The Thin White Duke and the Gay Caballero

Here goes, my first recording reviews on this blog, and what better to start off with than a couple of stellar but often overlooked offerings from two of my musical "Heroes." Since my teenhood (in the 80s), I've been a fan of the musical stylings of both of these brilliantly talented gentlemen. The fellows to whom I am referring are Messrs. Thomas Giles Robinson and David Robert Hayward Jones, otherwise known as Tom Robinson and David Bowie.

THE THIN WHITE DUKE -- DAVID BOWIE: LODGER (1979)
A tantalizing assortment of ear candy fills this underrated classic, the last of the "Berlin Trilogy" that Bowie did with Brian Eno. Mr. B.'s pipes are at the top of their powers here, his voice rich, golden, clear as crystal, and plenty of sexy. I think the whole album is excellent, but here are some standout tracks.

AFRICAN NIGHT FLIGHT -- A danceable piece of music where the Davemeister does this fast-chanting, spoken-sung kind of thing, like rap, almost, but kind of different, against tribal beats and jungle sounds. This song has THREE CHORUSES, including an infectious tribal chant that tends to stick in the brain. The line about the screaming, dreaming child was probably a reference to the singer's own then-young son, as the piece was inspired by a trip to Kenya he had taken with his little boy Zowie. Awwwww!

RED MONEY sounds like it could be an outtake from "Station To Station," with a jazzy, discoish feel, sparked with world music, evoking both primitive and futuristic moods.

BOYS KEEP SWINGING -- A musical celebration of manliness that had me dancing in my chair with the intense guitar rhythms and Bowie's oh-so-sexy voice.

DJ -- Another danceworthy track, where Mr. B. does an admirable job of portraying a man in the depths of frustration and sorrow

REPETITION -- A unique piece whose hypnotic rhythms and experimental instrumentation will make one almost forget that this is a song about an abusive partner -- and not just any abusive partner, but one who sadistically tortures his mate mostly for not being someone else, as is evident in the line "he could have married Anne with the blue silk blouse."

All in all, LODGER is a work of audio art and I recommend it highly.

THE GAY CABALLERO -- TOM ROBINSON: NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1982)
NORTH BY NORTHWEST may be named after a classic Hitchcock movie, but the movie that this recording strikes me as the audio equivalent of is "Brokeback Mountain," although this album was pressed 23 years before "Brokeback" was released and the twangy cowboy guitars are conspicuous by their absence. The mood that is evoked here is of a lonely, frustrated gay caballero trying to make it in a hetero society while seeking his "Zorro" -- or at least, a bit of "sword." I make this statement because Mr. Robinson was indeed a gay caballero when this recording came out (pun coincidental!). He has since come out as a bi caballero and presently has a female partner and a family, but claims never to have lost his penchant for the passion pistol -- but that's neither here nor there. Let's cut to the chase and get to the Tomster's tunes. Some selections.

NOW MARTIN'S GONE -- The very first Tom Robinson song I ever heard, back when I was a teen in late 1984, a fast, thrashing, danceworthy tune reminscent of Bowie's "Scary Monsters and Super Creeps" and the most uptempo song I ever heard about the sorrows of a romantic parting.

LOOKING FOR A BONFIRE -- A moody, beautiful piece where our caballero laments his lack of a Romeo against powerful and gorgeous instrumentation

DUNCANNON -- A plaintive, beautiful, heartfelt piece whose haunting melody, hypnotic vocals, and enthralling instrumental hooks hark back to Bowie's classic "Ashes to Ashes"

IN THE COLD -- Haunting and heartwrenching tune that has Thomasino venting frustration with an impatient employer, an unrequited infatuation and a date with a potential Romeo who turns out to be a no-show (you said 7:20, now it's 9:15) against some intense melodic hooks. Man, you can just envision Our Hero, scrubbed sparkling, smooth shaven, hair perfectly styled and parted, dressed to the nines, holding a perfect carnation for his love interest's buttonhole, anticipating the arrival of his potential sweetheart, his excitement turning to pain and disappointment when the guy doesn't show up.

I encourage all you caballeros and senoritas of all persuasions to get off your "culos" and buy this underrated musical delight PRONTO.


HERE ARE SOME SAMPLES OF THESE MUSICAL GEMS. TO DOWNLOAD, JUST RIGHT CLICK THE LINK AND CHOOSE "SAVE TARGET AS"

A BIT FROM BOWIE (from LODGER)
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/9/30/2123005/09%20-%20Repetition.mp3
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/9/30/2123005/10%20-%20Red%20Money.mp3
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/9/30/2123005/African%20Night%20Flight.WMA

SOME RARITIES FROM ROBINSON (from NORTH BY NORTHWEST)
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/9/30/2123005/01%20Now%20Martins%20Gone.mp3
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/9/30/2123005/09%20Duncannon.mp3
http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/9/30/2123005/04%20Looking%20for%20a%20Bonfire.mp3