Simon Goddard’s epic 10-book Bowie Odyssey series, recounting the life of perhaps the greatest pop star of his or any era against the cultural backdrop of 1970s Britain, continues with Bowie Odyssey 72. June of that year saw the release of Bowie’s masterpiece The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars, ushering in the glam rock era. His outlandish style and persona flew in the face of a dreary Britain, still suffering from a hard winter of strikes and power cuts and with attitudes that had changed little over the years.
Bowie Odyssey 72 shows how Bowie, and his alter ego Ziggy Stardust, brought some much-needed glamour to the forefront of popular culture, whilst also pushing sexual and cultural boundaries in the process, with political lyrics standing next to songs about drug use and sexual orientation. This instalment of the series feels very much like it covers “peak Bowie” as he battles with himself, Ziggy, and just about everybody else who was ready to denounce him as a freak, a pervert or worse. A fascinating insight into a chaotic year of one of music’s most enduring icons.
Bowie Odyssey 72, Simon Goddard (Omnibus)
Price: £20. Info: here
words CHRIS ANDREWS
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