I 100% understand that you prefer listening to live performances to hear the integrity of the singer's voice (and to more likely elude copyright issues), but you have to understand that, for the vast majority of the time, the songs sound better in studio version. You have to see songs as art. They were created and produced in a particular (most peculiar) way, so as to evoke certain feelings, emotions, ambience, setting, etc... When you listen to (most, save those select lives versions of songs that birth a magical essence) live performances, they often lose the essence of what made them incredible. It would be like going to an art gallery and looking at paintings through a filter or while wearing sunglasses or something... they're still great, but just not quite as pure of a representation as the artist intended.
Bowie was one of the most groundbreaking and influential artists of all time. He did it all. Singer/songwriter/actor. In fact ,in his early career in the listing of musicians that played on the albums his role was "the actor". Little David Jones was a savvy kid with a flair for style and a head for business. He knew exactly what he was wanted, and changed the world in attaining it. One of my faves, if not the top.
In 2013, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield ended his run as commander of the International Space Station by making a music video of himself singing and playing this song on guitar. You can find it on RUclips. It’s pretty amazing.
I remember right after Bowie died, I was thinking about how I didn't know any of his songs (except Space Oddity), so I decided I'd buy a 2disk "best of" album. And EVERY song, I was thinking "he did THAT song? And THAT one too?!" All songs I'd recognized and heard before, but never connected them to Bowie, especially since they're all so different from each other.
"major Tom" is one of his (many) identities. This is actually a song about drug addiction and overdose, hidden behind a science fiction story. As he will say later in "Ashes to Ashes" (definitly worth a reaction, too) : "We know major Tom's a junkie".
@@donfette5301 Perhaps, also. It may be multilayered. And like every song, it's open to multiple interpretatons. But I heard him mention the drug angle in an interview, and once you know it, it makes a lot of sense.
I have so many favorite Bowie songs, but "Changes" is near the top. The message in it hit me differently once my kids were in their young teens and I was observing them and their friends. David Bowie's death was one of the few celebrity deaths that truly made me cry.
I saw this tour. Adrian Belew was fire on the guitar!!! David Bowie was perfection, as always. I took my younger brother. It was his first concert. We saw David in St. Louis. Still one of the best concerts I have ever been to. 💜💜💜
My favorite Bowie song will always be Lazarus. It truly was a sad masterpiece when you think about the fact that it was one of his final songs and what that meant with the lyrics.
When I was a kid in the Chicago area, back in the 60's, I used to manage to stay up until midnight on Saturday and listen to the Midnight Special radio program, where I first heard David Bowie playing this song. I was blown away and became an instant fan.
*Don't forget to listen to the **_studio version_** of this song, and others.* To be sure, David Bowie was a hell of a performer and gave his audiences amazing shows to absorb into their souls. But he chose and selected every bit of the sounds he recorded and manipulated and re-recorded and layered and then re-re-recorded in order to achieve exactly the sounds he wanted the listener to experience. That was/is the introductory version for most of the public. That is the version that we first heard on the radio and fell in love with. That is the version that was on the records that we as fans sought out bought, so we could play the song(s) we fell in love with over and over again at will. For most performers it was after their songs became hits on the radio that they took them on tour. It was then that we went to the concerts and heard the songs live and cheered and sang along with the band, who were not always the same performers as on the record. Some times, unfortunately, we were disappointed with the live performances of our favorite songs, preferring the studio version instead.
Well, now you have to do "Major Tom" by Peter Schilling. As for the next David Bowie song, I'm thinking "Ashes to Ashes" or "Modern Love." He has so many wonderful songs and personas.
It has to be the German version with subs tho, it's much better than the English version. (same goes for Nena's 99 red balloons vs 99 luftballons which is so much better in the original version as well)
I couldn't even imagine MrLboyd trying to react to a Puddles cover of a song that he has already heard. Because even if you've heard the original, you haven't heard Puddles.
In another post someone mentioned Life On Mars, and I mentioned that Puddles did an AMAZING cover of that song. I completely forgot to mention his cover of Space Oddity (Maj.Tom)!! I am so glad to meet fellow Puddles fans on here. He is such an incredible performer! 🤡
I have forgotten the double entendre of "Planet Earth is blue". That was very insightful, and part of the reason why I search for reactions. I enjoyed this reaction and hope you enjoy the rest of Bowie's life and discography for years to come.
