MUSIC & MONSTERS!

MUSIC & MONSTERS!

EMI AND YUMI ITO

a.k.a. The Peanuts

a.k.a. The Mothra Twins

By Madeline Bocaro

The Peanuts were one of Japan's first pop sensations, and the first to become well known internationally. Their career lasted from 1959-1975. The diminutive duo comprised identical twin sisters Emi and Yumi Ito, born Hideyo and Tsukiko Ito on April 1, 1941 in Aichi prefecture.

The twins were discovered by music impresario and Watanabe Pro founder, Sho Watanabe. He first saw them performing at a club in Nagoya as The Ito Sisters, and in 1958 brought them to Tokyo, where they were re-named The Peanuts. Watanabe got them work as presenters on the newly launched TV show, The Hit Parade.

Emi and Yumi looked exactly alike. Emi however had a mole near her left eye. To uphold the twin mirror-image Yumi drew on a mole of her own.

In April 1959 they released their first single "Kawaii Hana (Cute Flower)", and followed with the smash "Jyonetsu no Hana (Passion Flower)". Their fame was cemented by a twelve year run (1961 - 1972) as the hostesses of TV show Shabondama Holiday (Soap Bubble Holiday). The show's title came about as it was sponsored by a soap company.

Because of their identical voices, the girls' harmonies were magical, like pixies tickling your ears with aural fairy dust, similar to Anni-Frid and Agnetha, the singers of ABBA, who emerged in the same year that The Peanuts' career ended. Granted, some of the magic was achieved by tape speed manipulation, but who cares!

In 1963 they had a hit with "Koi no Bakansu (Vacation of Love)". Also in 1963 they befriended the Paris-born German singer Caterina Valente, whose songs they had covered. This led to The Peanuts performing and becoming popular in Germany. Later, Valente in turn recorded a cover of The Peanuts' hit "Koi no Bakansu".

The Peanuts also appeared on popular US variety TV shows, including The Ed Sullivan Show and Danny Kaye's program. Other major hits included "Koi no Fuga (Love Fugue)" and "Sayonara wa Totsuzen Ni (Good-bye Is Sudden)". The Peanuts also covered many American tunes, such as 'Come On-A My House' and 'Mona Risa'!

Emi married famed singer/actor Kenji Sawada, but later divorced. The Peanuts retired from show business with a farewell appearance on Nihon TV on May 25, 1975. They appeared on Kohaku Uta Gassen during all sixteen years of their life in the "geino kai", or celebrity world. They exited while still young and popular, and remain fondly remembered show business legends. Emi (Hideyo Sawada) died on June 15, 2012 at the age of 71. Yumi passed away on May 16, 2016 at age 75.

The Twins and Mothra

The girls' international fame was due to their singing in monster movies. They were featured in, and sang the theme songs, to three Mothra movies - Mothra (1961), Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964), and Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster (1965).

For Mothra's first three film appearances, the twin fairies or pixies, called "shobijin" (small beauties) were played by Emi and Yumi. They are referred to as the Cosmos in the Heisei Godzilla series and the Elias in the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy. In unison, they serve Mothra as liasons and interpreters, heralding the monster's impending appearance by singing their worshipful 'Mo-su-ra" tune. They used telepathic communication with Mothra and spoke for her, which gave the twins a somewhat supernatural aura.

The twins demonstrate telepathic ability over great distances with Mothra. While the girls call to Mothra in prayer and song, they are also connected to the gentle monster on some deeper level beyond their control, and it is this connection that impels Mothra to find them no matter where they are. In Mothra vs. Godzilla the Shobijin also demonstrate teleportation, when trying to escape from Kumayama and Torahata. In Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, the girls translate not only Mothra's chirps but also an entire conversation among three daikaiju. They sing the theme 'Let's Try To Be Happy". The twins bring a sense calming amidst all the rampaging monsters and explosions in the films. Their voices are the environmental and moral conscience to the human race, pleading for human patience and kindness toward the monsters.

