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The Future Isn’t What it Used to Be

The marketing catchphrase used by RCA forty years ago, “Often Copied, Never Equalled” has much truth to it. Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) marked the culmination and close of the most sustained attempt to inject high artistry and radical individualism into popular music, while still maintaining the dirtiest of 70s funk riffs. Robert Fripp’s guitar…

Bowie: The Last Five Years and The Last Supper

For those who can’t access BBC player here is (a version?) of the show that has just been broadcast along with a companion piece featuring some of those who worked with him. (For the second time, the first vid has been pulled — just search “Bowie: The Last Five Years” in YouTube and perhaps someone has reposted).…

The Radical Individualism of David Bowie

And my brother’s back at home with his Beatles and his Stones We never got it off on that revolution stuff What a drag, too many snags Now I’ve drunk a lot of wine and I’m feeling fine Got to race some cat to bed Oh is that concrete all around Or is it in…

Tony Visconti

Tony Visconti really was the natural heir to George Martin. Check out Tony’s thoughts on the state of the music industry — there is no-one as distinguished and so able to offer the ultimate insider’s diagnosis on the malaise of creativity that we know has well and truly flattened the creative landscape over the past 20…

Bowie’s back

The Economist pretty much captures the bind that Bowie has faced over his career. The man who retains the longest stretch of creativity in rock music (1971-1980) blew it by trying to keep cutting edge. With his genuinely great crooning voice he could have out done Rod Stewart’s American Songbook by a mile, but instead…