To Major Tom...

by Dave Thompson

To Major Tom follows the trials and tribulations of Gary Weightman as he tackles life's obstacles, from impressionable youth through puberty to adulthood and life as a married middle aged father. Gary shares his thoughts with his silent pen pal charting the life of a fully fledged rock-pop icon.

Genres: Music, Fiction

366 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2002

About the author

English author Dave Thompson has spent his entire working life writing biographies of other people, but is notoriously reluctant to write one for himself. Unlike the subjects of some of his best known books, he was neither raised by ferrets nor stolen from gypsies. He has never appeared on reality TV (although he did reach the semi finals of a UK pop quiz when he was sixteen), plays no musical instruments and he can’t dance, either.

However, he has written well over one hundred books in a career that is almost as old as U2’s… whom he saw in a club when they first moved to London, and memorably described as “okay, but they’ll never get any place.” Similar pronouncements published on the future prospects of Simply Red, Pearl Jam and Wang Chung (oh, and Curiosity Killed The Cat as well) probably explain why he has never been anointed a Pop Culture Nostradamus. Although the fact that he was around to pronounce gloomily on them in the first place might determine why he was recently described as “a veteran music journalist.”

Raised on rock, powered by punk, and still convinced that “American Pie” was written by Fanny Farmer and is best played with Meatloaf, Thompson lists his five favorite artists as old and obscure; his favorite album is whispered quietly and he would like to see Richard and Linda Thompson’s “I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight” installed as the go-to song for the sad, sappy ending for every medical drama on TV.

Kurt Cobain, Phil Collins, Alice Cooper, Joan Jett, David Bowie, John Travolta, Eric Clapton, Jackson Browne, Bob Marley, Roger Waters and the guy who sang that song in the jelly commercial are numbered among the myriad artists about whom Thompson has written books; he has contributed to the magazines Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, Mojo and Melody Maker; and he makes regular guest appearances on WXPN’s Highs in the Seventies show.

Reviews

[Fiona Robson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book, and couldn't put it down! I think every true Bowie fan is just as obsessive as the protagonist. It was so great to share with the character the joy of a new release, every news clip, and especially when the letters entered into the '80s, when I was old enough to have the pleasure of discovering the great man for myself.

Sadly, I also remember writing to Bowie, every single Sunday evening, whilst my best friend composed letters to Stallone! Neither of us ever got a reply, and I crings at the twaddle I used to subject him/his PA to. Thankfully, Dave Thompson did not wax lyrical about his Labyrinth tights, like I did!

Bizzarely ... I finished this book, the evening before the Bowie surprise announcement of his new release! I was kind of sad, finishing this book, thinking we may never have the thrill of another release again, but in the morning ... there it was!

[Khris Sellin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wrote a review and it disappeared! :(
Interesting premise, using letters as a vehicle to tell the Bowie history, but it got tedious after a while.
Shortened review. Didn't feel like rewriting everything.

[minnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Bowie is on in the background here and I Just remembered this book that I read a few years ago. It takes the form of a Bowie fan whos been writing letters to his idol since he was 12, and follows Bowies's career through the highs and lows from a fans point of view.Its not just a good Bowie Biog but examines what it means to be a real fan.

[Bonnie Roach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gary’s letters to David Bowie that starts in 72 and ends in 2002 chronicle his lifelong love of Bowie. Though 5 years older then me and closer proximity to Ziggy there was so much I could relate to. The obsessive guessing of what is coming next and why Ziggy killed the band instead of the band killing Ziggy, what the fuck happened to Halloween Jack and the 80’s what a shit show amirite.

[Carolyn Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely associated with this book. Author led me through my own Bowie journey and remind me of so much of my adolescence

Loved everything about this

Ah -and still *quite* like Bowie

[David Lai · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a whole-body critique of David Bowie's music career in the form of "letters" purportedly from a teenage obsessive who maintains his fascination with the late pop star even as he (the fan) grows into middle age, despite being increasingly scathing about what he hears (and sees, as he is also a gig-goer, supposedly bunking off school in Bournemouth to see Bowie in London.)

The conceit is never well-executed, and the effort is more or less abandoned as the book goes on; the teenage epistler seems oblivious to what is going on in the country -- power-cuts in 1973 aren't mentioned, the endless summer of 1976 provokes only one mention of the heat, the Falklands War might as well not have happened, Maggie Thatcher makes little impression, if any, and so on. Punk rock is discussed not as a seismic eruption in the life of the young, but as a mildly interesting phenomenon somewhere else in the solar system. There are also numerous verbal anachronisms. For example, people did not say "What the fuck?" in the 1980s. "What the fuck is going on?" or "What the fuck happened?" or "What the fuck is this?" but not "What the fuck?" on its own. This may seem pedantic, but fiction has to create and maintain an illusion, and anachronisms undermine it.