Decades later, in Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, two other shobijin (portrayed by Masami Nagasawa and Chihiro Ôtsuka) demonstrate telekinesis as well.

The fairies' famous song "Mosura No Uta" ("Mothra's Song") was written in Indonesian, though the Shobijin sing Japanese approximations to the original lyrics. The song was composed by Yuji Koseki. Other Japanese verses have been added by various composers over Mothra's film history. The Shobijin have also been portrayed by Pair Bambi (Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster) and Megumi Kobayashi and Sayako Yamaguchi (Mothra Trilogy).

The twins were in many other films, but the others were not shown worldwide, as the Mothra films were.

GODZILLA 2014

GODZILLA GOES HOLLYWOOD

  …AGAIN!

By Madeline Bocaro

Ishiro Honda's Gojira (1954) is celebrating its 60^th anniversary in theaters around the world. The King of the Monsters is a legendary pop culture icon. The first Godzilla film was a serious statement about the political relationship between Japan and America after the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Godzilla was a mutation - the personification of the atom bomb. The cretaceous chimera was disturbed by the radiation of the atomic blast, and came ashore to run rampant in Tokyo, annihilating everything in his path. The moral: if nuclear tests continue, another monster will appear.

Godzilla was originally portrayed by an actor wearing a Latex costume. (Actually, thirteen different suits were designed for twenty-five films). Soon came stop-motion animation, and eventually he became computer generated. Over the years, the monster varied in height, physical ability, intelligence and motive. Some of his monster foes later became his allies.

Godzilla caused tsunamis by simply approaching the shore. Over the years, he morphed from monstrous to anthropomorphic, from malicious mutant to Earth's savior. He was never  malicious toward humans. Godzilla fought alongside humanity against threats and against other monsters. We even loaned him to Planet X - along with Rodan - to fight Monster Zero (Ghidorah). In other films, Godzilla battled more evil creatures, protecting Earth from their wrath. He did an endearing little victory dance after slaying Ghidorah! We warmed up to his somewhat human qualities; his goofy clumsiness and vulnerability under attack from other monsters. We rooted for Godzilla in battle. His son, Minilla blew little atomic smoke rings, and showed empathy toward children.

Godzilla had monster allies as well. We became sympathetic to him despite his wrath. As he became less destructive and more heroic, Godzilla got a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame on his 50^th anniversary. At the end of each film, after Godzilla's defeat of each monster foe, there is a parting distant shot of his back as he returns to the sea. During his retreat, he gains our utmost respect. We are somehow reassured that he is still lurking there in the depths to protect us in case of another monster attack - the ultimate in animism.

In the Hollywood remakes, Godzilla feeds on radiation. Weapons of mass destruction are made to battle the ancient creature should he re-emerge from the ocean. This is contradictory to the anti-war moral of Godzilla's story. Hollywood films have no gratitude nor respect for Godzilla.

Here is a spoiler alert that you won't mind reading. It might save you a lot of time. Almost two hours into Legacy's 2014 Godzilla, there are NO MONSTERS! There is lots of banter by scientists and scholars with no real story to speak of. During HOUR THREE, the foe, MUTO (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism) an evil looking insect/bat searches for its pregnant mate. Together, these two get more screen time than Godzilla himself! Lots of nukes are fired (ignoring the moral of the original film – have we learned nothing?!) and chaos ensues.

A scientist correctly urges the military to "Let the monsters fight!" Anyone should know from experience that we can totally rely on Godzilla to fight these crazy bats! Despite this order, more shooting ensues as the monsters destroy San Francisco. Godzilla is indestructible (against anything but an oxygen destroyer). Why are we still shooting at him? To the film's credit, Godzilla defeated the MUTOs and shielded humans many times. Yet he was far too evil in appearance, and most of the fight scenes were in the dark, obstructed by pouring rain.

