David Bowie is enchanting as ever in this NPR interview, originally recorded in 2002 with Terry Gross. Now, if only Ms. Gross would have stopped yammering on about Ziggy Stardust and instead asked something interesting. Here's NPR's blurb about the interview, followed by my own interpretation. Enjoy.
Grammy Special: David Bowie
by Terry Gross
David Bowie in a live show from 2003.
Fresh Air from WHYY, February 3, 2006 · It's been over 30 years since David Bowie created the gender-bending Ziggy Stardust, and produced the now classic album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. On Tuesday, the musician and songwriter will receive a 2006 Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award.
Since helping to invent glam-rock, Bowie has produced albums for Lou Reed and Iggy Pop, and collaborated with Brian Eno. The legendary performer also starred in the films The Man Who Fell to Earth, Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, and Basquiat. His latest album is Reality.
This interview originally aired on Sept. 4, 2002.
More than mere glam: David Bowie
by Monica Shaw
It's been over 30 years since David Bowie created the gender-bending Ziggy Stardust, and damn does David Bowie wish that the media would move-the-hell on from the Spiders from Mars and Ch-ch-ch-changes. On Tuesday, the musician and songwriter will receive a 2006 Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award, because - that's right - he's produced some pretty damn amazing music over the entire span of his career, including the over 20-year period that's elapsed since Ziggy.
Since helping to invent glam-rock, Bowie hasn't reinvented himself as a character since 1975. The character thing is "ancient history", in Bowie's own words. Unless you count the brilliant "Outside", produced with Brian Eno, in which David Bowie casts himself as a miriad of characters. In fact, there's some damn good music on that album, why not sample those in your show, Terry?
His latest album is Reality, which kicks some serious ass, but failed to recieve any air time by NPR.
This interview originally aired on Sept. 4, 2002. Despite mention of his other great works and collaborations, at the end of the show, Terry Gross couldn't resist "getting back to Ziggy Stardust." To which Bowie responded,
"I can only really look at it the way I look at it now: independently of myself, Ziggy Stardust has his own life, he's his own creation, and you know what, good luck to him. Frankly for me, I closed the door on him in 1973. I'm very happy that he's having such great success, and that people like him... I personally have another life that doesn't involve Ziggy Stardust and I prefer not to get involved in the past."
Pictures galore from my lovely weekend in Big Bend are now on the interweb.
Our trip was made vastly more interesting by the book, 
