The Guitars of David Bowie?
Posted by Moonage | Filed under The World Of David Bowie
Luke Slater over at TinMachine does a really neat survey of the guitars Bowie has used through the years. He comes to the conclusion Bowie basically has two guitars. One acoustic, one electric. Luke then finishes up with a conclusion that loses me. He thinks this is sad.
Now, ya gotta remember that for the most part, Bowie never considered himself a guitar player. Sure, he’s strummed a lot, but find a video where Bowie gets down on a guitar. It don’t happen. He plays piano, keyboards, saxophone, whatever it takes to get the sound he wants. No biggie. Also, consider the guitar players he’s hung out with over the last forty years or so:
- Mick Ronson
- John Lennon
- Jeff Beck
- Peter Frampton
- Stevie Ray Vaughn
- Nile Rodgers
- Charlie Sexton
- Earl Slick
- Carlos Alomar
- Adrian Belew
- Robert Fripp
- Reeves Gabrels
- David Gilmour
If I could count on that line-up to make me sound good, I’d have two less guitars than Bowie does.
Tags: Adrian-Belew, Carlos-Alomar, Charlie-Sexton, david bowie, David-Gilmour, Earl-Slick, guitar, Jeff-Beck, John-Lennon, mick ronson, nile-rodgers, Peter-Frampton, Reeves-Gabrels, Robert-Fripp, Stevie-Ray-Vaughn, The World Of David Bowie
‘Heroes’ the Brit National Anthem?
Posted by Moonage | Filed under Interpretations
In an article in The Guardian, John Harris is primarily trashing someone for remaking “Heroes” again. I didn’t care much for that part of the article. However, his description of what makes ‘Heroes‘ a great song is an ultra-special interpretation. I’m going to steal that part totally intact:
The reason is down to what might be rather pretentiously termed authorial specificity. No one apart from Bowie has ever been resident in Berlin with Iggy Pop, drugged to the gills and convinced they might alchemise their own self-importance, the thrilling melodrama of the cold war and humankind’s empathy with dolphins into a six-minute song. Thinking about it, few producers have ever matched Tony Visconti’s inspired idea of setting up three microphones in front of his charge, and taping the loudest verses through the one that was 50ft away, so they sounded like the work of someone bravely yelling into the historical void.
He also lists people who have remade “Heroes”:
- Blondie - Originally a live bootleg. Now a bonus track on “Eat to the Beat”. It’s good, not great.
- Oasis - Something ain’t right about it.
- King Crimson - Never heard this one.
- Nico - Never heard this one. Not sure I want to.
- PJ Proby - No clue.
- Magnetic Fields - Own this. It’s very good. If you don’t listen to any other version, you HAVE to hear this one!
Inexplicably, he leaves out probably the best remake. The Wallflowers version sticks very close to the original. I like it a LOT. Look for it on the Godzilla soundtrack.
I’m going to leave my interpretation pretty much the same as John’s. The story I heard was Bowie was creating a painting, and the story he “painted” he put to words. Doesn’t sound too far-fetched. Here are those lyrics:
I
I will be king
And you
You will be queen
Though nothing will
Drive them away
We can beat them
Just for one day
We can be Heroes
Just for one dayAnd you
You can be mean
And I
I’ll drink all the time
‘Cause we’re lovers
And that is a fact
Yes we’re lovers
And that is thatThough nothing
Will keep us together
We could steal time
Just for one day
We can be Heroes
For ever and ever
What d’you sayI wish you could swim
Like the dolphins
Like dolphins can swim
Though nothing
Will keep us together
We can beat them
For ever and ever
Oh we can be Heroes
Just for one dayI
I will be king
And you
You will be queen
Though nothing
Will drive them away
We can be Heroes
Just for one day
We can be us
Just for one dayI
I can remember
Standing
By the wall
And the guns
Shot above our heads
And we kissed
As though nothing could fall
And the shame
Was on the other side
Oh we can beat them
For ever and ever
Then we can be Heroes
Just for one dayWe can be Heroes
We can be Heroes
We can be Heroes
Just for one day
We can be Heroes
We’re nothing
And nothing will help us
Maybe we’re lying
Then you better not stay
But we could be safer
Just for one day
Nothing complicated. No subversive double entendre. No seldom-used words no one understands. Simple, straight to the point, and something people can relate to. To me, it’s a song about emotional survival. It doesn’t really matter if you win or lose the game, if nothing else, in your own mind, you can be a Hero, if just for one day. The real Heroes are the people “that can be us”. In other words, are true to themselves. That’s it.
I saw Bowie perform what I think was one of his best performances of Heroes for Glass Spider. The tour was largely panned for being over-produced. But, for a song like Heroes, the multiple layers of music, produced loudly and very clearly, made for one hell of a concert experience. I wanted desperately to see Charlie Sexton, but by the time they made it to Lexington, Charlie had been replaced with Peter Frampton. To say the least, that wasn’t a loss at all. Frampton nailed it. I still would love to see Charlie do it. I don’t much think he ever will now tho.
My special treat for this one is the video of the first known performance of ‘Heroes’:
( Note the drum flubs! )
My version, of course, is over there on my list. It’s one of my oldest mixes. And, still one of my favorites.
Tags: Charlie-Sexton, david bowie, guardian, heroes, Interpretations, john-harris, magnetic-fields, Peter-Frampton, wallflowers