Dear Hollywood,

We want more monster action! We want more meaningful monsters that teach us lessons! How about a real monster mash-up – a Godzilla vs. Ghidora vs. Rodan vs. Mothra (and her creepy twin larvae) vs. King Kong reunion/re-match! Let them all trample Universal Studios and destroy some iconic movie and TV sets, like Hitchcock's Psycho house. Let's see them stomp down Hollywood Boulevard and destroy the Walk of Fame! Let's have them heading for the hills, playing Scrabble with the HOLLYWOOD sign.

We want the Ito twins* (The Peanuts) – the fairies who interpreted for Mothra and sang her theme song! How about the sexy alien clone heroine Namikawa from Planet X! There is so much to work with here! You can't just put Godzilla's name on your movie and sit back and collect our money. We want our old Godzilla! And bring back the latex suits!

Thank you very much!

 Madeline 

*See my tribute to the Ito twins (The Peanuts) – Music & Monsters!

http://madelinex.blogspot.com/search?q=music+%26+monsters

Iggy & The Stooges-Live in NYC 2008

MONSTERS of Rock

IGGY & THE STOOGES – Live at Terminal 5 – New York City

August 8, 2008

By Madeline Bocaro

 

Statistically, they should all be dead. Some of them are. But Iggy and the surviving Stooges prevail. They defy evolution, yet they survive and persevere thanks to their primal instincts. Last week, their equipment was stolen in Canada, leading us to wonder if the reunited Sex Pistols had been in town at the time. If so, this would have been the biggest heist for Steve Jones to date (second only to Bowie's Spiders From Mars equipment which he made off with in the 70s!). Garbage cans and kazoos would have sufficed, but quickly rented equipment was set up and ready for the Stooges in New York City.

 

The Stooge machine is switched on, all the amps are cranked up to eleven, and the auditory assault begins. Once the Stooges get going, it sounds like the fight scene in Godzilla vs. Mothra repeating on a two-hour loop. We, the audience are the terrorized little people of Tokyo, knowing instinctively that we should run away, but we can't take our unblinking eyes off the astounding spectacle onstage. The translated subtitles in word-bubbles above our heads read, 'WOW!' 'HOLY CRAP!' 'WHAT THE F…?!'

 

Iggy remains free from the constraints of convention, corruption and clothing. We catch a glimpse of his saggy old butt. He bursts out of the gate with 'Loose' looking sublime with blonde streaked hair (imagine him sitting in the salon with foil wraps on his head, getting his highlights done!) He is tanned, lithe and wild. Within minutes, he's drenching himself in water, climbing the Marshall stacks and diving into the crowd, barking and morphing into The Legendary Wild Creature.

 

He stomps like King Kong – not the Kong who terrorizes New York City, but the primal beast who rules Skull Island, the earth shaking beneath his feet, where dinosaurs fear him and humans cower in terror and in reverence. Somehow, this small, 61 year old guy with a limp from a leg injury can still pull this off. Why? Because he's NOT KIDDING!

 

Bodies fly onto and off of the stage. Iggy dives off, moshers dive on, people are upside down, pushing and shoving – it's brutal. BUT…the ideal stance at a Stooges gig is to remain completely still and let the deafening psychedelic buzz / drone vibrate through your body and jiggle you around like a blob of Jell-O while your throbbing brain does the Stooge groove.

 

During "No Fun" Iggy sings the immortal lines, "C'mon Ronnie, lemme hear you tell 'em how I feel!" Ron Asheton told us 40 years ago on the record, and he's here telling us again now, cranking out the scientifically formulated noise that only he can create. It's a blessing to also have his brother Scott here on drums! Mike Watt is an animal on bass. Iggy invites the crowd onstage, and hundreds r.s.v.p. He leaves them up there, joining us down front, drenching us in bottled water and sharing a drink. Oddly, there are no edible missiles, or smeared condiments in sight this time around (it is legendary that 70s Stooges fans brought their own arsenals). We got through '1969' and '1970' completely food free! 'TV Eye' and 'Real Cool Time' preceded a few tunes from Iggy's Skull Ring album.

