All I have is my love of love, and love is not loving.
Today my beloved entrée to the land of concept albums, the record whose production quality still bears the standard, the galaxy’s greatest release by a metafictional band, turns 50. Similar to past honorary breakdowns (see here and here), I now break down The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.
Song I remember thinking and talking about first: “Five Years” (bit on the nose perhaps, but such is my life—and I’ll actually have the privilege to talk about it more in a little bit, stay tuned)
Song that is underrated: “It Ain’t Easy” (fun fact—it’s a cover! he did not write it!)
Song I’ve had great fun listening to of late: “Soul Love”
Song with probably my highest listen ratio: “Suffragette City”
Songs I love to play on ukulele: “Moonage Daydream,” “Star”
Song I love to play on piano: “Lady Stardust”
Song I plan to teach the children if ever again I sub for a music class: “Starman” (who cares about a LeSsOn pLaN, Sharon, this is Education)
Song I quote most often when singing in everyday life: “Star”
Song with the greatest instrumental breaks: “Moonage Daydream”
Song I would like to sing onstage in a formal recital context, with a gown and everything: “Rock & Roll Suicide”
Song with the best narrative arc: “Ziggy Stardust”
Song that I keep learning more about and getting proportionally more attached to: “Hang On to Yourself”
Song whose production I love most for some reason even though they’re all basically like that: ah what the hell, “Moonage Daydream” a third time (Great (Ken) Scott, that’s good work!)
Song with the most intelligent lyric: trick question, multiple tracks vie for this title, he’s so sharp (though even he couldn’t outdo himself—“Life on Mars?” is one of the smartest lyrics ever written, and that is not up for discussion)
Image: released on RCA, 16 June 1972
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