Happy Birthday, David Bowie

[filkertom]

On this date in 1947.

What's your favorite work by Bowie? His movies count for this. Mine would include "Young Americans", "Ziggy Stardust", "Fame", "Changes", of course "Space Oddity", and his acting turns in The Man Who Fell To Earth, Labyrinth, The Last Temptation of Christ, and The Prestige.

Comments

[unclelumpy.livejournal.com]

"You remind me of the babe..."

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

D'oh! Serves me right for multitasking. Added.

[fabricdragon.livejournal.com]

what babe?

[selenesue.livejournal.com]

The shark guy in YELLOWBEARD, one of my guilty favorite pirate movies.

Oh, all right, Jareth in LABYRINTH if I need to give a serious answer.

[ellyssian.livejournal.com]

Guilty favorite? Best pirate movie ever. It's so accurate, it's like watching a documentary that was filmed back in the piratin' days. And it's even out on DVD now. =)

[jbacardi.livejournal.com]

Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), in a dead heat with Aladdin Sane (but that's as much Mick Ronson's), are my favorite Bowie recordings- although for my money his lat two, Reality and especially the excellent Heathen are right up there. And I had given up on him ever being a worthwhile recording artist again...

As far as acting goes, I liked him in Absolute Beginners, trying to talk all suave and stuff, and I thought he was really good as Tesla in The Prestige

[ericcoleman]

The Man Who Sold The World album ... the cocaine induced paranoia made for some brilliant music, and a couple of the best pieces of found filk as well.

As for an individual song, Heroes. I need to work out an arrangement with Andy Anda, I really do.

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

Um, are you going to disown me if I say "The Little Drummer Boy" with Bing Crosby?

[ericcoleman]

I don't see anyone disowning anyone over this, but I do see a certain amount of pointing and snickering

[ladystarblade.livejournal.com]

I shrieked with delight when he turned up as Tesla in "The Prestige," and I grew up watching him as Jareth.

And "Under Pressure" is my cell phone ringtone...and sometimes my life theme song. :-)

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

"Under Pressure" is truly an amazing piece of work. Not sure how much is him and how much is Queen. I suppose it doesn't matter.

[ellyssian.livejournal.com]

I can't think of a song of his I really don't like. If I had to pick favorites though, I'd go with "As the World Falls Down" and "Without You" from the Labyrinth soundtrack.

[ldwheeler.livejournal.com]

I like Bowie in general -- not a favorite, but someone who's been consistently high quality. (Well, OK, I didn't much care for "Day In, Day Out.") I particularly like "Space Oddity" and "Modern Love." As well, I think his work with Tin Machine is underrated.

[ldwheeler.livejournal.com]

Whoops, forgot to add "Heroes."

[hitchkitty.livejournal.com]

"Everything you have asked for, I have done. You asked that the child be taken; I took him. You cowered before me; I was frightening. I have re-ordered time. I have turned the world upside-down. And I have done it. All. For you. I am exhausted from living up to your expectations of me."
Best. Villain line. Ever.

I've only seen Bowie in Labyrinth, but I've thought about looking into his other work.

Heh. My local comics shop has a statue of Jareth for sale. The tagline is, "Would you like 14 inches of David Bowie?"

[brigidsblest.livejournal.com]

Heh. My local comics shop has a statue of Jareth for sale. The tagline is, "Would you like 14 inches of David Bowie?"

To which the only rational answer is: "Yes, please."

[youngcurmudgeon.livejournal.com]

Currently, Modern Love and Heroes. Additionally, the Flight of the Conchords (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR2L98gobTQ) tribute to him is pretty fantastic.

[allisona.livejournal.com]

All of "Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars". Fame. 1984. Changes. Space Oddity. And I love the "Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth" duet with Bing Crosby.

[hiddenriver.livejournal.com]

I'll see your list and raise you "The Hunger."

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Murf. Not about Bowie, he was fine. The direction, and the editing. That movie made what I thought was impossible: a love scene between Susan Sarandon and Catherine Deneuve that was stone cold boring.

[kosaginolegion.livejournal.com]

I want someone to do a sequel to the Prestige with Tesla in the starring role. And the second... and the third... and the...

C'mon. You're telling me he *didn't* take advantage of his new toy to make his scientific experimentation that much more efficient?

[tomreedtoon.livejournal.com]

I don't listen to most serious pop music. But I remember watching this HBO concert with Tina Turner, she briefly mentioned she liked a David Bowie song, and sure enough, on the second verse, he walks in from the wings and joins in.

Curiously enough, at that moment somebody tried to rush the stage and security tackled him. They kept singing, segueing into "Let's Dance." That was one of the classiest bits I've ever seen. And perhaps the last moment of classic show biz ever seen in the rock world.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Well, I obviously -- or maybe not so obviously -- disagree with the assessment of classic show biz in the rock world. Heck, in my opinion any given Meat Loaf concert has got more drama than all the works of Andrew Lloyd Webber. But maybe I'll start a thread on it.

[fabricdragon.livejournal.com]

all of them, any of them.
and a possible addition of anything he walked close to.....

in movies? Labyrinth, absolutely.

peace on earth/little drummer boy (with Crosby)
Lets Dance (the entire album)
Golden years (song)
major tom (song)

he had a far to short role in The Hunger, that left me whining for more..
while Heathen isnt my favorite, i admit it had a few good ones in it...

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Point of order: "Major Tom" is Peter Schilling's excellent... let's call it what it is -- filk of Bowie's "Space Oddity".

Bowie !!!!!

[sexybass.livejournal.com]

I am a serious fan!!!
Ziggy Stardust
Heroes
Space Oddity
Rebel Rebel
Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy
Movie - Labyrinth

[salkryn.livejournal.com]

I always loved watching him in Labyrinth, and I don't think I ever met a David Bowie song I didn't like.

Off the wall movie

[lohquesse.livejournal.com]

The Linguini Incident with Rosanna Arquette (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102313/)

No, seriously. A funny movie - all about a bad magician/waitress (Arquette) and her suitor/bartender/illegal immigrant (Bowie). I wish I could find it on DVD, I have the VHS...

Lohquesse

[inamac.livejournal.com]

The whole of Aladdin Sane really, but if I had to be stranded on a desert island with just one song it would be Lady Grinning Soul.

[popefelix.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't know from albums, but two of my faves are Golden Years and Life on Mars. That last is just wonderfully cathartic for me lately.

[acelightning.livejournal.com]

Too much Bowie to get them all

[kworkmeister.livejournal.com]

I'll name a few songs though:

Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy
Ashes to Ashes
Lady Grinning Soul
After All
Teenage Wildlife
Warzsawa
Conversation Piece
Silly Boy Blue (BBC)
Slip Away
Laughing Gnome
Shadow Man (original bootleg only version, 1971 I believe)

Albums:

Berlin Trilogy (Low, Heroes, Lodger)
Hunky Dory
Heathen
Labyrinth
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
The Man Who Sold the World

Movies:
Labyrinth
Linguini Incident
The Hunger