Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Bowie tributes

The David Bowie tributes made me realize how much more important his music is than I had previously imagined. I did not know how engrained so much of his music is that failed to cross my consciousness, and a long time went by. My own i-Pod has songs on it that were there when I  bought it, songs from an album named Low. There's also Changes, Hunky Dory, Let's Dance, twenty-one songs that I didn't load.

The Brits put up things that I didn't see the usual places. The Young Ones quoting, "Ashes to ashes, funk to funky, we know Major Tom's a junkie." I never heard of that before. Flight of the Concords, Bowie in Space, making references that I haven't heard before. Bowie, Kenny Evert Boys Keep Swinging, that for some reason The Brits enjoyed but not pointed to here. TheSundaeLunch's own tribute. 

The best of all is Bowie with Geravis. 


This got me right to my heart. I pick friends because they're like this. Not this good, and not this evil, of course, not this talented, but this silly and this impulsive.

And I keep being surprised. Deeply surprised, like how could I be such an idiot by not knowing of this talent this whole time? Recently at John's funeral reception by the open door to an expansive terrace overlooking a park, a very old man, a tall creaky wrinkled, dry, crispy old man with long teeth with spaces between them and a bit yellow, and callow spotted skull who I've seen hanging around for decades and know simply as Bob and I have no idea of a last name, I have no idea his connection, I don't know him at all, where he comes from, who he is, but I've seen him repeatedly at different parties and functions, he sticks out by his age and his height and his looming presence and goofy face, spoke only very briefly, and I had no idea whatsoever the old man can bang out songs like that, and do that at a funeral. He set the musical tone for the whole place and he decided we are having fun. As if all those previous parties and finally a decent piano.

Others elsewhere tap on the table while waiting for dinner at a restaurant, without any alcohol nor any pot or anything just a willingness to be silly and unafraid of being told to shut up, establish a rhythm and melody and flesh out a made up song on the spot. Silly things like singing "Whip It" with made up emetic lyrics on the spinning teacup ride, and then the female companion, friend of a friend, is reminding of that at every subsequent encounter for the rest of your life. They sing in the van or the taxi to the radio and by being silly encourage everyone else to join in, they put on their voices and have as much fun as they can contrive and IF they can be kept off politics, and IF nobody is harmed as Gervais is here, then honestly spontaneous creative fun doesn't get better than this. 

14 comments:

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Anyone who quotes The Young Ones is 100% cool & deserving of a marsupial pouch.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

That did make me fall in love with David Bowie.

ricpic said...

So Bowie gets to mock Gervais mercilessly because...because he's David Bowie and he can.

Sure as hell doesn't endear him to me.

Chip Ahoy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Chip Ahoy said...

It endeared me to Gervais. Never cared that much for the guy, but this, this is pure genius. All the way through, the beginning, the transition, the brutally insensitive song. It's perfect because he singing about selling out to BBC, watering down his jokes, failure to press his own style regardless. I think Gervais may have wrote this and it is hilarious as all hell. Now, I insistxxxxxxx I'd prefer you be endeared because he's playing along about being the insensitive twat that he's not in real life.

He had all those chances to be a perfect celebrity twat but never was. So that the role has to be written for him and the reversal is tremendous.

Chip Ahoy said...

Erps, I said: the roll has to be written.

Guildofcannonballs said...

Of course, we all know Bowie would appreciate us, to him the unknown, giving attention to the efforts of the young.

Helping them.

Standing strong as an image of appreciation of every gift one could appreciate given.

Admirable; the cogent eschewing of "fame" notwithstanding but ultra-appreciated indeed likewise, like the Coen Brothers.

Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...

http://www.papermag.com/what-did-david-bowie-do-at-your-age-generator-1548392189.html

rcocean said...

Hilarious.

Methadras said...

That was awesome. Made me sad all over again.

Jim in St Louis said...

'The Man Who fell to Earth' is a super movie if you like sci-fi or mystery or romantic type stuff. Buck Henry is amazingly good in it too.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

"He's banana facile... he's a fat waste of space."

That's mean!

john said...

"He's banal and facile" too!

john said...

That's a depressing site, R&B.