From A To Ziggy — Alphabetical David Bowie: Recent Episodes
Thomas Butler and Travis Woods
“In other words, Fame” In this episode, Travis and Thomas discuss the fame machine and a place where everybody knows your name.
Concert report! In this special bonus episode, Travis and Thomas discuss a night of Celebrating David Bowie (a.k.a. A David Bowie Celebration)!
“Destruction for the sake of destruction…” Today West Anthony joins us to discuss the Bush administration, Trump, and our song today: “Fall Dog Bombs The Moon!” Have a listen to West’s film music podcast Musical Notation (@notationpod) and follow him on Twitter @drwestanthony!
“This is a fecund track.” We talk eyebrows, a guitar shaped like oneself, and Six Degrees of Dave Grohl. Plus, Thomas forgets Richard Hatch’s name (and his role on the original Battlestar Galactica). Did you miss us? Don’t worry, “Everything’s Alright!”
“Duck Tales is the kid-friendly version of Indecent Proposal” David Bowie schools us on class warfare, trickle-down economics, and irresponsible child-rearing. Eighty-six that smile, you; we’ll give you something to “’87 and Cry” about!
“Needles everywhere!” Plenty of tactful cactus innuendo as we discuss David Bowie’s “Eight Line Poem.”
“After you get your hands on duck weed, everything makes you quack up.” What do gorilla drummers, Northeastern kids, and flat adverbs have in common? They’re all utterly unrelated to David Bowie’s “The Drowned Girl!”
“Kids love Deliverance.” Why does David Bowie looks so disappointed on this album cover? Plus Jagger stag films, and more post-apocalyptic stuff! Keep your weekend open, because we’re going to the “Drive-In Saturday!”
“The precursor to the running man.” Boy bands entrancing you with ridiculous dance moves? Can’t help getting force-fed by a post-apocalyptic raven militia? Wake up! You’re one of “The Dreamers!”
“A nice bluesy jam between two slices of hippy bread.” When David Bowie presents a song with a message and values we stand for, we “Don’t Sit Down!”
“A mystery wrapped in an enigma stuffed inside a turducken.” David Bowie goes reggae, a genre we both gush over. In fact we mostly talk about that, but “Don’t Look Down” on us, because we also discuss this song!
“Cheddar and synthesizers.” David Bowie ramps up the 80’s cheese & cheese. Get ready for some slow jam & jams. But whatever you do & do, “Don’t Let Me Down & Down!”
“On the floor in your man cave is not classy enough to go French on.” What kind of pillows are these for my David Bowie man cave? I asked for horse hair! “Don’t Bring Me Down!” PS: Thomas is totally serious about changing his name if you send him stuff.
“Fun with homophones!” Life not making cents? Currency-vents giving you banksiety? Have some Denver mint tea, settle up, and take an interest in “Dollar Days!”
“Orwell, that’s life.” Totalitarianism, your permanent record, and you. Didn’t hear it from us, but you will on this episode: it’s “Dodo!”
“Kinda pathetic, really.” Three Ninjas, young David Bowie goes emo (again), and Dusty Springfield chimes in! Want us to talk about these things and more? Sure, we’ll “Do Anything You Say!”
“Mouth love songs. And songs love mouth.” What do bottled water facts and mouth-love playlists have in common? They’re both explored—thoroughly (for that’s our way)—in our episode on “The Dirty Song!”
“Kinda old-timey danger” A gang of James Cagney-like street toughs visits the library. And just how polite are Canadian drug dealers? Take a powder, bluenose; we’re running with the “Dirty Boys!”
“The hero is a guy named Hugh.” Places to go, people to see, languages to speak! “Did You Ever Have A Dream?”
“How better to command Hunger City than astride my tiny horse!” Before Cat People, David Bowie brought us dog people, tiny horses, the whole apocalyptic menagerie. Keep cool, Adam and Mike return for “Diamond Dogs!”
“There’d just been a war, so you had to make riffs last.” Mike and Adam return to discuss Neil Young, Jimmy Page, and low-budget gangster flicks starring David Bowie. Let us dance, dance, dance, like a “Dead Man Walking!”
“It’s like Aqua tried to write an indie record.” Join guests Adam and Mike from Breaking Glass — The Bowie Catalog to decide whether we support this David Bowie song or we’re “Dead Against It!”
“Some good old-fashioned dwelling.” David Bowie really knows how to bum us out. No matter; we could talk about his songs all the “Days” of our lives!
“Like the Energizer Bunny but with an 80’s guitar instead of drums.” Ready for another episode? We’re talking about David Bowie “Day-In Day-Out!”
