David Bowie; greatest hits; BBC
Jan. 11th, 2016 05:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mtbcDavid Bowie has died and many people are now writing nice things about him. On this occasion, I actually concur: I thought him rather talented indeed, at least musically. On his other contributions, such as fashion, I can't really judge. He managed to write and perform some really good songs, he managed to actually be different, and he kept trying new things. It's rare that somebody both has the courage to experiment and manages to often get it right.
Bowie's variety and talent present me a challenge. I am hardly an expert on his work. My typical plan is to wait a few years, then buy a greatest hits album. However, would the progression across his career be sampled well by such a compilation? Is there perhaps a concept album that captures him well at some point and hangs together nicely? (For instance, I'm glad I bought ELO's
Incidentally, even from the living, I am keeping an eye out for greatest hits albums from groups like Muse but, with that example, it'll probably be trivially satisfying if it includes songs like
BBC Radio 6 Music played a bunch of Bowie's music this morning. It is possible that I ought to have paid more attention at that point, but I was at work. It is a great station, though: it often plays music I rather like, that I don't usually find on commercial radio. The BBC Trust keep toying with the idea of closing it down, and I think it would be misguided of them to do so: it can't be that expensive, I'd rather they make the sets look less slick in their fancy dramas instead, that'd not be much of a shame.
Bowie's variety and talent present me a challenge. I am hardly an expert on his work. My typical plan is to wait a few years, then buy a greatest hits album. However, would the progression across his career be sampled well by such a compilation? Is there perhaps a concept album that captures him well at some point and hangs together nicely? (For instance, I'm glad I bought ELO's
Time.) I've no idea but it's something to research at some point.
Incidentally, even from the living, I am keeping an eye out for greatest hits albums from groups like Muse but, with that example, it'll probably be trivially satisfying if it includes songs like
Hysteria,
New Born,
Plug In Baby,
Uprising,
Starlight, etc.: it's not as if there are significant phases to consider, at least as of yet.
BBC Radio 6 Music played a bunch of Bowie's music this morning. It is possible that I ought to have paid more attention at that point, but I was at work. It is a great station, though: it often plays music I rather like, that I don't usually find on commercial radio. The BBC Trust keep toying with the idea of closing it down, and I think it would be misguided of them to do so: it can't be that expensive, I'd rather they make the sets look less slick in their fancy dramas instead, that'd not be much of a shame.
