Jan 08 2012

David Bowie, how could you?

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I remember when turning 30 was an act of betrayal to an entire generation — I remember being younger than 30. So allow me to express a moment of shock at this news.

David Bowie turns 65 today.

It’s OK. Let’s dance.

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65 comments

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1

Sastra

8 January 2012 at 12:40 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

What do you mean “betrayal?”

I want cool people to be older than me. I require it. I demand it.
2

ChasCPeterson

8 January 2012 at 12:42 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

I’ve distrusted Bowie for 35 years.
3

Caine, Fleur du Mal

8 January 2012 at 12:46 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

I’m beginning to hate reminders of how old I am. *Remembers buying Bowie’s records in my teens*
4

roquetin

8 January 2012 at 12:47 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Oh my, that really is a sin. It’s about 37 years past his bedtime.
5

Denephew Ogvorbis, OM

8 January 2012 at 12:49 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Damn. I’m 19 years and 3 days younger than David Bowie. And he still has far more style, class, talent, creativity, energy, charisma, charm, business sense, etc, than I. And he also has that fantastic knife.

Now I feel even older than a 65 year old. Damn.
6

Julien Rousseau

8 January 2012 at 12:50 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

I think he prefers turning 65 to the alternative.
7

a3kr0n

8 January 2012 at 12:56 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Looking at his eyes he’s obviously suffering from a severe concussion. That would probably explain why I didn’t understand a single word.
8

paulb

8 January 2012 at 12:56 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

And the shame was on the other side
Oh we can beat them, for ever and ever
Then we could be Heroes,
just for one day
9

Retired Prodigy Bill

8 January 2012 at 1:03 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Daltrey, who once sang, “Hope I die before I get old,” is also 65.

And there are probably a couple of generations who don’t remember “Logan’s Run.”
10

SallyStrange, FemBrain in a FemBadge (Bigger on the Inside!)

8 January 2012 at 1:24 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

OK. Dancing!

Didn’t they do a remake of Logan’s Run?
11

butterflyfish

8 January 2012 at 1:25 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

I’m pretty happy he’s still here to turn 65. Also, Life on Mars is one of the best songs ever.

@a3kron: He got in a fight as a kid, and one of his eyes is permanently dilated. The inability to comprehend is all on you. :-P
12

bigatheist

8 January 2012 at 1:40 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

I guess never trust anyone 10 yrs older than your self or was that 10 years younger? I guess that depends on what age you’re at and how you see age playing into your stereotypes.

Note love the Life on Mars song video and I did an animation based on it Life on Mars? – Duet to a Rover … it was a tribute to the song, Opportunity rover at Victoria crater, and a little girl singing along to a video. It has got a lot of flaws but it was a lot of fun to make.
13

Ragutis

8 January 2012 at 1:43 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

It’s a good birthday to have. Stephen Hawking, Alfred Russell Wallace, Bowie, my mom. Pass the bubbly!
14

Art Vandelay

8 January 2012 at 1:52 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Stephen Hawking turns 72 today! Both giants in their field.
15

laurentweppe

8 January 2012 at 1:59 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Stephen Hawking turns 72 today!

And still not a hapless victim of Britain’s evil communist healthcare system.
16

scaryduck

8 January 2012 at 2:06 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Yeah, it’s now “Life on Grandmas”
17

Ragutis

8 January 2012 at 2:06 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Um, Hawking is 70.
18

chigau (同じ)

8 January 2012 at 2:20 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

It’s Elvis’s birthday, too.
19

Denephew Ogvorbis, OM

8 January 2012 at 2:22 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Ragutis:

Hawking is really 72, but the relativistic effects of his studies make him only 70 on earth. ;)
20

stanton

8 January 2012 at 2:32 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

I thought David Bowie was 39 years old for the last 25 years.

Oh, wait, no, I was thinking of Jack Benny.
21

'Tis Himself, OM.

