Why Bowie Matters

by Will Brooker

A unique, moving and dazzlingly researched exploration of the places, people, musicians, writers and filmmakers that inspired David Jones to become David Bowie, what we can learn from his life’s work and journey, and why he will always matter.

When David Bowie died on 10th January 2016, it seemed the whole world was united in mourning. His greatest hits were sung tearfully in pubs up and down Britain, garlands of flowers were left at the Aladdin Sane mural in his old stomping ground of Brixton and tributes poured in from a galaxy of stars. To many of us, Bowie was so much more than a pop idol. But why?

In Why Bowie Matters, Professor Will Brooker answers that question persuasively, as both a fan and an academic. A Bowie obsessive since childhood, he hit the headlines over the course of a year-long immersive research project that took him from London to Berlin and New York, following in Bowie’s footsteps, only listening to music and reading books he loved, and even at times adopting his fashion.

In this original and illuminating book, Professor Brooker approaches Bowie from various angles, re-tracing his childhood on the streets of Bromley, taking us through his record collection and bookshelves, and deciphering the symbols and codes of his final work, Blackstar to piece together how an ordinary suburban teenager turned himself into a legend, and how perhaps we too could be a little more Bowie.

He shows us that while David Robert Jones died on that terrible day in January, David Bowie will live on forever.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 15, 2019

About the author

Dr. Will Brooker is a writer and academic, Professor of Film and Cultural Studies at Kingston University, England, and an author of several books of cultural studies dealing with elements of modern pop culture and fandom, including Batman, Star Wars and Alice in Wonderland

Reviews

[Edgarr Alien Pooh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will Brooker takes us on a journey through Bowie's life, both physically and musically.

From the point of view of someone who likesBowie's music but never knew much about the man, this was a fascinating book. A detailed journey of Bowie's (or David Jones as he was) childhood in England, his early influences and his stuttered start in the music business.

Much was made of Bowie's gender identification and sexuality throughout his career. I for one don't see how this should be seen as impacting on his talent, but it should be remembered that he started out in the 60's. Bowie, himself, was the most unreliable source of information, he changed his ideals, he changed his history and changed almost everything about himself, be that through embarrassment or pride, probably not. What Bowie did, what he said and what he became all stemmed from a deep desire, if not need, to be successful.

Just about every person on the planet knows of Bowie or his music. Some of us grew up with it, some of us have no idea who he is but we hear his songs all the time on radio or movie soundtracks. Think your kids probably have never heard his stuff? Check out soundtracks to movies like Shrek.

Those of us that know a bit more will know of his personas Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Stone or the Thin White Duke. So, after discussing his earlier years this book becomes an in depth discography of his albums,(there were 26 studio albums) exploring the period and influences of the time as well as the tracks on the albums.

A really enjoyable read that only loses one star because the author, Will Brooker, spends a year of his life re-enacting Bowie. He condenses Bowie's entire career into a year, traveling to all the destinations and outfitting himself identically as the man in a chronological order. A year spent from London to New York to Switzerland to Germany to Australia, dressed as Bowie was in these time periods complete with identical hairstyles, makeup and nail polish. I just wasn't overly comfortable with this part, felt a little cringe-worthy, a bit stalker for my liking, especially as when this year started out, Bowie was still alive.

A definite read for someone who likes his music and enjoys a good bio. If you are a hard core fan, I would dare say you probably know most of what is in this book, but maybe there is still a surprise or two

[Alec Downie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was supposed to be everything I wanted from a book, eg an intelligent, interesting academic study of my favorite artist of all time, by a hardcore fan and professor.

Sadly it was just rehashed theories from other writers, coupled with slightly disturbing reminiscing of a fan who stepped over the line from hero worship to unhealthy obsession.

Disjointed and repetitive, asking me to take serious any book that spends pages trying to find deeper meaning in "The Laughing Gnome" is pretty much doomed to irritate and alienate me.

With regards to the allegation that Bowie abandoned the gay community when he stated, "saying I was gay was one of the biggest mistakes I made in life", totally misses the point that Bowie then spent 40+ years being asked about his sexuality and his ch-ch-changes, and no doubt he will be spitting pink feathers on his new star over how wrong that allegation is.

