David Bowie - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust

After flirting with heavy guitar rock ("The Man Who Sold the World") and lighter pop ("Hunky Dory"), Bowie found middle ground on Ziggy Stardust. The creation of the Ziggy Stardust persona would live on well after Bowie shed the alien skin, marking the first rock concept album by a sexually ambiguous, artistically bent musician who confounded critics at every turn. A blend of dramatic strings, swaggering saxophones, jagged guitars, and theatrical arrangements, the album's darker rock numbers like "It Ain't Easy," "Moonage Daydream," "Ziggy Stardust," and the irresistible "Suffragette City," still serve as solid excursions into the future (then and now) of rock. The buoyant "Hang on to Yourself" and the dreamy "Star" offer hints of optimism in Ziggy's bleak world. The dramatic "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" and the image-heavy "Star Man" ("he'd like to come and meet us but thinks he'd blow our minds!") no doubt provided plenty of stage-worthy moments when Ziggy toured in the '70s, but years later they still thrill. Bowie blew our minds! --Lorry Fleming Amazon.com essential recording

The Greatest piece of Art Rock

Ziggy is simply fantastic. It is a brilliant album.

1: Five Years-The opener is one of the best songs on the album, I love how easy this song is to sing along to

2: Soul Love-Another great song about diferrent types of love.

3: Moonage Daydream- Honestly, I hate this song. Its good, just when I first listened to this song, it was on a youtube video from a live concert in 1973. That version was six mintues long, with a face melting solo by Ronson. ( You can still see the video, type search on youtube for Moonage Daydream, HAMMERSMITH 73)

4.Starman- The albums single, very good song

5.It aint easy- Really loud!

6.Lady Stardust- Nice piano work, great vocals

7-Star-Really fast, One of the weaker tracks

8-Hang on to yourself- Weak as well

9- Ziggy Stardust-Best track on the album, one of Rock's first power ballads, fantastic song.

10-Suffragate City-Rockiest Song on the album, modeled after White light White Heat by the velvets.

11-Rock and Roll Suicide- Short track, but really good. I love the part when Bowie starts shouting, like "Heroes" September 25, 2008

I like it!

WZZO had just said that this was the #1 gay album as of 2008. I remember it as being high making out with beautiful girls!!! When I Was Young. The CD is Great and in good condition with the lyrics. September 20, 2008

Waiting in the sky

I listen to "Starman", then I listen to it again, then I get addicted to that song, then I can't stop listening to it. I will listen to it 10 or 15 times in a row. "Starman" is indeed waiting in the sky, I believe. August 23, 2008

Ziggy Stardust: The Glam Rocker Who Fell to Earth.

With his 1972 concept album, David Bowie transformed himself from the otherworldly pop singer of "Space Oddity" and The Man Who Sold the World, to the glam rocker Ziggy Stardust, a sexually-promiscuous Martian with flaming red hair, passionate about drugs, peace, and love. (According to Bowie, the inspiration for Ziggy was British Playboy Vince Taylor and Marc Bolan's T.Rex.) Backed by his three-piece "Spiders from Mars" (Mick Ronson on guitar, Trevor Bolder on bass, and Mick Woodmansey on drums), the intensely spectacular Ziggy Stardust made 1970s' rock history with the "wham, bam, thank you ma'am" of "Suffragette City," and Bowie classics "Ziggy Stardust," "Moonage Daydream," and "Hang on to Yourself." Ziggy Stardust is the definitive glam rock album. Album tracks include:

1. Five Years (1999 Digital Remaster) 4:42
2. Soul Love (1999 Digital Remaster) 3:33
3. Moonage Daydream (1999 Digital Remaster) 4:37
4. Starman (1999 Digital Remaster) 4:13
5. It Ain't Easy (1999 Digital Remaster) 2:57
6. Lady Stardust (1999 Digital Remaster) 3:20
7. Star (1999 Digital Remaster) 2:46
8. Hang On To Yourself (1999 Digital Remaster) 2:36
9. Ziggy Stardust (1999 Digital Remaster) 3:12
10. Suffragette City (1999 Digital Remaster) 3:23
11. Rock 'N' Roll Suicide (1999 Digital Remaster) 2:58

G. Merritt June 11, 2008

an album that [nearly] defies description......

This is an amazing album, by David Bowie, released during the height of the Glam Rock Years (from 1969-1973). This marked a period during Bowie's recording career where he experimented with sexually ambiguous posturing (complete with sparkly jumpsuit ensembles and make-up to match), along with a distinctive and "other worldly" style of singing. Every song on this album, from "Five Years" through to "Rock n' Roll Suicide" takes the listener on an odyssey through the world of Bowie's alter ego--the flamboyant Ziggy Stardust. This album is in a sense an allegorical rock opera journey.

Stardust has been described as "a Martian who comes to Earth to liberate humanity from banality." [a quote lifted from Wikipedia] This includes dabbling with drugs and sex, which ultimately destroy him. This is indicative in the songs that Stardust croons in a half tortured/half punk style, along with lyrics rich with innuendo alluding to space travel, sex, drugs, and liberation on all plains. The melodies have a very triumphant "anthem" quality to them (complete with amazing guitar work) and are as compelling today as they were in 1972. This is truly one of David Bowie's masterpieces (in my opinion and the opinion of others). April 5, 2008

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