Sunday, May 29, 2011

When Bowie Met Springsteen.

It'sSoHardToBeASaint
InThisCityVille


I had never met Ian Reid for real.

But I did know of him by reputation.

Political reputation that is.

Not personal.

So when Ian popped-up here, in the comments, after I started writing about the Casino Industrial Complex that arrived still-borne, but fully-wurlitzered, in the deep, spikey shadows of the devil-horned roof from nowhere, I was a little surprised.

In the ensuing months we corresponded quite a bit, both here in the bloggodome and offline, about what was really going down.

To be absolutely clear about this, even though a lot of the stuff Ian told me was pure gold I was initially wary because he is an old Pol.

And while I am mostly sympathetic to the party that he has worked for over the years, I have come to learn that you can never be too sure when an old Pol might be working you rather than just talking to you.

But all that fell away when Ian began to respond to the stuff I wrote about making music with my kids.

Because both of those things are personal.

And as we kept talking, purely in pixels mind you, it turned out that, while it would appear on the surface that we have very little in common other than politics, we actually do.

Have lots of things in common I mean.

But it was the differences that I became really interested in.

Like how he would tell me proudly about all the crazy, wild and exhilarating adventures that his own, now fully grown (I think), kids are involved in.

This was a real comfort to me given that my own kids are still young enough that it is hard, as much as I would like to, to let them rush headlong straight into their own private AdventureLands.

As for the musical differences.....

Well, those don't really matter.

Except to mention that I have never really been a Bowie fan.

But then I read a recent post from Ian that lets us know about all the Life (and yes, maybe even death) Changes he's been going through for quite some time now.

So.

I decided to go looking for the intersection of Mr. Bowie and all that I hold dear, musically at least.

And I think I found it.

Here you go Ian (and, thanks).....




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The flipside is here.

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4 comments:

bewlay said...

David also covered Growin' Up
(recorded in 1973 released officially in 1990)
a decent version can be heard here
and features Ronie Wood from the Stones on lead guitar.

http://youtu.be/f2ym3J5iEcQ

David Bowie, the most influential musician on other musicians since 1970... he has been on hiatus since 2004.

RossK said...

bewlay--

Thanks - got it.

But if you know a little bit about Ian - Hard to Be is the more appropriate tune .

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bewlay said...

I am not an insider Ross-- I am an outsider. I read Ian's blog regularly, but I do not know him.

I understand he is ill and as with any fellow human being I wish a speedy recovery to him and long life.

RossK said...

Thanks bewlay - most appreciated.

(and sorry for the assumption)

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