ItsNotYouItsMe Throwback is honoring a legendary album of the week. The 45th Anniversary of David Bowie’s Diamond Dogs record!
“We celebrate 45 years since the release of the late David Bowie’s masterpiece eighth studio album Diamond Dogs through RCA Records; a record that may be old, but it’s artistically and thematically timeless, particularly amid the uncertainty and prejudice that surrounds the current political climate.
There isn’t a single album by David Bowie that isn’t an iconic piece of art, but Diamond Dogs was special in that it was a politically-charged piece of visual theatre – without the visual. Though it wasn’t for lack of trying…
The album strongly borrowed themes from George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, which Bowie had originally intended to turn into a theatrical production. Unfortunately, the author’s estate denied him the rights, and so Diamond Dogs the album was born instead.
It’s a fact for which we are both glad and hugely disappointed; while we can’t imagine a world without this exceptional album, a musical of Nineteen Eighty-Four a la David Bowie would have been a new level legendary.
Diamond Dogs was David Bowie’s third consecutive number one in the UK, following Pins Up and Aladdin Sane. It was also his highest charting album in the US up to that point.
Songs like Sweet Thing, Rock ‘n’ Roll with Me and 1984 pointed to a brand new musical direction for Bowie, though certainly Ziggy Stardust elements can be seen, particularly in single Rebel Rebel, and the Rolling Stones influence is strong in the title track. But this was the first Bowie album since 1969 to not feature any members of his backing group the Spiders from Mars.
Perhaps one of the biggest pop culture references this album has received is through Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 musical film Moulin Rouge!, starring Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman. The cabaret performers are nicknamed the “Diamond Dogs”. Plus, that same film also includes the 1977 single Heroes in the love medley.” – Contactmusic.com
