David Bowie: A Life

In high school, I thought David Bowie's "China Girl" was one of the greatest songs of all time. For the next three decades I went no further than his "greatest hits." But over the past few years, as I have dug deeper, I wanted to learn more about this enigmatic artist.The singular talents and charisma of David Robert Jones more than compensate for the significant flaws in "David Bowie: A Life" by Dylan Jones. I spent the first 100 pages thinking that an "oral history biography" was a disjointed and redundant biography by a lazy writer. I was also shocked that a biography of such a visually-oriented artist does not contain a single picture. This book also does not try to capture all of the essential facts of his career, so "The Complete David Bowie" remains essential. Finally, I found Dylan Jones' jaded British cultural gatekeeper pose a bit annoying at times (such as referring to Bowie as "Mockney Jones").YET, once you can keep the 180 "Dramatis Personae" straight, the interviews just get better and better. From his early childhood friends to the director for Bowie's final video, this book contains deeply insightful interviews with almost all of the key people in his life. The one exception is his personal assistant of nearly four decades, Coco Schwab. Something tells me she will take her stories to the grave. It is difficult to say whether Bowie did more line of coke or women (the most troubling interview is with a then 15-year-old groupie that he deflowered, AKA statutory rape). He also had a penchant to turn his back on friends he no longer found useful. YET, I still came away from this book wishing that I had had the chance to meet him or at least see him in concert.

After reading two other Bowie biographies, I wanted to know more personal details about David so I ordered this book.. Its many glimpses into David's life, written by those who knew him, define the icon. As the biography follows his life and career year-by-year, readers come away with a better sense of who he was -- polite, intelligent, passionate, intellectual, kind to others, wild like the wind he sang about, driven by the need for fame, haunted by shadows, as thirsty as a sponge to learn about everything around him, blessed with a great sense of humor, a serious painter and collector, an avid reader who treasured his books -- a multi-faceted entertainer who transformed himself, his art, and his music again and again. Bowie could be introspective and chatty, sexy and confident, then silly in a lovable way. Complex, influential -- he was definitely one of a kind.

Being a long time subscriber of Tape Op magazine I definitely would have liked to have read more about the recording, production, and, most of all, the songs themselves. Actually, that's a minor complaint of this very rich, thorough book. I rarely read biographies of any kind: I don't find people's lives all that interesting. But I do find discussions of creativity and the creative process interesting (which why I'd like to have read more about the recording). I definitely connect with Bowie's creative restlessness, how he would always be trying new ways of looking at things. I also connect with a fellow autodidact.…Then, of course, unlike with most celebrities, there's the cultural impact. His stardom means nothing to me, but as with The Beatles and a few others he was a focus for cultural change.I also appreciate how Jones left in all the conflicting points of view rather trying to smooth out the narrative into another attempted definitive biography.

This was a great read and I didn’t want it to end! The one takeaway that I got, was the fact that besides being a creative genius, David was a true gentleman and was and still is, loved by many. A private and extremely smart man. I definitely recommend this book.

Unless you know names Adrian Belew, Tony Visconti, Robert Fripp or Nile Rodgers, this book is not for you. Even for fanatics, you have to look at this like reading the Sunday Times and search for what might be interesting. Of some value is the rock and roll inside stuff; but for sex, scandal, or simply gossip it is very superficial--not risky.He does get input from some big names [eg John Lennon], but many other obvious intimates like Mick Jagger plainly didn't want to play. One of these "interviews" is a nobody internet fan blogger!Would recommend only to a Bowie obsessive.

Be aware that this is not a narrative biography but an oral history--made up almost entirely of pieces of interviews--but they tell Bowie's life story really well, and bring out details unknown even to someone like me who has read nearly every other biography of Bowie. That approach wouldn't work with just anyone, but it turns out to be surprisingly effective to see Bowie in this kaleidoscopic way, through multiple other people's eyes. Not necessarily what I'd recommend if you've read nothing else about Bowie...but if you know the basics of his life story, it's a great read.

I have wondered about David Bowie and who he truly is/was since I was 16.I was invited to a new girlfriends house after returning to rural Pennsylvania from exchange in France; under the guise of study and listen to music.It was then I was introduced to David's talent.The books were tossed once in her bedroom, she throws on Ziggy Stardust and is doing air guitar on top of a chair.From this point, David Bowie had my attention.I really enjoyed the format of this book of individual interviews with friends and collaborators of David Bowie; it felt genuine and a little like being a voyeur.David Bowie was always special to me and now after such a great read, he is extra special.