Never really listened to his music nor did i know he was a singer in terms of the music industry at the time, i just remember when he played in the movie Labyrinth. That's really what i remember about him.
the lead guitarist is adrian belew, former guitarist / vocalist of king crimson (1981-2013). this rendition is wonderful from the sound and vision tour, just before he joined King Crimson.
Bowie is my 2nd favorite artist of all time! Glad you are getting around to him! As an introduction to him, I would obviously curate you some of his bigger more classic material such as Fame, Young Americans, Rebel Rebel, Ziggy Stardust, Heroes, Wild Is The Wind, Let's Dance, Ashes to Ashes, Golden Years, China Girl, and Lazarus. Once you get past some of those, I'd love to direct you to some of my personal favorites which are deeper cuts.
There is a "sequel" to this song, made by Peter Schilling, "Major Tom Coming Home." When David Bowie left Major Tom he was lost in space. Now through some miracle, he is coming home. Pretty special.
This song was released to radio stations and as a single just 5 days before the Apollo 11 mission took off for the moon. It was recorded earlier in the year. So while many people tie it directly to the moon landing mission, in actuality it had nothing to do with it. The song is more influenced by the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey that hit theaters in 1968. Hence the title, Space Oddity. However, this song and Elton John's Rocket Man have become symbols of a sort for space missions since. If you're looking for something else to explore by David Bowie, I would suggest Ziggy Stardust. David went so far as to create a persona around the song, which in itself has been debated as being a tribute to Jimi Hendrix. Jimi died just short of two years prior to Ziggy Stardust's release. Other great tunes to check out are Ashes to Ashes, Golden Years (which I'm sure you will recognize by the few times it's been sampled), Changes, or Heroes.
@@omalleycaboose5937 Indeed. I've discussed this same point before, focusing on the old Mercury and Gemini missions of the early 60s. According to Bowie a few years before his death, he and members of his band went to see 2001: A Space Odyssey to help get over the gloom of the previous record kind of flopping. He couldn't get some of the notions of the movie out of his head and began writing Space Oddity a few days later in an attempt to capture some of those ideas. The circuit dying, the celebrity status of the astronauts, the ship knowing where to go, floating helplessly in a "tin can" (which is how one of the astronauts in the film described the exploration pods that the main character was trapped inside for a while).
There are those people/musicians like Prince, Johnny Cash, etc who you can enjoy no matter what type of music you prefer. Bowie is one of those musicians.
David Bowie had a lot of good albums and tons of good songs. Heroes, Changes, Memory of a Free Festival, Five Years, and Ziggy Stardust are some of my favorites. Blackstar and Lazarus from his final album (especially with their videos) are also must listens.
You need to see the official video of this which includes the studio recording. A VERY much younger Bowie. No comparison. The song is about his inner journey as much as it is about space.
Wow! I just realised that's Adrian Belew from King Crimson on lead guitar. Googled it and sure enough. Incidentally, there's a Nine Inch Ͷails song called The Great Below, which features Belew doing a painfully beautiful lament on guitar.
I remember as a kid listening to this song from one of my parents' CDs and developing a fear of being lost in space; this song was great, but so sad! Also discovered Labyrinth playing on TV around that time, so then I had even more songs to enjoy! I probably would still want "As the World Falls Down" played at my wedding.
The song has a different meaning. Major Tom was a junkie. This is about shooting up heroin. There was a follow-up song to this called ashes to ashes. They said everyone knows major Tom's a junkie.
Back in 1969 when this was first released (5 days before the launch of Apollo 11), the Space Race was in full effect. The line "the papers want to know whose shirt you wear..." was not a fashion statement but what country's flag is on your shirt.
This is a song everyone needs to hear. It is such a classic … so timeless. It is an earworm for sure. It might take days to get it out of your head … sorry! LOL
Love the black and white retrospective, it's way better than what most reactors do when they just clip and paste the moment at the beginning of their video giving things away.
This song is absolutely beautiful. I will say, however, that it gave me a fear of space and of being lost or free floating in space. Whenever I see that in a movie, I get heart palpitations because of this song. A lot of people find different meanings in Major Tom, either he's a heroin addict and this is all a metaphor, or that Major Tom ended his life by disconnecting his line, or that there was a catastrophic accident. However you interpret this, it's amazing.
