The Man Who Polled the World, aka DAVID BOWIE POLL RESULTS

58. "The Secret Life of Arabia" (from "Heroes") - 211 points/11 votes/0 first-place votes

http://youtu.be/712GnEJHn_Y

Love the Frippery on Teenage Wildlife, but other than that, I can never quite connect with it.

^^^^ My problem with SM generally. I love the sound of the thing but, oof, Bowie's vocals...

There's a famous story in which an uncharacteristically ungentlemanlike Bowie destroys Numan on TV.

Would like to read this story!

well, Numan's a bit freaky, isn't he? not like, uh, Bowie.

oof, Bowie's vocals...

http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_la8wu7q8Ri1qaaa84o1_500.gif

loooove those glasses

There's a famous story in which an uncharacteristically ungentlemanlike Bowie destroys Numan on TV.

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, March 6, 2012 5:17 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I heard he once got Numan thrown out of a TV studio once... or is that the same story? He certainly wasn't the only person to get agitated with Numan for whatever reason. I mean, Yes doing 'White Car' on Drama for example.

Meh... 'The Secret Life Of Arabia' = not one of my favourites. I mean, I kinda appreciate it as some kind of lighthearted relief after the ambient part of "Heroes", but I never ever feel like listening to it on its own ever.

I like your photo collage, but now I have to do this:

http://i.imgur.com/T7Jeb.jpg

I LOVE Secret Life of Arabia but on some thread around here so many people were sort of running it down that I balked...and I think the placement at the end of Heroes helps both the song and the album as a whole. I love hearing it after the heavy instrumentals on s2.

haha, A+
xp

57. "Beauty and the Beast" (from "Heroes") - 219 points/11 votes/0 first-place votes

http://youtu.be/RmqcMwD9NSo

In 2000 a close friend, a Bowie neophyte, stuck the newly purchased Heroes in his car. As that intro piano and gnarled-distorted Frippery began, I put myself in his place and wondered what the hell was going through his mind.

I LOVE Secret Life of Arabia but on some thread around here so many people were sort of running it down that I balked...and I think the placement at the end of Heroes helps both the song and the album as a whole. I love hearing it after the heavy instrumentals on s2.

― Iago Galdston, Tuesday, March 6, 2012 5:28 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah. I mean, I understand why it's there, but it's always come across as something of a PS to me. Or like watching a short Bugs Bunny cartoon after watching Schindler's List.

SECRET SECRET

there are 56 better Bowie songs than Beauty and the Beast?

Only 18, according to my ballot.

There was an interview with Bowie once - on MuchMusic, I think - during the 90s - where they asked what "Bowie imitators" he thought were songwriters good and he named Gary Numan. Maybe he softened with age...

I absolutely love the middle 8 in 'Beauty And The Beast'.

Only 7 according to mine. xps

'Beauty And The Beast' didn't even make my ballot! :/

56. "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" (w/Giorgio Moroder; Cat People soundtrack; Let's Dance) - 220 points/10 votes/0 first-place votes

http://youtu.be/YWX_MFNOL_Y

GASOOOLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!

Polling Out The Fire

I guess it's challops to prefer the Rodgers-produced version...

Cat Pee Poll

I wouldn't call it one of my favourite Bowie songs, but the part where it kicks in after the long intro is a great moment.

This should be the Let's Dance version: http://youtu.be/pRbuxshYvtg

I definitely prefer the Moroder version over the Rodgers version.

55. "Blackout" (from "Heroes") - 229 points/11 votes/1 first-place vote

http://youtu.be/Uz7vhDHPlyk

GET SOME PROTECTION

"Arabia" a very late entry to my ballot - literally last in - after a relisten to Side 2 of "Heroes" at the weekend. Love the guitar on it (Alomar?). Nice to make a difference (for once) to an ILM poll result!

Also pleased that Cat People made it, tho' v. low down my ballot. Also voted for Moroder version, although as I said on the other thread I prefer the "GAS!-o-line" rendition to "Gaso-liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine".

xp haha is all of "Heroes" gonna make it?

I've been aiming for 12 minutes or so between results -- baby, let me know if I need to speed up, slow down or oh my god I can't believe I'm typing that.

How about wait until I get home?

Will you post everybody's votes after you reveal the winner....

Ah yes! 'Blackout'! This one was my #18.

I'M UNDER JAPANESE INFLUENCE AND MY HONOUR'S AT STAKE!

Will you post everybody's votes after you reveal the winner....

― The Pastiche Liberation Front (sonnyboy), Tuesday, March 6, 2012 11:58 AM (1 minute ago)

There'll be a link to the googledocs spreadsheet with the full voting; it'll be up to everyone else to post their own ballots, unless they need them mailed back to them.

Everything about this song seems to be so damn thrilling, and packed full of wonderful moments. As Soto mentioned above, the 'get some protection' backing vocals... then there's the 'I'm under Japanese influence' rant, the 'kiss you in the rain' part that's immediately followed by GET ME TO THE DOCTOR! It's brilliant. One of my "Heroes" favourites.

Blackout was my no.1. So much for my hopes of a clean sweep of the top 20.

Heroes and Stage versions are both incredible imo.

xp I once asked Gary Numan about getting thrown off that TV show at Bowie's behest, and Bowie's kind words many years later. His response was something like: "Too late, wasn't it? He's still a cunt."

jeez heroes is dominating

54. "Move On" (from Lodger) - 233 points/10 votes/1 first-place vote

http://youtu.be/2NGc1nlWOiU

Now this is a jam.

xp:

I can see why Numan took it badly, in all fairness. The guy was barely into his early 20s and fame was something that happened suddenly for him, AND he was a Bowie fan as well. I suppose Bowie should have known better, but who knows what was going through his head at the time? Also, in Bowie's defence, Numan could have been accused of being a touch arrogant himself at that time.

'Move On' is one of those I really, desperately wanted to include on my ballot but unfortunately I didn't have any room for it. A really clever track, as anyone who has listened to it backwards will realise.

Altogether now: AIIIIYAAAAA OOOOOOOH AIIIIYYYOOORRR OOOOOOOHHH AIIIIIYYAAAA OOOOOOH AIIIYOOOOOOR OOOOOOOOH!

And here is a snatch of it played backwards...

http://youtu.be/lYgNomvJpMs

"Move On" was very, very high on my ballot

Sometimes I feel the need to move on
So I pack a bag
And move on

xp Numan blames a lot of his inability to make friends with other musicians on his undiagnosed Asperger's, which makes sense. Alienated and alienating.