 

Steve MacKay appears on shrieking sax for 'Funhouse' (the blues jam like no other). The ruckus he creates resembles the deafening collective cries of the Earth monsters upon the arrival of giant mutant three-headed lizard King Ghidorah in Destroy All Monsters (also the namesake of Ron Asheton's former band).

 

They venture into Raw Power territory this time including 'Search And Destroy'. Asheton pulverizes Williamson's guitar bits and boils them into the current Stooges stew. Appropriately, the name of the venue included the word 'Terminal'. This could be fatal.  Another feral howl begins 'I Wanna Be Your Dog' for the second time. They've been playing this song twice in their set ever since they reunited, because it's so great that it needs to be played twice! 'I'm Fried' from the Stooges' latest album, The Weirdness closed the show.

 

I scooped up my brain from the floor, tucked it under my arm and went home to scoff at my entire music collection in disgust, deeming none of it as worthy as the Stooges LIVE! Serious fun!

 

BOWIE AND OUR TEENAGE DAYDREAM

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by Madeline Bocaro

There's a crack in the sky and a hand reaching down to me.

That's how Bowie entered our world. We were the teens of the 1970s - the lucky ones. He raised us as our wise sage, respecting that we could comprehend much more than our own parents thought we could. He understood us. They taught us to be ordinary. Bowie gave us Kabuki, Mishima, Genet, Gitanes, the occult, Dada, Schiele, Krautrock, outer space A Clockwork Orange, Warhol, Isherwood's Berlin… Let all the children boogie.

It was thrilling to see him in concert, and to anticipate each Bowie album in the 70s, wondering what David might look like on each album cover. He always blew our minds; wearing a 'man's dress', his gorgeous glamorous face, half man/half dog, a lightning flash dividing his face, a Pin up with Twiggy…

We became accustomed to his years of silence. It was nice just knowing he was still around, taking it all in. Now the world mourns his passing. But many will never know the intimacy we had, growing up with Bowie, living through all of his changes - immersed in his world. The isolation we felt in a teenage daydream (when NOBODY understood why we adored 'that freak') was written into all of his songs. He came from the future. We were his pretty things.

Bowie portrayed someone alien, but he was really the opposite. He was one of us. A young man, lonely, confused, searching, tormented, human. He craved, exploited and later rejected fame. Bowie used rock n' roll, but he was so much more than a rock star.

We yearned for our next lesson from him. "I'm just the space cadet - he's the commander!" What would Bowie reveal next? Who would he become?  His music was atmospheric, his lyrics foretelling and enlightening. It all flashes before my eyes. When I close them, I can see the revolving orange label of the  RCA Dynaflex albums!

Space Oddity

Dislocation. A detached astronaut floating in space, strangely comfortable with his situation. Perhaps he cut the cord himself.

Bowie sings softly, acoustically, establishing who he will become to us - 
We had a friend, a talking man / Who spoke of many powers that he had …We used him / We let him use his powers / We let him fill our needs / Now we are strong.

He sets a precedent for his never ending search for enlightenment - And I want to believe / In the madness that calls 'Now' / And I want to believe / That a light's shining through somehow…

...and he sings in a folky psychedelic Barrett-laden skiffle -  So now you could spend the morning talking with me quite amazed / Cos' I'm raving mad and somewhat slightly dazed…

The Man Who Sold The World

Oh no, not me / I've never lost control. Written at age 23. Far from ordinary song subjects. Themes of insanity. Fear of inheriting his family's madness. An ode to his tragic older brother Terry, who gave David the gift of music. I'd rather stay here with all the madmen  / Than perish with the sad men roaming free.

A race of immortal supermen yearn for a chance to die - Wondrous beings chained to life.

Bowie questions mortality, death, religion, good and evil - When God did take my logic for a ride… He sings of a saviour machine, which scorns humanity and begs to be destroyed.

He considers that we might really be all alone - But the thought just occurred that we're nobody's children at all, after all.