I am sure Will is a lovely bloke and probably fun to have a pint and chat about Bowie with and his intentions were honourable, though it was not the Bowie book for me or maybe I a grumpy old fan who is tired of his legacy being rehashed.

"David Bowie will never die", indeed.

[Ryan Edwards · Rating 1 out of 5]

Brooker is quite the fan of Bowie. How much of a fan? Well, so much so that we learn more about him living out his fantasy of being Bowie than we do about what the book purports to deliver: an answer to the titular question.

More attention is paid to parsing the significance (i.e. verifying) three brief comments made by Bowie about his sexuality than any line of his lyrics, or any bar of his music. But given that the rest of the book contributes so little to our understanding of Bowie, it's unsurprising that he focuses on this issue so much. Brooker is able to vaguely tie together an argument for Bowie's relevance as a cultural figure through his playing with and against sexual and gender norms. This is complicated by whether or not Bowie was gay or bi, whether or not he was just using queer culture. Unfortunately, one of the schoolchildren he quotes in the conclusion does a better job at summing up the issue in a few lines than he does in a whole plodding chapter.

Outside of this point, Brooker is more intent on pointing out the fact that Bowie clearly matters to people rather than the why. Newspaper articles are quoted, responses to his last album compiled, and this unintentionally hilarious reflection on his death is offered:

I posted a single tweet, 'David Bowie will never die,' which was favourited many times. Then I lay on my bed reading books about race and representation, trying to distract myself with academic research.

What Brooker neglects to do is explain why people care about Bowie. Why is his music held in high esteem? What is it about his different personas that captivated people? Why did Bowie even do any of this? The entirety of his creative output seems to recede into the distance, eclipsed by the fandom it has mysteriously inspired. You would even be forgiven for thinking music had much to do with Bowie's life.

Taking a great artistic/cultural figure and approaching their work through a semi-academic, semi-personal style could be very interesting. Sprinkling in some French philosophy to the analysis and looking at the cultural context of said figure's art could be very interesting. Unfortunately, the only interesting thing about this book is how it took such interesting subject matter and rendered it tedious and uninspiring. Its failure is interesting in that it can hopefully serve as an example to others in what not to do.

[Chloe Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant and academic take on Bowie, and why he has always mattered and will always matter, to fans and to culture. A must read for Bowie fans.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

self-indulgent to the point of tedium, without much exploration of the actual question posed by the book’s title.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

We should always remember Bowie, he definitely matters

[Mando Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a huge Bowie fan I was really hoping to love this book. Found it a little repetitious and self indulgent rather then true to it's title.

[Meg Orton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: thank you to Jonathan Ball Publishers in South Africa for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What was the first Bowie song you ever heard? What was the first music video of his that you remember seeing? Where were you when he passed on, and who was the person to tell you? Why does David Bowie matter?

As I started reading Brooker's ode to the man we all knew as David Bowie there were several occasions where I felt an imposter. How could I possibly answer those questions posed to the readers of a book that I initially believed was written for super fans? I am a fan, but I am also not a fan who can claim anything other than a general love and an admiration, and indeed a fascination for the man who was born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947 and died 10 January 2016. That of course was my initial fear when I started reading a book written by a man who had spent a year of his own life attempting to become the many aspects of Bowie over his lifetime - that I wasn't 'enough' of a fan. The truth is that Will Brooker is very much a super fan, and sometimes (if you are an amateur like me) you will feel as though you are floundering along in a sea of Bowie, but do not despair dear reader because Brooker will carry you safely to shore. As he navigates the intricacies of a man whose work both musically and on-screen were fraught with their own share of difficulties, he will also teach you about a man who was also just a mortal, and not the god he was often made out to be. For this and for so many other reasons you will slowly begin to love him (Bowie, and Brooker for that matter) even more.

It is perhaps relevant to add that as I read this fascinating book my soundtrack was The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972). I occasionally dabbled in Diamond Dogs (1974), Hunky Dory (1971) and Space Oddity (1969), but Ziggy was my constant and true companion. Something I wasn't as aware of as I am now is how often Bowie's lyrics are held under so much scrutiny. Brooker attempts to unpack his music that was so clearly influenced by Bob Dylan, Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground, Elvis Presley and even the Beatles, and mentions how his songs were so often seen as meta texts, and used as examples of literary theory. His music made references to elements of popular culture, science fiction and the literary world on more than one occasion, but were oddly never autobiographical. If we as casual readers, Bowie scholars and fans of the music see him as the great storyteller he clearly was it makes for a far more fascinating adventure into not only his mind, but also allows us the freedom to delve into the many roles Bowie played over the years. He not only told the stories, but he was very often several of the main characters all at once.

