David Bowie, Warszawa - A Classical Musician’s First Listen and Reaction

[@arferbargel]

Don't listen to the naysayers, this is a great introduction to Bowie (kudos, Vlad). It's a little odd, it's melodically interesting, it uses materials from non-pop genres, it can be challenging in places, it breaks from his past work in several interesting ways, and he leans allllll the way into his Scott Walker obsession. So, peak Bowie. If all you know are the hits, you don't know Bowie.

[@DavidLindes]

Yeah, I didn't actually know this song (I guess I don't know Bowie!), and I agree that this is actually kind of a wonderful choice -- on two fronts: For Amy herself (yourself, if you're reading this; using third person since speaking primarily to the OP and other readers), I imagine this is a fun way to sort of give her one taste of something very interesting, which will give her a desire to explore more -- while still leaving space for her to be utterly surprised (and yet, still delighted) by what else she encounters. And for the "don't know Bowie" contingent, it will expose us (since I count myself among them) to sides of Bowie we've missed by only listening to the radio hits! Kudos, Vlad!

[@dago87able]

I think that the reasons you listed could justify why this WOULDN’T be a great introduction; not that I mind at all, it’s a great piece, just not the one that I would pick to introduce someone to Bowie. To Eno maybe lol.

[@arferbargel]

@@dago87able Not a great intro if your 14 year old cousin asks you "have you ever heard of David Bowie", but perhaps a good choice for a classical musician who is comfortable with some of the weirder places this song goes (I had to laugh when she mentioned how smoothly the modulations go, because to a pop-acclimated ear, running the key centres A, C, and B-flat one after the other sounds bonkers). And yes, great Eno introduction, too!

[@dago87able]

@@arferbargel Yeah no, I agree, particularly enjoyable for Amy, for sure, just not representative enough imho, but again it doesn’t needs to be.

[@platinummonster9755]

Probably the only way Eno could make it onto this channel, so I'm happy@@dago87able

[@stupid1537]

More Bowie please

[@slavicgarou6414]

Subterraneans please!

[@kevincoleman2092]

@@slavicgarou6414 would love that and Station to Station would also be incredible

[@scoobyblue5300]

Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing Reprise would be my choice.

[@sambirch6784]

If I were to listen to all of Bowie's albums for the first time, from beginning to end, I'd probably struggle to believe they were all done by the same artist. Bowie has been described as a 'musical magpie' in that he wasn't afraid to incorporate sounds and styles that he'd heard into his own music. The effect this had was that his output changed quite dramatically over his career. I've always said to people who say they don't like Bowie, well, you probably haven't found your preferred era of his yet.

[@JEFY1971]

You might be interested in the fact that Philip Glass wrote his "Symphony N° 1 (Low)" based on the 1977 Bowie album. It features three movements based on the pieces "Subterraneans", "Some Are" and "Warszawa".

[@altair8598]

Thanks, I didnt know that.

[@TMAX500WHITEMAX]

I know it. I own the recording. 😁 kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3WxZ3yqa7aVjcksi=C9DrNkXjY3c3fRvt

[@dcg4mn]

Super cool to know - I’m not sure I know that Glass piece I’ll check it out. I’m a longtime fan.

[@Jaxy451]

Bowie was incredible, especially in the 1970s. So was Eno. The two joined up were a powerhouse.

[@seangelarden9543]

Gotta put Fripp in there

[@pechenkavlad]

nice, finally Bowie ) Station to Station next please ;о

[@NickTubeless]

You are in for endless surprises as you explore David Bowie, one of the true greats.

[@marcblachman2322]

May be the only reaction to this on KZbin. Love it!

[@John-et9yl]

A first class choice as an introduction to David Bowie. Probably his most important instrumental piece and let's not forget the extremely important contribution from the avant-garde artist Brian Eno.

[@TizzleVizzle]

I have to jump in again. The 'how' of this was recorded is like nothing the harpist ever dreamed of. We (Bowie, Eno and Visconti) laid down a click track for five minutes. We didn't count it in bars, we counted in beats. I spoke a number for each beat. So the main them came in on beat 74, for instance. The main melody wasn't written until my 4-year old son kept playing the notes A-B-C over and over again on the piano. Brian Eno heard him and physically pushed my son off the piano seat and finished the phrase that opens the melody. There were a lot of technical tricks used. For instance, Bowie wanted to sound like a young boy singing in a quasi-Slavic language. I dropped the speed of the tape by 5 semitones and Bowie sang it in a normal adult voice. When the tape was brought back up to pitch he sounded like a boy. I will stop here, because this could be a chapter all by itself in a book. In case you don't know, it's Tony Visconti, the co-producer of Low, writing this.

