ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS ----------------------------------------
On July 3, 1973, androgynous glam-rocker David Bowie surprised his fans and his band with the pronouncement that this would be his final show. Of course Bowie performed again, but never as "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars."
Documentarian D. A. Pennebaker ("Don't Look Back") was at the Hammersmith Odeon in London those last two nights to make a 30 minute series special. Once made privy to Bowie's surprise, however, he decided to shoot a feature film on the fly. While the rough and tumble nature of this hastily planned shoot shows, it is still an amazing document of a rock icon in his early days and one of the first concert films.
We find Bowie backstage, attempting to decipher a contract at the age of 26. "This is written in code" says the man who will become one of rock's saviest businessmen and Internet Service Provider. Angela Bowie makes a playful visit, appearing thoroughly out of place in retrospect. Later, Bowie relaxes with buddy Ringo Starr.
Bowie's guitarist Mick Ronson, who died in 1993, acts here like the forerunner
of "Kiss," a heavy metal god before his time. Pennebaker captures Ronson with the now-trademark angled below the guitar shot. It's clear why Bowie chose this moment in time to split off from Ronson, who was not prepared to transform his style, but Ronson's contributions are obvious in Pennebaker's film.
This thirtieth anniversary reissue of the legendary last "Ziggy Stardust" performance has been restored with remastered on Dolby Digital Surround 5.1, mixed by Bowie producer ("Low," "Heroes") Tony Visconti. While we can revel in the recreation of "Ziggy Stardust," "All the Young Dudes," "Space Oddity" and "Suffragette City," what truly awes in the realization of Bowie's completely mature command of both his voice and the stage so early in his career.
"Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars: The Movie" suggests influences on the show from Marlene Dietrich (whom Bowie would later star with in "Just a Gigolo") to Pinocchio, while the show itself is clearly a forerunner to "Rocky Horror."
B
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