The Mediatwin Blog

Thank you, Ed “Stewpot” Stewart.

My introduction to David Bowie (who turns 65 today) came through Stewart’s Junior Choice radio show. In between plays of “Cinderella Rockefella” and “Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West)”, Stewart would often drop the needle on Bowie’s “The Laughing Gnome”. This novelty record from ’67 was hardly a signpost to the rest of Bowie’s career (well, perhaps LABYRINTH) but was good, childlike fun nonetheless. The NME certainly thought so. In 1990, Bowie announced that the set lists for his greatest hits Sound + Vision tour would be determined by phone votes from the public. The NME immediately launched a campaign to rig the result through its “Just Say Gnome” campaign. Regrettably, the phone vote plan was subsequently abandoned and the sight of Bowie returning to his earlier triumph never came to pass.

It’s impossible to sum up Bowie’s career and influence on rock music in just a few paragraphs. His determination to constantly reinvent himself is remarkable, challenging his audience to keep up with his chameleon-like ch-ch-changes in fashion,music and persona. Whether it’s the folky psychedelia of “Hunky Dory”, the barren sonic landscapes of “Heroes” or the pure ‘80s big beat sheen of “Let’s Dance”, Bowie created an enviable back catalogue of commercially successful and critically acclaimed singles and albums. The list of rock and pop stars that admit they were heavily influenced by him - Boy George, Ian McCulloch, Brett Anderson, Trent Reznor - is long and distinguished. It’s easy to see how closely Lady GaGa has studied Bowie’s career and modelled herself on it.

Bowie’s last proper album was 2003’s “Reality”. Since then, he’s made the occasional appearance in the media - singing with David Gilmour in 2006, playing Nikola Tesla in THE PRESTIGE - but it seems increasingly unlikely that he’ll return to music full-time. Or is it? With Bowie - you just don’t know what’s coming next. He’s reassuringly unpredictable.

There are so many great songs to choose from but this - the recently rediscovered performance of “Jean Genie” on a ’73 Top Of The Pops - is certainly one of them. Ground Control to Major Tom: happy birthday.

From the start, The Black Hole was designed to be a game-changer for Disney. The ripples from the splash Star Wars had made at the box-office reached the boardroom in Sleeping Beauty's castle and the Disney executives were determined to get in on the action. With actors Maximilian Schell, Anthony Perkins and Robert Forster onboard, The Black Hole had a far from traditional Disneyesque cast. Disney had such faith in the film's potential that it put it in direct competition with the highly-anticipated Star Trek -The Motion Picture, which was opening at the same time - Christmas 1979.

For the music, they turned to a seasoned professional. John Barry had already gone into space that year with his score for Moonraker; the music he composed for The Black Hole is even better. It begins with the anthemic "Overture", played before the opening credits, like the old roadshow presentations. We then go into the sweeping, circling "Main Title", with Barry's trademark strings in full effect:

This tone is kept through the score - there are no "cute" themes for the robots, none of the chirpy melodies that would have usually been expected in a Disney release. It's powerful, stirring music, often raising the film from the numerous stumbling blocks of its plot and script.

Full disclosure: The Black Hole was the first film soundtrack I ever owned. By the time I was given the album as a Christmas present, I had already seen the film a couple of times. Thanks to continuous performances and the unallocated cinema seating of those days, I was able to duck down and sit through an additional performance, seeing in twice in one afternoon. From these viewings,I soon realised its faults - those stupid Mickey Mouse-eyed robots, the often risible dialogue and a climax that wanted to be Kubrickian in scope and meaning but failing completely. I also knew what was good about it - the production design, the special effects, Maximilian the robot... and the music.

With the sad passing of John Barry earlier this year, releasing one of his most-requested film works is only fitting. It's particularly welcome that his score for The Black Hole has been given such a respectful and thorough presentation. 

The Black Hole soundtrack is a Walt Disney Records/Intrada release and can be ordered from the US here.

...and Take That think they're All That.

Back in the '80s, Duran Duran took the kind of frenzy that currently surrounds Barlow & co in the UK and went global with it. Newcastle, New York, New Zealand - didn't matter where in the world you went. The Birmingham buccaneers were huge everywhere - handsome chaps with smart, catchy pop tunes that they wrote and played themselves. Their first, eponymous album chimed with the synth-driven New Romantic movement that was emerging from London's Blitz club but it was their second album - "Rio" - that catapulted them into the musical stratosphere. Studded with terrific songs - "Hungry Like The Wolf", "Save A Prayer" and the title track - and matched with lavish, iconic videos, "Rio" remains their high point. Their third album - "Seven And The Ragged Tiger" - was less successful musically but still contained "Union Of The Snake" and their biggest-selling single, "The Reflex".

Then after a sharp title song for the Bond movie "A View To A Kill", things began to fall apart. The Power Station and Arcadia vanity side projects took their toll on the band; Taylors Roger and Andy quit and the Duran hits machine slipped down a few gears. On occasion, they could still come up with the goods - "Notorious", "Come Undone" and "(Reach Up) For The Sunrise" were all perfect pop and there's a case to be made for "Ordinary World" being the best track ever released under the DD name. But the halcyon days had gone.

Whilst the initial online-only release of the album may be so-modern-it-hurts, the album itself harks back to those early '80s glory days. Ronson has gone on record that he expressly wanted to make a sequel of sorts to their most successful album and he's certainly succeeded - the sound and feel of "Rio" runs through this album like a stick of rock. At times, it's uncomfortably so - the opening of "The Man Who Stole A Leopard" is uncannily like "The Chauffeur" and "Being Followed" is paced like "My Own Way". However, the good stuff is clearly in the majority. There's a pleasing consistency of quality throughout and whilst few tracks could be turned into hit singles, the songs hold together as an album very well. Like recent works from La Roux and Hurts, "All You Need Is Now" takes the synth sound of the '80s and updates it beautifully. Not everything changes: Simon Le Bon's lyrics continue to be as oblique as ever and his vocals still favour enthusiasm over being completely in tune.

These are minor carps; easily one of Duran's best albums, 'All You Need Is Now" is highly recommended. The album's an iTunes exclusive until February, when it gets released on CD with additional tracks and in a variety of deluxe formats.

As December looms into view, 'tis the season to browse the shelves (or your iTunes collection) and dust off your Christmas records for their annual airing. With the music TV channels already pumping out a steady diet of Yuletide warhorses by the likes of Wham, Slade, Jona Lewie et al, it's time to look beyond the obvious and check out these other fine festive collections: