Tracklist:

1. Rebel Rebel
2. Life on Mars?
3. Starman
4. Ziggy Stardust
5. Lady Stardust
6. Changes
7. Oh! You Pretty Things
8. Rock N' Roll Suicide
9. Sufraggette City
10. Five Years
11. Queen Bitch
12. When I Live My Dream
13. Quicksand
14. Team Zissou

It has often been said that David Bowie made the mistake of being too good too soon. In three years beginning in 1970 he released no fewer than five masterpieces at a time when most popular music would go on to be referred to as “classic rock” and enjoyed largely by people who own at least one vehicle adorned with the Confederate flag. But Bowie has always managed to escape that deadly distinction—perhaps because his androgynous alter-ego was too weird for most listeners or perhaps because his music was timeless and did not require such a classification.

What’s more likely, though, is that Bowie’s music has escaped categorization by remaining in a state constant flux since 1973. Since David Bowie hit his stride in 1970 with The Man Who Sold The World, we’ve dealt with both good-Bowie and bad-Bowie. In that same 30 year span, we’ve only dealt with bad Rolling Stones. So it’s peculiar that in 2005, those dinosaurs are selling seats for $450 to fans who, like the band, haven’t changed since 1968. Meanwhile, appearing on stage with David Bowie has become an increasingly important rite of passage for indie rock’s latest and greatest, and Bowie is perhaps more strikingly relevant in 2005 than at any other point during his career.

This latest “Bowie Renaissance” is thanks in large part to director Wes Anderson. When word broke that the soundtrack to his 2004 effort The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou would consist entirely of Portuguese-language David Bowie covers, interest in the movie was piqued and it looked as if another Great Moment In Hipsterdom was fast approaching on the horizon. But when the movie came and went to mixed reactions all around, moviegoers and listeners alike gathered whatever positives they could discern from the whole experience. Among them: the realization that David Bowie is clearly some kind of fucking genius.

In the process, Brazilian pop craftsman Seu Jorge was thrust emphatically into the role of Bowie prophet and is unlikely to escape that designation for as long as he lives. The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions comes at the pinnacle of that popularity and reminds us that maybe momentary notoriety is not such a bad thing after all. Besides, fame is still fame is still fame—even if it only lasts for fifteen minutes (34 minutes Brazilian fame at the present rate of exchange).

Pulled mostly from Hunky Dory and The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars, the thirteen covers featured on Sessions are given preferential treatment. Jorge remains true to the melodies that made the original versions so transcendent, often reducing them down to their basics and emphasizing certain melodic devices where they might have otherwise been obscured by the mix.

As a result, songs like “Rebel Rebel” may actually be better than the originals. “Life on Mars” scales back the grandiose orchestration of the Hunky Dory version while still building to a sweeping chorus that is every bit as amazing.

“Starman,” arguably Bowie’s single most influential song and highlight of Ziggy Stardust, is similarly a highlight on Sessions. Jorge’s gentle vocals and attention to melody here make the song work without the electric guitar that serves as a memorable centerpiece in the original.

Other songs, particularly Hunky Dory’s “Changes” and “Queen Bitch,” don’t fare quite as well in their acoustic translations. Now, I don’t know whether that’s Jorge’s fault or not – it doesn’t seem like “Changes” should even be possible for one person cover, in theory – but it’s missteps like these that keep this album from being an unequivocal success.

With The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions, Seu Jorge calls attention to all of Bowie’s strengths and none of his weaknesses. It is a tribute of the highest sorts – one that reminds us that Bowie writes perhaps a better chorus than any other musician of the 20th century (even you, Robert Pollard). Above all else, it’s a reminder that Bowie is arguably the most influential musician of the last 35 years. But that’s been true all along, really. We were just waiting for someone to spell it out for us in Portuguese.

This entry was posted on Friday, December 16th, 2005 at 10:00 am and is filed under Record Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Edit this entry.