It's so difficult for new David Bowie listeners to pinpoint him, and I believe that is because he was so fluid and always evolving - but he was ALWAYS relevant. Through all of his style changes, he consistently managed to capture the feeling of RIGHT NOW.
You should follow this up with "Starman" and "Ashes to Ashes", then "Ziggy Stardust", "Changes", "Young Americans", "Modern Love"...there really isn't anything bad down the Bowie rabbit hole!
Major Tom has become a song celebrity, appearing in such songs as: David Bowie - Space Oddity David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes David Bowie - Black Star The Tea Party - Empty Glass Sheryl Crow/William Shatner - Mrs. Major Tom Peter Schilling - Major Tom
First of all, I love seeing you review classic rock ‘n’ roll masterpieces. David Bowie is a great artist to review; I’d love to see more reviews of his work, particularly if you would sample from his various albums over the years. Say, the song “Fashion”, which isn’t necessarily amongst Bowie’s greatest songs, but given we have access to video medium here on RUclips. Now, commenters here are talking about the importance of hearing the studio version on this song. I want to make the additional point that in the case of David Bowie, his intention through visual presentation in performance and video, where he elected to release one, is an important component of the art piece. Not to say the music does not stand on its own, nor that he did not intend it to, it most certainly does. In fact, the meaning of the song might be more quickly apparent as heard as a single on the radio at the time, without distraction of any visual. For example, it’s quite clear that something has gone wrong and communication with earth base has broken down. We know what happens after that, Bowie doesn’t need to tell us. You can feel that more if you just listen to the song without breaks to comment. Perhaps a good approach would be to listen to the whole song without breaking to comment and then listen a second time with breaks to discuss interpretation. My main point though, for this particular work it would’ve been much better to see Bowie performing it in full costume and stage design at the time he presented it to the world. Even the official video, though not a stage performance, is helpful because we get to see personal artistic persona at the time. There are other songs for which the actual video is critical to see, especially since music videos were so uncommon then. As I mentioned, the song “Fashion”. To not view and comment on that at least as a part of a review of that song would be an absolute crime. I understand a RUclips reviewer/reactor has got limitations for what he can show his clips. Yeah, so fashion would be a great song to review. Disco/punk era, some post modern performance art thrown in, it’s a great video.
Great reaction. Great song. I love live versions too, but for this one I 100% recommend taking a listen with headphones and the original recording. Really, really great work with the stereo mix. Groundbreaking IMO.
Ashes to ashes is the sequel to this song and many believe Darkstar recorded shortly before David Bowie's death was the final of the series. Not sure if these are songs that should be reactioned but you should definitely check it out.
Hmm... i got hooked on this song from "the secret lufe of walter mitty" and i never thought of the earth as sad, but it is, might take a few more listens to recover🤣
"Starman" or "Life On Mars". Would love it if you did an entire album. "Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust". Or my favorite, "Hunky Dory". No matter. Both are epic
Yeah, in the song the we don't know what all short out in major Tom's ship and he drifts off into space. And, oddly, it's one of at least 2 songs about a space tragedy (and I don't remember the first).
The next Bowie you might want to have a listen to is Ashes to ashes. He mentions Major Tom again and this time it's a reference to drugs. Now another thing about Bowie is that almost every single album Bowie has released...there's mention of an Alien or outer space which connects everything back to his Ziggy Stardust days. Songs like Life on Mars, Loving the alien, Blackstar, Hallo Spaceboy, I took a trip on a gemini spaceship, Law (Earthlings on fire) and many others.
One of the oddities about "Space Oddity" is that it has a sequel/tribute penned and recorded by a different musician. Peter Schilling is an Austrian musician whose biggest hit, "Major Tom (Coming Home)" came out in 1983. It hit #14 in the US and #1 in Canada, Switzerland, and Austria. An outstanding 80s hit, telling the story more directly than Bowie ("Back at ground control There is a problem. Go to rockets full. Not responding. Hello, Major Tom, Are you receiving? Turn the thrusters on. We're standing by. There's no reply.")
