David Bowie (September 2, 1978) – NME Consumer’s Guide to David Bowie – Part One: Pin Ups
This New Musical Express issue from September 2 1978 features David Bowie on the cover with the headline “Consumer’s Guide – Part One of an Eight‑Page Pull‑Out.” The feature, written by Charles Shaar Murray and Roy Carr, serves as a comprehensive retrospective of Bowie’s career, beginning with his 1973 album Pin Ups.
Publication: New Musical Express (NME) Date: 2 September 1978 Country: United Kingdom
The cover presents Bowie in a striped shirt and polka‑dot tie, laughing mid‑conversation — a candid, humanizing image that contrasts with his usual stylized portraits. Inside, the multi‑page feature titled “The NME Consumer’s Guide to David Bowie” opens with a full‑page spread of Bowie in a leopard‑print jacket, seated confidently on a stool. The article offers an analytical overview of Bowie’s discography, tracing his evolution from glam‑rock provocateur to avant‑garde innovator.
Murray and Carr dissect each album’s musical and cultural significance, beginning with Pin Ups and continuing through his mid‑1970s output. Their writing combines critical insight with admiration, portraying Bowie as both artist and architect of modern pop identity. The feature also reflects the late‑1970s context — a period when Bowie had completed his Berlin Trilogy (Low, “Heroes”, and Lodger) and was redefining himself yet again. The Consumer’s Guide format allowed readers to revisit his catalogue as a cohesive body of work, emphasizing his constant reinvention.
CONTEXT AND NOTES
By 1978, Bowie was touring with his Stage live album and had become a global icon of artistic transformation. NME’s decision to dedicate an eight‑page pull‑out to him underscored his enduring influence on British music and culture.
The feature’s tone — part critical essay, part fan guide — mirrors NME’s reputation for combining intellectual depth with pop accessibility. The layout, with dense columns of text and bold graphic headers, typifies the publication’s late‑1970s design aesthetic.
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
Event: NME cover and multi‑page retrospective on David Bowie’s career Era: 1978 – Post‑Berlin Trilogy / Stage Tour Era Tone: Analytical, celebratory, and archival Photography:
Cover: Black‑and‑white portrait of Bowie laughing
Interior: Full‑page image of Bowie in leopard‑print jacket
WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS
NME cover featuring Bowie’s Consumer’s Guide headline
Two‑page spread introducing Part One: Pin Ups
Detailed critical commentary on Bowie’s albums and artistic legacy
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