“I'm the last one to understand most of the material I write” ~ (Bowie, David)

Brooker details Bowie's rather slow rise to fame, his relationship with his astonishingly supportive father, his suburban working class back-story, and his ever-changing relationship with his sexuality and the media's response to this. In the midst of writing about Bowie's many faces that included Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane and The Thin White Duke, Brooker goes into enormous detail discussing the late singer's fascination with George Orwell's 1949 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, and unpacks his videos for his last two albums, Lazarus and Blackstar in which he believes Bowie's own sense of mortality is the major theme. At the time of his death and the weeks preceding it the theories regarding his origin often made him out to be an extra-terrestrial type who had simply returned to his home planet. His common 'space theme' and the character of 'Major Tom' made it perhaps easier for those in grief to imagine him as a sort of 'intergalactic messiah'. Sometimes its easier to believe someone is simply away for a little while, and not gone forever.

Brooker importantly details his time emulating Bowie in the most extreme ways. For a year he transformed himself several times over by dressing as Bowie would, reading the books he read, walking his streets and visiting the bars he frequented. He even spent a bit of time in Berlin as Bowie had, wearing the clothes and hairstyles that represented each era in Bowie's life. Who better to answer the question in the title? Who better to tell the world the reason we should allow Bowie into our lives and his ways of seeing the world?

“Nobody can become Bowie, but we can all become a little more Bowie; we can all incorporate a bit of Bowie into our lives. Draw on your own wonder-house of experiences to dream up a version of yourself – perhaps more colorful, more creative, more confident – and then inhabit it, and see what happens. It worked for him. It worked for me.”

In an ever-changing world, Bowie was an ever-changing performer whose music transcended the mundane. In so many ways the question as to why Bowie matters is really up to you – the reader, the listener, the music-lover, the person who saw Bowie as someone who encompassed their own cautious feelings for a world that is not particularly tolerant towards the unique and the more subversive among us. In a world where image is everything Bowie gave us the freedom to embrace the image that resonated within our individual hearts, and I believe that is something worth making Bowie matter.

“While he was publicly challenging gender conventions... his behavior in private seemed to hark backwards to a reactionary past, rather than into the progressive future. It's a useful reminder that while we can still aspire to be more like Bowie, we can also, in some respects, try to be better”

After reading this beautiful ode and somewhat critique you will find yourself figuring out all on your own why Bowie matters, why he did then and why he does now. Will Brooker will guide you along the path, but soon you'll be in Oz and you'll have to figure out which road to take all on your own. And that's alright. You"ll get there soon enough.

“His music... it's all about memories. You remember the first time you heard one song. You remember that you were on holiday, and the good times you had. You remember specific moments that were important to you. And those moments... were Bowie's songs”

[Eyrún Baldursdóttir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miklu skemmtilegri en aðrar ævisögur um Bowie sem ég hef lesið. Höfundurinn er prófessor og yfirferðin akademísk og kryfur áhrif Bowies auk þess að fjalla á gagnrýnan hátt um líf hans og verk. Mjög skemmtileg bók fyrir ofuraðdáendur eins og mig sem hef dýrkað Bowie síðan ég var 12-13 ára.

[Nataliia Krynytska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Не совсем биография Боуи (да и книга на нее и не претендует), а в каком-то роде мотивационная книга. Я удивилась, прочитав, что у Боуи не сразу все получалось, да и он не был изначально лучшим ни в музыке, ни вокале.
Но его уверенность в себе, и в то, что он делает и привела его наконец к успеху.
Банальную вещь я конечно с книги вынесла, но я правда думала, что Боуи как Моцарт в 5 лет написал свой первый хит, а Зигги Стардаста увидел во сне.
Немного я не поняла целую главу рассуждений о том, был ли Боуи геем. То есть ее смысл понятен, но она как раз в ней много повторов и переливаний из одного сосуда в другой.
В целом фанаты Боуи оценят.

