Description
David Bowie drew from glam rock and sci-fi for The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Ziggy is a loose concept album about an alien rock star, depicting a decaying future with evocative lyrics and apocalyptic music.
The off-kilter mix is given fatter guitars, pop songs, strings, and keyboards, resulting in a glitzy array of riffs and hooks. Mick Ronson's maverick flair elevates tracks like "Suffragette City," "Moonage Daydream," and "Hang Onto Yourself," while "Lady Stardust," "Five Years," and "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" give a sense of staged drama. Ziggy Stardust is both familiar and foreign, Bowie's vision and execution converging in a grand fashion.