Simon Critchley at The Guardian:
Beginning with the Anglicanism of St Mary’s Church in Bromley, where Bowie sang in the choir, continuing with his immersion in Tibetan Buddhism in the late 1960s and on to the occultism of Aleister Crowley, Ormerod unpacks the religious preoccupations of Bowie’s art in compelling prose. But still, it all seems rather straightforward and the little stabs at philosophy (Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and so on) feel a tiny bit Wiki.
But the book takes on a growing velocity when analysing Bowie’s later work, particularly in the chapter on Heathen (I’ve not read anything as good on that album). This momentum develops into fine, detailed discussions of The Next Day and Blackstar, and also Lazarus, his stunning final experiment with musical theatre. What makes these sections so good is that Ormerod deals with Bowie as text; as the occasion for close reading, which I think is what his work, like all good art, deserves.
more here.
Enjoying the content on 3QD? Help keep us going by donating now.