[Ellie ✧]

I'm very conflicted in reviewing this book because this is not a single book -- it's two, and neither of them explain Why Bowie Matters.

The first book is a very well-research exploration into David Bowie's childhood, influences, lyrics, and his thought process inasmuch as we can decipher. This was thoroughly enjoyable and, if this was the entire book, it would be pretty good (maybe repetitive but you can only biography an artist so many times). I enjoyed the way that Brooker wrote from an academic perspective, considering previous remarks from other biographers and a variety of news and critical sources, as well as meeting with people who knew him personally.

The second book is about the author, Will Brooker, and it reads as a memoir about his time "becoming" David Bowie for a year. That book should've been titled "Why Bowie Matters To Me: A Memoir of Becoming David Bowie for a Year." I had absolutely no interest in this book and why would I? The summary of Why Bowie Matters didn't at all warn me that the author was including his pseudo-memoir.

Other than the issue of this being two books (one that I was interested in and another that made me repeatedly roll my eyes), at no point do we really answer the question of why Bowie matters. Even ending in a poignant visit with people who probably are my own age and discussing how they heard about him and if they'll continue to listen to him, they don't really talk about why he matters, just that we'll probably continue to hear people influenced by him for a long while. Obviously, the question this book was supposed to answer is, but why? We don't get that answer (luckily, if you're reading this book, you probably have your own answer). At best, we answer why Bowie matters to the author (who just seems to self-identify with Bowie to a questionable degree).

It's unfortunate because there are some sections of Why Bowie Matters that are seriously engaging. There's an entire section breaking down Blackstar and much of David Bowie's work leading up to his death. The way that it's laid out is incredibly interesting and Brooker clearly put a lot of thought and research into these better sections. I wish that he had been advised to split these books into two to delve even more in depth into Bowie (and perhaps to have a chance at writing what would probably be a very interesting memoir on its own).

[Phil Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this. It is not the standard bio (thank goodness, there’s been enough of them on Bowie already) but it is, as Will Brooker explains, a book from the twin approach of a fan and an academic. In synthesizing the two, Brooker manages to give some very interesting insights into Bowie’s work. I especially found his discussion of Bowie’s use of sexuality/orientation/gender thought-provoking by placing them in a historical context.

Brooker uses different critical theories (he is a professor of cultural studies, after all) as tools to shed, if not more, then a different, light on Bowie’s work. In doing so, he manages (on the whole) to avoid the circular and pointless abstract lit-crit debates which swirled around certain canteen tables in my time at a north London poly. Instead, he uses them to discuss familiar songs in a fresh way.

He is certainly a fan, which stops this from being a dry academic tome. He even spent considerable time dressing and living as Bowie, in the different places and stages of the singer’s life. Though as he admits, this could only be done to a certain extent - for example, Berlin was very different for his stay than the late seventies of Bowie’s. Buildings change, as does society, as does context. (I also think he avoided the copious cocaine habit of the Thin White Duke and the sexual adventures of Ziggy. Or at least does not share that with the reader). It was no doubt fun for Brooker and got him publicity, but I’m not sure it adds much here.

That is not important though - as I state at the beginning, I really enjoyed this, but then Bowie matters a lot to me - I didn’t need convincing.

[Tori Min · Rating 4 out of 5]

well, what can i say, it was good, but wasn’t quite what i was expecting. i thought it was gonna be more about how did bowie and his art affected the world, but it was about each person’s universal experience - ok, fine. but said too much about things that were not so big in his career. almost not a single word about the ziggy stardust and the spiders from mats album, which in my opinion is the most important one in david’s career. author says things like everyone can interpret bowie as they want, but then gives a dozen of theories. too many names, and i can’t remember almost all of them. author writes too much about the songs and albums that he likes, almost nothing about others

in the beginning it was like a biography following bowie to his first album, but then it was like “facts, facts, some of author’s personal stories, many names”

but also i learned some new interesting facts about bowies life and this book was indeed inspiring to me to create any form of art. it also helped me to see my favorite artist from a different point of view

[Malcolm Frawley · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Bowie fan since the late Sixties I have read many biogs of this most influential writer & performer who I regard as 1 of few true geniuses in rock music. Most of those books have been fascinating. This is something very different. The author discovered Bowie, as a child, with the Let's Dance album, after what most consider his most fertile period had ended. But he still became obsessed & eventually decided to spend a year exploring his hero's life not by compiling a massive bibliography but by, more or less, walking in his footsteps - from Bromley to New York. The approach is personal, often to the point of self-indulgence, but I still enjoyed the very unusual take in this obviously sincere tribute. I suspect that some fans may not enjoy this ride but, as someone who actually grieved in 2016 for someone he had never met, I felt heartened that my emotions were justified. Worth a look if Bowie is also one of your 'Heroes'.

