As with Sunday’s selection, today’s is a song I only first heard in the last year and, likewise, on Apple Music’s personalized picks. “Days” comes from Reality (2003), the 24th studio album by English singer-songwriter and actor David Bowie (1947-2016). Though I’ve considered myself a fan since first hearing his music in the early 1970sContinue reading “Days”
Tag Archives: David Bowie
“Heroes”
Since the summer of 2020, I’ve featured a piece of classical music each Sunday. The song “‘Heroes’” from the album of the same title, the second in David Bowie’s (1947-2016) “Berlin Trilogy,” a song co-written with Brian Eno, is certainly not a classical piece. However, it is definitely a rock classic and likely one ofContinue reading ““Heroes””
Lakmé, Act I, No. 2: Duo des fleurs / Sous le dôme épais
Occasionally I’ve listened to Colorado Public Radio’s online classical music stream lately, and have enjoyed their programming and insightful host commentary. That station was where I heard “Gather Round the Table” (posted here on May 10), and today I heard several bookmark-worthy pieces. YouTube is another source of suggestions and is where I found aContinue reading “Lakmé, Act I, No. 2: Duo des fleurs / Sous le dôme épais”
(Just Like) Starting Over
I remember, in 1980, being excited about Double Fantasy, a new record by John Lennon (1940-1980) and Yoko Ono, after Lennon had pretty much disappeared from the music industry a few years earlier. Back then, I was a 20-year-old with a few circles of friends, a great job, and several relationships with women that wouldContinue reading “(Just Like) Starting Over”
Harmony
Elton John released his seventh studio album, the double-record Goodbye Yellow Brick Road in 1973. That was a year of musical significance for me, as it was the year I saw David Bowie at the tail end of his Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars tour at the Liverpool Empire Theatre while on holidayContinue reading “Harmony”
Ballrooms of Mars
I’ve been admiring my old vinyl records for a while and really should play them more. One of these is the 1972 album The Slider by the English rock band, T. Rex. The band, initially called Tyrannosaurus Rex, was formed in 1969 by band leader, lead singer and sole songwriter Marc Bolan (1947-1977). After makingContinue reading “Ballrooms of Mars”
Trio No. 2 in E-flat Major for Piano, Violin, and Violoncello, Op. 100, II: Andante con moto
Today I found a mix set of classical music videos on YouTube that contained several pieces I’ve already featured on my Classical Sunday posts. Also on that list was a piece by Austrian composer Franz Schubert (1797-1828), the second movement (Andante con moto) from his Trio No. 2 in E-flat Major for Piano, Violin, andContinue reading “Trio No. 2 in E-flat Major for Piano, Violin, and Violoncello, Op. 100, II: Andante con moto”
Lilac Wine
In 1966, American singer, songwriter, musician arranger and civil rights activist Nina Simone (1933-2003) released her sixth studio album, Wild Is the Wind. The album was assembled from recordings left over from previous recording sessions. (Please check out my post on Simone’s cover of “I Put a Spell on You” for more about her lifeContinue reading “Lilac Wine”
Kiss Them for Me
I can’t say I followed the punk rock scene of the mid-1970s, though I suppose I observed from a distance what was going on due to my constant fascination with music. But English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer Susan Ballion, better known as Siouxsie Sioux, sure did. She first saw the English punk rock bandContinue reading “Kiss Them for Me”
Wake Up
It’s been a while since I posted something by the Canadian indie-rock band Arcade Fire. This afternoon, I went down an internet rabbit hole, scouting out some songs I’d thought of or captured on the Shazam app recently. And as I surfed, my searches for other songs and artists and YouTube’s algorithms brought me toContinue reading “Wake Up”
Alive and Kicking
It’s Friday! (And, to begin, my apologies… I planned to post much earlier in the day, then an appointment, groceries and other obligations got in the way. But here we are now. Let’s settle in and enjoy, shall we?) Back when I was working, Friday was a day that arrived with much celebration of planningContinue reading “Alive and Kicking”
All the Young Dudes
Here’s my third and final instalment in observance of David Bowie’s birth and death. Bowie was a longtime fan of the English rock band Mott the Hoople and encouraged them to stay together when there was talk of a break-up. He wrote “All the Young Dudes” for them and produced their 1972 album of theContinue reading “All the Young Dudes”
Symphony No. 1, I: Subterraneans
Two days ago, I posted a song by David Bowie (1947-2016) on the 74th anniversary of his birth. Today is the fifth anniversary of his death. On Sundays since June 2020, I’ve been posting classical music pieces. Today, I’m sharing one that has a deep connection to Bowie’s music, written by American composer and pianistContinue reading “Symphony No. 1, I: Subterraneans”
Stay