“So 80’s” David Bowie brings his friends Carlos and Iggy. Now we’re “Dancing With The Big Boys!”
“What if the dog knows all languages but can only speak in Dog…?” Deep and important themes are revealed—something like religion—in our close reading of David Bowie’s “Dancing Out In Space!”
“Like Pacino and De Niro doing Gone Fishin’.” David Bowie and Mick Jagger dispense questionable advice, but we follow them anyway and go “Dancing In The Street!”
“He was in a pretty fowl mood….” We join David Bowie in vehemently rejecting all things swan and opposing the agenda of the “Cygnet Committee!”
“For fifteen seconds it’s like watching Twin Peaks.” David Bowie travels to Japan to star in commercials. Trusted soft drink companies make dodgy new product choices. And MTV VJs are collected like Pokémon. In these times, why not enjoy the cool, refreshing taste of “Crystal Japan!”
“Less dance.” Did David Bowie forsake some of his fans by backpedalling about his sexuality? Which artists are allowed to change the lyrics to songs? The wrong words make us listen in this “Criminal World!”
“Second/early third act of any E! True Hollywood Story” David Bowie brings Ziggy to La-la-land, encounters an agent of The World’s Oldest Profession™, and stars in a couple films to become a “Cracked Actor!”
“I don’t believe that Nancy Reagan ever smoked crack.” We discuss Reagan’s drug problem, bicycle seat fetishes, and false endings. Plus yet another Beck tangent, and David Bowie’s best worst lyric. You can find it all here in “Crack City!”
“It’s like the end of The Sopranos.” All we are saying is give “Conversation Piece” a chance!
“The 1960s equivalent of a Mumford and Sons song…” It’s a hard life out there in the Ye Olde English countryside, so quit playing with your thumb wounds, let Father have the soup rock, and “Come And Buy My Toys!”
“Bludgeon them both with a doo-dah horn.” We talk unreliable lyrics sites, peculiar respiratory afflictions, and the folly of forming a band with your significant other in “Ching-A-Ling!”
We can’t escape this feeling that this song’s a little racist—and not in a good way. Guest Abby drops in to help us decide on “China Girl!”
“Corrupting young children for 15 years” Hey, could you lower us a blanket? It’s “Chilly Down” here!
“Reveling in the dystopia…” Get those old bones a-shakin’ and a-movin’ with “Chant Of The Ever-Circling Skeletal Family.”
“Cat People is an erotic thriller in the same way Caligula is a historical epic.” Today we discuss a song (and the remake of a song) that’s the theme to a movie that’s a remake of another movie. We also discuss the movie (the remake, not the original). Also Australian music, hipster fire departments, and explosive guitar … Continue reading "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)"
“I feel like there’s an episode of Saved By The Bell like that.” It’s August, and you know what that means. “Candied Dates!” Mmm… (It’s the demo version of “Candidate” today, folks.)
“Binders full of sets…” Looking for a David Bowie song to analyze? We present you with a “Candidate!”
“The mid-60’s DB equivalent to the sad piano music at the end of The Incredible Hulk.” Can’t help listening to the show? Good, because we can’t help talking about “Can’t Help Thinking About Me!”
“This is single entendre, this song.” Can you hear us talk about “Can You Hear Me?” Here you can!
“I don’t believe that you’re right. But I believe that you believe that you’re right.” Have your fare ready and don’t look strangers in the eye, because today we’re at the “Bus Stop!”
“It has something to do with disco.” Hey! I’ll bring you this episode if you “Bring Me The Disco King.”
“The perfect DVD menu song” Pick up your koto, put on your kimono, ’cause we’re gonna go-go on a “Brilliant Adventure!” #NotYaphet
“When the Grateful Dead covered this, it was a four-minute song.” Is it a wedding? A bar fight? Who cares! Any excuse is good enough for “Breaking Glass!”
“Fun novelty songs that make you think!” Strike seven, strike eight…. In life, as in tee-ball, “Boys Keep Swinging!”
“Great mixtape material” Want us to talk more about music theory and song structure? You’re not the “Boss Of Me!” (But stick around, because this episode won’t disappoint!) Gerry Leonard discusses the chord progression
“You know, that kind of UFO.” Bowie parodies Springsteen in the style of “Weird Al” Yankovic. Hey, close the hatch! Were you “Born In A UFO?”
“If you play ‘Bombers’ backward it sounds like a weed-wacker.” It’s death, destruction, and doo-wop vocals today as we discuss “Bombers!”
“It’s Kray/Kray.” Shame, shame, shame on you if you don’t tune in for our episode on “Bleed Like A Craze, Dad.”
