My verdict on The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders From Mars is that it's merely okay. But the first song, "Five Years," is something bigtime special. Apocalyptic chamber pop majesty, messy and spare at the same time. I can hear a lot of Radiohead in it (or, I suppose, the other way around), particularly when heard alongside to Hail to the Thief's not-quite-experimentalism. Bowie's lyrics are clearer than most of Yorke's - and weaker, in places - but he likes the same grotesque urban imagery:
"And all the fat-skinny peopleI like the way that it's a lovesong and a deathsong in one, I love the way there's that frightening shriek of strings at the end (again, see Radiohead). It's the same spiritual landscape as "Wolf at the Door," I think - but Bowie sounds like he loves human beings rather more. Posted by Sean at June 19, 2003 11:24 PM
And all the tall-short people
And all the nobody people
And all the somebody people
I never thought I'd need so many people
A girl my age went off her head
Hit some tiny children
...
A soldier with a broken arm
Fixed his stare to the wheels of a Cadillac"
I had the exact same experience. Years ago I found an old tape of Ziggy Stardust lying around the house and I became infatuated with Five Years. I grew to love the whole album as well though. Five Years is just the start of a crazy wacky musical story.
Posted by dustin at July 3, 2003 3:22 AM
and it will begin playing. All songs are also available to download: just right-click the link and choose 'Save as...'