[@doncebra]

wow, thanks for that info

[@StevenWilkins-y9t]

Fascinating. This was era of musical exploration and experimentation that led to the greatest period of music the world has ever known. It must have been fantastic to be a part of it! I was just happy to live through it. Listening to what's happening today, if you can stomach it... is a terrible disappointment and sadly representative of the corrupted mindset of our youth - Flashes of brilliance still exist but they are far a few between.

[@bastinptc]

Write the book, please.

[@gchristopherklug]

@@bastinptcplease!

[@tudo_e_possivel]

David Bowie is a WORLD

[@patricknelson5151]

More than that, I think. Bowie is many, many worlds. Take your pick: Ziggy Stardust? Aladdin Sane? The Thin White Duke? The soul singer of the mid-70s? The avant-garde song stylist of the Berlin years? The blond haired pop rock singer of the 1980s? The broadway actor? The film actor? The painter? The Internet pioneer? The fashion icon? The bisexual alien? The family man? There are just so many Bowies to choose from. I just recently watched the film “Moonage Daydream” and was amazed at how of these many personas and identities I had forgotten about.

[@tudo_e_possivel]

@@patricknelson5151 You're totally right

[@David_Cebrian]

I´ve listened to all Bowie music a million times, but your video brought me (again) to tears: Warszawa is beautiful, Bowie is beautiful, you are incredibly beautiful -thank you so much

[@john-stringham]

Well of course he turned down a knighthood, he was already a (thin white) duke. 😁

[@jaxvoice718]

I was agape that you found and chose this, and had to stop what I was doing just to watch and listen. This is not one of his crowd pleasers, but the song I return to most often, and a Bowie and Eno collaboration at the most beautiful. Not just of Warsaw, but the essence of Bowie and of Eno, at their Low. I have never imagined this before as the starting point to Bowie, or to Eno, but it really is.

[@markhenderson6389]

Yes, more Bowie please. You could devote an entire channel to analyzing his music. A musical genius, incredible collaborator and tremendous innovator - as a writer, arranger and performer. The world will never see another quite like him.

[@peterweaver5919]

For me, one of the best, most influential artists of the 20th/21st centuries. A man who created extraordinary music right up until his death. My particular favourite is Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing Reprise from the Diamond Dogs album. Anything Bowie, I'm here for it.

[@TheoZoffrok]

That's my choice for Amy's next Bowie song too!

[@MrJambug]

Yep love that. But I also think We Are The Dead from the same album is a remarkable song.

[@peterweaver5919]

@@MrJambug you'll get no argument from me on that one. Great song.

[@scottmacdonald1826]

Totally agree!!!

[@kenthomas1845]

I especially love this done live on David Live.

[@DavidPChristian2]

Those flutes you were commenting on were played using a keyboard activated tape loop player invented by Harry Chamberlin in 1949. Eno is one of the masters of electronic composition. You might enjoy some of his other work. As a bit of a troll, I'll suggest his 1974 Baby's on Fire from his first solo album, Here Come The Warm Jets. You're intrigued by the electric guitar and the track features Eno's old friend and collaborator Robert Fripp, a ruthlessly avant garde technical guitarist, and a quiet, unassuming English gentleman.

[@solidsimon3501]

I like to joke that this is my go to Karaoke song.

[@michaelz9892]

"Life on Mars" has some fascinating chord changes.

[@EROC270]

I would love an analysis of that song. It seems so conventional in the beginning and then goes in some unexpected directions

[@michaelz9892]

@@EROC270 Yes would love more Bowie now that the Queen catalogue has been exhausted.

[@Homebrew58]

After a period of very flashy stage sets, complex light shows and an image of glitter and glam Bowie did these shows with very little to nothing on stage but the instruments and a bank of fluorescent lights above. During this tour Warszwa was the opening song and Bowie simply walked on from the side of the stage with the rest of the musicians and sat down at a keyboard... not in front but at the side of the stage. Many concert goers never realized he was even there yet.

[@sntxrrr]

As someone who always admired Bowie but never was more 'into' him than his hits this deepened my respect for him. I think this is one of the best things you can achieve with a channel like this so thank you for sharing! Also, Brain Eno. I think it is fair to say this man has his fingerprints all over late 20th/early 21st century music. A name to watch out for in production credits in the songs you listen to.