I wish I had a better understanding of the idea of singers having a particular stage persona when I first became aware of Bowie as an artist. Most of my life I saw only "Ziggy Stardust" when I thought of Bowie. I was not ignorant of the strangeness of the world when I grew up in the 60's and 70's but I did have a _somewhat_ sheltered childhood. I always saw a "freaky", androgynous, glam-rocker rather than an accomplished and interesting musician, because I never looked beyond that surface that I first saw in that persona. I thought that image, intended to be an alter-ego, actually WAS him. Though I always liked his music I had a very shallow view of him as a real person. Only in the 10 years or so before his death did it finally penetrate my thick skull that those old images _were_ a persona - and one he had long since passed by in favor of other stage personas and new directions for his always-brilliant music.
Fun fact: This song was released on July 11, 1969. Mankind did not land on the moon for the first time until July 20, 1969. When the song was written and recorded, we'd never walked on the moon.
If you want to know what happened to Maj. Tom You'll have to watch the video for "Blackstar." There is no live performance of it since it was one of the last things Bowie gave us before he left the planet.
David Bowie was the white Prince, and Prince was the black David Bowie... In that they both had this other worldly quality to them that made them seem somehow eternal... and then we lost them both within days of each other. Tragic.
I 100% understand that you prefer listening to live performances to hear the integrity of the singer's voice (and to more likely elude copyright issues), but you have to understand that, for the vast majority of the time, the songs sound better in studio version. You have to see songs as art. They were created and produced in a particular (most peculiar) way, so as to evoke certain feelings, emotions, ambience, setting, etc... When you listen to (most, save those select lives versions of songs that birth a magical essence) live performances, they often lose the essence of what made them incredible. It would be like going to an art gallery and looking at paintings through a filter or while wearing sunglasses or something... they're still great, but just not quite as pure of a representation as the artist intended.
This is also a version that cut the true opening to the song.
@@soubikumori7030 exactly my point. I was just referencing all music collectively.
On the other hand, the studio versions get blocked by youtube much more often than the live versions, it seems like.
I 1,000% agree. When you first hear a song, it's best to listen to the studio version.
He replied to someone the other day that he always goes and listens to the studio version after reacting to a live performance.
Bowie was one of the most groundbreaking and influential artists of all time. He did it all. Singer/songwriter/actor. In fact ,in his early career in the listing of musicians that played on the albums his role was "the actor". Little David Jones was a savvy kid with a flair for style and a head for business. He knew exactly what he was wanted, and changed the world in attaining it. One of my faves, if not the top.
In 2013, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield ended his run as commander of the International Space Station by making a music video of himself singing and playing this song on guitar. You can find it on RUclips. It’s pretty amazing.
While his son was doing the sound engineering down on Earth, acting as "Ground Control", if you will. 😁
Loved his rendition of the song, and so appropriate for the situation. A must-listen.
Yes I feel any fan of the song should check it out!
ruclips.net/video/KaOC9danxNo/видео.html
@@bosgaurus1 I never knew that about his son. That’s so cool.
I remember right after Bowie died, I was thinking about how I didn't know any of his songs (except Space Oddity), so I decided I'd buy a 2disk "best of" album. And EVERY song, I was thinking "he did THAT song? And THAT one too?!" All songs I'd recognized and heard before, but never connected them to Bowie, especially since they're all so different from each other.
Have you seen him in the 80's Jim Henson movie Labyrinth?
He was a unique talent.
I had the same experience when I got his music videos dvd as a gift. I've been a fan ever since. A very versatile artist.
@@peterwale6821
Yeah, but I was really young when I saw it, so I had no idea who he was.
@@Rallylabs
Definitely. A once in a generation type of talent.
I think you would benefit from hearing the studio version of Space Oddity. Also, Bowie recorded two other songs in the Major Tom story arc.
"major Tom" is one of his (many) identities. This is actually a song about drug addiction and overdose, hidden behind a science fiction story. As he will say later in "Ashes to Ashes" (definitly worth a reaction, too) : "We know major Tom's a junkie".
I thought it was inspired by a breakup, mostly.
@@donfette5301 Perhaps, also. It may be multilayered. And like every song, it's open to multiple interpretatons. But I heard him mention the drug angle in an interview, and once you know it, it makes a lot of sense.
Of course, his decision to drift off into space was to keep afloat, than to return to the "blue", or sad world.
@@Hakuwoodworks Indeed. Fun major Tom easter egg : You can see him in the "Black Star" music video... As a skeleton in a space suit on the moon.
@@redjakOfficial lol...my tattoo last year is that scene!
David Bowie - "I'm Afraid of Americans" great song, interesting beat.
Seconded!