Hunky Dory

A glamorous cover shot – he's gone blonde. Dietrich circa 1946. David imparts the Buddhist principle of 'Changes' - Turn and face the strange. We evolve together. Impressions of his New York City idols - 'Andy Warhol looks a scream'.  An ode to Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground, 'Queen Bitch' - 'Some V.U. white light returned with thanks.' And a song for Robert Zimmerman.

Thoughts can overpower us like quicksand. Don't believe in yourself, don't deceive with belief / Knowledge comes with death's release…

I'm not a prophet or a stone-age man / Just a mortal with the potential of a superman / I'm living on… (How did he know?)

And who wasn't mystified by The Bewlay Brothers? Oh, and we were Gone / Kings of Oblivion / We were so Turned On / In the Mind-Warp Pavilion…

'Life On Mars?' Blue eye shadow (emulating Kari Ann on Roxy's first cover) and a Burretti suit in ice blue. It is Bowie's despairing social commentary, and also his beautiful revenge on 'My Way'. As she walks through her sunken dream / to the seat with the clearest view / and she's hooked to the silver screen / but the film is a saddening bore…

The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars

“Wherein Ziggy Stardust makes himself manifest to all.”

He landed on Heddon Street. Ziggy looked like an alien, but he was simply a gorgeous, visionary boy from Brixton with an incredible voice, who pointed us toward the infinite. Most of Bowie's songs are full of darkness and dismay, yet they bring feelings of brightness and joy. Therein lies the magic.

We all have films in our heads depicting the 'Five Years' before earth's demise. As no videos exist, we each see the Aylesbury market square differently. The soldier, the Cadillac, the girl hitting the children, the black guy, the cop, the priest, the ice cream parlor – the decline of humanity before its time was up. Bleak and poignant. Bowie was only 25.

Ziggy singled us out personally. Millions of us!  I had to phone someone so I picked on YOU. Bowie was our radio. A small voice on a wave of phase with his hazy cosmic jive. David turned us on to The Velvet Underground & Lou Reed, and Iggy Pop & The Stooges. He saved Mott The Hoople. David frequently referenced his friend Marc Bolan and T. Rex. Thank god for them all. Thank god for Bowie. We sought out other fans who became our lifelong friends, since our schoolmates could share nothing of the glory that we knew.

It was pure theater - choreographed and precise. Thanks to his wife Angie for styling Ziggy and the Spiders, and orchestrating the dramatics early on. But for David it was all too real - Ziggy sucked up into his mind. Ziggy was visible in brief flickering moments. The stage shows were dimly lit, and photographers banned. The more fleeting the images, the more we craved to see. It became an addiction - an obsession. It doesn't take much to enrapture a fourteen year old, and this was over the top. The hype worked beautifully. Less is more.

On-stage, Ziggy wore Kansai costumes that were so spectacular they had their own names; Tokyo Pop, Space Samurai, Spring Rain, Woodland Creatures… Exclusive photographs of Ziggy by Mick Rock and Sukita became iconic. The intro music was Beethoven's Ninth, synthetically arranged by Wendy Carlos from A Clockwork Orange soundtrack. The Spiders from Mars launched Ziggy to stardom. Ronson and Bowie's interplay is unmatched. 'Moonage Daydream' is otherworldly. “Some very shiny and hard-edged music indeed.” Jacques Brel’s ‘My Death’ was a live staple. For in front of that door, there is YOU!

Ziggy sang, Gimme your hands, cause you're wonderful. We grasped his hands and never let go. Just before Ziggy's demise he told us, I've had my share, I'll help you with the pain / You're not alone / Just turn on with me... Then Ziggy was gone. "This is the last show that we will ever do. Bye bye, we love you." But Bowie never left us.

Aladdin Sane

When Ziggy came to America he snapped. Who will love Aladdin Sane? His face divided. Schizophrenic. Lightning bolt by Pierre LaRoche, photo by Duffy.  An entourage of Warhol stars as his management team. Crack baby crack.

