ALBUM REVIEW: David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars

    During February of 1971, David Bowie took a promotional tour around the United States in promotion for The Man Who Sold the World, and he quickly fell in love with the diverse musical scene brewing in America - Bowie was inspired by multiple genres and artists during his time in the States, and he would carry these marks back with him to the UK in the form of nearly 30 songs, most of which would end up on his next two albums. The first batch of these songs ended up on Hunky Dory, a mostly piano-driven album that perfectly emerged in the wake of the singer-songwriter trend, although this didn't necessarily translate into sales for the album. For the second album, however, Bowie was planning something much more ambitious, and Bowie's first true character was born to act as a delivery vessel for the album's ideas - enter the martian rockstar Ziggy Stardust, the main character of this defining glam rock magnum opus. Ziggy Stardust remains the pinnacle of glam rock in many ways, from its endless bouquet of melodies to its flamboyant main character and theatrical style. The album that broke David Bowie onto the scene is still a cultural milestone 50 years later.

    Ziggy Stardust is certainly arguable as a rock opera, and yet the most fascinating thing about the entire record is just how loose the concept is - not so much The Who Sell Out with its proud adherence to its ideas, but more-so a loose following of the emotional threads with all the right story beats at the right moments. The world of Ziggy Stardust is far from a happy one, set in a hedonistic and unfamiliar take on the US just as the entire world learns that they only have five years left to live before the planet dies (has there ever been an album opener as immediately gripping and tense as "Five Years"?). The rest of the album follows up on that depressive theme, and many moments sound straight-up lonely on this album, from the desperate energy of "It Ain't Easy" to the piano ballad of the gender-bending "Lady Stardust", my personal favorite moment on the album. The album also carries through on its bizarre feeling; a truly retro take on futurism and science fiction. With the influence from 50s rock and roll throughout, it feels both old and new all at once in personality, and hardly a better example exists like the freakout "Moonage Daydream" or the towering "Starman". Seldom few concept albums have the spirit and embodiment of their ethos quite like Ziggy Stardust does, from apocalypse ("Rock 'N' Roll Suicide") to ego ("Ziggy Stardust") to a fleeting kind of love ("Soul Love").

    Half of Ziggy Stardust is a potential A-side - every tune an affecting number, and every moment filled with character and spectacular flare. It helps that the backing band on the album (which is named "The Spiders From Mars" for that authenticity) is great throughout - the band was all together, so to say. From the chaotic power of "Five Years" with its building chorus and Bowie's horrified vocal performance to the beautiful ode to Marc Bolan on "Lady Stardust" to the unbeatable pure glam of moments like "Star" and the aforementioned "Moonage Daydream", all of them display the talents of David Bowie and his success as the persona of Ziggy Stardust - he's a natural throughout. Admittedly, Ziggy Stardust isn't nearly as versatile as the potpourri of styles that was on Hunky Dory, but in many ways it's far more focused, both in image and sound. This is the energy of glam rock distilled down across 38 minutes, and the result is Bowie's most lovely, rocking, and hooky work yet - while the previous album certainly showed an ear for  melody, they are so abundant here it will make your head spin. From that brilliant chorus on "Soul Love" to the vamping energy on "Suffragette City" and the uncertain "Hang on to Yourself" to the reflective "Ziggy Stardust". All of these contain that proud spirit of theatricality as well, and none better than moments like the story of Ziggy's death on the aforementioned "Ziggy Stardust" or the brilliant closing track of "Rock 'N' Roll Suicide", one of the all time great record closers.

    Bowie had done glam before, but his efforts had never been as focused as on The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust - in fact, none of his albums before had such focus. The periling space opera that unfolds on this album is nothing short of dazzling and gripping to one's imagination. The very things that Bowie continues to be remembered for were birthed on this record in many ways, from his world-building to the continuation of his ever-existing love for other musical genres. It's a testament to David Bowie the performer, the rocker, the pop writer, and the artist all at once, and it remains a timeless effort from one of the genre's most beloved figures. Really quite out of sight.

RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

Listen to The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars.