David Bowie's Berlin: Heroes, Hansa, Highballs
David Bowie's Berlin: Heroes (German)
The mythology surrounding David Bowie's years in Berlin in the mid-70s is one of the most enduring in rock history. Within 14 months he recorded "Low" and "Heroes" and stood behind Iggy Pop's "The Idiot" and "Lust For Life". This is the story of an artist on the run from a cocaine-filled stardom and determined to tread new sonic and lyrical ways. Berlin proved to be the right place.
The fifth January 2009 wrote a David Bowie following message in Twitter:
David Bowie
"Cheers from a snowy Berlin! Working on somebody new material! "
It later proved to be a duck, and the real Bowie has reportedly no Twitter profile. But the false news only sat still a music press completely into overdrive. Worked really Bowie in Berlin again? Was he back?
The initial enthusiasm over a Bowie in Berlin is not hard to understand. David Bowie's years in Berlin stands for many as the kunstnriske peak in the Englishman's career and the most shining example of what one can accomplish when you take make-up and has the ability to explore (rock) music's possibilities. The ability had Bowie and in that brief period in the Cold War capital he brought for a short while popular music is a crucial step further.
In 1976 was David Bowie as the pinnacle of his career. The curious Englishman David Robert Jones had turned first to the Ziggy Stardust and since the cocaine king The Thin White Duke. With releases "Diamond Dogs," "Young Americans" and "Station Station two" he had from 1974 to 1976 also had a big commercial breakthrough in America. It was therefore quite natural that Bowie settled for awhile in Los Angeles.
The time was far from happy. A diet consisting of cocaine and very little milk was not conducive to Bowie's mental habitus. He began to drift into paranoia, and spent too much time on books on mysticism. Some argue that even Bowie in this period flirted more than enough fascist wreckage. Even Bowie's marriage was hanging by a thread, and in the economic field, it was also breaking up times after Bowie had fired his manager. There were in all ways something new.
"Sense of Doubt" video from 1977 recorded at Hansa Studios
Weimar Berlin and the German new sounds
Bowie was not the only ones in this period had a lot to contend with. Very early Bowie had declared his admiration for Iggy Pop and Lou Reed - long before many others had heard of them. In 1972 he helped Lou Reed recovered after the Velvet Underground with the big solo breakthrough "Transformer." Then came the trip to Iggy Pop, who virtually lived from day to day in Los Angeles. Bowie took him under his wing and with two Station to Station tour.
But for Bowie, it was also about searching for the hedonistic Berlin, he had read about the author Christopher Isherwood , which Bowie had met in Los Angeles. Isherwood had lived in Weimar Berlin and the time he drew in particular short story collection "Goodbye to Berlin" from 1939. One book in particular inspired "Cabaret." This vibrant and decadent Berlin was until now an almost mythical place 'verfremdung' by Bertolt Brecht , new ideas of the Bauhaus and Expressionist painters with too much at heart.
It was not just this mythical Weimar Berlin that Bowie would seek. He has always had his finger on the pulse exceptionally safe - then as now. And of course Bowie knew everything about what was happening on the European continent. From the western outpost of Los Angeles was Drang nach Europe inspired by the German-called krautrock scene with names like Faust and Can. But it was especially Neu! and Kraftwerk, who had an influence in Bowie. He had played two Kraftwerk Station Station tour, which inter alia passed Falconry Hall, which also included a viewing of Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dali's film "Un chien andalou."
On top of an abundance of guitar solos and prog-rock of Genesis and Pink Floyd was time for new thinking. In England punk swept everything off with one well-planned battle. But it did not hit Bowie. He was already much further and had also teamed up with punk godfather Iggy Pop in. New thinking and new expressions were on the agenda and the new German influence could bowie see a way forward from star life and the American rygklappere. Moving to West Berlin and experiment with a continental sound was probably not the label's cup of tea. Would not they rather have seen a "Young Americans 2"? But it was an obvious choice for Bowie, who would start over in a new city with new sounds.
Hauptstrasse 155 and Romy Haag
When David Bowie and Iggy Pop arrived in Berlin in 1976 billeted themselves only at a modestly hotel before they found a 10-room apartment at 155 Hauptstrasse in the Schöneberg district. From this world they lived two in a short time a fairly normal life with shopping mall in Bowie's Mercedes, coffee at local cafes and a curious cover of the ever-vibrant Berlin nightlife.
Good enough drugs were fairly shelved, but Iggy Pop later said about an organization in two-day excesses, two days rekonsalvens and then three days to do something. Down and buy lobster at Kudamm and into the nightlife or go to one of the local taverns. It was the kind of life that brought both Iggy Pop and David Bowie back to life and art. Reportedly also an era of various romances. Bowie with the transgendered nightclub singer Romy Haag and Iggy Pop with particular an ambassador's daughter.
Trilogy
David Bowie himself speaks of his "Berlin trilogy". And he has said very clearly that probably is the part of his extensive prodution, he is most proud of. With the trilogy alluded to the three plates "Low", "" Heroes' "and" Lodger ", which came as beads on a string from 1977 to 1979.
But talking about an actual trilogy from Berlin is a little disingenuous. In reality it was only "'Heroes'," which was written and recorded entirely in Berlin. For the other boards is that as was Bowie as always many places at once. It is not just the location that is important here. Rather think Bowie is probably the option for the three plates and not least the team behind. The trilogy was in fact in a threesome consisting of Bowie himself, ambient pioneer Brian Eno and producer Tony Visconti.