[@wraithby]

One of the first concerts I ever attended was at the old Boston Garden on May 6, 1978, part of Bowie's Isolar II tour . I was 17 and David performed most of his recently released Low and Heroes albums, and a number of cuts from Ziggy Stardust and Station to Station. David was in fine form that night and used many of those live recordings on his Stage live double album. The first song he performed that night was Warszawa..... The American composer Philip Glass composed a symphony based on this album-Low Symphony.

[@scoobyblue5300]

Snap!...My 1st ever concert was Bowie at Newcastle City Hall June 14th 1978. My 2nd was the same show 2 days later. Pure magic!

[@John-et9yl]

My first Bowie concert was the same tour 30th June 1978 Earls Court, London and Warszawa was the opening piece. It was mesmerising.

[@idemandabetterfuture]

My first was same tour, we got to the concert late, rather at the perfect time. The massive modern circular venue concourse was empty and my date and my seats were on the opposite side. We hadn't heard Warszawa before. As we entered the first notes had just started and we dashed around the empty concourse with Warszawa playing and ending as we came to the the doors to our section. We were enthralled.

[@xtiants]

It's great that you are beginning a journey into the music of David Bowie! This is such an interesting piece to start with. It was a very bold move on his part to release an album with several instrumentals, and other experimental sounds in the middle of a pretty successful career as a rockstar. You can imagine it's not what his record label would have wanted. This is an amazingly original composition. Nothing else sounds quite like it. It sounds modern, and futuristic, and ancient all at the same time. Very unique, and adventurous.

[@robfriesen2341]

For me, Bowie stands alone as a total true artist. More than a musician. It is an exaggeration, but not a huge one, to say Rock and Roll Suicide may have saved my life. As a pre-teen survivor of sexual abuse back in the early 70's, that chant of "You're not alone" brought me ought of many dark places. Still the only celebrity of any stripe that made me cry with his passing.

[@jordancrosno9711]

Whole album is amazing

[@Bellhelly]

Enjoying your lovely very well thought comments. Love Bowie.

[@davidfisher8821]

Bowie is the most important artist of the last 50+ years. I would highly recommend the title track from album Aladdin Sane, one of Bowie’s most avant-garde jazz influenced works. My all time favorite song…

[@John-et9yl]

There's so much choice to choose from Bowie's catalogue. He worked with some great collaborators allowing him to produce such an eclectic body of work.

[@69Mucci]

I forgot what a beautiful piece of music this truly is.

[@eddiemoore6216]

The expressions on your face says it all about this stunning piece of music

[@musicalBurr]

I’m so delighted that you’re listening to this song, not only because it’s a Bowie song, but that it’s opening the door to Brian Eno’s music. As others have pointed out, this is an Eno collaboration that maybe leans a little more in Eno’s direction than Bowie’s. Nevertheless a wonderful composition and performance! More of BOTH artists please 🙏!!

[@MrJambug]

Well said. Heaven knows what Amy would make of Another Green World. If she thinks Warzawa is beautiful wait till she hears Becalmed. When it's time, I'm going into the next world on that.

[@musicalBurr]

@@MrJambug Hear hear! I can only hope that this tickled Amy's fancy enough (plus after reading the reams of viewer comments praising both Bowie AND Eno) that she delves into the Eno world too. How many people's lives would be enriched if they were introduced to Eno here along with Amy. A boy can dream!

[@MrJambug]

@@musicalBurr I am a massive Bowie fan, but beyond doubt the 4 albums I return to most out of my entire collection of over 3,000 albums are Here Come The Warm Jets, Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy), Another Green World, and Before And After Science. 4 absolutely remarkable ground breaking records. Out of the 4 Bowie said it was AGW that influenced him most. You'd never of guessed given the sonic landscape of the Berlin Trilogy that followed🤣If Amy was to delve into ENO's 'Rock' albums I would like her to analyse The Fat Lady Of Limbourg. From his Ambient work An Ending (Ascent) because at least everyone would know what that 'beautiful piece of music' was they keep hearing in the background on those science programs was!!!

[@thomaslutro5560]

Thanks for this, you sent me to the shelf for another listen to Low. This remains one of my favourite Bowie albums, and so one of my favourite albums.

[@WendyDarling1974]

I love the fact that this is your first Bowie song to listen to and you pick something really unusual and kind of a deep cut but something which is really very impressive. The this comes from is full of things like this, which was quite experimental at the time.

[@XFLexiconMatt]

Along with Queen and Zeppelin, Bowie is one of my all time favorites. The albums between 1969 to 1983 alone are vital. Many of the later albums from the late 90s to early 2000s are so fascinating, and his last two album's The Next Day and Blackstar, might be some of the better final statements from an artist.