Amazing collab between David Bowie and Trent Reznor
I have so many favorite Bowie songs, but "Changes" is near the top. The message in it hit me differently once my kids were in their young teens and I was observing them and their friends.
David Bowie's death was one of the few celebrity deaths that truly made me cry.
I saw this tour. Adrian Belew was fire on the guitar!!! David Bowie was perfection, as always. I took my younger brother. It was his first concert. We saw David in St. Louis. Still one of the best concerts I have ever been to. 💜💜💜
This man had an awesome singing style. Plus the way he would layer vocals to get a truly unique sound was epic.
I was very fortunate to have witnessed David Bowie perform live. Still blown away all these years later.
Love David Bowie, thanks for reacting to him. Try an 80s song of Bowie next, “Let’s Dance” is great!
One of the all time greats.
My favorite Bowie song will always be Lazarus. It truly was a sad masterpiece when you think about the fact that it was one of his final songs and what that meant with the lyrics.
When I was a kid in the Chicago area, back in the 60's, I used to manage to stay up until midnight on Saturday and listen to the Midnight Special radio program, where I first heard David Bowie playing this song. I was blown away and became an instant fan.
*Don't forget to listen to the **_studio version_** of this song, and others.*
To be sure, David Bowie was a hell of a performer and gave his audiences amazing shows to absorb into their souls.
But he chose and selected every bit of the sounds he recorded and manipulated and re-recorded and layered and then re-re-recorded in order to achieve exactly the sounds he wanted the listener to experience.
That was/is the introductory version for most of the public.
That is the version that we first heard on the radio and fell in love with.
That is the version that was on the records that we as fans sought out bought, so we could play the song(s) we fell in love with over and over again at will.
For most performers it was after their songs became hits on the radio that they took them on tour. It was then that we went to the concerts and heard the songs live and cheered and sang along with the band, who were not always the same performers as on the record.
Some times, unfortunately, we were disappointed with the live performances of our favorite songs, preferring the studio version instead.
He was such a legend, R.I.P
Well, now you have to do "Major Tom" by Peter Schilling. As for the next David Bowie song, I'm thinking "Ashes to Ashes" or "Modern Love." He has so many wonderful songs and personas.
four... three...two... one... *earth below us, drifting falling*
Modern Love liking that suggestion 👍
It has to be the German version with subs tho, it's much better than the English version. (same goes for Nena's 99 red balloons vs 99 luftballons which is so much better in the original version as well)
Second the motion for "Coming Home." The next Bowie song should be "This Is Not America" (title theme from the film, Falcon And The Snowman).
Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield performed this on the ISS. Amazingly cool.
To everyone: if you haven’t yet try listening to the version off “puddles pity party” of this song, really amazing.
All of Puddles' covers are amazing
I couldn't even imagine MrLboyd trying to react to a Puddles cover of a song that he has already heard. Because even if you've heard the original, you haven't heard Puddles.
Agreed! Also when actual astronaut Chris Hadfield sang the song while in actual space... chef's kiss. ruclips.net/video/KaOC9danxNo/видео.html
In another post someone mentioned Life On Mars, and I mentioned that Puddles did an AMAZING cover of that song. I completely forgot to mention his cover of
Space Oddity (Maj.Tom)!!
I am so glad to meet fellow Puddles fans on here. He is such an incredible performer! 🤡
@@DanPyjamas AGREE! 👍
I have forgotten the double entendre of "Planet Earth is blue". That was very insightful, and part of the reason why I search for reactions.
I enjoyed this reaction and hope you enjoy the rest of Bowie's life and discography for years to come.
Canadian Astronaut Chris Hatfield took his guitar to the International Space Station and preformed this song while floating in 0 G. Very cool.
Never really listened to his music nor did i know he was a singer in terms of the music industry at the time, i just remember when he played in the movie Labyrinth.
That's really what i remember about him.
Iconic song from an iconic artist 🖤
the lead guitarist is adrian belew, former guitarist / vocalist of king crimson (1981-2013). this rendition is wonderful from the sound and vision tour, just before he joined King Crimson.
Another fantastic song by Bowie is Ziggy Stardust. Highly recommended it
This is definitely a fantastic song. One of the few songs I have all the lyrics memorized.
He was so beautiful it makes my heart break. So lucky to grow up with him, so devastated he had to leave us.
Interesting seeing a live version but the studio version is definitely the bomb!
