93 - D

I still find it hard to believe that David Bowie is no longer with us, yet in two days it will be 5 years since he died. As I type this, BBC4 are showing an evening of programmes about D, which are both so wonderfully brilliant and incredibly sad. The former because, well... it's D, and he was wonderfully brilliant. The latter because it does remind us of that brilliance, and how it was ended five years ago.

And the thing is, actually, when you look back at D's wide range of music I would imagine there are few people who actually adore everything he did. Eclectic is probably the best word to describe him. So many different style over the years. 

I look back and I have a very hard time trying to think what my favourite D song is. I mean, I instantly think of Heroes, and think that must be his best. Then I think of Starman, or Ziggy Stardust, or Let's Dance, or I'm Deranged, or Absolute Beginners, or Jump, They Say, or Hallo Spaceboy, or Where Are We Now?... i should stop here as this paragraph could end up being a list of dozens of D songs...

...and I didn't even mention Under Pressure. 

I think the saddest thing about Under Pressure is that Freddie and David never performed it live on stage together. It was a core part of Queen's set, and Freddie and co sang it live many times. Apparently the very first time D sang it live on stage was at Freddie's memorial concert when Freddie's part was taken by Annie Lennox who does a decent job of filling in for Freddie. 

A better job was done on stage by Gail Ann Dorsey, whose performance you can hear (and see) on D's Glastonbury 2000 set. It's a terrific performance, and one of the jewels in a career spanning set that's full of great songs. Everyone should experience it at least once. I've seen/watched it several times. 

The world is a poorer place without him in it...