8 January 2012 at 2:41 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Happy birthday, David.
22

robro

8 January 2012 at 2:43 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

We’re all older than we were just moments ago. If it keeps up, we’ll eventually die from it. Life is such a killer. But as Flipper said, “Life is the only thing worth living for.”
23

andyo

8 January 2012 at 2:53 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Who’s David Bowie? Is he like, Justin Bieber’s dad or something?
24

naturalcynic

8 January 2012 at 3:04 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

That reminds me of probably the strangest Peanuts comic strip I ever saw. Linus says “Bob Dylan will be thirty years old this month” and Charlie Brown responds with “That’s the most depressing thing I ever heard”.
25

Zeno

8 January 2012 at 3:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Well, you have to pay the price of a few years if you want to be among those of us who remember the launch of Sputnik, the election of JFK, and the Apollo 11 moon landing. And, of course, Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.
26

sarah

8 January 2012 at 3:24 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

David Bowie is immortal. He is not 65. I won’t have it.
27

Irene Delse

8 January 2012 at 3:37 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Damnit! I was much too young for Ziggy Stardust, but I do remember hearing “Let’s dance” on the radio as a kid. It was everywhere, even featuring on the crummy FM station my mother kept on all day.
28

changeable moniker

8 January 2012 at 3:49 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

For the Queen fans (you know who you are!): Under Pressure

For the Raëlians: Starman. ;)
29

dexitroboper

8 January 2012 at 3:54 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

You’re older than you’ve ever been. So listen to The Shat (who is 80).
30

jackrawlinson

8 January 2012 at 4:12 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

In case anyone forgot how cool he was/is
31

Gregory Greenwood

8 January 2012 at 4:29 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Denephew Ogvorbis, OM @ 19;

Hawking is really 72, but the relativistic effects of his studies make him only 70 on earth. ;)

*Snortle*. Your sniny new internets awaits collection.

Hawking was very important in inspiring my own interest in science – I would happily raise a toast to his 70th*.

—————————————————————-

andyo @ 23;

Who’s David Bowie? Is he like, Justin Bieber’s dad or something?

Wait… Bieber? The Bieber is here? Kill it! Kill it with fire!

——————————————————————

* But, as a teetotaler, not of alcohol.
32

magistramarla

8 January 2012 at 4:42 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

It is a good day!
Today is my daughter’s 27th birthday!
Boy, am I feeling old – she isn’t even the oldest one – that one will soon be 35.
My kids grew up listening to the David Bowie music that I was listening to. Didn’t he star in and do the music for the movie “The Labyrinth”?
My kids loved that one, and a whole new generation of kids that I taught were enthralled with it just a couple of years ago. His coolness never dies!
33

jaranath

8 January 2012 at 4:50 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Life on Mars has always held a special place in my heart. Like most of his songs, I don’t know what the hell it’s about, but it reminds me of some very bittersweet stories my mom tells about her childhood.

And I’m kinda partial to this version:
34

julietdefarge

8 January 2012 at 5:24 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

He and his wife have both been artificially preserved. I’ll bet an inspection of their fridge would be fascinating.
35

Amphigorey

8 January 2012 at 5:42 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

The one thing I never understood about Labyrinth is why Sarah declined his offer to be his Goblin queen.
36

Charlie Foxtrot

8 January 2012 at 5:55 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

My daughter turned 8 the other day and was pretty excited that one of her gifts had ‘Changes’ on it. She’s been a fan since she first saw Labyrinth a few months ago. I’ve managed to leverage this into getting her interested in Queen as well, via ‘Under Pressure’.
These are the best bits of parenting :))
37

chigau (同じ)

8 January 2012 at 6:12 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Amphigorey
I expect Sarah turned him down because Jareth was a psychopath who kidnapped her brother.
Even if he was David Bowie.
38

janine

8 January 2012 at 6:27 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Was never a fan of David Jones. But he does know how to pick his guitarists. Hell, the only reason why I might listen to some of his late seventies and early eighties songs is because Adrian Belew is on guitar.

That said, I love Life On Mars. I must have linked to that about a half dozen times over the years here. He also produced one of my favorite albums, All The Young Dudes by Mott The Hoople. I wanna relate to you.
39

janine

8 January 2012 at 6:40 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Why do I like this song. The guitarist!
40

changeable moniker

8 January 2012 at 6:57 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Oooh New Standard Tuning. That, I don’t grok. Good song, though. ;)
41

jaranath

8 January 2012 at 7:10 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Maybe you just don’t know him well enough, Janine. ;)
42

janine

8 January 2012 at 7:11 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

That makes no sense.
43

jaranath

8 January 2012 at 7:28 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Sorry, that was probably too obscure:
44

Sili

8 January 2012 at 7:44 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

David Bowie died at 27 like everyone else famous, only they* had time to cover it up and replace him with John Lennon, hence the “John is dead”.

