Man Who Sold the World - Softcover

Peter Doggett

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1847921450 ISBN 13: 9781847921451

Publisher: Random House Export, 2011

Synopsis

No artist offered a more incisive and accurate portrait of the troubled landscape of the 1970s than David Bowie. Through his multi-faceted and inventive work, he encapsulated many of the social, political and cultural themes that ran through this most fascinating of decades, from the elusive promise of scientific progress to the persistent fear of apocalypse that stalked the globe. In The Man Who Sold the World: David Bowie and the 1970s, cultural historian Peter Doggett explores the rich heritage of the artist's most productive and inspired decade, and traces the way in which his music reflected and influenced the world around him. The book follows his career from 'Space Oddity', his dark vision of mankind's voyage into the unknown terrain of space, to the Scary Monsters album. It examines in detail his audacious creation of an 'alien' rock star, Ziggy Stardust, and his own increasingly perilous explorations of the nature of identity and the meaning of fame, against the backdrop of his family heritage of mental instability.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

The Man Who Sold the World is a critical study of David Bowie's most inventive and influential decade, from his first hit, "Space Oddity," in 1969, to the release of the LP Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) in 1980. Viewing the artist through the lens of his music and his many guises, the acclaimed journalist Peter Doggett offers a detailed analysis—musical, lyrical, conceptual, social—of every song Bowie wrote and recorded during that period, as well as a brilliant exploration of the development of a performer who profoundly affected popular music and the idea of stardom itself.

Dissecting close to 250 songs, Doggett traces the major themes that inspired and shaped Bowie's career, from his flirtations with fascist imagery and infatuation with the occult to his pioneering creation of his alter-ego self in the character of Ziggy Stardust. What emerges is an illuminating account of how Bowie escaped his working-class London background to become a global phenomenon. The Man Who Sold the World lays bare the evolution of Bowie's various personas and unrivaled career of innovation as a musician, singer, composer, lyricist, actor, and conceptual artist. It is a fan's ultimate resource—the most rigorous and insightful assessment to date of Bowie's artistic achievement during this crucial period.

About the Author:

Peter Doggett has been writing about popular music and social & cultural history for more than thirty years. His most recent publication, You Never Give Me Your Money, a study of the Beatles' break-up and its traumatic aftermath, was chosen by the Los Angeles Times as one of the 10 Best Books of 2010. His other critically-acclaimed books include his history of rock music's collision with revolutionary politics, There's A Riot Going On; and Are You Ready For The Country, which explored five decades of the relationship between country music and rock. Aside from his writing career, Peter was the Green Party candidate for the Fareham constituency in the 2010 General Election. www.peterdoggett.org

About this edition

• Publisher: Random House Export
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1847921450
• ISBN 13: 9781847921451
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 432