & Burroughs, wide-ranging musical insprations including the Stones, Isaac Hayes, disco and prog rock, and a careful parsing of his lyrics. This was an interesting read. I'm sure I'll hear something new the next time I play the album.

[Kimley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tosh and I discuss this on our Book Musik podcast.

Diamond Dogs is frequently considered one of Bowie’s best albums by critics and fans alike. It’s an album that was stitched together from the detritus of a failed 1984 project and his reading of William Burroughs’ Wild Boys which impelled Bowie to use the cut-up technique in his lyric writing. Bowie’s cryptic lyrics are ripe for the kind of OCD examination that the 33 1/3 series allows. And given our current virus-laden era of social distancing and big brother-like policies emanating from the powers that be worldwide, this feels like an album for our time.

[Tankboy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice dip into the album. Nothing revelatory here, but it’s nice to read a long, smart and engaging piece about what I think is one of Bowie’s most underrated albums.

[Christian Lipski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nicely descriptive reading of Bowie's dark and disturbing 1974 album.

[Alaina Sloo · Rating 4 out of 5]

No matter how many times you've listened to the songs from this album, you haven't heard anything until you've read this book.

[Loki · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating deep dive into one of my favourite albums of all time, bringing out details and connections I'd never noticed before. Highly recommended.

[Dominic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely up my alley. Perhaps it would have been better if a less heterosexual scholar had taken this one on, to be honest...

[James Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a huge Bowie fan, but I enjoy reading music history. Hendler leaves no doubt that Bowie "did it his way."

[Brad · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very few revelations or discoveries. Mostly just narrates what is happening when one listens to the album.

[Kev Penny · Rating 2 out of 5]

My least favourite of the 33 1/3 books I’ve read so far. Really struggled to engage with this one.

[Rich · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my favorite Bowie album but to me, Bowie the person just doesn't seem all that interesting as a character. Like, his characters are more interesting than he is. But this is still my favorite Bowie album... no doubt.

[Graham Catt · Rating 3 out of 5]

These 33 and a third books are (unfortunately) a little hit and miss. This exploration of Bowie’s Diamond Dogs is okay, although (at times) the author ties himself in knots trying to see deep meaning in moments that (most likely) Bowie just thought sounded cool.

[Brian Shevory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ended up reading three books featuring Bowie over Christmas break. This was the first one and focused on his album Diamond Dogs. I’ve always been intrigued by this album for many different reasons. Probably because “Rebel Rebel” is one of my all-time favorite Bowie songs and was like the first Bowie song I remember really connecting with when I was in high school. It’s got such a joyous beat, and I loved the lyrics about androgyny and identity. The cover, which Hendler examines and analyzes, also always stuck out to me. It’s so weird to consider a Bowie/Dog hybrid with other human animals in the background as well. In other readings on music, I learned that this album was really influential for Darby Crash forming the Germs. He would talk about the hidden meanings in this album, and after learning more about it and Bowie’s possible flirtations with autocracy and dictators, it’s really interesting to consider. One of the other aspects that makes this album so fascinating is that it started out as a musical production of Orwell’s 1984, but was eventually abandoned. Hendler doesn’t get too into this topic, but he does describe some of the instances of Bowie’s television appearances around this time and how kind of wild it was to have him in the tail end of glam rock parading about on television. This was more of a typical 33 1/3 book that examines the making of the album, interviewing some key players while also looking at Bowie’s relationship with the singer Ava Cherry and how she influenced some of his future work (especially the Young Americans album). This album also brought in the influence of Burroughs, and Hendler discusses how the Wild Boys and other Burroughs’ writing influenced some of the songs on this album. I gained a deeper appreciation for this album through Hendler’s research and documentation. It’s interesting to think of this album as kind of representing the transition phase from glam rock to more of the hybrid, genre morphing and experimental music that Bowie would forge in later albums in the 1970s.