Comments on: Good Night, Ziggy—Austin 1990 https://habitablezone.com/2016/01/11/good-night-ziggy/ Fri, 10 Apr 2026 03:45:24 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Robert https://habitablezone.com/2016/01/11/good-night-ziggy/#comment-35099 Robert Wed, 13 Jan 2016 03:26:51 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=54664#comment-35099 The bandages definitely were disturbing, and one of the things I think of when I think "sometimes beauty isn't pretty". Sometimes it's disturbing. That's been the basis of a lot of Bowie's art most of his career. "Black Star" had many disturbing elements, like all of the videos. I saw it as the end of the story of "Major Tom", but with the Bowie surreal touch: At first I took the spacesuit literally, but then later the woman opens the helmet and there's a jewel-encrusted skull inside. Or maybe a lot of time had passed. You could lose hours trying to interpret Bowie, and still not understand. The bandages definitely were disturbing, and one of the things I think of when I think “sometimes beauty isn’t pretty”. Sometimes it’s disturbing. That’s been the basis of a lot of Bowie’s art most of his career.

“Black Star” had many disturbing elements, like all of the videos. I saw it as the end of the story of “Major Tom”, but with the Bowie surreal touch: At first I took the spacesuit literally, but then later the woman opens the helmet and there’s a jewel-encrusted skull inside. Or maybe a lot of time had passed.

You could lose hours trying to interpret Bowie, and still not understand.

]]> By: RobVG https://habitablezone.com/2016/01/11/good-night-ziggy/#comment-35085 RobVG Tue, 12 Jan 2016 16:40:51 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=54664#comment-35085 Lyrics are always open to interpretation. I wish he spelled out what he was feeling instead leaving it up to us to figure out his meaning. To me, the songs and images were on the disturbing side. Maybe I'm just uncomfortable with death after losing loved ones. The bandages over his eyes and whatever those buttons were were reminiscent of the Scorpions album cover with the forks. I guess that's art. Lyrics are always open to interpretation. I wish he spelled out what he was feeling instead leaving it up to us to figure out his meaning.

To me, the songs and images were on the disturbing side. Maybe I’m just uncomfortable with death after losing loved ones. The bandages over his eyes and whatever those buttons were were reminiscent of the Scorpions album cover with the forks.

I guess that’s art.

]]> By: Robert https://habitablezone.com/2016/01/11/good-night-ziggy/#comment-35083 Robert Tue, 12 Jan 2016 06:22:00 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=54664#comment-35083 I listened to "Blackstar" and "Lazarus" today, and...it's hard to know what to say when the final work of a genius is inspired by the knowledge of his impending death. I remember thinking after "Blackstar", "beauty isn't always pretty". And "Lazarus", opening with "Look up here, I'm in Heaven!", and ends "Oh, I'll be free, Just like that bluebird, Oh I'll be free, Ain't that just like me?". "Lazarus"...resurrection. You have to wonder... I listened to “Blackstar” and “Lazarus” today, and…it’s hard to know what to say when the final work of a genius is inspired by the knowledge of his impending death. I remember thinking after “Blackstar”, “beauty isn’t always pretty”. And “Lazarus”, opening with “Look up here, I’m in Heaven!”, and ends “Oh, I’ll be free, Just like that bluebird, Oh I’ll be free, Ain’t that just like me?”.

“Lazarus”…resurrection. You have to wonder…

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2016/01/11/good-night-ziggy/#comment-35082 ER Tue, 12 Jan 2016 04:27:35 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=54664#comment-35082 "He died at his post." LCDR. Worf, UFP Star Fleet “He died at his post.”

LCDR. Worf, UFP Star Fleet

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2016/01/11/good-night-ziggy/#comment-35081 ER Tue, 12 Jan 2016 04:24:43 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=54664#comment-35081 We always had better music than they did. n/t We always had better music than they did. n/t

]]> By: RobVG https://habitablezone.com/2016/01/11/good-night-ziggy/#comment-35080 RobVG Tue, 12 Jan 2016 04:02:36 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=54664#comment-35080 <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/12092542/Bowies-last-album-was-parting-gift-for-fans-in-carefully-planned-finale.html" rel="nofollow">Here</a> Here

]]> By: Robert https://habitablezone.com/2016/01/11/good-night-ziggy/#comment-35079 Robert Tue, 12 Jan 2016 02:38:08 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=54664#comment-35079 You know how you get to browsing music videos on YouTube, and when they string together lots of performances of the same song, you find yourself looking for the very best example of that song ever? I give you David Bowie's performance of "Heroes" in 1985, part of the Live Aid concert at Wimbley Stadium. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AGOx0ZpMrrU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGOx0ZpMrrU Wow. There won't be another like him. You know how you get to browsing music videos on YouTube, and when they string together lots of performances of the same song, you find yourself looking for the very best example of that song ever?

I give you David Bowie’s performance of “Heroes” in 1985, part of the Live Aid concert at Wimbley Stadium.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGOx0ZpMrrU

Wow. There won’t be another like him.

]]> By: Jody https://habitablezone.com/2016/01/11/good-night-ziggy/#comment-35076 Jody Tue, 12 Jan 2016 00:21:24 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=54664#comment-35076 For the last 18 months (we learn only today) David Bowie has known that he was dying. He kept that information private, while spending his final months doing what he'd done his whole life — making outrageously original, beautiful, complicated art. He made a gorgeous album. He created a show, playing right now in New York. And then he released this, his final video, just a few days before he died — on his 69th birthday. "Look up here," he sings, "I'm in heaven." Can you imagine, to be making art like this (fearless art that both comforts and challenges) right up to the moment of your death? How do you do that? How do you BE that? To work with your death so imaginatively, in order to perfectly time out the last beats of your life? What a magnificent creature of creation, right to the end. I am sad today, but mostly I am overwhelmed by awe. This is what it means to be a great artist. From the beginning, this was a man who showed us how to do life differently than anyone had ever done it before, and now look how he has done death. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. For the last 18 months (we learn only today) David Bowie has known that he was dying. He kept that information private, while spending his final months doing what he’d done his whole life — making outrageously original, beautiful, complicated art. He made a gorgeous album. He created a show, playing right now in New York. And then he released this, his final video, just a few days before he died — on his 69th birthday.

“Look up here,” he sings, “I’m in heaven.”

Can you imagine, to be making art like this (fearless art that both comforts and challenges) right up to the moment of your death? How do you do that? How do you BE that? To work with your death so imaginatively, in order to perfectly time out the last beats of your life? What a magnificent creature of creation, right to the end.

I am sad today, but mostly I am overwhelmed by awe. This is what it means to be a great artist.

From the beginning, this was a man who showed us how to do life differently than anyone had ever done it before, and now look how he has done death.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

]]> By: RobVG https://habitablezone.com/2016/01/11/good-night-ziggy/#comment-35072 RobVG Mon, 11 Jan 2016 19:39:50 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=54664#comment-35072 https://www.yahoo.com/tv/bp/david-bowie-bing-crosby-little-drummer-boy-233454130.html Sort of like Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett. https://www.yahoo.com/tv/bp/david-bowie-bing-crosby-little-drummer-boy-233454130.html

Sort of like Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett.

]]> By: mcfly https://habitablezone.com/2016/01/11/good-night-ziggy/#comment-35070 mcfly Mon, 11 Jan 2016 19:18:50 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=54664#comment-35070 He always seemed so casual about his own creative genius, but his work is as timeless as it gets. He always seemed so casual about his own creative genius, but his work is as timeless as it gets.

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