David Bowie

The other day, I was stuck on public transport, with only my MP3 player for entertainment. Throughout the journey, I listened to a David Bowie compilation, which gave a varied and fairly representative overview of his career from 1969 until the late 1980s.

When the diversity of Bowie's output during the aforementioned period is discussed, opinion can be divided. Mainstream opinion tends to laud his willingness to experiment, and his apparent ability to pioneer musical trends (glam rock, disco/funk, electronica, rock/dance fusions etc). Some more cynical observers deride him as an opportunistic musical chameleon, merely capitalising on genres which were already thriving "underground".

Whilst there may be some truth in the latter contention, on balance I see it as a strength. Yes, some of Bowie's early work was derivative of ground already covered by the Velvet Underground and others. However, he managed to bestow these fashions with mainstream acceptance, by giving them the "Bowie treatment". Even well into the 1980s, he retained some "cred" with the critics and musos, as well as enjoying commercial success. To his credit, it also seems that Bowie was quite candid about his influences.

For what it is worth, my favourite Bowie era is the mid-1970s, in the aftermath of the Ziggy Stardust hysteria, and prior to his period of greatest experimentation. The works around this time were stripped of some of the earlier artifice, and concentrated more on straight-ahead rock n roll. The "Diamond Dogs" album seemed to act as some sort of pivot for Bowie's career.

Although his music appeared to lose focus and zest as the 1980s wore on, he was still making well-crafted material, plus the occasional gem ,"Absolute Beginners" being a case in point.