[@bendancar]

This a strange -- and wonderful -- introduction to Bowie. Though when I think of it, there is no one song to start your Bowie journey that would possibly represent the breadth and width of the artist's career. While most of his works have a more 'regular' songs structure, no single piece could represent him to a greater or lesser degree. Instrumental, rock, folk, jazz-influenced, soul, pop -- Bowie did it all. Keep going...

[@garywardle8563]

Glad you’ve finally got to Bowie. He’s deserving of a listen to his back catalogue. Great place to start though.

[@Paul-D-Hoff]

when Bowie first came out, I thought he was just a Showboat because of his makeup and dress. Over the years I found out how I was way off the mark and learned to love his work.

[@simianmoonstudios]

Loving the Alien is also beautiful. Word on a Wing. Heroes. Dead Man Walking. Lazarus.

[@KevinM2732]

Subterraneans is another great listening experience from Bowie

[@imano8265]

Stunning reaction, interpretation and feelings. Thank you for that. This comes out of the album LOW, which by its time evoced a lot of controversy. Instead of producing "hits" as a just established popstar he delivered an album almost without words. And even the words are a fantasy-language( as far as I know). You think what he sings in WARZAWA is a sort of polish? May be I don`t know. But what a stunning, calm and contemplative but also overwhealming piece of music.According to contemporary intervieuws Bowie said to Brian Eno:"let us do a calm piece with an almost religious feel to it". They succeed totaly. So don`t forget Brian Eno. He has at least the same credit to it. Another stunning piece is Subterraineans on the same album. Calm as well, simular qualities but also something else: harmonic singing without lyrics an almost polyphonic approach and a wonderful and lost sax hanging in the air between East and West-Berlin over the wall.

[@peterculbertson8547]

Bowie is my number 1 music artist. If anyone asked me to recommend an album to introduce them to Bowie I would not have suggested Low first. It is a great album and all his albums are unique so maybe Warszawa is an ideal starter for someone with a classical background. Looking forward to Amy’s reaction and getting a new perspective and hopefully learning more about it.

[@SpaceCattttt]

Interesting choice. "Warszawa" is not a song I would choose to introduce anyone to Bowie's music, but at the same time, you haven't really heard Bowie if you haven't heard "Warszawa". Or Brian Eno, for that matter. It's a fantastic mood piece. Filled with both beauty and cold war dread.

[@ivankaramasov]

I'd like you to do more reactions to David Bowie who is by far my favorite musician within pop music. There are so many great tracks to chose from, but just to mention a few favorites chronologically: Cygnet Committee (1969), Bewlay Brothers (1971), Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing (Reprise) (1974), Station to Station (1976), Teenage Wildlife (1980), Heart's Filthy Lesson (1995), Sip Away (2002), Blackstar (2016).

[@marcblachman2322]

Definitely agree with the comments re: Brian Eno. I’m sure Amy would find his work very interesting. She was previously ran across him in the U2/Pavarotti video.

[@bobseago1513]

Space Oddity?

[@williamfranz9872]

FIRST BOWIE SONG I HEARD LIVE.

[@humandroid53]

So beautiful and a marker of the genius of Bowie and Eno.

[@pedrolopez8057]

His catalogue is so huge. you should do a few more such as "The Man WHo SOld The World", "Fame", "Rebel Rebel", "Suffragette City", his "Ashes to Ashes" video was ground breaking, "Black Tie WHite Noise", "Life on Mars", "Young Americans", to name a few. His live performances were mesmerizing.

[@patricknelson5151]

I saw that someone suggested “The Man Who Sold the World” for the covers series. That might be a good next step. Also, “Fame” might be interesting to Amy since it is a collaboration between Bowie and John Lennon.

[@DerekDerekDerekDerekDerekDerek]

Rebel rebel would be a pointless reaction

[@DerekDerekDerekDerekDerekDerek]

She should do the major Tom trilogy. There's lots to unpack and many musical styles

[@kenthomas1845]

Cool idea. Amy could do a cover comparison of Man Who Sold the World. Bowie said he was especially proud of that song and all the covers.

[@nazfrde]

Brian Eno did all the music for this one. Bowie just did the vocals. If you're into this, you definitely need to check out Eno's 70's stuff.

[@ivankaramasov]

This is actually not true.

[@nazfrde]

@@ivankaramasov It most certainly is. Eno composed and recorded the track while Bowie was in Paris. 'He instructed Eno to create "a really slow piece of music with a very emotive, almost religious feel to it".' [Pegg, Nicholas. The Complete David Bowie. p. 249.] Bowie recorded the vocal when he returned.

