Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars, The (30th Anniversary Edition) - David Bowie

...my parents certainly bill ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars’ as Bowie at his most creative and I have to agree with them. Although this album has wavered from its concept a lot less than the Beatles did in 1967, it would be unfair to justify Bowie’s efforts as anything short of daring. I love this album and in spite of the fact that some of the lyrics make the record a little dated, it somehow manages to work to the point ... more

Not all parents have a crap taste in music; over the years, my folks have introduced me to the likes of Crowded House, Savage Garden and – my personal favourite – The Beatles. In turn, some of my best bands have graced their eardrums and have made names like Placebo and HIM household names in our, uh, house. But we’ve always been able to agree on one thing: David Bowie’s music is either really good or really quite bad. Mum and Dad probably have a greater right to say that than I do, being 70s wild child’s after all, whilst I’ve only ever heard a couple of his singles collections. That is until I came across ‘Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars’ in the CD cupboard; with Bowie’s rather dashing turquoise cat suit and off-ginger mullet, I was rather intrigued by the album’s artwork...perhaps it was the thrill of seeing somebody standing in one of those old fashioned phone boxes that did it for me?

Yet, there is a lot more to this album than meets the eye; ‘Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars’ is about an alien like creature who descends onto earth before proclaiming that humanity is doomed over the course of the next five years. During such a time, Ziggy Stardust revels in his rock n roll lifestyle, making the most of the next half a decade before sex, drugs and rock music become a thing of the past. However, such a theme is marred with pessimism; the number is up for Ziggy, but not until a couple of great glam rock tunes.

The version of this album we currently own is a 30th Anniversary edition of the CD; although ‘Ziggy...’ did well in the UK charts, it reached a fairly dismal 75 in the US upon its first release in 1972 but it would go on to become a Platinum selling record in both countries, achieving other accolades including 20th Greatest Record of All Time by HMV later on. Some may be put off by the tag of ‘Glam Rock’; it’s never been a genre I’ve dabbled in too blatantly, apart from a couple of quirky Sweet singles, but that’s about my limit. Yet, ‘Ziggy Stardust’ is a lot more than that; it’s an album with a concept, yes, but it’s a story wrapped in frankness, humour and musical innovation all at the same time.

And without further ado, let me take you on a journey of the life and times of Mr. Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars!

‘GIRL MY AGE WENT OFF HER HEAD/HIT SOME TINY CHILDREN’ (Lyrics from ‘Five Years’)
Ok, perhaps I lied a teeny bit when I said I wanted to listen to this album coz of the totally cool front cover; a couple of years ago, I was on Youtube and heard the Placebo cover of ‘Five Years’, a song I’d (regrettably) never heard in its original form. Whilst this seems sinful, if you’ve ever heard the Placebo version, you may understand why; it’s a faster paced acoustic number and altogether makes the song seem like a beautiful lament. However, in great contrast, Bowie’s initial interpretation of ‘Five Years’ is nothing short of epic; David sings the words at a much more considered pace with a voice that seems torn in so many places. ‘Five Years’ is an opulent, textured song which draws a listener into the album straight away with the light slaps of the feathered drum sticks that leads the song to its eventual end. I love how the bass and electric guitars gradually impose on the percussion instrument with the melancholic piano casually making its presence known in between. The piano in turn gives the song more of a melody and a fairly reflective, downcast tone.

The exclamation of the time frame before the earth implodes is made to seem desperate by Bowie’s screams amongst the string instruments; it’s as if he is out on the streets, yelling at any person he happens to come across before warning them of such a travesty. And the listener is taken on a real journey already, a story of fear on every level; people over reacting, people making themselves ill because of the thought of having a such a short life span and others carrying on with their business as normal, seemingly unaffected. I also love that aspect of the song; the Fab Four’s song ‘A Day In The Life’ dabbled with the idea of observing and participating in daily life and exploring different stories, something that I think Bowie did very well throughout the course of this album, but particularly on ‘Five Years’. Bowie has crafted a song that is a genuinely impressive opener; although the instruments are plentiful, I think it’s great that they all don’t clash and ultimately become overbearing but instead, the song has been produced in a way to let each instrument have a moment in the spotlight.

