I’m not sure of what to think, as I’ve always felt cheated by Bowie’s celebrity.
See, I grew up too late to really be able to understand him as he should be understood. I’m too young to look at him in the proper context.
I always wanted to get him in the right and proper way, and believe me, I’ve tried. I like his music, and not just what they played on the radio- not that that distinction matters, as I’ve only heard one of his songs that way. Yes, truly, only one, except for his NIN collaboration, which I’ve always thought was more of a Reznor song.
Actually, let’s back up for a second. His NIN collaboration was my first real introduction to him. I mean, this was the first time I actually saw him on TV.
Actually, wait… I’m forgetting that video with Bing Crosby. You know the one. I saw that as a kid and never forgot it, mostly because MTV played it every year. I used to mark my viewing of that video as one of the hallmarks that Christmas was just around the corner.
I always liked Bowie. I recorded his MTV Live special back in the day and played it over a few times now and again after the NIN collab sparked my interest in him.
But wait… let’s back up a bit.
I’ve always LIKED Bowie. I’ve always respected him. But I’ve never been able to get him as I properly should.
I’ve read articles about him from many sources over the years. I heard a good portion of his music, I think the majority of it to the date, or at least all of it that I could find on Napster and Scour, back in college, for two reasons: 1) most of the Goth artists I loved so much back then were influenced by him and name checked him, and 2) the dumb frat drunkards at the University I went to scoffed at him, which gave him an instant 2 points with me.
The music I liked, but the articles didn’t give me the complete picture. They were always after the fact. They’re only someone’s biased interpretation of hazy, half-forgotten memories.
But I always LIKED Bowie. Truth- I’ve always been a fan of his gender-bending stuff, and he’s one of the reasons why I got into it. I mean, not that I understood why he did it, except on carnal and artistic levels, but… I found it a bit inspiring. I mean, gender bending is cool. I mean, it just is, especially when done right, and without him, I might not have known what right actually was.
And Bowie did it right. His whole way of doing it was as it should have been done. He was fluid. He was not in any way so much of something that he couldn’t pull away and try something else at a later date.
I also investigated, back in my college days, an artist named Jobriath, who was supposed to be the “real deal” back then as opposed to Bowie, because Jobriath was actually, IDK, trans, or gay, or something that was supposed to be more “authentic” than Bowie’s artistic expression.
That other dude went nowhere.
So… I also investigated a few other artists who who tried gender bending, like the great and inspiring goth musician Sopor Aeternus. He/She (or whatever) is interesting, as interesting in his own ways as Bowie. And of course Genesis P-Orridge was fascinating to me as well. Although- both Aeternus and P-Orridge were influenced by Bowie, right? So… Bowie’s there, too. Kinda.
IDK. Bowie is in so many places culturally these days, in little bits here and there, that’s he’s hard to really quantify.
But… I’ve always liked him and his music.
So R.I.P. David Bowie- and Ziggy Stardust, and The Thin White Duke, and, let’s see… Jareth, too, and The Man Who Fell to Earth.
But mostly, rest in peace, Bowie.
You’ll be missed.