Today it is clear, that 1976 was to become a breaking point in Bowie's music. A longer transition from glam over soul and disco to an evidently darker and more gloomy musical landscape had taken place over the last years. A more mature, coke-sniffing, and pepper-eating Bowie had isolated himself in his big LA mansion, and had shown a growing interest in the occult and mythic. His increasing consumption of mostly coke had meant that he lost his grip of reality and became paranoid and conspiring. It is possible that Bowie, in an attempt to face his personal problems, occult obsession and drug addiction, transformed himself into The Thin White Duke persona - a transformation that one could see as a therapeutic way for Bowie to face his problems as well as an artistic experiment in which he sought to dissolve the barrier between the creator and the created. The artist becomes a work of art, and the work of art becomes the artist, or?!
No matter what, the environment that surrounded Bowie at that time caused the birth, or return, of The Thin White Duke - a cool and cynical thin man portrayed in only black and white. When on stage, this cigarette smoking and impeccably dressed coke addict, becomes a behemoth whose musical expression underlines the seriousness and somewhat deep despair of the Duke. A man who has both fame and money but fails to enjoy both.
Once again Bowies interest in acting - a keyword that permeats the whole of Bowie's career from the glam days of Ziggy Stardust to the massive scene show of the Diamond Dogs tour and his many acting rolls in both theater and films - are visible:
Thus The Station to Station World Tour would see its beginning every night with the title track "Station to Station", an act in which Bowie enters the stage after having teased the audience for more than 3 minutes, casually walking almost strolling, yet with a determination, towards the middle of the stage accompanied by the roaring and heavy sound leading up to his "majestic" entrance. Bowie overlooking the enthusiastic crowd with an intentional distance and apparent carelessness while almost nonchalantly announcing his arrival to the wild crowd:
"The return of the thin white duke throwing darts in lover's eyes".
It is my belief that Bowie intentionally wish to show the glaring contrast between the enchanted crowd who hungers for their messiah and idol wishing to be him and Bowie himself, who ironically want's to be everyone but the Duke. The interaction between the performer and the audience is the real show.
To be continued.