Los Angeles broke him. Hollywood highs. Paranoia. Weird vibes and strange rituals. Subsisting on milk, peppers and cocaine…(these items - sans the cocaine - were left by a fan at his Hollywood memorial site). We thought this was all crazy, cool and decadent, unaware of the toll it was taking on his body and mind.

It's hard enough to keep formation with this fall out saturation…

With snorting head he gazes to the shore…

It's a crash course for the ravers…

Diamond Dogs

Bowie is a stunning canine freak on Pellaert's cover art (based on a pose by Josephine Baker). Using Burroughs' technique, Bowie cuts up lyrics and rearranges them. Still, they make sense to us somehow - all jumbled and cryptic.  We decipher them in our bedrooms, sometimes alone, or with a cherished friend.

And in the death, as the last few

corpses lay rotting on the slimy thoroughfare… This ain't rock n' roll / This is genocide!

Droog-like street gangs reappear. The future is hopeless. (Meanwhile the Sex Pistols were forming, who soon would declare 'No future'). The Diamond Dogs are poachers and they hide behind trees / Hunt you to the ground they will, mannequins with kill appeal. It all takes place in the apocalyptic Hunger City - the first elaborate theatrical stage set with blood-dripping buildings, built for the Diamond Dogs tour.

The funky '1984' with its Barry White / Shaft styled strings. Orwellian themes.

A sick society yearns for a leader to subjugate them - Someone to claim us, someone to follow / Someone to shame us, some brave Apollo / Someone to fool us, someone like you / We want you Big Brother. An extended theme of The Stooges' 'I Wanna Be Your Dog'.

The epic 'Sweet Thing' - When it's good, it's really good, and when it's bad I go to pieces…

We'll buy some drugs and watch a band / Then jump in the river holding hands

Within this dystopian landscape (not unlike London at the time), David includes a wonderful pop tune for young rebels – You've got your mother in a whirl / She's not sure if you're a boy or a girl…

Pin Ups

Bowie's London favorites when he was our age. The Easybeats, The Merseys, Pink Floyd, The Yardbirds, The Who, Them, The Kinks…His last album with Ronson.

The 1980 Floor Show on Midnight Special beams Bowie into American homes from the Marquee Club. Amanda Lear as hostess. Erte styled dancers denote the cobwebs of time. Outrageous costumes; Space Samurai pulls away to reveal the Dadaist keyhole leotard. Censored mannequin hands, Angel of Death feathered corset. A strange Marianne Faithfull duet.

David Live

Double album, Tower Theater, Philly. Shoulder pads. In the Cracked Actor documentary – Bowie is emaciated and unwell. He drinks milk and mimes to Aretha in the back of a limo driving through Los Angeles. Songs from Ziggy, Aladdin Sane, Diamond Dogs. It morphed into the Plastic Soul tour after the recording of Young Americans began. Some fans left the theater. I didn't.

Young Americans

The first time Bowie became a black star. Philadelphia, plastic soul. Ain't there one damn song that can make me break down and cry?

'Fame' with John Lennon. Gotta get a rain check on pain.  Coked up and emaciated on the Dick Cavett show. Crazy duets with Cher on television.

“BOWIE. SOUL. PERIOD.”

The Man Who Fell To Earth

Bowie fit the alien part perfectly. A million shades of orange hair. In the end he lives forever. Stuck on earth, sort of like now, only his body has left us. So many parallels with Thomas Jerome Newton in Bowie's own life - past and future.

Station to Station

Darkness in L.A. - Transition / Transmission. Electronic soul. Bending sound. 
The Thin White Duke's white lines.  It's not the side effects of the cocaine / I'm thinking that it must be love

Religious meanderings. Stations of the cross. Scribbling the tree of life.