“Listen to it enough and the secrets of the universe will be revealed to you.” At the centre of this week, at the center of this week, we’re talking about “Blackstar!”
“This should’ve been the Get Smart theme.” Ink stain on your shirt? We’ll tell you how to get the “Blackout!”
“Cucumber and Celery crunch together in perfect harmony” Al B. Sure! to let you know how we solved race relations in our episode on “Black Tie White Noise!”
“Putting Lego bricks together to build a structure out of it—except, guitar.” You never know, we might talk about Richard Linklater movies here on “Black Country Rock!”
“He was out of town during that whole scene.” Even a glass eye in a duck’s ass can see that we’re talking about “A Big Hurt” here!
“Gold-tipped match sticks” Ignorance is strength as we try to recall that book we totally read in school and how it relates to “Big Brother!”
“It’s like Koyaanisqatsi the song.” Travis and Thomas purport to unpack the multifaceted meanings of “The Bewlay Brothers.”
“It’s optimiserable.” Today we’re talking about avant garde sax, Puff Daddy, and Dashboard Confessional. Is this still From A To Ziggy? What’s gone “Betty Wrong?”
“This is one of those episodes where there’s the potential to offend some people.” Will we have any listeners left after this episode? We can only hope for “A Better Future!”
“The Macarena that is existence.” Why should you listen to us talk about life, love, and Pete Townshend windmilling on a David Bowie song? “Because You’re Young!”
“I might just yell ‘Fetch a priest’ at work from now on.” My-my! On time it is released. Today’s episode is the “Beauty And The Beast!”
“This would be in the gritty reboot of Labyrinth.” David Bowie wants you to come out and play rhythm because he likes the “Beat Of Your Drum!”
“You can’t go wrong with two shades of orange.” Save the date, folks, because David Bowie pops the big question with “Be My Wife!”
“It’s another cut-up.” The Blitz was (When we talk) a major campaign (about B) in the (we mean) “Battle For Britain (The Letter).”
“He’s like a musical salamander.” Young Davy Jones does a classic Western folk ballad—and we discuss everything from Shel Talmy to Siri—from behind the “Bars Of The County Jail!”
“This is the kind of song where cocaine gets a writing credit in the liner notes.” David Bowie Bowie makes Iggy Pop pop in his own cover cover of the song “Bang Bang!”
“He’s like an ancient version of Patti Smith.” Baal returns to sing the prelude to his own death. We also talk about the Saddest Song Ever Written™, but this episode is mostly about the Holy Holy show last week! It’s “Ballad Of The Adventurers!”
“You don’t grow into a baby, right?” Hallo humans, can you feel us thinking? Is this thing on? We’re thinking (and talking well) about Tin Machine’s “Baby Universal!”
“This is a non-mutual open relationship.” Don’t tell Baby, but she’s in an exclusive relationship with Davy Jones. “Baby Loves That Way!”
“It’s got a very different flavor from your non—Tin-Machine Bowie. Your organic, free-range Bowie.” Channeling a discussion from an alternate timeline, we discuss the sound of Tin Machine, and why this album is either a comfy reverb blanket or a sonic Magic Eye. We try (and probably fail) to be good feminists. Nobody puts us in the … Continue reading "Baby Can Dance"
“He wants the Young Bavarians.” Pull up a chair and have some vulture soup as we listen to “Baal’s Hymn!”
“It’s turning into a Dr. Dre video in here!” Is this song David Bowie’s wry commentary on the isolation of stardom and the futility of human connection? Or is it just big, dumb pop? Let’s get this show on the road! Let’s get “Atomica!”
“We’re jumping into the franchise and missing the origin story.” Do you remember a guy that’s been in a song we haven’t discussed yet? No spoilers! It’s Ashes To Ashes!
“A more commercially viable and palatable Dark Crystal” (Labyrinth tagline) We get reeeaaally distracted and talk mostly about movies and TV from our childhood. Because see there’s this movie Labyrinth about this girl who—oh! And a David Bowie song about, y’know, love and stuff. We’ll be there for you. As The World Falls Down!
“Puns within puns.” We examine a portrait piece whose name was inspired by a German pun on art deco. Our discussion of Art Decade decayed quickly, so we talk more about 1978’s Stage and live recordings in general. Also a moral diatrabe about audience etiquette at concerts. #cagethefreebird (Also, hashtags are obnoxious.)
We can talk anyhow (and get along) If we can only remember the name of this song. Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere!
“You don’t even have to know what Andy Warhol looks like to know what Andy Warhol looks like.” The man. The myth. The legend. We discuss all things “Andy Warhol.”
