David Bowie: Critical Perspectives

342 Pages·2015·2.157 MB·English

by  Devereux, Eoin(Editor);Dillane, Aileen(Editor);Power, Martin J(Editor);October, Dene(Contributor)

David Bowie: Critical Perspectives
David Bowie: Critical Perspectives examines in detail the many layers of
one of the most intriguing and influential icons in popular culture. This
interdisciplinary book brings together established and emerging scholars
from a wide variety of backgrounds, including musicology, sociology, art
history, literary theory, philosophy, politics, film studies and media studies.
Bowie’s complexity as a singer, songwriter, producer, performer, actor and
artist demands that any critical engagement with his overall work must be
interdisciplinary and wide-ranging in its scope. The chapters are organised
around the key themes of ‘textualities’, ‘psychologies’, ‘orientalisms’, ‘art
and agency’ and ‘performing and influencing’ in Bowie’s work. This com-
prehensive book contributes to the study of popular music, performance,
gender, religion, popular media and celebrity.
Eoin Devereux is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology at the
University of Limerick, Ireland and Adjunct Professor (Docent) in Contem-
porary Culture at the University of Jyvaskyla, Finland. He is the author of
Understanding the Media (2nd edition, 2007) and editor of Media Studies:
Key Issues and Debates (2007).
Aileen Dillane is an ethnomusicologist based in the Irish World Academy
at the University of Limerick, Ireland. She co-edited Morrissey: Fandom,
Representations and Identities (2011) with Eoin Devereux and Martin
Power. Her areas of research interest include ethnomusicological theory and
practice, popular music and culture studies, performance studies and urban
soundscape studies.
Martin J. Power is Lecturer in the Department of Sociology at the University
of Limerick, Ireland. Recent publications include Morrissey: Fandom, Rep-
resentations and Identities (2011, co-edited with Eoin Devereux and Aileen
Dillane) and Marxist Perspectives on Irish Society (2011, co-edited with
Micheal O’Flynn, Odette Clarke and Paul M. Hayes).
Routledge Studies in Popular Music
1 Popular Music Fandom 4 Sites of Popular Music Heritage
Identities, Roles and Practices Memories, Histories, Places
Edited by Mark Duffett Edited by Sara Cohen, Robert
Knifton, Marion Leonard, and
2 Britshness, Popular Music, and Les Roberts
National Identity
The Making of Modern Britain 5 Queerness in Heavy Metal Music
Irene Morra Metal Bent
Amber R. Clifford-Napoleone
3 Lady Gaga and
Popular Music 6 David Bowie: Critical
Performing Gender, Fashion, Perspectives
and Culture Edited by Eoin Devereux,
Edited by Martin Iddon and Aileen Dillane, and
Melanie L. Marshall Martin J. Power
David Bowie: Critical
Perspectives
Edited by
Eoin Devereux, Aileen Dillane,
and Martin J. Power
First published 2015
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
and by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2015 Taylor & Francis
The right of the editors to be identified as the author of the editorial material, and of the
authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78
of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any
form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented,
including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks,
and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
David Bowie : critical perspectives / edited by Eoin Devereux, Aileen Dillane, and
Martin J. Power. — 1st edition.
pages cm. — (Routledge studies in popular music ; 6)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Bowie, David—Criticism and interpretation. 2. Rock music—History and criticism.
I. Devereux, Eoin, editor. II. Dillane, Aileen, editor. III. Power, Martin J., editor.
ML420.B754D44 2015
782.42166092—dc23 2014042220