Seventy-four years ago today, English singer, songwriter, musical innovator and actor David Robert Jones was born. Professionally he became known as David Bowie, an artist who crossed and mixed many musical genres and performance styles in his long, influential career. I’ve featured Bowie’s songs several times before on this blog: “A New Career in aContinue reading “Stay”
Absolute Beginners
At the start of a year, we’re all beginners. We start fresh, with a new beginning, a clean slate… or so some of the clichés go. In “Absolute Beginners,” David Bowie captured this notion, from the perspective of one telling his lover that, even though they’re absolute beginners, the two of them can do anythingContinue reading “Absolute Beginners”
The Birds
Maybe you’ve been a follower of this blog for a while. In that case, you’ll know I take a lot of inspiration and acquire much of my new music from the recommendations of Guy Garvey, the lead singer of Elbow during his weekly program, Guy Garvey’s Finest Hour on BBC 6 Music, on Sundays (2:00Continue reading “The Birds”
Space Oddity
During my morning routine from around 7:00 to 9:00 (Central time in Canada), I like to have a random, unknown music mix playing. But among the radio stations I listen to online, mainly KEXP Seattle and BBC 6 Music, there isn’t usually anything on that appeals to me for that time of day. The MorningContinue reading “Space Oddity”
Worlds Away
Many have said that after the 1950s, 60s and 70s, the 1980s were a wasteland for music. I beg to differ. The emergence of post-punk, new wave, new romantic, synthpop and other genres, combined with other major genres like folk, progressive rock, heavy metal, arena rock and others, led to many different sounds for modernContinue reading “Worlds Away”
Quiet Life
Happy Friday! Well, I’m not going to point you to the barn-dance kind of venue where the video for last night’s post on Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” takes place, but I hope this song inspires you to get up, move around and celebrate life. Even a “quiet life.” Japan is a band I told youContinue reading “Quiet Life”
Listening Wind
Today I was thinking of the 1980 album by Talking Heads, Remain in Light. In my opinion, it’s their best and most inspired work. A visit to the vinyl collection in the basement and a look at the album and liner notes reminded me that Brian Eno, David Byrne and Talking Heads co-wrote the album’sContinue reading “Listening Wind”
New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)
Today’s song is one of my favourite Simple Minds songs. It grabs me from the beginning synthesizer lines and percussion to the arrival of the thundering main drum kit. And yeah, there are credits to two drummers on this song on the LP… I was wondering if it was a drum machine, but, nope, a drummer. Continue reading “New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)”
Lady Stardust
As I mentioned in my post on “Moonage Daydream” and in many of my daily write-ups, my childhood home was often filled with the sound of records playing on the stereo. A family favourite was David Bowie, whom I first saw playing live in Liverpool in 1973 with my mum and dad when we wereContinue reading “Lady Stardust”
Crazy Love
The song “Crazy Love” was a hit single in 1979; the year I began my first full-time job (at the railway), and the year before I’d buy my first car, a silver 1980 Ford Mustang: I bought it for $6,467 in a year when bank car loans were at 16.25% interest, so with interest, theContinue reading “Crazy Love”
I Feel Love
In the 2017 article, “Song from the Future: The Story of Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder’s ‘I Feel Love,’” Pitchfork.com contributor Simon Reynolds writes, “The reverberations of ‘I Feel Love’ reached far beyond the disco floor, though. Then unknown but destined to be synth-pop stars in the ’80s, the Human League completely switched their direction afterContinue reading “I Feel Love”
Wordy Rappinghood
Every time our boys come over, we have lovely, fun, serious conversations and often recount memories of their childhood and youth. They’re such great guys, and while it’s rare for us to be able to have all four of our boys (and partners, where applicable) together at the same time, it happens once every twoContinue reading “Wordy Rappinghood”
Moonage Daydream
As I’ve mentioned before (in my post on January 17, 2020, for example), David Bowie was a regular guest on the record player in my parents’ home, after a brother discovered his music. We listened to his early stuff, and I saw him in concert in both Liverpool, UK and again about ten years laterContinue reading “Moonage Daydream”
A New Career in a New Town
David Bowie collaborated with Brian Eno, Robert Fripp and others on what’s referred to as his Berlin Trilogy, three albums made between 1976 and 1979 (Low, “Heroes”, Lodger), all overseen by his long-time producer, Tony Visconti. The albums, particularly Low, are a real departure from the soul and funk of Diamond Dogs and ‘Young Americans’Continue reading “A New Career in a New Town”
Song of the Day for Today 