SPILL RETRO REVIEW: DAVID BOWIE – THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS

DAVID BOWIE
THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS
RCA

ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: JUNE 16, 1972

There really was a star man in the sky. David Bowie had already made it clear on another masterpiece, Hunky Dory, that he was going to do more than what people had in mind. His previous albums were more hit-or-miss, and David Bowie was firmly here to grasp the public consciousness. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars is the fifth studio album by David Bowie and, without a doubt, the one that stands out the most. David Bowie gave just about everything he could to this album, from production to vocals. While it may not be as neat as Hunky Dory, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars is a rather engrossing experience from the unique mind that changed music comparable.

Now, to discuss this opus, we would have to get straight into the song that defines it. There are so many major areas that form this album. “Starman”, to put it simply, is a David Bowie song. This holds true not only in terms of its production and vocals but also in terms of its symbolic meaning. It has the tranquil and mystical quality David Bowie defined, and it has a level of heart beneath it all that no song here competes with. David Bowie’s vocals and narration, which are so mystical yet manage to keep the lyrics clear, are what make this song so great. Even better, David Bowie executes everything with such mastery.

The narrative is one of the most important elements in The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars. This album really is a book in music form. The album unfolds a complex story about Ziggy Stardust’s arrival on Earth, with Bowie masterfully narrating the tale. David Bowie’s controlled and beautiful vocals imbue each word with profound meaning.

The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars is a startling reminder of the bizarre genius David Bowie was, as well as the fact that there will never be someone like him again. There will never be a Ziggy Stardust again. Listening to this album can be helpful, but it can also give hope through all of the many lyrics and bring a little smile to one’s face. He created art that was unquestionably his own, addressing difficult subjects through his surreal world, which eerily mirrors ours, while also instilling a sense of hope through his lyrics and melancholic, bittersweet vocals.

Overall, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars is still an eccentric odyssey, as the title suggests, about the rise and fall of Ziggy Stardust, but, most importantly, this album showed the sheer capabilities David Bowie had as an artist, and today serves as a reflection on one of the greatest artists giving their statement to art.

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