David Bowie, glazbeni kameleon koji se prilagođava svakoj modi i trendu. Takva je kritika pretjerana, no činjenica jest da je Bowie vrhunce svoje karijere u 70-im godinama postizao demonstrirajući izuzetno umijeće praćenja glazbenih trendova. Nakon nekoliko godina provedenih u mod-bandovima 60-ih te kao all arround zabavljač, hippie i proto-metal izvođač s početka 70-ih, uz pomoć svog ambivalentnog alter-ego lika Ziggy Stardusta godine 1972. Bowie postaje internacionalna zvijezda svojom osobitom redefinicijom glam-rocka, s čijom je najvećom zvijezdom Marcom Bolanom često surađivao.
"The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" i album "Alladin Sane" izdan sljedeće godine čine ga zvijezdom ne samo u domovini, nego i u Americi. Te iste 1973. godine Bowie je producirao "Transformer" Lou Reeda, "Raw Power" The Stoogesa te napisao "All the young Dudes" za povratak Mott the Hopllea. Kasnije će biti jasno da se radi o najplodnijoj godini u njegovoj višedesetljetnoj karijeri.
Na američkoj turneji sljedećih godina postaje zaljubljenik u soul glazbu, što kulminira izvrsnim albumom "Young Americans" iz 1975. dok album "Station to Station" iz 1976. označava početak avangardnog pop zvuka sa tri eksperimentalna albuma elektronske glazbe u nizu snimljena s Brianom Enom u Berlinu, među kojima se posebno izdvaja "Heroes" iz 1977. Iste je godine Bowie potaknuo povratak na scenu Iggya Popa pomažući kao producent i klavijaturist nastanak albumima "Idiot" i "Lust for life" .
Odlazak u Berlin bio je svojevrsni dobrovoljni egzil triježnjenja i detoksikacije jer su naporne američke godine bile dobrano načele Bowievo zdravlje. Tih godina ponovo se vraća glumi glumeći u filmu "Just a Gigolo " s Marlene Dietrich, posvećuje se avangardnoj video produkciji što kulminira u avangardnom video spotu za "Scary Monsters" iz 1980. Suradnja s grupom Queen u "Under pressure" i pisanje glazbe za film "Cat People" Paula Schradera obilježavaju početak 80-ih.
Nakon dance-pop albuma "Let's dance" iz 1983., karijera mu zapada krizu, sve do nekoliko ne baš uspješnih pokušaja oživljavanja u 90-im godinama. Tih je godina aktivniji kao glumac i jet-setter nego kao glazbenik, a povratnički projekti u 90-im godinama s grupama "Tin Machine" i "Nine Inch Nails" nisu vratili Bowievu karijeru na stare kolosijeke slave. Nakon koketiranja s tehno glazbom na albumu "Earthling" iz 1997. umjesto pridobivanja nove publike kritiziran je od strane techno fanova kao bezočni eksploatator njihove supkulture
Iako izvan glavne struje pop glazbe u posljednja dva desetljeća, svaka od Bowievih glazbenih faza sa njegovih kreativnih vrhunaca osigurala mu je status jednog od najutjecajnijih glazbenika u povijesti rocka. Svojom je glazbom nadahnuo nekoliko pod-žanrova moderne glazbe, uključujući punk, new wawe, gothic-rock, novi romantizam i elektronsku glazbu. Malo se koji glazbenik može pohvaliti takvim utjecajem na suvremenu glazbu i kulturu.
Absolute Beginners
David Bowie ( Album : Unknown )
I've nothing much to offer
There's nothing much to take
I'm an absolute beginner
And i'm absolutely sane
As long as we're together
The rest can go to hell
I absolutely love you
But we're absolute beginners
With eyes completely open
But nervous all the same
If our love song
Could fly over mountains
Could laugh at the ocean/sail over heartaches second time
Just like the films
There's no reason
To feel all the hard times
To lay down the hard lines
It's absolutely true
Nothing much could happen
Nothing we can't shake
Oh we're absolute beginners
With nothing much at stake
As long as you're still smiling
There's nothing more i need
I absolutely love you
But we're absolute beginners
But if my love is your love
We're certain to succeed
If our love song
Could fly over mountains
Could laugh at the ocean/sail over heartaches second time
Just like the films
There's no reason
To feel all the hard times
To lay down the hard lines
It's absolutely true
Rebel Rebel
David Bowie ( Album : Diamond Dogs )
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo
You've got your mother in a whirl
She's not sure if you're a boy or a girl
Hey babe, your hair's alright
Hey babe, let's go out tonight
You like me, and i like it all
We like dancing and we look divine
You love bands when they're playing hard
You want more and you want it fast
They put you down, they say i'm wrong
You tacky thing, you put them on
Rebel rebel, you've torn your dress
Rebel rebel, your face is a mess
Rebel rebel, how could they know?
Hot tramp, i love you so!
Don't ya?
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo
You've got your mother in a whirl 'cause she's
Not sure if you're a boy or a girl
Hey babe, your hair's alright
Hey babe, let's stay out tonight
You like me, and i like it all
We like dancing and we look divine
You love bands when they're playing hard
You want more and you want it fast
They put you down, they say i'm wrong
You tacky thing, you put them on
Rebel rebel, you've torn your dress
Rebel rebel, your face is a mess
Rebel rebel, how could they know?
Hot tramp, i love you so!
Don't ya?
Oh?
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo-doo doo doo doo doo
Rebel rebel, you've torn your dress
Rebel rebel, your face is a mess
Rebel rebel, how could they know?
Hot tramp, i love you so!
You've torn your dress, your face is a mess
You can't get enough, but enough ain't the test
You've got your transmission and your live wire
You got your cue line and a handful of ludes
You wanna be there when they count up the dudes
And i love your dress
You're a juvenile success
Because your face is a mess
So how could they know?
I said, how could they know?
So what you wanna know
Calamity's child, chi-chile, chi-chile
Where'd you wanna go?
What can i do for you? looks like you've been there too
'cause you've torn your dress
And your face is a mess
Oh, your face is a mess
Oh, oh, so how could they know?
Eh, eh, how could they know?
Eh, eh
Let's Dance
David Bowie ( Album : Let's Dance )
Let's dance
Let's dance
Let's dance, put on your red shoes and dance the blues
Let's dance, to the song they're playin' on the radio
Let's sway, while colour lights up your face
Let's sway, sway through the crowd to an empty space
If you say run, i'll run with you
And if you say hide, we'll hide
Because my love for you
Would break my heart in two
If you should fall
Into my arms
And tremble like a flower
Let's dance
Let's dance
Let's dance, for fear your grace should fall
Let's dance, for fear tonight is all
Let's sway, you could look into my eyes
Let's sway, under the moonlight, this serious moonlight
And if you say run, i'll run with you
And if you say hide, we'll hide
Because my love for you
Would break my heart in two
If you should fall
Into my arms
And tremble like a flower
Let's dance
Let's dance
Let's dance, put on your red shoes and dance the blues
Let's dance, to the song we're playing
Let's sway
Let's sway, under the moonlight, this serious moonlight
Let's dance
Let's
Let's
Let's
Let's sway
Let's
Let's dance let's dance let's dance let's dance let's dance
Let's dance
Let's sway
Let's sway
Let's dance let's dance let's dance let's dance let's dance
Let's dance
Let's dance