Expert: Laura Brierley - 8/6/2005

Question
Hi, thank you for your response!
Can you comment on David Bowie's creativity in genereal? What you think are his most creative endeavours?

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Followup To
Question -
Hi!
I was wondering what connection there is regarding the film Velvet Goldmine to David Bowie. Some of this film seems to follow the course of his life (right down to the haircut), however there are some parts that just dont fit.
Is there a connection with this film? Has Bowie ever mentioned this film himself? What are your views on this topic?
Thanks!
Answer -
The film is said to have been based upon his life broadly but I believe he refused to acknowledge this or allow his songs on the soundtrack - he certainly doesn't endorse it as a biography of himself but I think he was certainly a huge inspiration for the plot - having seen the film myself, I agree there are striking similarities (especially with Angie his wife)but it is not a strict re-enactment.  

Answer
I would say that creativity and curiosity are what drives Bowie to do what he does - he has said in the past that he feels the need to create music and so on and Iman has commented that his overwhelming curiosity about many things are where he derives inspiration from.  He has expressed himself in many forms - music, acting, painting and so on - the fact that he hasn't stopped at any point despite his fame and fortune, and the music that he creates (i.e. what he wants to, not what people want/trends) shows that he does so as a need in himself, not for any other motive - it's all about the art (not that he doesn't have a keen eye for the commercial side of things, as Bowienet etc will illustrate clearly).

His most creative endeavours are probably his more recent albums - certainly "Outside", which couldn't be less generally commercial in its dark and complex plot, "Hours", which is clearly a labour of love for him and certainly "Heathen", a masterpiece regonised amongst his fans if not by the public at large.  His least creative works are, as he admits, "Tonight" and "Never Let Me Down", where he produced not what he wanted to but what he perceived as the public's wants - this accounts for the poor quality of the album's material compared with other works.  His art is well worth researching and can be found on the internet via fansites or his own official site.