“The quintessential Nice Guy(TM) song.” Our earliest David Bowie song so far, in which a lonely young man vents his frustration and blames the object of his affection for continually rejecting his advances. Just how narcissistic is this song? We calculated that for you! (Spoiler: the answer is “very.”) And we say to you, listener, join us … Continue reading "And I Say To Myself"
“And it turned out I was accidentally at a rave.” We talk about our mutual love for dub before suddenly remembering this episode is about David Bowie’s rendition of a Jacques Brel song. We then quickly derail into a polemic against accidental misogyny. Join us in a dark, dank sailor bar filled with salty seamen here in Amsterdam!
“Hey hey, it’s a tall ship” Bowie pays tribute to an obscure tragedy-beset island town. We discuss Bowie’s connection to Bali, Hugh Padgham’s reverb (not featured in this song), and how much Bowie resembles Ethan Hawke on Tin Machine II’s gatefold. Also, if you’ll be in Boston April 5, come join us at the Holy Holy show! … Continue reading "Amlapura"
“What was the Electoral College makeup of Tin Machine?” Soaring proto-alternative arena rock. Witness David Bowie inventing both Pearl Jam and Nirvana. We appeal to Kanye West to find us a bootleg video of this song. And Alicia Silverstone sky-surfs from a VR biplane. Wait, what? This song is “Amazing!”
We discuss Mott The Hoople’s most famous song. Would Bowie’s version have fit into Ziggy Stardust? Plus, how this song is like Beck’s “Loser” or Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Boogaloo, dudes! Today on From A To Ziggy!
“If our music teacher when we were in school wanted us to not dismiss recorders, they probably should’ve just played this song.” We take a long look at mental illness and Nietzsche. Also The Matrix! (But not the sequels.) Yea, into the evil! From our cellar dark and grim, join us for this episode of From A … Continue reading "All The Madmen"
“The technology doesn’t exist yet to do this song. Put it away for 18 years, and we’ll come back to it.” (not David Bowie, ca. 1976) How many saints do you get with your current provider? Not enough, you say! Want “All Saints?” Then check out From A To Ziggy!
“It’s like the Quentin Tarantino movie of piano solos.” Who will love Aladdin Sane? Find out today on From A To Ziggy!
“… And John Leguizamo in shortface.” As made famous by The Doors, Bowie takes us back to the source, reviving Lotte Lenya’s rendition of this number. The Doors made drinking sound fun before we were legally allowed to imbibe the crazy water, but Bowie’s version reminds us more of what it’s really like to be drunk. Plus we … Continue reading "Alabama Song"
“I want the montage of me turning my life around set to this song.” Pure optimism! Find out which of us is lukewarm to peppy vibrancy, and which of us hates being happy.
“Oh by jingo!” The Neverending Story is basically Crowley for six-year-olds. Speaking of not speaking of ’80s childrens’s movies, wasn’t Labyrinth great? We bring up Beatles once again, and the stylophone makes its first appearance. (Or at least Thomas thinks it does. Send corrections to podcast@fromatoziggy.com!) Travis wagers Tori Amos’ cover sounds very good, but we still … Continue reading "After All"
“David Bowie invented rap.” Don’t worry, we immediately redact that pull quote. Inspired by German airmen stationed in Kenya, Bowie does however spit anachronistic, stream-of-consciousness flow that would seem to fit just as well on Kid A as on Stankonia. We’re From A To Ziggy, and we’re here to say Subscribe on iTunes and Google Play!
“I wish I was a little bit taller…” Do you believe in Beatles, or do you just believe in John? We discuss Bowie’s ironic twist on the comforts of delusion in the face of self-doubt. We stumble through the lyrics to Skee-Lo’s 1995 hit song “I Wish.” Thomas forgets the name of Psych-101 shibboleth Maslow. (Bad college graduate!) And just … Continue reading "Afraid"
“It is David Bowie being the Bowiest he could possibly be.” Like Superman and Batman. Like Fred Flintsone and George Jetson. Like peanut butter and bananas. Seldom does a meeting of such colossal importance shake the foundations of what we previously imagined possible as when David Bowie met John Lennon. Ending our week on a high note, we discuss this epic Bowie/Lennon collaboration … Continue reading "Across The Universe"
“It was Zoobilee Zoo by way of Casablanca.” Love song or cliche? With an 80s music video like this one, who cares?! Thomas and Travis talk about the song, but also Flight of the Conchords, grunge music, a weird 80s kids’ show, S Club 7, and a rumor Thomas once heard about British cinema procedure.
“This is the first song on my David Bowie mixtape!” We discuss an obscure instrumental out-take from the “Heroes” sessions, as well as 90s electronic music, Nintendo 64, and cultural appropriation. Welcome to the show!