Marking 20 years
of bold journalism,
reader supported.
Arts and Culture
Music

Bowie and Iggy, Circling Each Other

Neither near death, both still swingin'.

Adrian Mack 7 Mar 2013TheTyee.ca

Adrian Mack contributes a regular music column to The Tyee and frequently sits behind Rich Hope.

David Bowie's new album has been streaming for free at iTunes for the last week or so. With an ominous 10 years of silence and rumours of failing health behind him, Bowie mounted an impressive publicity coup when he very suddenly released the video for "Where Are We Now" on his 66th birthday in January.

The excitement was infectious. This was the first time in a very long time that David Bowie rose above the sea level of his own fame, where he's been stuck since the '80s. There was none of this buzz around Heathen, or Earthling, or anything going all the way back to Let's Dance.

And hey, this sudden paroxysm of Bowiemania is occurring when YouTube counters spin out of control over the nth generation pop of One Direction and the grating infantilism of PSY. It's a stirring last minute victory for the old Dame, who's still got it -- or enough of it, at least -- to re-emerge with something as thoroughly enjoyable if inessential as The Next Day, a set so gratuitously self-reflexive that Bowie even goofs himself on the album cover. Not that I'm complaining.

Meanwhile, the universe has hiccupped and left a big Iggy and the Stooges-shaped blob of yellow phlegm on our collective windshield again. The timing is delightful for those who remember the last time Bowie and the Stooges had any proximity in the public mind. They collaborated on 1973's Raw Power, with Bowie's mix passing into history (not entirely fairly) as a sort of grand blight on an otherwise epochal record.

Earlier in the week, Iggy and the Stooges -- reconfigured after the death of guitarist Ron Asheton to include Iggy's scary foil from the Raw Power era, James Williamson--previewed a track from their forthcoming album, Ready to Die. And as the British tabloids used to say: Phew, what a scorcher! Although I suspect it's much less deliberate than Bowie's game of spot-the-reference, "Burn" takes the guitar hook from "Gimme Danger," rearranges it ever so slightly, and then marches cock-out into the post-millennium loudness wars.

You can decide who among this cast of ancients is best acting their age.  [Tyee]

Read more: Music

  • Share:

Facts matter. Get The Tyee's in-depth journalism delivered to your inbox for free

Tyee Commenting Guidelines

Comments that violate guidelines risk being deleted, and violations may result in a temporary or permanent user ban. Maintain the spirit of good conversation to stay in the discussion.
*Please note The Tyee is not a forum for spreading misinformation about COVID-19, denying its existence or minimizing its risk to public health.

Do:

  • Be thoughtful about how your words may affect the communities you are addressing. Language matters
  • Challenge arguments, not commenters
  • Flag trolls and guideline violations
  • Treat all with respect and curiosity, learn from differences of opinion
  • Verify facts, debunk rumours, point out logical fallacies
  • Add context and background
  • Note typos and reporting blind spots
  • Stay on topic

Do not:

  • Use sexist, classist, racist, homophobic or transphobic language
  • Ridicule, misgender, bully, threaten, name call, troll or wish harm on others
  • Personally attack authors or contributors
  • Spread misinformation or perpetuate conspiracies
  • Libel, defame or publish falsehoods
  • Attempt to guess other commenters’ real-life identities
  • Post links without providing context

LATEST STORIES

The Barometer

Do You Think Naheed Nenshi Will Win the Alberta NDP Leadership Race?

Take this week's poll