Line of Obsession

So there's a line from Roxy Music, to Brian Eno, to David Bowie. I've been following that line like some kind of amateur Sherlock Holmes. Just another one of my musical obsessions. I find that my mad quests and strange obsessions help me maintain a life of fascination.

So yes, the book on Roxy led me to revisiting their first two discs, which then led me to a biography of Brian Eno (the Zelig of the rock and roll universe). Eno is an amazing character who has figured as a key instigator and collaborator in some of the greatest music ever committed to tape. For examples please check out the Eno-influenced discs from: Roxy Music, Talking Heads, Devo, David Byrne and U2.

Then there's the great three discs that Eno and David Bowie (throw in Tony Visconti too) created in Berlin, now these many years later dubbed "The Berlin Trilogy," which some regard as the best of Bowie's recorded work. Bowie is an incredibly multi-talented freak of nature who has gone through changes like a freaking chameleon: Ziggy Stardust, The Actor, The Thin White Duke, to well, just finally BOWIE.

I don't own that many Bowie discs, but I am very familiar with Young Americans, Scary Monsters, Hunky Dory, and "Heroes." All fine discs. The Berlin Trilogy is made up of Low, "Heroes" and Lodger. I recently purchased Low and have been listening obsessively. I love it. It is strange, haunting, cold, fractured, moody, intense, dark, beautiful. Filled with odd instrumental music as well as nail hard pop. Or not really pop. It really is awesome music, unlike anything else.

I'm also reading "Bowie in Berlin" at the moment. Which I think is just excellent. There's a theme here, I'm definitely stuck in some kind of time warp. It's not nostalgia that drives this obsession. I do think it's satisfying and worthwhile to dig deep in our pop cultural history. I like to plumb the depths of a subject looking for gold. It's definitely an interesting kick.