A blurb in today’s Jamaica Observer noted that David shacked up in a private villa on the island recently. No word if he, Iman and Lexi were there for a Caribbean Christmas, but if I had the money to burn, I’d take my White Christmas in the form of sun-bleached beaches, too.
Posted in News | Comments Off on Merry Christmas, Mr. Bowie
An online acquaintance asked an interesting question today – what Bowie song would I like to see Peter Murphy cover? The first song that popped into my head was “We Prick You.” This is a creepy song from a dark and imposing album (not to mention my all-time favorite album). Peter’s “cavernous baritone” would be perfect to make the song even darker. In fact, it should really be covered by Bauhaus rather than just Peter. It’s not something I would necessarily like to see on an upcoming album, but it would be a great impromptu cover at a live show. Not that Bowie’s version isn’t outstanding, because it is. Just a random thought…..
Iman is an interesting gal to say the least. If you don’t know too much about her, this article by Emine Saner in yesterday’s Evening Standard sheds some strong bands of light on her overall personality and her daily life with Lexi and David. It’s the most revealing article about David or Iman I’ve read in some time, so it goes highly recommended.
Posted in Circle Of Friends, News | Comments Off on Get to Know Iman
Bauhaus recently wrapped up the American leg of their Near the Atmosphere tour with a show at the 4th & B in San Diego. Fan reviews of the San Diego show can be read here. Your Webmistress and Webmaster attended the Orlando show at the House of Blues on November 25, 2005. Reviews of that show can be read here (your Webmistress is under the user name of stardust_savant). I also suggest following the link to Mrs. Shreck’s review on her MySpace page. Bauhaus will resume their tour in Europe on January 28, 2006 at the Ambassador in Dublin. There are also rumors of a new album. Interviews with Kevin Haskins (drummer) can be read at Dirt Music and the Star-Tribune website. Interviews with his brother, bassist David J can be read at HybridMagazine.com and Cleveland.com.
Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Lovers Tour has been boosted by the presence of Gail Ann Dorsey. It’s great to see a talented bassist like Gail Ann getting more widespread recognition. Gail Ann is also bringing Zach Alford along for the ride. See the article here.
Posted in Circle Of Friends | Comments Off on Gail Ann Touring with the Hollaback GirlThere has been a lot of buzz in the entertainment world about Bowie’s new film role. He is slated to play the scientist Nikola Tesla in the upcoming film “The Prestige.” The movie will also star Scarlett Johansson, Hugh Jackman, Michael Caine, and Christian Bale (a favorite of your Webmistress). For more information, visit:
and
Posted in Movies, News | Comments Off on Bowie to appear in “The Prestige”
Both the Berlinners have TV commercials running these days which you’ve probably already seen, but need mention at least for posterity’s sake. Both ads see them contributing their glittery star power to all-star casts. Bowie’s for XM Radio features Snoop Dogg hunting down his missing neck bling, and Iggy’s for the Motorola ROKR iTunes Phone has him cramming in a phone booth with Madonna among others.
Where the XM ad was once featured on the XM Radio website, good luck finding it now. Which leads me to say, hat’s off, XM. You just dropped a chunk of change to gather a host of celebrities for a 30-second ad, why should you want it to be readily seen? The best they have on their site is this exhilarating press release.
Iggy’s is available, though. See it with your Quicktime Player on WatchMacTV.com.
Posted in News | Comments Off on Bowie and Iggy’s CommercialsThis is an essay/rant from the original CrackedActor that Michael and I ran in my college days. I have edited it slightly, but the original message is there.
Anyone ever noticed that there are two Bowie songs that read very much like a fairy tale? The two songs that I am referring to are Glass Spider and Wild-eyed Boy from Freecloud. However, these two songs have absolutely nothing in common except for the fact that, in my less than humble opinion, they sound like fairytales. The main difference is that Wild-eyed Boy from Freecloud is a great song and Glass Spider is just plain tedious. Nevertheless, the two are definitely fairy tales.