*you know, “them”.
45

SplendidMonkey

8 January 2012 at 7:49 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

If you are a fan, and it appears that you are, you should try to get to Rebel Rebel Rock For Pussy IX at First Avenue this spring. It’s a Bowie tribute and fund raiser for… ok, it’s a fund raiser for cat shelters. All Bowie covers that will knock your puss n’boots off.
46

chrisbonds

8 January 2012 at 8:50 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

So. . . you were (are) a fan of David Bowie?
47

reynoldhall

8 January 2012 at 9:38 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Gregory Greenwood says:

Wait… Bieber? The Bieber is here? Kill it! Kill it with fire!

Don’t worry, the Randy the Macho Dragon will save you!!!!

Here he is in action. Here he gets knocked out by a guy with lightsabers!

All we need now is for someone to do a “Cthulhu” mod for the mob here and we’re all set!
48

Ragutis

8 January 2012 at 10:18 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

You’ve had me listening to DB all day, PZ. :)

Oh You Pretty Things

Moonage Daydream
49

Ragutis

8 January 2012 at 10:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Janine, were you ever into Bauhaus? They did a great cover of “Ziggy Stardust”
50

manymistakes

8 January 2012 at 10:27 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Thanks PZ!

Happy Birthday DAVID!!

A simple song…

AMERICA
51

Therrin

8 January 2012 at 10:39 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

You remind me of the babe.
52

crowepps

8 January 2012 at 11:08 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

My favorite Bowie clip —
53

crowepps

8 January 2012 at 11:10 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Well, shoot, I have no idea what I did wrong! Apologize for hogging up the thread like that!
54

janine

8 January 2012 at 11:21 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Ragutis, I like Tones On Tail and Love And Rockets more than I like Bauhaus. Must be Peter Murphy.
55

ChasCPeterson

8 January 2012 at 11:38 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

This is not America
This is not America
This is not America
56

Tigger_the_Wing

8 January 2012 at 11:45 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

I listened to David Bowie’s albums all through my teens (my brother was/is a fan) and then in my twenties, thirties, forties and fifties (hubby was/is a fan). One day I realised that instead of enduring the racket I was enjoying the music… =^_^=

Retired Prodigy Bill, Roger Daltrey was a regular customer of mine back when I ran a rural taxi service from a village near where he lives; several times, when arriving to collect guests of his who weren’t ready to leave, I was invited in for coffee and sat listening to lots of middle-aged rockers reminiscing.

Sadly for the purposes of story-telling, a combination of faceblindness and a disinterest in rock/pop music means I’ll never be able to tell you who they were.
57

Ragutis

8 January 2012 at 11:55 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

crowepps says:
8 January 2012 at 11:08 pm

My favorite Bowie clip —

Really? It’s not Bowie and Bing Crosby?

Bowie collaborations/duets? Might I suggest

All the Young Dudes w/ Billy Corgan

or

Arnold Layne w/ David Gilmour
58

Ragutis

9 January 2012 at 12:03 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

janine says:
8 January 2012 at 11:21 pm

Ragutis, I like Tones On Tail and Love And Rockets more than I like Bauhaus. Must be Peter Murphy.

Tones on Tail… I haven’t listened to them in forever. Off to teh Youtube I go!
59

janine

9 January 2012 at 12:10 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Go!
60

John Morales

9 January 2012 at 1:51 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Sorrow.
61

Kel

9 January 2012 at 2:49 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

I remember being younger than 30, too. And I still have a couple of years worth of memories of being under 30 to form!

Bowie is awesome…
62

spamamander, hellmart survivor

9 January 2012 at 6:16 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Ahhh Bowie… you have taught two generations of preteen girls about a man’s, erm, “package” via Labyrinth.
63

Gregory Greenwood

9 January 2012 at 6:32 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

reynoldhall @ 47;

I must admit that is one funny Skyrim mod.

All we need now is for someone to do a “Cthulhu” mod for the mob here and we’re all set!

Yes. A thousand times yes.
64

lorigb

9 January 2012 at 12:55 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

I was around 5 when Labyrinth came out, and I remember watching it as a kid and being fascinated by it. The I rediscovered it around age 13 and completely fell in love with it. For a while, I had it mostly memorized because I watched it so often. And then when I was 19, I bought a Bowie cd (Ziggy Stardust) on a whim, just because I loved Labyrinth so much. After that, I was hooked. I’ve luckily gotten to see him in concert (and it was amazing!) when he was in the Quad Cities area about seven years ago. He’s pretty much the only dude I’ve ever seen rock a mullet and not look like a train wreck.
65

marlorocci

11 January 2012 at 1:33 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Aren’t pop stars supposed to be dead by 50?