‘ALL I HAVE IS MY LOVE OF LOVE AND LOVE IS NOT LOVING’ (Lyrics from ‘Soul Love’)
‘Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars’ doesn’t portray a world in complete despair, or at least not as early on as the second song. ‘Soul Love’ is very much one of the albums easier listeners, at least when you choose to ignore the lyrics. The pace is a little bit uneventful and actually conceals much of the songs meaning, all about finding companionship after the tragedy of losing a loved one. The lyrics are quite poetic: Bowie mulls over the idea of love and what it actually means to be in love and I suppose, in that sense, the song is strongly written; the addition of a saxophone and harpsichord, both played by Bowie himself, make the lyrics seem quite romantic and dreamy. But, to me, the words got a little too lost during ‘Soul Love’: there would have been a danger of this track being a peaceful version of ‘Five Years’, at least musically, if it had been produced with an ever so slight tune but I think the lyrics themselves needed a similar treatment so that a listener could really absorb the full message of harmony and love.

One thing I really have to give Bowie props for on ‘Soul Love’ is his singing voice; by nature, his tone is quite dry and his pace quite quick but I think on the second track, he delivered a vocal performance that was incredibly gentle and in keeping with the rest of the songs soothing atmosphere, apart from the enthusiastic, rockier moments at the bridge and during the chorus which gave the song itself a deeper dynamic.

‘Moonage Daydream’ is one of the first songs to radically introduce the notion of aliens coming to earth to save humanity from imminent doom. Right from the jab of the electric guitar and Bowie’s raw voice, the third track has a slightly different sound to it, especially considering the buzzing of the guitar and how it comes into fruition, particularly during the chorus. I have to say that I’m not entirely sure that the flute type sounds after the second chorus are the most effective way of telling the story of how a rock star is born. But the flute’s addition reminded me a lot of the ‘Fool On The Hill’ character from The Beatles’ ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ and in principal, Bowie is presenting a similar creature to the listener: a mythical man that anticipates what is to happen to the world before it does and a person whom no one seems to understand. I think that the imagery of the song writing is once again spot on; Ziggy’s notion that he can be anything from an ‘alligator’ to a ‘space invader’ makes him seem like a larger than life, kooky character from the first verse.

Regardless of the wind instrument mishap, ‘Moonage Daydream’ is easily one of the most impressive songs on the album; very much like the first number, ‘Moonage Daydream’ is a song that utilises the concept of the album, with laser beam sounds being indispensable in the closing moment of the song to reiterate the fact that Ziggy is from another planet and could be the saviour of the earth whilst denoting one of the first signs of being a true rock God: wanting lots and lots of sex!

‘LET ALL THE CHILDREN BOOGIE’ (Lyrics from ‘Starman’)
Continuing Ziggy’s quest to make the earth’s eventual demise seem not so bad, Stardust turns into ‘Starman’, the albums fourth track in which a messenger is sent to earth to speak to the youngsters that the saviour’s arrival is imminent. I know people are going to throw stuff at their computer screens in protest but I really am not a big fan of this song; I just find it to be a bit corny and a little too repetitive, even by Bowie’s standards. At least on the opening track when he was yelling ‘Five Years’ over and over again, he changed the pitch of his voice occasionally but on ‘Starman’ the fadeout of a million ‘las’ became a bit much and cheapened the song somewhat; I liked how Bowie had told the story from the eyes of the hip cats who heard the news of a cool dude set to come to earth to save the plant and the language like ‘far out’ and ‘cosmic space jive’ made ‘Starman’ a little comical yet relatable, I’d imagine, to the young adults of the 70s. By the same token though, ‘Starman’ is consequently a song that sounds awfully dated because of the odd lyrics; such wording may provoke feelings of nostalgia to the slightly older listener, and my parents are a testament to that notion, but to modern listeners, the song is riddled with phrases that are as alien as Ziggy himself.

Although I think the lyrics are a little naff, I have to hand it to Bowie: musically, it’s a realistic and primitive number from the softness of the acoustic guitar to the slight grandness of the string instruments. David doesn’t try and over complicate the song with cosmic sound effects, which the cynics would claim he did with ‘Moonage Daydream’ and instead, ‘Starman’ is a basic inclination that Stardust’s time on earth will be an eventful one. It’s impossible to believe that this song was originally to be left off the album as it really depicts the albums main concept through the hypothesis of such a character.