I’m a big Bowie fan, with the records, the T-shirts and a seeming desire to watch every documentary ever made about the man and his work. The first Christmas present my now wife ever bought me was tickets to the V&A exhibition, while for a long time I sang STARMAN every day to my tiny baby daughter. It’s a long story, but even at four weeks old I knew that she loved it too. As such I’m not quite impartial when it comes to this book. Indeed, I’m incredibly bias towards liking it.For a Bowie fan, this oral history is a fantastically deep and immersive experience. Hearing the thoughts and recollections of Bowie himself, as well as those who knew him and sometimes even fans, it’s his story from his childhood right through to his too early death. Probably there are other books that are better for the man’s music, but it is a truly comprehensive guide to his life.But as much as I enjoyed it, as much as I raced through it, there are undoubted flaws. His family for instance, remain distant figures within the text. Yes, we do hear a lot about his late brother who hangs like Banquo’s ghost over him, but his parents remain forever distant. Mentioned frequently, but unknown. Perhaps for his mother that’s understandable as she does seem an emotionally cold presence in her son’s life, but his dad is both portrayed as someone he was close to and – curiously – someone he wasn’t. (To quote some song or other, it’s confusing sometimes.) Undoubtedly, it’s more a problem with the form than anything else: as people’s memories and perceptions differ, and an oral history can’t help but reflect that. But it does make for a frustrating read.(It’s a much more minor point: but his relationship with Paul McCartney seems to throughout the book go from lows to highs without any understanding as to why and how. It’s the tiniest of sub-plots I know, I don’t think thumb waving Macca and The Thin White Duke were natural musical bedfellows, but I found myself tantalised nonetheless)Much like Bowie himself, it’s a book that’s sometimes pretentious, but more often than not is willing to puncture its own pomposity. It reveals a man who is intellectually curious, open to new ideas and generous with those he loved. It also conjures up a man who was capricious, bitchy, easily tired of the people around him and at times quite unpleasant. Even if it’s author clearly adores the man, it’s far from a hagiography.I’m a Bowie fan of old and absolutely adored it. To be fair the only people likely to read this are Bowie fans too and I think you’ll adore it also.

I'm an enormous Bowie fan so when books like this come out I am on one hand excited to read it but on the other nervous that it wouldn't do him justice. This one is fantastic, beautifully written and laid out. The fact its mostly laid out in an interview style with people who know him makes it a great book to dip in and out of when you've only a minute or two spare. I am off course reading the conventional way, front to back but also now and again dip in at random points while I'm waiting for my toast or brewing tea etc!

This is a tour de force by Dylan Jones - he has done a fantastic job of contacting a wide range of people who knew or met Mr Bowie and explaining stuff that remained hazy before.He sheds new light on the Beckenham years 1969-1973. It never made sense to me before how Ziggy Stardust and Hunky Dory could be created in a staight laced suburbia. But he shows what an pleasant idyll it was - so much so that I paid it a visit - its still a nice place.He also brings alive the 1992-2010 era when he kept a relatively low profile. It turns out he was out meeting loads of artists he admired, wowing them with his presence and generally having the time of his life.My main quibbles are the Bono quotes and Dylan Jones' love of the Station to Station album. Bono takes up several pages of the book, but manages to say almost nothing of interest. While the enormous space given to the turgid, cocaine addled 'Station to Station' album (only two good tracks), while making only single line references to many other albums shows Jones failing to supress his trendier-than-thou tendencies, from his background on ID magazine - ie "I am so hip I don't even think Bowie's most famous albums are his best".

A very enlightening view into the world of David Jones and his many faceted alter ego David Bowie. In general the book is a chronologically ordered series of quotes made by wives, friends, colleagues, business associates, collaborators and contemporary artists all lending their anecdotal experiences of 'The man who fell to Earth'. As there are very many contributors, I felt a sense of authenticity that can often seem to be lacking when a story is told through just one set of eyes so to speak. From my point of view I found it to be a very enjoyable read.

This was a thoroughly insightful recount of DB rise to fame (a tiny little bit too insightful in some parts) and the highs and lows throughout his career. My earliest memories of Bowie were from the early 80s and, I will admit, I didn't really like him. Turns out this is a period in is career when most thought he was selling out, so maybe I wasn't being too harsh on him. Since his death I have read a few autobiographies and this was without doubt the most enjoyable, probably because it is a 'warts n all' account, turns out he wasn't such a saint in real life after all.