ISBN: 978-0-415-74572-7(hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-79775-5(ebk)
Typeset in Sabon
by codeMantra
Eoin Devereux: For my sons Joe and Gavin Devereux and
to my wife Liz Devereux for meeting me in The Stella and
lending me her David Bowie albums all those years ago.
Aileen Dillane: The Gilbert boys, Lochlann, Senan and Rossa,
and especially Hayden, for his unwavering support, and
Maureen, Seamus, Deirdre, Fionnuala and Noreen for their
advice and inspirational example.
Martin J. Power: For Marian, Fiona and Stephen who keep
me sane. To my niece Searlait for fighting the good fight and
helping me see what is really important. Thanks to everyone
who has had an input into making me who I am. Finally,
thanks to John Boland and Stephen Ryan for making me get
off the couch all of those years ago to go and see Bowie in
Dublin. An evening well spent!
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Contents
List of Figures, Cases or Illustrations ix
Foreword i
X
GAvIN FRIDAy
Preface xiii
Acknowledgments xvii
1 David Bowie is 1
KAtHRyN JoHNSoN
2 In this Age of Grand Allusion: Bowie, Nihilism
and Meaning 19
RICHARD FItCH
3 Culminating Sounds and (En)visions: Ashes to Ashes
and the case for Pierrot 35
AILEEN DILLANE, EoIN DEvEREux AND MARtIN J. PowER
4 turn Myself to Face Me: David Bowie in the
1990s and Discovery of Authentic Self 56
BEtHANy uSHER AND StEPHANIE FREMAux
5 ‘Crashing out with Sylvian’: David Bowie, Carl Jung
and the unconscious 82
tANJA StARK
6 Dear Dr. Freud—David Bowie Hits the Couch:
A psychoanalytical approach to some of his personae 111
ANA LEoRNE
7 Moss Garden: David Bowie and Japonism in fashion
in the 1970s 128
HELENE MARIE tHIAN
viii Contents
8 the “China Girl” Problem: Reconsidering David
Bowie in the 1980s 147
SHELtoN wALDREP
9 Embodying Stardom, Representing otherness:
David Bowie in ‘Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence’ 160
MEHDI DERFouFI
10 Art’s Filthy Lesson 178
tIFFANy NAIMAN
11 Authorship, Agency and visual Analysis: Reading (some)
Bowie Album Covers. 196
IAN CHAPMAN
12 Revisiting Bowie’s Berlin 215
DAvID BuCKLEy
13 David Bowie: the Extraordinary Rock Star as Film Star 230
JuLIE LoBALzo wRIGHt
14 the (becoming-wo)Man who Fell to Earth 245
DENE oCtoBER
15 out of this world: ziggy Stardust and the Spatial
Interplay of Lyrics, vocals and Performance 263
BARISH ALI AND HEIDI wALLACE
16 David Bowie Now and then: Questions of Fandom
and Late Style 280
NICK StEvENSoN
17 How Superficial!—Bowie and the Art of Surfacing in
21st Century Literature 295
vANESSA GARCIA
Contributors 310
Index 315
List of Figures, Cases or Illustrations
1.1 Queues for David Bowie is, 24 July 2013 ©
Victoria and Albert Museum, London. 1
1.2 ‘David Bowie is moving from Suburbia to Soho’
video installation. Design by Zsolt Balogh for 59
Productions © Victoria and Albert Museum, London. 9
1.3 David Bowie is © Victoria and Albert Museum,
London. Image reproduced courtesy of The
David Bowie Archive and Kansai Yamamoto. 13
3.1 David Bowie as Pierrot (1980). 42
3.2 Opening musical riff of ‘Ashes to Ashes’. 46
3.3 Final two measures of opening instrumental riff of
‘Ashes to Ashes’. 46
3.4 The syncopated lyrics in the chorus of ‘Ashes to Ashes’. 48
4.1 David Bowie’s Q Magazine Interviews 1989–1999. 60
4.2 The retrospective look (left) from April 1990,
juxtaposed with Bowie suited for Tin Machine. 62
4.3 The superimposed Aladdin Sane stripe—Q cover
from May 1993. 62
4.4 Bowie (1989–1999) and Baudrillard’s Phases
of the Image. 68
4.5 Nathan Adler artwork from Q Magazine,
January 1995: 177. 70
4.6 Bowie the Raver, Q Magazine,
August 1997: 168. 72
4.7 Bowie in “Dad’s clothes”, Q Magazine,
October 1999: 8. 74
5.1 Art and image by Tanja Stark. 82
5.2 ‘All The Jung Dudes’. Michelangelo’s Creation of
Adam centers around the iconic image of ‘a crack in
the sky and [God’s] hand reaching down’ to spark
life into Man. 89