Originally, ‘It Ain’t Easy’ wasn’t set to be the first cover on this album; Bowie had plans of recording Chuck Berry’s ‘Round and Round’ in place of ‘Starman’. Alas, a producer from Bowie’s record company scuppered such plans and instead, the listener was left with the Ron Davies song instead. ‘It Ain’t Easy’ does have a place on an album all about the tales of outer space and earth liberators even if it does chronicle Ziggy’s attempts to get laid within the first few hours on the planet. ‘It Ain’t Easy’ is a song that has many great rock n roll hooks but also has a really sweet, loose acoustic guitar routine during the verses, which contrasts well against the harsher electric moments of the chorus. I found the female backing vocals on the chorus to be a well executed risk; such vocals gave the song an altogether bigger sound rather than making it a bit clichéd and silly. Bowie’s own vocals worked well here too; as I mentioned earlier, he’s not exactly pitch perfect but has an unrefined tone to his voice that is quite charismatic and distinctive.

‘PEOPLE STARED AT THE MAKE-UP ON HIS FACE’ (Lyrics from ‘Lady Stardust’)
Said to be inspired by fellow glam rocker Marc Bolan, ‘Lady Stardust’ helps to further the image of Ziggy Stardust as a performer whose legacy may be for his looks rather than his music. The song reflects upon men and their chortling at those who dare to wear their hair long and add a bit of slap on for some glitz and glamour whilst on stage, something which Bowie of course never dabbled in... the piano introduction, which is made to seem a little clumsy and unplanned, progresses into a steadier track with an inviting drum beat but that’s as far as this song goes; to me ‘Lady Stardust’ lacks a defining moment and seems to have been included on the album for storytelling reasons as opposed to a musical masterpiece. However, the lyrics are wonderful once again; Bowie really has a knack for painting a pure picture in the listener’s mind, particularly with regards to Ziggy’s musical style, full of songs of ‘darkness and despair’.

This is in great contrast to ‘Starman’, an optimistic tale of the earth’s redeemer and to go from one eventuality to the other within a couple of songs may seem a little hasty but it is also a great reminder that the earth is doomed. And this was long before the words ‘Global Warming’ were uttered by Al Gore...

Once again using his love for the word ‘star’ in one of his song titles, Bowie thuds away on the lighter end of the piano scale which marks the introduction to ‘Star’, a song that presents a very contemporary attitude to fame; why go off and fight for your country or change the world when you could become a bonafide rock God and have millions upon millions of people falling at your feet? Bowie has been quite metaphorical musically with track number seven; the song begins quite urgently with the snarls of the electric guitar and the bumps of the piano but slowing the pace of the latter instrument right down and making everything a little hazy allows the listener to understand that life as a renowned musician may not all it’s cracked up to be. The tracks rather unimpressive fade out lingers on such a notion but also makes ‘Star’ one of the least striking and memorable songs on the album; it really is just a filler at best but again, it serves it purpose for depicting the ultimate downfall of Ziggy.

Track number eight, ‘Hang On To Yourself’ sees Bowie upping the ante a bit by once again describing Ziggy’s need for lovin’ whilst on planet earth. ‘Hang On To Yourself’ lures the listener in with the purrs of Bowie’s voice and the screeching guitar riff that sits on the same level as the vocals themselves. As a modern music listener, the first time I heard this song, my mind instantly thought of the White Stripes; it’s not that Jack White sings in a particularly seductive way (surely that went without saying) but with ‘Hang On To Yourself’ Bowie’s voice is at a higher and more demanding intensity than it has been on many of the albums tracks so far. I also think that this one is a song that doesn’t suffer too badly because of its age; the language is very basic and the overall message of wanting to bed someone who is considered attractive is very clear. The repetition of ‘come on’ and the rising haste of the melody could be a metaphor for something but I don’t think it’s appropriate to talk about that right now, kids...

‘MAKING LOVE WITH HIS EGO’ (Lyrics from ‘Ziggy Stardust’)
With a thundering electric guitar riff and bullet like drum smacks, track number nine finally sees David dedicating a song title to his alter ego, Ziggy Stardust. The song ‘Ziggy Stardust’ is one of the dirtiest and most unapologetic rock songs on the entire album and perhaps in history; it oozes magnetism and sex appeal and takes such traits to a whole new level. However, with such a euphoric temperament conveyed from the tune, the song itself is actually the first on the album that really addresses the earth’s demise as if it’s imminent; Ziggy and his band have had to break up due to his promiscuous attitude and I love how that was portrayed by the sound engulfing guitars on this tracks. ‘Ziggy Stardust’ is one of the most addictive and memorable tracks on the entire album; I never get tired of listening to this one as it tells a simple story effectively and in a blaze of glory but I do wish it was a wee bit longer; ‘Ziggy Stardust’ is by no means the quickest song on the album but it certainly seems that way just because of how hasty the guitars presentation is.

