Often heralded as David Bowie's signature album and the one that saw him crowned the king of glam rock, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is indeed an album of enormous influence and cultural significance. It also happens to contain some very enjoyable music.
A mixture of theatrical, futuristic oddities and tunes that just rock, Ziggy Stardust is a loose concept album set five years before the end of the earth. Its space-traveler surface, however, betrays the true concept - the story of a rock star rising to the fame which eventually destroys him.
"Starman," "Star," and "Ziggy Stardust," all uptempo yet thoughtful and emotive songs, really capture the heart of the album's theme. The latter two are explicit in their commentary on the trials and tribulations of stardom, while "Starman" uses the metaphor of an alien coming to earth and overwhelming its inhabitants. Bowie also explores the androgyny and sexual experimentation of the time in the rocking "Suffragette City" and the melancholy "Lady Stardust," a tribute to Bowie's brother (or sister) in glam, Marc Bolan. "Lady Stardust" also features some very fine piano work, arguably the best music on the album...
...The Ziggy persona often overshadows the music, and this album itself showcases Bowie's talent as an actor and performer more than it does his talent as a musician (Entertainment Weekly named David Bowie's creation of Ziggy Stardust the 34th greatest moment in rock history). This is unfortunate for, while not his best work, Ziggy is a fun album and a great introduction to the world of David Bowie.
Vikki Otero
Copyright © 1997-2002 Ink Blot Magazine. All rights reserved.
Vikki Otero
Copyright © 1997-2002 Ink Blot Magazine. All rights reserved.
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