Wonderful crooners in his golden voice - Just because I believe, don't mean I don't think as well / Don't have to question everything in heaven or hell

A gorgeous cover of 'Wild is the Wind' - I don't need another change / Still you forced your way
into my scheme of things

Funky carry-overs from plastic soul – 'Stay' and 'Golden Years' – Run for the shadows in these golden years / I'll stick with you baby for a thousand years. The whitest man ever on Soul Train.

Stark, stunning black and white stage lights. 

Expressionism. Suave and elegant in a monochrome suit by Ola Hudson. Chain smoking Gitanes. High kicks and slick moves. Dali / Bunuel film as the opening act, and Kraftwerk music.

THE TRILOGY:

Low


Written during the emergence of punk rock. Incomparable. Eno and his EMS synth. 'A New Career in a New Town' (France, then Germany). Starting over, yet still in turmoil. Another low. Drifting into my solitude / Over my head

Always Crashing in the Same Car'. Making the same mistakes.

Tony Visconti described the Eventide harmonizer (which gave Low its drum sound) as "fucking with the fabric of time." In essence, that's the ultimate description of David Bowie.

A beautiful, mostly wordless B-side. Serene - synth sounds. The antithesis of punk rock's violence.

Bowie plays keyboards behind Iggy Pop on The Idiot tour. Subterranean. Moves to Germany with Iggy. The Idiot & The Oddity. Bad Boys In Berlin.

"Two sides of Bowie you've never heard before."

'Heroes'

In Berlin, by the wall, with Eno's Oblique strategies to guide them.  Stunning Sukita cover photo, Egon Schiele style. Fripp's dazzling guitar wails.

THERE’S OLD WAVE.

THERE’S NEW WAVE.

AND THERE’S DAVID BOWIE…

'Heroes' is one of the greatest songs of all time, illuminating East Berlin's dreadful plight. First he sings in a low key, wistful, smothered by the Wall. Dreaming of escape, of stealing time …just for one day. Then an octave jump, as the music swells. Shouting, frantic, defiant, victorious! 'Heroes' made us all feel sublime and fearless – above anything. But then he is doubtful, revisiting mortality / reality in the last verse…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

'Sons of the Silent Age' -  'they never die, they just go to sleep one day …Baby, I'll never let you go / All I see is all I know

Another mostly 
instrumental B-side. Stunning, lamenting and tranquil. A koto on 'Moss Garden'. Woeful  wailing sax on 'Neukoln'. 'Subterraneans' for the East Berliners. A foreboding: 'Sense of Doubt'.

"Tomorrow belongs to those who can hear it coming."  
Tomorrow belonged to us.

Lodger

A travelogue. 'Red Sails'. 'Fantastic Voyage' – In the event that this fantastic voyage / Should turn to erosion and we never get old / Remember it's true, dignity is valuable / But our lives are valuable too

The angel of death appears in the video for 'Look Back In Anger' as Bowie paints himself as Dorian Gray. In 'Boys Keep Swinging', he is three different women in drag, as well as a beautiful boy. 

An unwitting self-assessment - I am a DJ I am what I play / I've got believers believing me.

Scary Monsters

Bowie is Pierrot, the sad clown. A woman descends into madness. When I looked in her eyes they were blue but nobody home.

A million dreams / a million scars 'Because You're Young'. He knew.

A sad update on Major Tom …hitting an all time low.

Fa fa fa fa Fashion.

'Teenage Wildlife' referenced the new wave artists who worshipped and emulated Bowie - Same old thing in brand new drag

"Often Copied, Never Equaled."

Then we turned 25, and he turned 33. This is just a fragment of what Bowie gave us. It was all so heavy, prescient and sublime, but he always gave us a wink and a smile. In the end, he was overcome by quicksand, but he's still got the power. Bowie will be as much a part of our future as he was in our past. 

Don't fake it baby / lay the real thing on me

There are so many false idols being worshipped these days. I'm so glad that Bowie is mine.

When you rock 'n' roll with me

No one else I'd rather be

Nobody down here can do it for me

I'm in tears again

When you rock 'n' roll with me