Well, my doodle dog is named Ziggy Stardust, so needless to say, this makes me happy.
Bowie is my 2nd favorite artist of all time! Glad you are getting around to him!
As an introduction to him, I would obviously curate you some of his bigger more classic material such as Fame, Young Americans, Rebel Rebel, Ziggy Stardust, Heroes, Wild Is The Wind, Let's Dance, Ashes to Ashes, Golden Years, China Girl, and Lazarus.
Once you get past some of those, I'd love to direct you to some of my personal favorites which are deeper cuts.
life on mars is my favourite bowie song.
There is a "sequel" to this song, made by Peter Schilling, "Major Tom Coming Home." When David Bowie left Major Tom he was lost in space. Now through some miracle, he is coming home. Pretty special.
This song was released to radio stations and as a single just 5 days before the Apollo 11 mission took off for the moon. It was recorded earlier in the year. So while many people tie it directly to the moon landing mission, in actuality it had nothing to do with it. The song is more influenced by the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey that hit theaters in 1968. Hence the title, Space Oddity. However, this song and Elton John's Rocket Man have become symbols of a sort for space missions since.
If you're looking for something else to explore by David Bowie, I would suggest Ziggy Stardust. David went so far as to create a persona around the song, which in itself has been debated as being a tribute to Jimi Hendrix. Jimi died just short of two years prior to Ziggy Stardust's release. Other great tunes to check out are Ashes to Ashes, Golden Years (which I'm sure you will recognize by the few times it's been sampled), Changes, or Heroes.
The BBC picked it up for their coverage and it really propelled Bowie into the public's consciousness.
The lyrics feel to me more based on the Mercury Seven than the moon landing
@@judedornisch4946 Oh, this I did not know... and it makes sense as to why it became associated with launches and the like.
@@omalleycaboose5937 Indeed. I've discussed this same point before, focusing on the old Mercury and Gemini missions of the early 60s.
According to Bowie a few years before his death, he and members of his band went to see 2001: A Space Odyssey to help get over the gloom of the previous record kind of flopping. He couldn't get some of the notions of the movie out of his head and began writing Space Oddity a few days later in an attempt to capture some of those ideas. The circuit dying, the celebrity status of the astronauts, the ship knowing where to go, floating helplessly in a "tin can" (which is how one of the astronauts in the film described the exploration pods that the main character was trapped inside for a while).
Flight of the choncords did a parody of this song called "bowie's in space". It's hilarious
Thats messed up that youve never heard this song by such an amazing music icon. Thanks for sharing a classic.
Under pressure. Bowie with Queen. Two legends one amazing song.
I never met Bowie, and yet I miss him terribly
There are those people/musicians like Prince, Johnny Cash, etc who you can enjoy no matter what type of music you prefer. Bowie is one of those musicians.
David Bowie had a lot of good albums and tons of good songs. Heroes, Changes, Memory of a Free Festival, Five Years, and Ziggy Stardust are some of my favorites. Blackstar and Lazarus from his final album (especially with their videos) are also must listens.
☮️💙💙💙miss him!!
Yeah, Major Tom just floats off into space , never to be seen again! 🎇
Is that firework emoji supposed to look like a Blackstar? Well played!
Lovely version 💛
You need to see the official video of this which includes the studio recording. A VERY much younger Bowie. No comparison. The song is about his inner journey as much as it is about space.
Wow! I just realised that's Adrian Belew from King Crimson on lead guitar. Googled it and sure enough.
Incidentally, there's a Nine Inch Ͷails song called The Great Below, which features Belew doing a painfully beautiful lament on guitar.
I came here looking to confirm that I saw him in the video.
I remember as a kid listening to this song from one of my parents' CDs and developing a fear of being lost in space; this song was great, but so sad! Also discovered Labyrinth playing on TV around that time, so then I had even more songs to enjoy! I probably would still want "As the World Falls Down" played at my wedding.
Thank goodness I'm not the only one who developed a fear of free floating in space because of this song! 😆
Let's Dance.
“Put on your red shoes and dance the blues…” 😉
Yes! Great choice
The song has a different meaning. Major Tom was a junkie. This is about shooting up heroin. There was a follow-up song to this called ashes to ashes. They said everyone knows major Tom's a junkie.