[@ivankaramasov]

@nazfrde Sorry, you are right. I had forgotten that, and instead remembered an earlier description of how the track was made. Personally, I have always liked Subterraneans more than this track, by the way.

[@TERRYPRILEY24]

I would love to hear your opinion on another DB song. Word On A Wing from the album Station to Station, very moving.

[@michaelz9892]

More Bowie...please!

[@watkinry]

This was a part of his three album collaboration with producer Brian Eno, who is a musical legend on his own. Eno is maybe better known as a producer for artists like U2, Coldplay and Bowie but he started out as a member of the art/glam rock band Roxy Music before becoming a solo artist who would go on to create (or at least coin and describe) the genre of ambient music as well as become one of the pioneers of electronica. I urge you to listen to some of his solo work. His art rock piece, "St. Elmo's Fire" would be an excellent choice or perhaps the beautiful, haunting "An Ending (Ascent)" if you want to hear him in more of his ambient mode. Bowie is a genius but he definitely had a lot of help on this one and I hope you get the chance to check out Eno's solo work.

[@diegovelasco7397]

Don't forget to mention Tony Visconti, he doesn't get enough credit for all the Bowie albums he produced

[@musicalBurr]

Hear hear!! Amy (and Vlad!), please dive down the Eno rabbit hole. The album “Another Green World” is going to tickle you down to your musical core!

[@jonathanseed6978]

Eno is, indeed, a producer but worked as such on only one Bowie album: 1. Outside. Tony Visconti produced the so-called Berlin Trilogy with Bowie.

[@lieseweiss1224]

Visconti, not Eno, produced “Heroes,” one of the albums in the Berlin trilogy

[@acrylicqualia]

​@@diegovelasco7397 "Tony Visconti, co-producer here! Probably doing more than people think."

[@timfeeley714-25]

Fun fact: David Jones decided to go with David Bowie because Davy Jones of the Monkees was already a famous teen heartthrob.

[@trashandcheese3636]

Actually, "the" David, or Davy, Jones hadn't actually reached cultural saturation when Bowie made the move - but he was well-known, from his British stage/screen career, and the low-key start to his Stateside musical career. But by the time the Monkees went mega, Bowie was Bowie.

[@rongt859]

Low my fav Bowie album , Bowie and Brian Eno's synthesizer , many times in the 80s I was driving home at 1am at night , pitch dark , no one else on the road just me and the 8 track playing Warszawa on the Low tape , the occasional head light of a car coming at me and then passing , very trippy . Then the song Always Crashing in the same car comes on

[@venisontron]

Brian Eno should be included in the discussion whenever we talk about Bowie's Berlin records. Maybe one of the most fruitful musical collaborations in the past century. Most of the base motif is in piano or analog synthesizer, but there is also a lot of Chamberlin, which was a keyboard that played tape loops of orchestral instruments

[@hanssnijders9869]

Thank you so much for your wonderful analysis ❤. I'm already 40 years fully in love with this peace of music.

[@christopherjereb787]

"this is gorgeous..."

[@karmacamilleon1]

I support Vlad's choice here. It's as if he introduced Freddie Mercury with Barcelona. I've honestly never heard this song before but Bowie's genius and respect for humanity beam through.

[@jordancrosno9711]

You've got to listen to this album if you've never heard this song before, one of his best albums!

[@patricknelson5151]

Low was released in 1977 and still sounds ahead of its time.

[@Paul-D-Hoff]

I want to thank your husband with his help he has given you and all that he does in the background for your show.

[@stefanmartelius9552]

Amy, I'm so glad you finally listened to Bowie. For me, the most fascinating "modern" artist ever. While his outstanding 70s production needs to be explored more, his last album Blackstar was his finest in decades (imo). He died only 2 days after the release of the album, so he was already gone when most people got a chance to hear it. Which made it really painful to listen to, especially since many of the lyrics revolved around mortality.

[@patricknelson5151]

He knew he was dying and left his fans a goodbye message. However, in typical Bowie fashion, it was cryptic and thorny and not at all easy to digest but all the more wonderful for that.

[@69Mucci]

I remember listening to it the day it came out (a Friday), and hearing it all of that weekend and loving it... and then waking up on Monday morning to find out he had died. So at least I know that my love of the album was not because of his death. I was listening to it objectively those first few times.

