Ziggy Stardust / Pet Sounds

[bhunaboy 10]

I bought a couple of dvd's from the guy at bottom of moor who sells em second hand.

 

Ziggy Stardust - Wow, it's been so long since I've seen this. I remember the first time I watched it, about 17 years ago it was on New Years Eve/Day. My folks were having a party and I was taping it. I had been getting into Bowie since 85/86 and the first 'new' song he'd released as i became a 'fan' was Absolute BEginners.

 

I couldn't wait til the next day to see Ziggy so I went upstairs and watched some on an old b/w portable. I had never seen anything like it! He looked otherworldly and like something I had never seen before and that was nearly 15 years after the actual gig.

 

Watching it again made me realise what great band the spiders were and what a massive difference to music and society Bowie has had since that time. You just can't get close in terms of influence.

 

On to Pet Sounds Live. I went to one of those gigs at the Royal Festival Hall and I have to say it was the best gig I had ever been to. Their was almost a sense of fear in the air. What if Brian can't do it? What if it all just sounds cheesy and corny. No one needed to worry. Quite simply the greatest album of all time (radiohead???????? great album but not even close). The concert is a great way of seeing just how clever all this incredible music is. And in the middle of it all, a man who fo rthe best part of 30 years, was an emotional wreck.

 

Things had been a bit ****ty lately and I listened to it and it blew me away in the same way as it did the first time I heard it. I was shocked that an album that I have known and loved for years could still do that to me.

 

The lyrics are so emotional and simple and naive that it is impossible to not love them.

 

"Dont talk, put your head on my shoulder

Come close, close your eyes and be still

Dont talk, take my hand and listen to my heartbeat"

 

or

 

"I know perfectly well

I'm not where i should be

I've been very aware

You've been patient with me

 

Every time we break up

You bring back your love to me

And after all i've done to you

How can it be

 

You still believe in me

 

I try hard to be more

What you want me to be

But i can't how i act

When you're not here with me

 

I try hard to be strong

But sometimes i fail myself

And after all i've promised you

So faithfully

 

You still believe in me

 

I wanna cry..."

 

I always said that Pet Sounds sounded like the happiest album on earth when you are in love and the saddest when you break up with someone, but it works as both.

 

Brian Wilson summed it up perfectly when he called it 'happy sad music'.

 

If you've never heard it, folks, go and buy it. You can get it for cheap. You won't be disappointed.

[gularscute 10]

I saw Bri in Liverpool on the Smile tour and he was excellent there too. I'm really indebted to The Wondermints for re-invigourating him and giving him the confidence to take his work on the road again. The only bits that made me cringe a bit were during Vegetables when some very self conscious orchestral musicians started waving carrots and celery around. Then there was the 'Fire' suite involving some silly posturing with hoses. But hey, it was just a tiny part of an amazing show so I shouldn't nitpick. I loved Liverpool as a city too, such a warm and surreal place with a fine sense of culture and fab people.

What do you make of Dr Landy by the way: Hero or villain?

[Starman 10]

Originally posted by bhunaboy

I bought a couple of dvd's from the guy at bottom of moor who sells em second hand.

 

Ziggy Stardust - Wow, it's been so long since I've seen this. I remember the first time I watched it, about 17 years ago it was on New Years Eve/Day. My folks were having a party and I was taping it. I had been getting into Bowie since 85/86 and the first 'new' song he'd released as i became a 'fan' was Absolute BEginners.

 

I couldn't wait til the next day to see Ziggy so I went upstairs and watched some on an old b/w portable. I had never seen anything like it! He looked otherworldly and like something I had never seen before and that was nearly 15 years after the actual gig.

 

Watching it again made me realise what great band the spiders were and what a massive difference to music and society Bowie has had since that time. You just can't get close in terms of influence.

 

On to Pet Sounds Live. I went to one of those gigs at the Royal Festival Hall and I have to say it was the best gig I had ever been to. Their was almost a sense of fear in the air. What if Brian can't do it? What if it all just sounds cheesy and corny. No one needed to worry. Quite simply the greatest album of all time (radiohead???????? great album but not even close). The concert is a great way of seeing just how clever all this incredible music is. And in the middle of it all, a man who fo rthe best part of 30 years, was an emotional wreck.

 

Things had been a bit ****ty lately and I listened to it and it blew me away in the same way as it did the first time I heard it. I was shocked that an album that I have known and loved for years could still do that to me.

 

The lyrics are so emotional and simple and naive that it is impossible to not love them.

 

"Dont talk, put your head on my shoulder

Come close, close your eyes and be still

Dont talk, take my hand and listen to my heartbeat"

 

or

 

"I know perfectly well

I'm not where i should be

I've been very aware

You've been patient with me

 

Every time we break up

You bring back your love to me

And after all i've done to you

How can it be

 

You still believe in me

 

I try hard to be more

What you want me to be

But i can't how i act

When you're not here with me

 

I try hard to be strong

But sometimes i fail myself

And after all i've promised you

So faithfully

 

You still believe in me

 

I wanna cry..."

 

I always said that Pet Sounds sounded like the happiest album on earth when you are in love and the saddest when you break up with someone, but it works as both.

 

Brian Wilson summed it up perfectly when he called it 'happy sad music'.

 

If you've never heard it, folks, go and buy it. You can get it for cheap. You won't be disappointed.

 

I don't really like the Pet shop boys, bit i LOVE Bowie