Perhaps the most striking part of ‘Ziggy Stardust’ is the fadeout at the end; after such a raucous, up-tempo track, the listener finally gets to reflect on the fact that Ziggy’s dream is coming to an end as you can actually hear Bowie using the past tense to describe the rocker.

The penultimate track, ‘Suffragette City’, was recorded towards the end of the Ziggy Stardust sessions and is one of the most upbeat and oddly amusing tracks on the entire album; I don’t think it’s intentionally comical but it’s just the way that some rather odd phrases explode, such as the druggie slur of ‘hey man’, from behind the powerful concoction of guitars, pianos and drums. You’d be forgiven for thinking that Bowie used the saxophone on this track; it certainly has a jazzy feel to it but because he couldn’t produce the sound he wanted to using that particular instrument, David opted to use a synthesizer instead that offered the alarmed sound he desired. What I think really stands out about ‘Suffragette City’, like ‘Ziggy Stardust’ is the pace of the track; it’s a rush of energy that is unexpected as the album is coming to its close. Yet, it’s a magnificent song: so catchy and so full on but it doesn’t seem to have a lot to do with the whole ‘earth is dying thing’ that I was beginning to know and love...

Alas with a lowly acoustic guitar introduction, ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide’ concludes the album in its own state of misery and confusion; Bowie’s vocals regain their ranting, raspy tone that was so inviting on ‘Five Years’ and also returns to the openers theatrical and over the top presentation with string instruments marking the end to the album in a similar way to ‘A Day In The Life’ on ‘Sgt. Pepper’s’. With the close of ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide’, it becomes apparent that Ziggy’s life has taken a dramatic turn for the worse; he’s old, living on his past glam rock star glories but enough is enough: it’s time to end it all. The progression from the acoustic guitar and Bowie’s gentle and quite pure vocals expands into a desperate display of yelling with distorted background vocals to emphasise how ‘wonderful’ Ziggy once was. I think the final track is a fitting tribute to the character of Ziggy; it would have been all too easy to let the album quietly doze off with the soft guitars but the bizarre bedlam of music was adventurous and well executed and made the album end on a real high.

DISK TWO – A REVIVAL OF THE SPIDERS FROM MARS?
With the 30th edition of the album my parents own, we got an additional second CD which is a collection of demos and alternative versions of the first albums tracks as well as other Bowie songs. The first of the remixes was ‘Moonage Daydream’, a track that would feature twice on the second CD but for its first appearance, it’s a much rawer, less polished version of the first albums song. Gone are the pesky flutes after the second verse and in its place, the screams of the electric guitar which I personally fit the story of the song a lot better. Arnold Corn’s version of ‘Moonage Daydream’ is one of the most contagious pieces of music you’ll ever hear, and I mean that in the nicest way possible! For those who didn’t know (and I didn’t until I looked into it a bit further) Arnold Corn was a band Bowie came up with as a side project when he was struggling for inspiration with his solo career. ‘Hang On To Yourself’ and ‘Moonage Daydream’ were the two main songs that made the transition from the 1971 band and onto this album.

‘Hang On To Yourself’ also follows a similar, less stirring form with a gentler vocal performance from Bowie which still included nasal like screeches at the end for good measure. The clumsy electric riff in the middle was a little distracting though and didn’t necessarily suit the mood of this version, also by the band Arnold Corns. But it was certainly a different listening experience, which can be said for the demo of ‘Lady Stardust’ which I think really twists the song into a harmonic lament which suits the cagey figure of Ziggy perfectly. It’s during this demo where the deep tone of the piano clashes too greatly with Bowie’s higher vocal pitch which could explain why it never became the master version of this song; ‘Lady Stardust’ would have simply drowned ordinarily against the spectacular and quirky tunes of the other tracks on ‘Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars’.

I was very intrigued to hear ‘Ziggy Stardust’ in its first form; I’m a real believer in the idea that a song is only as good as its demo, when it’s stripped of all the flashy studio productions and electric instruments. Whilst this version of ‘Ziggy’ might not have the same bite as the final CD version, it shows a lot of promise as a track that has a logical progression and a good story behind it. However, I do think it’s a song that drastically benefitted from the electric guitar as it made the song complete in some form or another and gave it a really startling rock and roll feel to it that by keeping an acoustic presentation, it would have lost. The whole notion of Ziggy being quite an egotistical character is amplified by the electric guitar presentation of the master demo. ‘John I’m Only Dancing’ was never a song that didn’t have an up-beat tune to it; although the CD cover doesn’t state that this one’s a demo, it certainly sounds like that to me as it’s quite jumbled and doesn’t sound quite as solid as the version that features on the singles collection we own.