[@giovannibocaccio148]

I lived in Warsaw for years in Stare Miaso, the center of old Warszawa. Very often, I went to the shopping mall in the north on foot. On the walkway, there were marked lines that divided the ghetto from the other part of the town, passing through the so-called crying train station where Jews were collected before being transported to some concentration camp. Bowie had never been in Warsaw but this piece of music he composed during his Berlin phase expresses sadness when you pass through this frightening place where somewhere deep inside you hear cries and sadness of these poor people. In short, this is a simple and elegant musical piece of pure art and feelings.

[@janpierzchala2004]

Bowie was in Warsaw. Walked from Warszawa Gdańska train station to Wilson Square a few hundred meters away and bought a few records in EMPiK store that is still there. One of the records was of old folk band Śląsk. Warszawa tune is inspired by this record! In the original a choir sings the main motive.

[@stevekirkby6570]

Ah, the work of Eno is strong with this one. Beautiful. A superb pairing of creative genius.

[@CS-yz2qk]

Low is one of the least known but best works of David Bowie.

[@solarwindlass]

And my personal favourite

[@jaxvoice718]

@@solarwindlass And mine. A perennial I don't stop listening to.

[@patricknelson5151]

Low and “Heroes” in particular are masterpieces. I probably listen to Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane more often but whenever I listen to these albums, I feel like I’ve been transported to another world.

[@Jaxy451]

This is really owing to Brian Eno, and while David Bowie may have been an equal partner in this creation, here he is playing on Eno's playground. I love it, but I'm also an Eno fan. This work is not typical of Bowie. It will not give you much of an idea of his body of work.

[@jkirtleyheacting]

It's actually "owing" to Bowie's son Duncan who was a young child at the time and kept playing the same deep A note over and over and Eno taped it. This became the starting point to the piece. There are three albums and countless other Bowie instrumental's to also listen to.

[@littlemouse7066]

Sorry but didn't you ever watched a Eno interview about his work with Bowie? I'm telling you this because he said people think he was the one to experiment but instead it was David who was the one to experiment wildly and he was the one who was trying to give a more structural shape to the material. so you're giving Bowie less credit than he deserves for this. And talking about sounds and atmosphere I suggest you listen to The Idiot album from Iggy Pop written (the music) and produced by Bowie in 1976 without Eno so you can understand more.

[@Jaxy451]

No, I'm not. Perhaps you need to listen to more of Eno's work.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Beautiful song. Great pick Vlad. This is at least as much an Eno song as it is a Bowie song. Great analysis Amy. Thqnks

[@musicalBurr]

I think it’s safe to say that it’s more an Eno song than a Bowie song. But both voices can be heard here.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

@@musicalBurr yes this could have been on an Eno album. It’s really hard to tell how much of either artist was involved but it’s definitely Enos “sound”, that’s probably what Bowie hired him for in the first place.

[@jerrysoucy2611]

wow - what a great take, thanks I agree it's a gorgeous piece and a wonderful intro to Bowie

[@lnautomobile3248]

What a great start to Bowie. One of my favorite albums to play in my store as background music. What an adventure you’ll have delving into Bowie. Each album was done in different and unique styles. There’s a Bowie song for everyone, regardless of personal tastes.

[@raybishop1130]

The live version on "Stage" is stunning. Must listen to it right now!

[@JaneGilmartin]

I found a link to this in one of Bowie groups on Facebook. As this is one of my very favorite Bowie songs, I was intrigued. I am SO glad I watched this... it is a unique song and it's interesting to see a first reaction to it, especially from a classical aspect. I love that you loved it.

[@postive-vibes]

Bowie's career was one of endless creativity/experimentation.

[@TheoZoffrok]

You've probably sussed this out by now, but this piece is *all* keyboards! There's a piano in there, the rest is all synthesisers of various types, mostly (or entirely, can't quite remember off the top of my head) played by Eno. In any case, it's one of the most beautiful things Bowie ever did.

[@michavandam]

All played by Eno, who also composed the instrumental piece. Wikipedia: "Warszawa" (...) is named after the Polish city of Warsaw, which Bowie visited in April 1976. He found the landscape to be desolate and wanted to capture this through music. Eno mostly composed the song. He heard Visconti's four-year-old son playing A, B, C in a constant loop on the studio piano and used this phrase to create the main theme."

[@garygreen1782]

American composer Philip Glass did large scale symphonic works based on the Berlin trilogy if I remember correctly.

[@robertboltonstaystrong]

You have such depth and insight into your analogie of the peice i love it.

[@JasonMorris-z1l]

One of my favorite Bowie songs. Try "Outrage at Valdez" by Frank Zappa on the Yellow Shark album. It might be my favorite of Zappa's more "classical" pieces, and it's performed by a terrific classical ensemble with Zappa conducting. Very emotionally evocative.

