For the last nine days "Heroes" has been the musical backdrop to emotional scenes as Ennis, Farah, Murray and the rest of Team GB celebrate their incredible achievements and we watch getting all misty-eyed with pride.
Who'd have thought a song inspired by an adulterous love affair in Cold War Germany would end up a sporting anthem being played out alongside the Chariots of Fire theme and our national anthem.
A brilliant, grand and, well, heroic sounding song "Heroes" has become one of Bowie's most iconic. Amazingly when it came out it was a commercial disappointment for Bowie, reaching only 24 in the UK charts. However the album was critically acclaimed with the NME naming it their album of the year and many of Bowie's peers praising it. John Lennon in particular said that he when he entered the studio to record Double Fantasy that he would record "something as good as "HEROES". Er, he didn't.
"Heroes" the song is about the two lovers stealing moments together in the shadow of the Berlin wall. They dream of escaping together and kiss in the darkness with the sound gun shots ringing out over their heads. Bowie said at the time that his inspiration were an anonymous couple he spied during the recording if the album. The romantic tryst was actually between producer Tony Visconti, then married, and backing vocalist Antonia Maaß. Bowie later admitting that he was protecting his friend and long term collaborator. It was an instrumental until quite late in the albums recording. The inverted commas of the song's title intended as an ironic statement. It comes from the second of Bowie's "Berlin" albums, the follow up to the bleak but brilliant Low.
Like Low "HEROES" was recorded at Hansa studios literally in the shadow of the Berlin Wall which was only 500 metres away. Using binoculars the Red Guard were able to see into the studio. Just as with Low it's industrial, mechanical, difficult and jarring but ultimately a brilliant work of art.
Before the title track kicks in we have two difficult, angular tracks: 'Beauty & The Beast' which deals lyrically with Bowie's cocaine addiction, and 'Joe the Lion' which is at least partly inspired by a German artist who nailed himself to a Volkswagen car.
'Sons of The Silent Age' sounds like something ripped off from Bowie's late albums like Outside or Heathen (or perhaps that should be the other way around). 'V2-Schneider' is pure Krautrock and very reminiscent of Neu!. It's title is a tribute to Kraftwerk's Florien Schneider in have previously name checked Bowie (and Iggy Pop) in Kraftwerk's Trans Europe Express. Other than than the song "Heroes" it's my favourite on the album.
Like Low there are a number of instrumental tracks which dominate the second side, all written by Bowie and Eno. 'Sense of Doubt' is dark and oppressive, minimalist synths and samples of electronic cold winds. It segues seamlessly into 'Moss Garden' an ambient piece that begins with the sound of a jet plane flying high overhead followed by reverberating synths and a gently plucked Japanese Koto. Amongst the cold joyless tracks that surround it, 'Moss Garden' comes as a relief, some signs of life, green shoots among the grey concrete. 'Neukoln' is the final instrumental, the title a reference to the district of Berlin. It's another cold depressing piece that features Bowie on saxophone. Many critics have suggested this should be the end of the album. The downbeat mood does get spoiled by the white electro funk of 'The Secret Life of Arabia'. They have a point, as this track would have been a much suited to side one.
By the way, the cover art is inspired by the same painted as Iggy Pop's The Idiot (recorded the same year, also in Hansa Studios). The painting is Erich Heckel's Roquairol.
"HEROES"
'V2-SCHNIEDER"
'THE SECRET LIFE OF ARABIA'
No comments:
Post a Comment