‘Velvet Goldmine’, which later went on to inspire a pretty lively film, also sounds a little different here; perhaps not as dramatically as ‘John, I’m Only Dancing’ but the piano seems to be muted in comparison to the version I normally listen to. I really love ‘Velvet Goldmine’; it’s the breakdown in the middle which allows the plodding piano to stand out that makes it a classic and trademark Bowie number with the buzzing sounds at the end being a simple operatic twist. ‘Holy Holy’ is a song I’ve never heard of before this review; it sort of reminds me of the ‘Scary Monsters’ Bowie phrase more than the ‘Ziggy Stardust’ era because of the staggered vocals but it’s not one I’d consider listening to too often; it’s a bit too cluttered for my liking. However, ‘Amsterdam’ is a sweet and simple cover of the Jacques Brel song which allows the listener to concentrate on Bowie’s neat and straight forward vocals because of the acoustic backing. I quite like ‘Amsterdam’; Bowie’s voice rises and falls to give the song depth.

‘The Supermen’ is one of my least favourite tracks from the second disk, primarily because Bowie’s vocals get a bit annoying; they’re stretched to sound like a groan but it inadvertently sounds a bit like a drunken slur. ‘Round and Round’ the Chuck Berry cover regains some respectable ground; I like how the drums have kept a very old school rock n roll style to them with the tingles backing up the thuds and how the contemporary squeals of the electric guitar sort of pummels on the drum beat. ‘Sweet Head’ too shares quite an early rock and roll sound to it with the sparks of modern glam in between but the lyrics are quite the opposite of a rock love song; ‘Sweet Head’, fuelled by sexual innuendo and cheap phrases’ is most notable for its arrangement; I love the switch between the electric guitars and drums getting their moment in the sun but it really is quite a filthy song and not appropriate for younger ears at all! Or older ones, for that matter...

The second CD draws to a close with the ‘New Mix’ of ‘Moonage Daydream’, a track that I’m still not sick of hearing. So what is different about this mix of ‘Moonage Daydream’, I hear you cry? Well, for starters there are ‘Velvert Goldmine’ type hums in the background which almost makes the song seem like a hymm and the guitars are a little higher, more tense and there’s the little matter of the flute making a return! I would have been devastated if that hadn’t been in this mix. I can’t pick which is my favourite version of ‘Moonage Daydream’ as all three have quite a different sound to them but the starling halts and reincarnations of the guitar on this version is particularly extraordinary and creates an everlasting splendour of Ziggy.

OVERALL: WHAT DO I REALLY THINK OF ‘ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS’
I have to say that ‘Ziggy Stardust’ is an album that has grown on me with each and every listen; I’ve fallen in love with so many of the tracks more and more and even ones that I didn’t like in the beginning, such as ‘Starman’ have grown in my affections. The majority of the tracks offer an insight into the life of a Rock n Roll Messiah; others are purely good songs but it’s an album that has quite a few layers to it and tells a range of stories with themes such as hope, paranoid promiscuity and despair being the most central.

I’m sorry that I’m unable to comment on the whole notion of this being a digitally remastered CD. However, having listened to older recordings of ‘Starman’ and ‘Ziggy Stardust’, it is fair to say that this CD offers listeners a real musical clarity; I could literally sit and pick out all of the instruments used in each song, particularly on ‘Five Years’, which makes me realised how ‘Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars’ is a really considered, painstakingly detailed album with variety and quality. Don’t let the idea of this being a ‘glam rock’ album put you off; Bowie sings his songs in a shrill, unusual tone whilst referring to other make up wearers of the era but I think that’s cleverly disguised because of the album following the life and times of a unique character rather than being autobiographical. The opener points the listener in the right direction: apocalyptic worlds are merely fantasy (for now) and Bowie has been clever to identify this from the start.

Whether this is David Bowie’s answer to ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ is debatable; my parents certainly bill ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars’ as Bowie at his most creative and I have to agree with them. Although this album has wavered from its concept a lot less than the Beatles did in 1967, it would be unfair to justify Bowie’s efforts as anything short of daring. I love this album and in spite of the fact that some of the lyrics make the record a little dated, it somehow manages to work to the point where I was longing to dye my hair an off ginger colour and get myself a trendy turquoise cat suit. Nearly.

QUICK STATS:
Year: 1972 (2002)
Disks: Two
Tracks: 11 on disk one, 12 on disk two
Buy at: Play.com for £9.95 (free delivery)
 

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