Turns out that the 'injured shoulder' that caused the cancellation of his tour dates was actually an acute heart condition that required emergency surgery. I'll let someone else create a pun out of his 'The Heart's Filthy Lesson'...
BTW, I suppose it might be an idea for those participating in the oh-so-tasteful Totodeath and still taking an interest in it to cut & paste their coupons to this thread...
Considering that Bowie has done mountains of cocaine (albeit largely in the 70s) and still, I think, smokes and drinks, I suppose that's a contributory factor. It takes its toll on the best of us, unfortunately. Hopefully he'll be around for many years to come. The guy's a genius in my opinion.
I read with derision recently the gormless mewlings of Tim Willis (author of 'Madcap: the Half-Life of Syd Barrett') who basically said in no uncertain terms that Bowie's near-40 year career covering most genres of popular music was reducible in its entirety to Barrett's 5 minutes of psychedelic thrashes and nursery rhyme freak-outs with Pink Floyd and couple of bonkers, low-key solo albums (apparently on the sole basis that Barrett was a bit camp and played music in a band). Willis was paid handsomely for his work apparently...
Don't get me wrong - I LOVE Syd! Other than s_@gging a really fit bird or winning the National Lottery, I can think of few things I'd rather do than spot Syd riding his bike in Cambridge.
Syd was a genius I reckon. Piper at the Gates of Dawn is an all-time classic and some of his solo songs are extraordinary - 'Terrapin', 'Golden Hair', 'No Good Trying' for instance...brilliant.
And let's not forget - Syd ingested truly awesome quantities of LSD. His peer group of trippers would often spike his morning coffee (considered relatively harmless japery in '67). There came a point when plucky Syd didn't have a clue whether he was awake or dreaming. Hardly surprising he went mad as an orange. Syd's a legend - but Willis's assertion that an artist as talented as Bowie is nothing more than a Syd aper is absolutely pathetic journalism.
I'm not sure about Barrett being a genius. Admittedly I haven't heard his solo stuff so can't comment on that but a lot of piper at the gates... seems to be verging on dirge. To me I can think of others who deserve the moniker genius over him. Although that's just my opinion.
After a series of injuries, which had seen him demoted to the position of unoffical touchline celebrator for Chelsea (in the same way that David May was Manchester United's touchline celebrator for many seasons - most impressively at the Champions League final), Mario Stanic has finally called time on his playing career. At this most emotional of times, I can only think to console him with the following words - "You wouldn't have got in the team anyway".
quote: I'm not sure about Barrett being a genius. a lot of piper at the gates... seems to be verging on dirge.
I think the best songs are 'Matilda Mother', 'Flaming' ("Lying on an Eiderdown..."), 'The Gnome', 'Scarecrow' and 'Bike'.
quote: Admittedly I haven't heard his solo stuff so can't comment on that
Barrett wrote 2 seminal post-Floyd albums - 'The Madcap Laughs' and 'Barrett' (both from 1970 I think). But I recommend the 'Best of' of 2002 which has the best of both albums and a little more besides. Strongly recommended to any fan of decent music (totally, totally different to 'Piper').
Check out a song called 'Here I Go'. The myth is that Syd wrote it completely spontaneously in the studio there and then as it's recorded. It's the sound of genius at work in my lowly opinion.
Sporting director at Minardi f1 team and partner of Itv's Louise Goodman. Suffered a heart attack on tuesday morning and passed away on Friday. Was aged 46.
European Champions 2004= Greece. Karagounis' team. Enough said.
Actor and former wrestler, most famous for starring in Auf Wiedershen, Pet (plus A Clockwork Orange, a James Bond film and three Indiana Jones movies) aged 67.
Paul Foot, investigatiive journalist and all round hero. Involved in all manner of campaigns against injustice and state corruption. A great loss to British society.
quote:Originally posted by Sir George: Paul Foot, investigatiive journalist and all round hero. Involved in all manner of campaigns against injustice and state corruption. A great loss to British society.
RIP to a man who reconciled the virtually irreconcilable - integrity and journalism.
Very bad news about Paul Foot. I've been away for a few weeks (holiday) but am saddened to see John Barron has died - played CJ in the Rise and Fall of Reggie Perrin.