However, the tiresome format is maintained to the end, long after one has stopped trying not to stop believing. A thirteen-year old boy who writes like a grown-up music journalist? Who are you trying to kid?

Bowie's career went on and on, as does this book. If you're a Bowie obsessive yourself, this may remain interesting, but if not (I'm not) it's tedious in the extreme.

[Ricketyrocks · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was little more than a biography of Bowie's public life told from a fan's point of view. It may be a creative way to relate that information, but it was not very engaging. Once the narrator is out of high school, I realized it wasn't going to be much different for the rest of the book. It became a chore to get through. I am impressed by how well the author captured and faithfully recreated the mindset of angsty youth preoccupied with rock n roll

[Stargazer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really related with a lot of this - lucky he kept copies and therefore a diary of his growing up years up to fatherhood. Loved all the boarding school characters, great nicknames! Not sure if anyone other than a diehard Bowie fan would appreciate it, but as one, i loved it.
postnote: just realised this is fiction, so i was oblivious to this when i read it! I've had a couple of his boks on my to-read list for years that i am even more keen to read now...

[Yasmeen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't really judge this book objectively, because I can't see the appeal if you aren't a hard-core Bowie fan. Had it been any other singer/band (even one I liked) I would have probably gotten bored fairly soon and abandoned it. David Bowie being basically my favourite singer ever, I had a lot of fun reading this. It's fun if you know all the songs that the main character talks about, and if you know Bowie's discography fairly well because you can be like "Oh, I wonder what he'll think of the Berlin trilogy," or "Can't wait till he gets to Scary Monsters."

On a personal level, it made me look at my being a Bowie fan differently. If nothing else, I felt less creepy about my obsession; at least I don't spend my life obsessively writing letters to him. But beyond that, this was the first time I really thought about just how much the way we listen to music has changed. I can just lazily pick which albums I want to listen to; I didn't have to go through them in order or wait for any to come out, and don't have to go searching for bootlegs because I can find stuff on the Internet.. It must have been a completely different experience being a fan like Gary, waiting for every album to come out and not knowing what Bowie would do with the next one. Glad I could do that at least once when the latest album came out. Also learned a few little things about Bowie's career.

So; not brilliantly written, not particularly powerful unless you have a personal connection with the music, so it's three stars or even two if I'm being objective. But I'm not; so it gets four although it probably doesn't deserve it.

[Eleanore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost feel a bit guilty, rating this so highly, and yet I found it absorbing, endearing, funny, sad, and of course, given the timing of my reading it, quite bittersweet. (Toward the end of the book, which runs up until 2002, just missing the release of "Heathen," the protagonist ruminates on Freddie Mercury's death, and the concept of a perfect creative exit from life, if such a thing is even possible, which can only bring a tear to any Bowie fan's eye now.) The idea of a fictional character existing only within his or her correspondence isn't a new one, but I'm thinking this one may be entirely unique in said correspondence being entirely (a) fan letters, and (b) one-sided. I'm a Bowie fan, and always have been (thanks, Dad), but this book is bursting with the sort of detailed info only mega fans of something trade in (and as someone who could once list every episode of The X-Files in chronological order by name, I am no stranger to this level of fixated love). It's interesting to view roughly 30 years of a character's life entirely through this lens, but it's also strangely wonderful. And if I was ever going to read this book, I'm glad I chose to read it now.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

For someone who was born ten years after this book begins, and didn't become a fan until just about when the book ends, this was a neat way of catching up with all the excitement and hyper-fandom that David Bowie inspired through the 70s, 80s, and 90s. The author/narrator (because I really can't imagine that all these experiences were made up) gives a run down of every major release or tour that Bowie made, as well as indicating interesting bootlegs and other unofficial items, and some of the rumors and craziness that surrounded everything Bowie did. What I think is most interesting is the narrator giving a kind of synopsis of who Bowie was listening to and who was listening to Bowie, so that you could go and pick up different records and hear all these influences in case, like me, you never realized that you would be interested in them!

[Roo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, featuring letters written to David Bowie by a fan for over a period of more than 20 years. The letters are entertaining but the book also gave insights into the country during this time which, being of a similar age to the author, I really appreciated. This book should appeal to not only David Bowie fans but anyone interested in all music and social history. The book is well written and becomes addictive after a while. Well worth reading

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fictional life story told through fan letters to David Bowie...almost as much of a David Bowie biography as a novel, we're treated not only to the protagonist's life and times but also to his reactions to Bowie's many changes over the years. A fun read - NOT strictly for David Bowie fans!

[Molli · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not know this was going to be just one dude's letters he send to David Bowie without any response back. The write up on the back cover made it seem like it was a back and forth type thing. Did not love it!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked it up with misgivings but was drawn in and taken back. A great read!