David Bowie: (July 4, 1971) The Man Who Sold The World Album Review - Crawdaddy

Magazine Context

Crawdaddy – Page 16

July 4, 1971 

RECWORDS section

DAVID BOWIE by Patrick Salvo

Review Excerpts

Way back when, or about the time when the Cafe Wha? was really jumping with groups like the Ragamuffins, The Leaves and The Random Blues, I used to take daily strolls around the village during my break, so I could get some well-deserved sunshine. After Wesley James Sinclair, the famed comedian, had performed and just as Bill & Jill were about half way through their daily folk set, I would reach the infamous House of Oldies Record Shop.

The Review

Upon entering, I would start searching up and down through their stock of English ditties, hoping to find an obscurity (I didn’t have to send to Heanor Imports for it) saving a good 7/6 on postage.

Of course, it was usually to no avail but nonetheless it was something to do and being a confirmed misanthrope at the time, I was left with no other choice but to continue.

One day, in between The Koobas, Dave Berry, The Barron Knights, The Eyes and The Pretty Things I gazed upon an LP on the Deram label which featured on a photograph of a rather youngish, angelic, blonde haired lad who looked like either:

a) a child of Tibet

b) a cross between a very young Joe Heatherton and Tab Hunter with long hair and makeup.

c) Peter Frampton soaked in cashmere, bouquet with a hair-do that would make even Keith Richards blush. d) All of the above and more.

Album & Artist Insight

The young, child-like man was attired in a sort of greyish-blue Nehru/military outfit complete with brass buttons, on a green background with a blue border. In fact, the whole package reminded me of the movie “Privilege” and especially Paul (Steve Shorter) Jones.

Anyway the look on this boy’s face, as embossed upon the LP cover (especially his eyes and mouth) was akin to “I think I’m aware of the next twenty years but I’ll just wait it out to see if I’m right.”

Finding out later that I’ve already had most of Bowie’s overall philosophy; but when the majority of the people involved stopped working and instead of wanting to participate wanted only to be entertained, Bowie was forced to give it up.

This probably explains why he is so bitter towards the so called movement and hippies in particular. — In fact, toward all of England.

 “England and its youth are in the depths of lethargy. Yes, there was a movement but the revolution was fought on an entirely different plane...”

All magazine scans, photographs, and original text excerpts referenced in this entry remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non-commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.