- Special Brian Eno is often highlighted as the shining genius behind the innovative sound of the three plates. Eno helped start Roxy Music, but was already in the mid 70s much further in its exploration of new ambient landscapes. Eno had brought new technological opportunities with open arms and could see the possibilities in more dreamy soundscapes. Eno was not with the whole way. Here Visconti played a much more active role that Bowie faithful producer. But Visconti brought nysabende ideas with him in the studio. Especially his ideas about the drum sound revolutionary.
The trilogy started actually before both Bowie and Iggy Pop had come to Schöneberg. In the summer of 1976 were they both in fact, north of Paris in the studio in the Chateau d'Hérouville. Here was Iggy Pop's brilliant comeback "The Idiot" and this was also Bowie's "Low" to take shape. Bowie had assembled a team around him, who also managed to lift the Iggy Pop-up where he belonged. Bowie spent even situation to tour with Iggy Pop as a regular part of his band.
- When the team met in Berlin's Hansa studios very close to the wall began work in earnest with an album that must be seen as Bowie's greatest artistic achievement. One should always be careful not to canonize anything. However, it is hard to ignore "Low" if you will find an album that has had both the will and ability to redefine rock language and possibilities.
"Low" is composed of two sharply adsilte LP sides. The first consists of some relatively easily recognizable rock songs while the other half represents a break with the idea of a rock song. And where Bowie had been hiding behind adsillige alter egos of impulsive character, he wrote now much more direct and spontaneous songs from the bedroom, where he had sought refuge. Bowie was "low" in the time and feared for good reason for his mental and physical health. The anxiety can be heard on the album.
- But Bowie was also quite specifically inspired by the manner in which Iggy Pop recorded his songs. Pops texts did not come as a complete verse from a notebook. They were nærest hammered down on the ground - and often directly into the microphone in the studio. A spontaneous and direct method that Bowie was inspired by the one moreover utradionel working where the rhythm tracks were laid first, then came the guitar and other instrumentation and then eventually the vowels. A inproviseret and experimental form, which in other hands it would have been disastrous results. This result was playful, fresh and innovative. And if that process is stalled, Eno had also brought along his self-made reative tarot cards that could show the way out of a deadlock. It was not all that børd themselves no matter the method.
The result of the efforts at "Low" was an album where there was room for regular rock songs such as "Sound and Vision" and "Be My Wife", but where the main role perhaps played by the spherical and wordless hymns "A New Career in a New Town, "" Warsaw "and" Art Decade ". On these pieces get Bowie's new continental inspired its full expression. Not least, "Warsaw" stands as an almost icy piece of a train ride through the Iron Curtain Eastern reality. Absolutely no word is the album page 2 no. More locations closest fairs Bowie over the music as his own Bulgarian choir trapped behind the Iron Curtain. It is continental and utterly brilliant.
- The accommodation of plate consisted mostly in amazement. Bowie had not chosen to travel the world and promote it. "Low" was allowed to speak his own story. Instead, he went on tour as part of Iggy band.
Back in Berlin began preparations for what became the only 'clean' Berlin album: the album "Heroes". The name should be written in quotes as if to underline that in a world with a divided Berlin are not many heroes, but that one day may be what the two lovers' honesty at the Wall. Measured with a precision that makes the title song for one of the strongest in the whole Bowie's huge catalog. Bowie produtionsmetode was followed also in the "Heroes" and it meant that all guitars was recorded at one time by Robert Fripp. He was flown in and recorded all guitars on six hours in total.
- How "Low" revealed Bowie as a narrator, fleeing the madness, carries the "Heroes" more influenced by the place where the whole album was. The perspective is directed more outward towards a world on the brink of nuclear annihilation, where it only makes sense to dream of the day today, and where concrete is screaming to the sky in the suburbs as Neukölln. And sompå "Low" is a page 1 with more traditional approach songs and a page 2 with more spherical and electronic compositions.
"Heroes" was in spite of the title track no commercial success. Experimental continental landscape was not what a world gripped by disco dreamed about. But outside the mainstream was "Low" and "Heroes" artistic milestones that draws lots of threads up to today. Both the electronic but indeed the whole post-punk aesthetics and sound. And for many post-punks in smørhullet Copenhagen, Berlin became suddenly even more interesting. It was the place to flock to, if you as Strunge would travel in "life speed".
- Bowie cites album "Lodger", issued in May 1979 as the last part of the trilogy. But really separates "Lodger" out in several ways from previous records "Low" and "Heroes" and even Iggy Pop's "The Idiot". The album was to work with Eno and Visconti, but "Lodger" is also the sound of Bowie moving away from Berlin again. Now he had to proceed and "Lodger" ended up being a much more accessible album without so many instrumentals. There was, however, experimented, but without quite the same artistic heights. Eg. Bowie built a number by playing "All the young dudes" from behind.
Date with David Bowie Cocktail
Songs like "DJ" and "Boys Keep Swinging" appeared quite so dark sides of a David Bowie, who evidently had come after years in Los Angeles and now was ready to try new things again. At the entrance to the '80s, Bowie ready to take the whole popvejen again. But the 80s was a decade that Bowie now ideally just want to forget. "Lodger" was completed in New York, and stands as the definitive end to a great period in rock music.
- Actually lasted exile in Berlin less than 14 months. But in the short period was Bowie with the four albums that to this day stands as artistic milestones, which have cemented the myth of Berlin as an artistic haven. Peeler Mon mythology away is, however, some music, there remains a surplus of creativity and originality.
Books for inspiration: Hugo Wilcken: David Bowie's Low (33 1 / 3) - Thomas Jerome Seabrook: Bowie in Berlin
- David Bowie's Berlin: Heroes, Hansa, Highballs (Video, Map, Photos) @DavidBowie