Hero: David Bowie

One of the better ones out there ..

Una pequeña biblia donde resume a través de datos, anécdotas, y entrevistas con el mismo David, y allegados, la interesante trayectoria del músico inglés. Contiene algunas páginas (para mi breves) con fotos.Desde su llegada a la música, hasta su paso por el cine y su ascenso hasta la cima de su popularidad, Bowie fue un músico excepcional, que siempre marcó el paso a los músicos de su generación, experimentando y alejándose o llevando las modas a su terreno.Su carrera, fue tristemente truncada por la enfermedad del cáncer, con la que lidió durante 11 meses, y que interrumpió una carrera impecable y experimental.Siempre recordado David; pasarán siglos antes de tener una mente tan lúcida y creativa de nuevo en el panorama cultural; ésta biografía es una buena manera de mantener vivo su legado.

The book starts with an account of a grieving George Underwood, sitting in his living room, in tears. Visiting a dead man’s best friend on the day the death was announced, and pretending to console him, while in fact you milk him for an interview, to be used in a quickly whipped-out biography, is the lowest of low!As in most cases, this book is a concoction of fact and fantasy. Readers are left on their own to discover the truth, as they prefer to see it. Amongst the sources quoted are: David’s ex-wife (truly a “reliable source”, this woman is full of malice and hatred) and doctors who preferred to stay anonymous (if they existed at all). These doctors attempt to diagnose “infantile” syphilis which supposedly caused David’s “eye-condition”, and which he got from his “prostitute” mother. Please! On early pictures it can be seen that there was no dilated pupil before David was 12 or 13.Yes, there are interesting passages and good quotes from people who simply told their story and kept their neutrality and, yes, there are several photos, which are not so very important. But as a reliable biography, this book gets a strict “NO”! If the author really was a friend or good acquaintance, as she wants us to believe – then why didn’t she either got an authorization for a biography in time (while David was still alive) or respected his wish of not being autobiographed? Or, at the least, left out the rather stupid Angie- and Syphilis-passages? Furthermore: her style is highly manipulative. Often she hints at “facts” without really saying it.Useful are the extras at the end of the book: his favourite books, a full discography and filmography, notes about his art collection, a chronology.Why did I by this book? I was hoping for something better, with more substance and quality, because I had read excerpts from her biography of Marc Bolan. I am more of a Bolan-fan, but I like David’s music, too, and I wanted more information. The passages in the Bolan-biography seemed to be quite o.k. (although her picture of Marc in the Bowie-biography is less favourable). I’ll still have to read the full Bolan-book, but I’m not quite sure if I still want to. Who knows what to expect?

Wow. In less time than it took Hayward Stenton Jones and Margaret Mary Jones (Peggy) to create the man himself, Lesley-Ann Jones has comprehensively undertaken the astonishing feat of producing an intense and fascinating account of the life of this creatively unique human being.It’s just 9 short months since news of Bowie’s death knocked every political, financial and human interest story off the news headlines across the world. The subsequent outpouring of grief, disbelief and manic-obsessive love was as stupefying and disturbing as the man himself.Whether you loved Bowie or loathed him is utterly irrelevant. This book is a deeply personal perspective on the rock and roll years, the participants, the behind-the-scenes craziness, the music and those who were making it. That it is so well-researched, pithy and funny is testament to the author’s honest writing style and desire to share her personal and professional first-hand experiences with her readers. It’s great – Jones gives proper context to the Bowie we knew (or thought we knew) across the decades.She smashes up the myths, she introduces us to scenarios that should have joined the realms of the myths but didn’t because no one knew or could remember. She was uniquely close enough and trusted enough to observe. Some of it is brutally written yes, but no one – not even her younger self – has escaped her laser gaze in this latest publication. Not even Bowie.Of course some people will disapprove of some of the revelations; of course hero-worshippers will baulk at the knowledge that actually yes, Bowie was a mere mortal. A book will never be able to satisfy some peoples’ yearning for affirmation of what they want to believe. But this is supremely respectful, sharp, authentic, entertaining and surprisingly informative. I cried, I laughed out loud, I couldn’t put it down.This is Lesley-Ann’s best writing yet.

He de reconocer que el principio del libro después de la introducción se me hizo algo pesado de leer,pero en cuanto empieza la época de The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars la cosa empieza a cambiar y a partir de ahí no puedes dejar de leer el libro!!!.Super bien documentado,y con muchísima información adicional