[@earleyriser1967]

This comes from the Bowie / Brian Eno collaboration and was written by Eno while Bowie was away in Paris dealing with legal issues.

[@robertflowers5389]

Very interesting choice. I love this piece. Definitely not a typical Bowie work. Enjoy the long journey exploring his music.

[@robertflowers5389]

@On-Tel-Official_VirginRock You're most welcome :) My personal favorite Bowie songs are probably "Five Years" and "Life on Mars?" There is just so much incredible music in his catalog. Honestly you should listen to the entire album, "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars." Absolute Masterpiece. Enjoy!

[@michavandam]

14:08 Amy, this is a synthesizer. This part was played by Brian Eno, who also composed it. Wikipedia: "Eno (...) heard Visconti's four-year-old son playing A, B, C in a constant loop on the studio piano and used this phrase to create the main theme."

[@lee_1292]

so happy to see bowie on this channel!!

[@richardwebb5317]

A treasured memory: flipping over Low for the first time and hearing that side unspoiled. Quite a shock - in a good way. Was very disappointed when Lodger did not have that "interesting" side.

[@spacelab777]

Pleasantly surprised when I saw this as the latest offering. Side 2 of the album Low (which this is from) always felt magical to me Subterraneans being the other special track. Brian Eno went on to have both a distinguished career as a producer but also pretty much invented the genre of music known as ambient. An Ending (Ascent) from the 1983 Eno album Apollo is an incredibly beautiful piece of music. One of the brilliant things about Bowie was his musical diversity. He was both an innovator and a champion of other musicians. A truly great artist.

[@garymcghee2249]

From Bowie's best album LOW. The whole album is original, seminal and brilliant. With it he and Eno carved out a new kind of genre-crossing Pop music that stands the test of time. Warzsawa is one of my favourite tracks and reminds me a lot of Barber's epic Adagio For Strings with that beautifully melancholic doom-laden repetition. Superbly accomplished. x

[@gretagarbeige]

How wonderful to listen to a deep cut as an introduction. This was a marvellous video, I always break down and cry listening to this song. Wonderful job !

[@Rael_486]

This song is more indicative of Brian Eno's work. With all due respect. 🙏

[@rik2tr]

I totally agree and I also hear strong sounds a la Kraftwerk.

[@GortholMormegil]

They wrote the song together. Also all the other instrumentals from the album are often credited to Eno when instead are 100% written by Bowie

[@rik2tr]

""Warszawa", the opening track of what O'Leary calls Low's "night" side, is named after the Polish city of Warsaw, which Bowie visited in April 1976.[12] He found the landscape to be desolate and wanted to capture this through music. Eno mostly composed the song. He heard Visconti's four-year-old son playing A, B, C in a constant loop on the studio piano and used this phrase to create the main theme." -- Simon Pegg via Wikipedia

[@GortholMormegil]

@@rik2tr The concept of the song (its tone and mood) is based on some explicit indications by Bowie to Eno (this was also from Pegg's book) plus obviously the idea behind the style of singing. So the overall composition t's not just "more indicative" of Eno's work, but of both artists.

[@JanPeters-gs2ng]

Composed and recorded in late 1976, released in Jan. 1977, "Warszawa" for me shares a certain musical and cultural affinity with Henryk Gorecki's "Symphony No. 3, Op. 36", which was virtually contemporaneous in its genesis and premiere, i.e. 1976-77. Another intriguing Expressionist mood piece from the Berlin Trilogy is "Neukölln" on 1977's "Heroes" album. A noteworthy contrast in Bowie's vast oeuvre would be "Life on Mars" from 1971's "Hunky Dory", or "Width of a Circle" from 1970's "The Man Who Sold The World."

[@mattd8725]

Bowie was open about his appreciation of German bands at the time and even named some of the songs after them, with Heroes being a reference to the Neu! track Hero. I know that the band Can, at least, was formed by an actual student of Stockhausen.

[@michaelz9892]

Dear God more Bowie please please please.

[@davidspears8108]

love listening to your take on music I know so well

[@Ken-f7s]

Hi Virgin Rock! I never would have thought I would be listening to a reaction, to Warszawa, back in 1977, now, I. 2024! OMG! Thank you! Sincerely, Ken H

[@salatino1147]

I’ve been waiting! An excellent choice for an introduction.

[@jkirtleyheacting]

Great reaction. There are many great Bowie instrumental's to listen to that are also musically adventurous and challenging.