[🌶 peppersocks 🧦 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reflections and lessons learned:
“I lived a lot in my imagination - it was a real effort to become a social animal” Bowie

I previously wasn’t familiar with Brooker - I would have classed myself as a Bowie fan before listening to this from the perspective as a man who re-lives parts of Bowies life though?!? Now, that’s fan commitment beyond...

I still found this to be a well balanced summary of some of the key points of the musicians life interwoven with the authors own living - I don’t think that anyone needs to be a mega Bowie fan to understand the elements covered and the overall effect that he had on music, fashion and as social role models (multiple characters) for many years.

“He allowed me to be me” Brooker on Bowie

[Kate Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

**listened via audible**

Didn’t really know what to expect with this book.
As a huge Bowie fan I was excited to learn more about one of my idols. I did indeed learn now things about him, and these new bits of info were the best parts of the book.
Slightly confused by the author spending the year living out his version of Bowie... feel like it got lost a bit, and didn’t find it particularly relevant or interesting.

Enjoyable for any Bowie fan!

[Tammy Pullum · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Bowie fan, I could not help but give five stars to this book. Essentially, the author is a super mega fan of David Bowie who spent a year dressing as Bowie, living as Bowie, and just being Bowie (I just want to travel to the spots that were important and formative to Bowie himself), and this is Brooker’s “Ode to David Bowie,” which helps us realize why David Bowie matters. And he does. And for me Bowie always will matter.

[Sarah Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Why Bowie Matters" by Will Brooker is a fascinating and engaging read, that explores David Bowies's journey from a birth to death. The author traces his life, highlighting David Bowie's many struggles, failures and disappointments on his journey to fame. He pays particular attention to his constant need to reinvent himself and develop his art. One for the fans, but a very interesting biography none the less. Well worth a read.

[Davina Gifford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. There were a few places where the academic critical theory went a bit beyond my understanding, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment.

I did really struggle with the chapter focused on Blackstar and his passing as its still a bit raw (yes even 4 years later). But I soldiered through the tears and I'm glad I did.

[Ian Fryer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and very readable analysis of the music, lyrics, stylistic changes and cultural borrowings/adaptations of one of the very few artists in popular music whose work benefits from such an approach.

The book itself is a sturdy little hardback, which is good as I'm sure I'll be returning to it.

[Dick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book if not a great one. The author provides several answers to the titular question; Bowie's collection of and use of his influences, his position in the discussion of gay rights and so on. It also is good on the impact of Bowie's Bromley years in his development as an artist. It drifts a little but is a worthwhile read if you are a fan.

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really detailed look at Bowie's life (as detailed and accurate as one can be, because so much is uncertain). I'd agree with some of the other reviews I've read that a lot of the book doesn't really answer the question posed in the title, but this is still a worthwhile read for Bowie fans.

[Philippa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book for any Bowie fans or simply anyone who wants to know about the icon that was Bowie. Perhaps a little dense in parts but the description of how the author lived essentially as Bowie for a year to really get to know his subject is fascinating.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Max Cherepitsa · Rating 3 out of 5]

чет слишком доя радикальных фэнов от радикального фэна

[Дарья Дягелец · Rating 2 out of 5]

Чудовищно скучная книга

[Albin Hane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Några intressanta poänger, men den tillför inte så mycket ny information. Bekräftar egentligen bara det jag själv känner om Bowie.

[Oliver Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

i feel like this book says a lot about what bowie did but doesn’t really argue why that matters so well. either way bowie matters to me anyway so i can’t really grumble.

[ava elkinz · Rating 4 out of 5]

felt SO smart and mysterious
i liked it

[Leon Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm possibly not a huge enough Bowie fan to fully appreciate the academic depth Will goes to in this book but it's interesting in parts.