Wild-Eyed Boy from Freecloud is simply a great song. The first time I heard it, it seemed to be a Grimm Brothers fairytale set to Bowie. Compare the lyrics to the basic layout of a Grimm’s story. In the Grimm’s fairytales, there were always the characters that children could empathize with, a terrifying villain, and a tragic ending. Wild-Eyed Boy from Freecloud has all of that. The character is obviously the Wild-Eyed boy himself. At the time Wild-Eyed Boy from Freecloud was written there was a bohemian movement in England. Naturally, the Wild-eyed Boy was the representation of the bohemians in Bowie’s song. He communes with nature, symbolized by the mountain Freecloud, much like the bohemians did and is described as “the missionary mystic of peace/loveâ€, which is exactly what the bohemians aspired to be. The terrifying villain is, of course, the village Dreadful which is trying to kill the peaceful Wild-Eyed Boy. And last, but most certainly not least, we have the tragic ending. The Wild-Eyed Boy is hung by the village Dreadful, which gives us our “Grimm†ending. **Sidenote: I love the way that Bowie’s voice cracks at the very end of the song. I wonder if he did that on purpose or if it was an artistic accident?**
On the other hand you have Glass Spider. I have one word to say about this song…ugh. Actually, I have many more words than that. If you like this song, then don’t read the following. To me, Glass Spider sounds like a fairytale on crack. It hurts me to listen to it. For example….
Up until one century ago there lived,
In the Zi Duang province of eastern country
A glass-like spider
Having devoured its prey it would drape the skeletons over its web
In weeks creating a macabre
Shrine of remains
This is not a song. It is a fairy tale written by someone on bad drugs and muddy coffee. I can practically see Bowie killing the traditional “Once upon a time†with that first line there. And the word “macabre†is not a word that should be used in an eighties pop song, especially one that a spectacular tour will later be based on.
Its web was also unique in that it had many layers
Like floors in a building
At the top of this palace-like place, assembled with almost apparent Care…
When the breeze blew thru this construction
“Constructionâ€?? “Unique in thatâ€??? “Apparent careâ€???? That’s as bad as Madonna using the word “bourgeoisie” in Music. Please.
Oh-The Glass Spider had blue eyes almost like-a human’s.
Oh? OH???? What, did he forget to add that part in the song and sing it in the recording studio at the last minute? The spoken part of this song bugs me. It seems like a fairytale mutilated with a butter knife held in a hand that is all thumbs. Okay, enough ranting. I can’t stay mad at Bowie. Even his crap is better than most artists’ best work. In my own fairytale, the Wild-eyed Boy lives and steps on the Glass Spider.
Posted in Opinions | Comments Off on Fairytales – BowiestyleIggy made the news today because his speakers apparently go to eleven. When he played the Blue Balls Festival in Lucerne, Switzerland, back in July the volume reached 102.5 decibels, a mere 2.5 over the festival limit. Check out the article on Launch UK.
Andrea and I saw Iggy in South Florida some years ago, and it’s true, he does give the audience a little something extra. When he climbed a pile of speakers up to a second level overlooking the stage, Andrea helped float him. She said he felt slimy. I snapped a picture but my rotten digicam flash went supernova.
All in all the festival producers got a $1,155 fine and Mr. Osterberg got a bit of free publicity that only serves to promote his image as the Godfather of Punk. Rock on, Iggy! Just a smidge quieter, if you would.
Posted in Circle Of Friends, Contemporaries | Comments Off on Iggy Pops a Few EardrumsAndrea and I have launched this David Bowie fansite to share our common interest in the Duke with the rest of the web.
Some years ago I found her profile on TeenageWildlife.com and sent her an IM. We hit it off fairly well, dated for about three years, and then married our CD collections together back in May of 2004. In December of 2010 we produced a little Bowie fan of our own. That’s the short version. Bowie’s music apparently brought us together and it’s safe to say his life and work will always be a source of intrigue and a topic for discussion for us. I think it’s about time we started writing it down.
And while TeenageWildlife.com is still tops as far as fansites are concerned, the flow of news and updates has completely dried up. Bowienet was once a prime resource for information, too, but it seems their only news headline anymore is “More Crap to Buy”. Is Chronology really coming soon? Anyone holding their breath for that has long since died, decayed, and grown a lush thicket of grass out of their crusty rear. Plus with his last journal entry more than a year ago, does it look like Sailor’s even interested anymore?
All the same, we still occasionally subscribe and enjoy what’s there. And as a webmaster I can appreciate how difficult it can be to keep the mouseball rolling. But once upon a time, that site was more than a message board and collection agency, it was alive and cutting edge.
So we’ll have a go at it ourselves. To start we’re plunking WordPress, Gallery2 and MediaWiki on the server. Now to fill them up.
Anyone wishing to contact us regarding information on the site can do so at webmistress (at) crackedactor.com or webmaster (at) crackedactor.com. (Addresses not linked to in order to prevent us from getting spammed.)
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