Back in 1969 when this was first released (5 days before the launch of Apollo 11), the Space Race was in full effect. The line "the papers want to know whose shirt you wear..." was not a fashion statement but what country's flag is on your shirt.
This is a song everyone needs to hear. It is such a classic … so timeless.
It is an earworm for sure. It might take days to get it out of your head … sorry! LOL
Great song!!!
Love the black and white retrospective, it's way better than what most reactors do when they just clip and paste the moment at the beginning of their video giving things away.
I agree ..@ J.R. Steel...
love the reactioin completely understand, but yes enjoy the studio version .....Not to be missed in life . that is all.
You should definitely do "ashes to ashes" next if you want to continue to go down the David Bowie rabbit hole.
How have you lived without ever hearing Bowie before -_____-
This song is absolutely beautiful. I will say, however, that it gave me a fear of space and of being lost or free floating in space. Whenever I see that in a movie, I get heart palpitations because of this song. A lot of people find different meanings in Major Tom, either he's a heroin addict and this is all a metaphor, or that Major Tom ended his life by disconnecting his line, or that there was a catastrophic accident. However you interpret this, it's amazing.
It's so difficult for new David Bowie listeners to pinpoint him, and I believe that is because he was so fluid and always evolving - but he was ALWAYS relevant. Through all of his style changes, he consistently managed to capture the feeling of RIGHT NOW.
LOVE the shirt man
Bowie references Major Tom again in Ashes to Ashes, then one final time in Lazarus. Pete Shelley did a response song to this in the 80's, Major Tom.
Would love to see Starman or The Man Who Sold the World , keep up the great work Sir
Welcome to the BEST SINGER of thee 70's,80's,90's... Hell the time he has been alive.... and he is FAR better then Prince or anything really IMO.
This summer it's 53 years since this song was released. Just a few days before Apollo 11 took off for the first moon landing.
Rarely post comments. Spiders from mars .. or Life on mars.. Love both and more commercial.
You should follow this up with "Starman" and "Ashes to Ashes", then "Ziggy Stardust", "Changes", "Young Americans", "Modern Love"...there really isn't anything bad down the Bowie rabbit hole!
Perfect timing!!!✌💜
Under Pressure is a great song too!
Major Tom has become a song celebrity, appearing in such songs as:
David Bowie - Space Oddity
David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes
David Bowie - Black Star
The Tea Party - Empty Glass
Sheryl Crow/William Shatner - Mrs. Major Tom
Peter Schilling - Major Tom
Suffragette City, Changes.... you gotta discover Bowie.
First of all, I love seeing you review classic rock ‘n’ roll masterpieces. David Bowie is a great artist to review; I’d love to see more reviews of his work, particularly if you would sample from his various albums over the years. Say, the song “Fashion”, which isn’t necessarily amongst Bowie’s greatest songs, but given we have access to video medium here on RUclips. Now, commenters here are talking about the importance of hearing the studio version on this song. I want to make the additional point that in the case of David Bowie, his intention through visual presentation in performance and video, where he elected to release one, is an important component of the art piece. Not to say the music does not stand on its own, nor that he did not intend it to, it most certainly does. In fact, the meaning of the song might be more quickly apparent as heard as a single on the radio at the time, without distraction of any visual. For example, it’s quite clear that something has gone wrong and communication with earth base has broken down. We know what happens after that, Bowie doesn’t need to tell us. You can feel that more if you just listen to the song without breaks to comment. Perhaps a good approach would be to listen to the whole song without breaking to comment and then listen a second time with breaks to discuss interpretation. My main point though, for this particular work it would’ve been much better to see Bowie performing it in full costume and stage design at the time he presented it to the world. Even the official video, though not a stage performance, is helpful because we get to see personal artistic persona at the time. There are other songs for which the actual video is critical to see, especially since music videos were so uncommon then. As I mentioned, the song “Fashion”. To not view and comment on that at least as a part of a review of that song would be an absolute crime. I understand a RUclips reviewer/reactor has got limitations for what he can show his clips.
Yeah, so fashion would be a great song to review. Disco/punk era, some post modern performance art thrown in, it’s a great video.
The whole Ziggy Star Dust album is worth a listen!R.I.P The Goblin King.
Great reaction. Great song. I love live versions too, but for this one I 100% recommend taking a listen with headphones and the original recording. Really, really great work with the stereo mix. Groundbreaking IMO.
