Why Ziggy Stardust Still Matters; A Listener’s View

Every so often my Face Book posts include a reference to David Bowie. This is then followed by a comment in which one of my friends will say something about Ziggy Stardust. This is not surprising as music critics often rank “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust” as one of the best albums of all time.

So who is Ziggy Stardust? Is he an alien? Is he Jimmy Hendrix? Is he a savior? And does it really matter? In a sense, it does not matter. Ziggy Stardust is all of these things and much more. In the end, Ziggy is who you want him to be. This is the beauty of the concept album. You determine who Ziggy is.

Throughout the short history of modern music, the concept album has always been an enigma. Typically, the concept album will center around one theme. This sounds simple enough. However, in most cases musicians prefer to veer in a variety of directions. Subsequently, there are not many “true concept albums”. One of the most famous concept albums is “Tommy” by the Who. Pink Floyd also made several concept albums, which include Dark Side of the Moon and the Wall. Springsteen has produced a few concept albums. In 2002, he produced “The Rising” which depicted our society in a post 9-11 era. “The Rising” was considered such a powerful statement that every democratic presidential candidate would seek Springsteen’s endorsement.

Never the less, in recent years, the concept album has become a dying art. This makes sense as most people cherry pick their favorite songs and create their own playlists. Of course during the 1970’s, concepts albums were all the rage. One of my favorite concept albums is David Bowie’s “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust”. Ziggy Stardust is a fictional rock and roll star/savior/Martian adored by millions all over the world. This background information serves as a metaphor for the real theme in which Bowie explores the dangers of excess through Ziggy Stardust. Nowadays two of my favorite songs are “Star” and “Ziggy Stardust”. “Star” chronicles a regular person who suddenly transforms into this superstar and is enjoying the rush generated from this experience. The following lyrics speak about the excitement of acquiring sudden fame;

I could make a transformation as a rock n roll star

So inviting - so enticing to play the part

I could play the wild mutation as a rock n roll star


Get it all yeah!

This song is then followed by Ziggy Stardust which speaks of how Ziggy starts to become overwhelmed by this sudden fame as he feels that everyone wants a piece of him. In the end though, it does not matter. This is how I view Ziggy these days where as 10 and 20 years ago my take on Ziggy was very different. In those days, it was about lost innocence and the changes we face in our lives. I was no longer a kid; as in 5 years I would be an adult. I suppose this is the beauty of the concept album. You can let your imagination run wild and let it be about anything.