[@pippin210]

I was struck by the similarities between this song and Arvo Part's work in his tintinnabuli style, which he developed at around the same time - 1976 for Part's Fur Alina and 1977 for Low (the album this some comes from). I've been a Bowie fan since my early years and came across Part's work in my late 20s

[@Uncle_Neil]

The prelude of "The Berlin Trilogy", Bowie and Eno defining art rock once, and for all time.

[@dvzaccari]

I enjoyed this video very much. I always loved this track and is very different from his all his other music. I hear a lot of Eno in this piece.

[@tprnbs]

If you want to listen to polish song about Warszawa/Warsaw listen to "Sen o Warszawie" (translation: "A dream about Warsaw") by Czesław Niemen (if you decide to listen to it don't translate lyrics in google translator)

[@dcg4mn]

This was a great creative period for Bowie - listen well to his full live album including this song. It’s all great.

[@jaumepiquebernaus1853]

Bravo!! I have been waiting since your first masterclass for an analysis and even a Bowie monograph for a few reasons. So you make me happy. His great contribution to modern music was always ahead of his time with an infinite list of hits, none equal to another, his indisputable influence on both beginner and established musicians, artist musicians in general, the British cultural movement and young enthusiasts. of changes. He was a pioneer of Glam Rock along with Marc Bolan of Tyrannosaurus Rex. Also producer of renowned artists. As an actor he began learning in the theater with Lindsan Kemp. Known around the world as the Chameleon due to the constant changes of alter egos, Ziggy Stardust, Aladin Sane, Thin white Duke, etc. The best Bowie with great hits is in the seventies with albums that are authentic gems for rock-pop lovers. The rise and fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Pin Ups diamond dogs Station to station young americans And then all the works with Brian Eno with its electrònic part. Check some pictures from him and you'll undertand a lot of things. Congratulations for your always fantastics , honest and magistrical analisys. Keep on rocking ❤ Greetings from Barcelona and excuse my english.

[@patricknelson5151]

“Moonage Daydream” (a 2022 film, which I believe is available on HBO Max) creates a kind of impressionistic overview of his entire career. I think you do need to have a bit of background on Bowie’s varied career to understand it but even with only a limited understanding, I think it would still be a very compelling introduction to Bowie. You definitely see the multiple looks and personas on full display.

[@urbangardener66]

Brava!!!

[@250278]

Finally!

[@ElChatarreroDelBlues]

The music for this song was composed entirely by Brian Eno at the request of David Bowie to evoke the 'very somber atmosphere' that Bowie experienced during his visit to Warsaw in 1976. Instrumentally performed by Brian Eno (Mini-Moog, piano, Chamberlin [keyboard instrument that plays tape loops [recordings] of orchestral instruments, in this case Eno used the voices of cellos and flutes] and EMS Synthi). David Bowie wrote the lyrics and performed the vocals (based on 'Helokanie' by a Polish folk choir, although the words he used are not Polish but invented by Bowie). "Warszawa" is part of the album Low (released January 1977). Between 1976 and 1978, David Bowie and Brian Eno actively collaborated. From that collaboration emerged what is known as 'the Berlin Trilogy' made up of the albums: 'Low', 'Héroes' and 'Lodger'. [It is known as the Berlin Trilogy because during those times David Bowie lived in West Berlin]. It is Bowie's most experimental stage. I would recommend paying a lot of attention to Brian Eno because, 'from the shadows', he is a fairly important figure in the musical development of the 70s and later, both in his solo career and in collaboration with other musicians as well as in his own facet. as a producer.

[@niccymak8243]

Bowie getting a lot of credit for Eno's work here. A brilliant 30 min doc could be made about how they worked together on this.

[@LeeKennison]

While I don't think this is the best representation of Bowie's typical sound and work (which is quite varied anyway), I do really like this piece, and so I'm glad you did this and enjoyed it so much. But for me it is just as much (if not more) a representation of Brian Eno's work. I thought your reaction was excellent and you had some great observations. I also like how you broke a bit of the stereotype of classical musicians needing a score to play, by showing you can also play by ear too.😉 You had an excellent and insightful description of how it evoked the sense of devastation in Poland. I also loved how you showed the shifting key centers in the melody. Great piece and reaction.

[@mpmlopes]

Cygnet Committee is another Bowie song that would fit this channel very well. A lot of Bowie's stuff is quite original and complex anyway, so it would be nice to see it here.

[@antonidamiecki8028]

the song is incredible experience. i’m so glad you ve made it to listening to bowie❤ much love from Warsaw!

[@MobiusBandwidth]

one of his best works, from his best album. I've been meditating to the B side of Low since the early '80s.