Bowie: A Biography
by Marc Spitz
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Book Summary Information
Author: Marc SpitzEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-10-27
ISBN: 0307393968
Number of pages: 448
Publisher: Crown Archetype
Book Reviews of Bowie: A Biography
Book Review: An Interesting Story Needing a Better Book
Summary: 2 Stars
I was never a Bowie fan, but after finishing this book, I think I missed something. I followed the book with YouTube. As the songs were mentioned, I listened. The Dick Cavett Interview, the Bing Crosby Christmas special, the Ashes to Ashes video, the 1979 SNL (audio only), the prayer for Freddie Mercury -- all are priceless today, but in context of their time must have been striking. Bowie was far more than his glam/punk/skinhead image. He created a body of work ("Major Tom", Changes, Heroes...) that will live beyond our times.
Spitz's background as a writer/observer of the music industry for "Crawdaddy" comes through. His strength is his critic's knowledge of Bowie, his material, its creation, its marketing and its position in the development of popular music and the music industry. A good biography, however, is more than a series of reviews, events and career milestones.
There is some attempt to interpret Bowie as a person, but for this, the book is disappointing. For instance the marriage to Angie is reportage when a biography calls for analysis. Bowie's relationship with his half brother is all but dropped. There is mention and dismissal, but no explanation, of the Nazi imagery that that has been associated with Bowie.
There is a heavy reliance on interviews which seem to be cut and pasted in. Some seem to be there to prove a point Spitz wants to make. Some seem to be there because Spitz has them, not because of their significance. Some quotes, such as Angie on David's brother's death, are the sole analysis of what seem to be significant events.
The interviews often have statements inserted as truths when they are opinions. For instance Spitz quotes Camille Pagila on p. 318 "anyone who is still a rebel in middle age is a fraud!" to support the idea that Bowie could not go on with his glam persona. Chapter 23 closes with Destri (of Blondie) saying that "that night, David Bowie opened the door to the eighties" to support the idea that Bowie was THE harbinger of the 80's. Sweeping statements aren't restricted to the interviews. On p. 332, Spitz, himself, says "All suicide is by definition a selfish act."
Some of the photos don't fit the text. For instance, there is no photo of either Angie or Iman, but one of Elizabeth Taylor who doesn't really feature in Bowie's life or this book. Why is there a photo of Bowie in Moscow when this trip is hardly mentioned? Other photos seem to be publicity shots; they're interesting, but in a biography, more personal photos are expected.
The author is at his best when he strays from the article writing genre. He made a good start with the background on Bowie's family and how the World War II formed not just the generations of the Bowie family, but also the conditions for the emergence of the rock and roll culture.
Spitz lists an impressive number of Bowie biographies in his introduction. Some are rated very highly by Amazon reviewers, but if this is the one available to you, go ahead and read it. The story will hold your attention. I suggest readers read it like I did: with YouTube handy. It will be your own simulation of what is probably the future of the online book... the text with links instead of footnotes ... and will add to your reading experience.
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