As an artist, David Bowie was widely considered a “chameleon,” shedding one persona to create another and thus staying popular, relevant and compelling. In reality, Bowie was able to work with the resources around him to create something new, causing many to see him as a sort of lone artist rather than a collaborator in the creation of his own celebrity.
Mid-career, Bowie began presenting himself as a figure in darkness, progressively more hidden. He required an audience for his continued celebrity but worked against that audience in the creation—or rather the destruction—of his star image. This tension is made clear in his 1995 album 1. Outside, which has him performing for an audience while simultaneously shunning them. This book explores Bowie’s negotiation of his celebrity during his later career, with particular focus on 1. Outside, an album symptomatic of deep-seated societal and personal anxiety.

Nicholas P. Greco is an associate professor of communications and media at Providence University College in Otterburne, Manitoba, Canada.

Nicholas P. Greco
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 232
Bibliographic Info: notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2015
pISBN: 978-0-7864-9410-1
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2194-4
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments  vi
Preface  1
Introduction  3
1. The Beginning of the End  11
2. The Descent of Anxiety  67
3. Mugging Demons for Wisdom  85
4. The Culture of Body Modification  106
5. An Analysis of 1. Outside  129
6. Bowie in Video and Live Performance  164
Postscript  189
Chapter Notes  197
Bibliography  209
Index  217