Happy Birthday, Mr. Jones

David Robert Jones of Brixton, better known to the world at large as David Bowie, celebrates his 60th birthday today.

For the occasion, here is an aural and visual oddity built around a 1997 Aphex Twin remix combining an excerpt from Philip Glass's 1996 "'Heroes' Symphony" with Bowie's own original 1977 "'Heroes'" vocal:

As a bonus, an advert from 2001 prior to the launch of XM Satellite Radio in which Bowie goes all meta-like on his [very good] turn in Nicolas Roeg's film of The Man Who Fell to Earth:

The Guardian music weblog identifies Five Bowie albums you shouldn't live without, plus two honorable mentions that only go to show that Five Are Not Enough (and there's not even any mention of Hunky Dory...).

~~~

UPDATE [1229 PST] -- Well, looky here now: Chris at escapegrace shares a birthday with Mr. Bowie and for the occasion has posted a clip of his classic 1979 Klaus Nomi-backed SNL performance of "The Man Who Sold the World."  Chris also implies that she and DB share this natal day with some long forgotten old-timey guitar picker from Tupelo.

Comments

[Rick]

What an abysmal list!!! How can you include Scary Monsters and Young Americans and leave off Hunky Dory, Man Who Sold the World, Aladin Sane or Heroes? Heresy I say, heresy.

[George Wallace]

I would certainly have moved "'Heroes'" and "Aladdin Sane" from the honorable mentions to the main list, to trade places with "Young Americans" and "Scary Monsters." The total omission of "Hunky Dory" is evidence of severe inattention to duty.

Some of these misjudgments may be forgiven, though, in light of the placement of "Low" at #1.