I think you'd like one of Bowie's last videos, Where Are We Now. Beautiful and poignant.
I recommend the Chris Hadfield cover of Space Oddity.
I tried looking up what inspired this song apparently it was written after David Bowie saw the move the Space Oddesy
I wish this had "live version" in the title, save me some time.
Ashes to ashes is the sequel to this song and many believe Darkstar recorded shortly before David Bowie's death was the final of the series. Not sure if these are songs that should be reactioned but you should definitely check it out.
Once again you should hear the Studio version.
The David Bowie song "Ashes To Ashes" is a sequel to this song.
I love almost all Bowie but my favorite is still "Life On Mars"
Hmm... i got hooked on this song from "the secret lufe of walter mitty" and i never thought of the earth as sad, but it is, might take a few more listens to recover🤣
"Starman" or "Life On Mars".
Would love it if you did an entire album. "Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust". Or my favorite, "Hunky Dory". No matter. Both are epic
Col. Chris Hadfield made a cover video of this song recorded on the I.S.S. so good
Yeah, in the song the we don't know what all short out in major Tom's ship and he drifts off into space. And, oddly, it's one of at least 2 songs about a space tragedy (and I don't remember the first).
2001: A Space Odyssey film had just came out. Was a psychedelic hit.
The next Bowie you might want to have a listen to is Ashes to ashes. He mentions Major Tom again and this time it's a reference to drugs. Now another thing about Bowie is that almost every single album Bowie has released...there's mention of an Alien or outer space which connects everything back to his Ziggy Stardust days. Songs like Life on Mars, Loving the alien, Blackstar, Hallo Spaceboy, I took a trip on a gemini spaceship, Law (Earthlings on fire) and many others.
I LOVE Life on Mars.
Puddles Pity Party does an incredible cover of that song.
All Bowie is good Bowie
One of the oddities about "Space Oddity" is that it has a sequel/tribute penned and recorded by a different musician. Peter Schilling is an Austrian musician whose biggest hit, "Major Tom (Coming Home)" came out in 1983. It hit #14 in the US and #1 in Canada, Switzerland, and Austria. An outstanding 80s hit, telling the story more directly than Bowie ("Back at ground control There is a problem. Go to rockets full. Not responding. Hello, Major Tom, Are you receiving? Turn the thrusters on. We're standing by. There's no reply.")
Peter Schilling is german, not austrian.
I wish I had a better understanding of the idea of singers having a particular stage persona when I first became aware of Bowie as an artist. Most of my life I saw only "Ziggy Stardust" when I thought of Bowie. I was not ignorant of the strangeness of the world when I grew up in the 60's and 70's but I did have a _somewhat_ sheltered childhood. I always saw a "freaky", androgynous, glam-rocker rather than an accomplished and interesting musician, because I never looked beyond that surface that I first saw in that persona. I thought that image, intended to be an alter-ego, actually WAS him. Though I always liked his music I had a very shallow view of him as a real person. Only in the 10 years or so before his death did it finally penetrate my thick skull that those old images _were_ a persona - and one he had long since passed by in favor of other stage personas and new directions for his always-brilliant music.
Not the version I would have requested.
He's not talking about space men.
This is a tune about an LSD tripper and his friend "sitter". His "ground control". :)
If you're looking for Space Travel inspired music. Try The Final Countdown by the band EUROPE in 1986
For some reason every time I hear this song I have a need to listen to Apollo 9 from Adam Ant afterwards.
You should check out "Coward of the county" by Kenny Rogers. Country legend and one of his most famous / heart wrenching songs
It's also worth listening to the song Major Tom by Peter Schilling, which is about the same character.
Nice, keep it up!
Ashes to Ashes next!!! Get a little more tea on Major Tom
Fun fact: This song was released on July 11, 1969. Mankind did not land on the moon for the first time until July 20, 1969. When the song was written and recorded, we'd never walked on the moon.
Potentially walked on the moon
If you want to know what happened to Maj. Tom You'll have to watch the video for "Blackstar." There is no live performance of it since it was one of the last things Bowie gave us before he left the planet.
You need to check out the song "Magic Dance" its from the movie Labyrinth. I belive he sung most if not all the songs for the movie
David Bowie was the white Prince, and Prince was the black David Bowie... In that they both had this other worldly quality to them that made them seem somehow eternal... and then we lost them both within days of each other. Tragic.