Presentation on David Bowie at North York Central Library
I was punching stations on the radio the other day, when a good song stopped my restless finger. I smiled when the announcer said the song was Valentine's Day, from David Bowie's new CD, The Next Day. He's still got it. Bowie hasn't resorted to cranking out past hits on autopilot, playing the same songs in the same old way, like a human jukebox. At the age of 66, he's still creating great new music. New York Times writer Simon Reynolds called The Next Day Bowie's "twilight masterpiece".
Photo credit: Masayoshi Sukita The David Bowie Archive, Photo credit: Jimmy King
Lately, a lot of attention has been paid to the visuals when it comes to the chameleon-like artist, no doubt because of the exhibition, "David Bowie is" from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, currently on display at The Art Gallery of Ontario. To be sure, the images over the years have been startling. But for me, it has always been about the music.
Try reading the quotes below — see if they play in your head, rather than read in your head.
If they play in your head, hey — I think you're a fan.
Popular music expert and York University professor Mike Daley will give a free presentation on David Bowie in the auditorium at North York Central Library on Tuesday October 22, at 7:00. Please call 416-395-5639 to register.
See you there.
"News
guy wept and told us / earth was really dying/ Cried so much his face was wet / then I knew he was not
lying" Five Years
"And
these children that you spit on / As they try to change their worlds / Are immune to your consultations / They're quite aware of what they're going through" Changes
"They can’t get enough of that doomsday song" The
Next Day
"There's
a starman waiting in the sky /
He'd like to come and meet us /
But he thinks he'd blow our minds" Starman
"Don't
fake it baby, lay the real thing on me" Moonage Daydream
"You've got your mother in a whirl/She's not sure if
you're a boy or girl" Rebel Rebel
"All the way from Washington/Her bread-winner begs off the bathroom floor / We live for just these twenty
years / Do we have to die for the fifty more?" Young Americans
"We can be Heroes, just for one day" Heroes
For a bit of fun, watch David Bowie sing about not-quite-making-it actor Andy Millman (played by Ricky Gervais) on Extras.
3 thoughts on “Presentation on David Bowie at North York Central Library”
Thanks for your blog, Maureen. I am looking forward to going to the exhibition at the AGO. Your clip of David Bowie singing on “Extras”
is hilarious!
I had a really good belly laugh when I first saw that episode of Extras!
I’m looking forward to Mike Daley’s talk at North York Central Library on the 22nd. There is so much for him to talk about. What an amazing creative life David Bowie has had!
So sorry I did n,t get to this blog earlier missed the show.