From A To Ziggy Alphabetical David Bowie

“We’re jumping into the franchise and missing the origin story.” Do you remember a guy that’s been in a song we haven’t discussed yet? No spoilers! It’s Ashes To Ashes!

“A more commercially viable and palatable Dark Crystal” (Labyrinth tagline) We get reeeaaally distracted and talk mostly about movies and TV from our childhood. Because see there’s this movie Labyrinth about this girl who—oh! And a David Bowie song about, y’know, love and stuff. We’ll be there for you. As The World Falls Down!

“Puns within puns.” We examine a portrait piece whose name was inspired by a German pun on art deco. Our discussion of Art Decade decayed quickly, so we talk more about 1978’s Stage and live recordings in general. Also a moral diatrabe about audience etiquette at concerts. #cagethefreebird (Also, hashtags are obnoxious.)

We can talk anyhow (and get along) If we can only remember the name of this song. Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere!

“You don’t even have to know what Andy Warhol looks like to know what Andy Warhol looks like.” The man. The myth. The legend. We discuss all things “Andy Warhol.”

“The quintessential Nice Guy(TM) song.” Our earliest David Bowie song so far, in which a lonely young man vents his frustration and blames the object of his affection for continually rejecting his advances. Just how narcissistic is this song? We calculated that for you! (Spoiler: the answer is “very.”) And we say to you, listener, join us … Continue reading "And I Say To Myself"

“And it turned out I was accidentally at a rave.” We talk about our mutual love for dub  before suddenly remembering this episode is about David Bowie’s rendition of a Jacques Brel song. We then quickly derail into a polemic against accidental misogyny. Join us in a dark, dank sailor bar filled with salty seamen here in Amsterdam!

“Hey hey, it’s a tall ship” Bowie pays tribute to an obscure tragedy-beset island town. We discuss Bowie’s connection to Bali, Hugh Padgham’s reverb (not featured in this song), and how much Bowie resembles Ethan Hawke on Tin Machine II’s gatefold. Also, if you’ll be in Boston April 5, come join us at the Holy Holy show! … Continue reading "Amlapura"

“What was the Electoral College makeup of Tin Machine?” Soaring proto-alternative arena rock. Witness David Bowie inventing both Pearl Jam and Nirvana. We appeal to Kanye West to find us a bootleg video of this song. And Alicia Silverstone sky-surfs from a VR biplane. Wait, what? This song is “Amazing!”

Get off the road! On today’s episode, we’re Always Crashing In The Same Car.

We discuss Mott The Hoople’s most famous song. Would Bowie’s version have fit into Ziggy Stardust? Plus, how this song is like Beck’s “Loser” or Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Boogaloo, dudes! Today on From A To Ziggy!

“If our music teacher when we were in school wanted us to not dismiss recorders, they probably should’ve just played this song.” We take a long look at mental illness and Nietzsche. Also The Matrix! (But not the sequels.) Yea, into the evil! From our cellar dark and grim, join us for this episode of From A … Continue reading "All The Madmen"

“The technology doesn’t exist yet to do this song. Put it away for 18 years, and we’ll come back to it.” (not David Bowie, ca. 1976) How many saints do you get with your current provider? Not enough, you say! Want “All Saints?” Then check out From A To Ziggy!

“It’s like the Quentin Tarantino movie of piano solos.” Who will love Aladdin Sane? Find out today on From A To Ziggy!

“… And John Leguizamo in shortface.” As made famous by The Doors, Bowie takes us back to the source, reviving Lotte Lenya’s rendition of this number. The Doors made drinking sound fun before we were legally allowed to imbibe the crazy water, but Bowie’s version reminds us more of what it’s really like to be drunk. Plus we … Continue reading "Alabama Song"

“I want the montage of me turning my life around set to this song.” Pure optimism! Find out which of us is lukewarm to peppy vibrancy, and which of us hates being happy.

“Oh by jingo!” The Neverending Story is basically Crowley for six-year-olds. Speaking of not speaking of ’80s childrens’s movies, wasn’t Labyrinth great? We bring up Beatles once again, and the stylophone makes its first appearance. (Or at least Thomas thinks it does. Send corrections to podcast@fromatoziggy.com!) Travis wagers Tori Amos’ cover sounds very good, but we still … Continue reading "After All"

“David Bowie invented rap.” Don’t worry, we immediately redact that pull quote. Inspired by German airmen stationed in Kenya, Bowie does however spit anachronistic, stream-of-consciousness flow that would seem to fit just as well on Kid A as on Stankonia. We’re From A To Ziggy, and we’re here to say Subscribe on iTunes and Google Play!

“I wish I was a little bit taller…” Do you believe in Beatles, or do you just believe in John? We discuss Bowie’s ironic twist on the comforts of delusion in the face of self-doubt. We stumble through the lyrics to Skee-Lo’s 1995 hit song “I Wish.” Thomas forgets the name of Psych-101 shibboleth Maslow. (Bad college graduate!) And just … Continue reading "Afraid"

“It is David Bowie being the Bowiest he could possibly be.” Like Superman and Batman. Like Fred Flintsone and George Jetson. Like peanut butter and bananas. Seldom does a meeting of such colossal importance shake the foundations of what we previously imagined possible as when David Bowie met John Lennon. Ending our week on a high note, we discuss this epic Bowie/Lennon collaboration … Continue reading "Across The Universe"