Great book, no doubt about it, and the author is certainly... opinionated, let's say. But who cares, the artwork is gorgeous, and for the most part I tend to agree with Mr Popoff's assessments. If you're into hero worship though, his thoughts will rile you.

David Bowie.
Ziggy Stardust. The Thin Pale Duke. Gene Genie.
Bowie has earned every ounce of fame, stardom, praise and glory. And more.
Everyone. EVERYONE. Has a favorite song from this undisputed master.
Probably more than one. (mine is "putting out fire" ).
Bowie came alive on the stage. From Early on he redefined showmanship.
Often imitated, never matched. Bowie became the song. And he enchanted you with his voice.
To hear a Bowie song is to touch a part of your soul you never saw before.
To see him changes you life.

This is a beautiful book to look at. The photographs are gorgeous and a lot of the fun. The text is a nice overview of Bowie. There is not a lot of new information for long time fans. New fans will find this book makes a wonderful introduction to Bowie and his music. Enjoy

A gorgeous book for the Bowie fan! I loved the pictures and description of each era. I loved seeing the many iterations of his career and music. He had such a fascinating career as one of the most influential artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. This would make a wonderful gift!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

A celebration of the beloved iconic rockstar with enough beautiful photos to keep you occupied for hours. The perfect coffee table book or pleasure read for all of us who like to read but also like to turn the stereo up just a little too loud. This one is an absolutely phenomenal work of art, just like the artist it pays tribute to. Can’t say enough good things. Fascinating!

For only being 200 ish pages, I found this book took me a while to read. This says nothing about the content as the insight into David Bowies life and career was amazing, but I feel it was due to the fact I knew inevitably what was coming at the end.

However, by the time I got there I was reminded (like you could forget) just how much Bowie gave to the world and how much he put into this from the start of his career, to the very end.

Not necessarily any new ground breaking new information in this book but a well laid out chronological tale, with accompanying images, which makes this a wonderfully enjoyable read and one I would gladly own the physical copy to peruse at a later date again and again.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to review an early copy of this, was throughly enjoyable and a pleasure to read.

This a fascinating book, especially if you are a big Bowie fan. This covers his whole life and career development and changes. I learned so much about this creative genius . The photographs are amazing . So many behind the scenes photos and most I had never seen before. The many influences on this man’s career were clearly explained and hugely increased my admiration for both the person and his various art forms. This would make an incredible gift for a Bowie fan.

Bowie at 75 is a colorful career retrospective released near what would have been the seminal artist's 75th birthday. Full of background information, history, pictures, and Bowie/Iggy Pop/Lou Reed hijinks, this is the perfect companion to the hotly anticipated Moonage Daydream documentary being released later this month.

Pros:
- Tons of full color photos that I've never seen before.
- Lovingly detailed...you can tell the author is a fan.
- Each album is given a section, focusing more on the art of the full-length rather than individual songs.

Cons:
- Facetious complaint sure, but the formatting on my ARC was all over the place and made it tough to read. Naturally that just tells me that I need to buy a physical copy someday.

Four stars. This is a nice career retrospective hitting in conjuncture with the new Bowie biopic that is sure to please fans.

FFO: Bowie, Iggy, Lou Reed, Kraftwerk, Berlin

**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Motorbooks and Netgalley*

This was a great book that gave lots of information regarding the legend that is David Bowie and his many achievements throughout his life. This was an interesting read that gave me a greater insight into his life and untimely death.

I loved this book, it is such a delightful look into the man, the myth, the legend David Bowie. The world lost a treasure when Bowie died, and Martin Popoff gives him back to us in living color.

2022 would have marked his 75th birthday. And it is such a shame that we have lost an amazing artist in all senses.

This book is full of pictures and short stories that will connect the photos with important moments in his life and career. I loved getting a better feel of what I’ve known by now about him and his music and life. There are also so many unknown pieces that I just devoured. It is definitely a different book that must be savoured just like his music.

I loved the way it is set on the pages, the pictures and the interesting conversations. I think it will make an amazing gift and even a must have in one's collection.

🆓📖Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy through NetGalley

A great book if you’re a fan of Bowie. Loads of photos, some well known, some less well known and lots of information. An excellent book to read in chunks and dip in and out of when you have time, a very interesting read.

I am grateful to NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The title of this book, “Bowie@75”, refers to the year 2022 being 75 years since David Bowie’s birth in London, as David Jones. Bowie is much more than just a highly successful and influential musician, this book attempts to give “…a sense of all the arts…that make the package that is David Bowie”. I think the book is successful in doing this, using 75 career highlights from throughout his life, up to and beyond his death.

Upon starting this book, I thought that surely all that can be said or seen of Bowie had already been done. And done many times over the years. But I was pleasantly surprised. Not so much by the written information, which is generally well known, but definitely with the new visual material that I had not seen before.

The book documents, in roughly chronological order, the story of David Bowie, musician and ultimately a creative artist in many fields. The author appears to have captured all the major events and people who have been involved in one way or another, with Bowie and his world.

I found the chapters covering the 70s and 80s the most interesting as (in my humble opinion) that is generally considered Bowie’s most creative period, at least as a musician. The history is well known, as are the characters. Angie Bowie, Mick Ronson, Tony Visconti, Ken Scott, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Mott the Hoople are all rightly mentioned as either influencing and/or owing some of their success to David Bowie. Others significantly involved with helping Bowie become a success, the multiple musicians, managers, producers and collaborators are mostly all mentioned and given the credit they are due.

One might argue that some events or people might have more prominence. The 1980 Floor Show, from the Marquee Club performance in 1974 perhaps, or the role of Coco Schwab, Bowie’s long-time assistant for over 40 years . But for the most part, the author does a great job of capturing, people, places, events and of course, the music.

Each of Bowie’s official albums is discussed in some detail, as are the major tours and other public appearances. Bowies forays into other areas beside music are also covered. Films, television, visual arts and the theatre are all discussed as are his direct and indirect influences on so many musicians over the years.

Bowie’s life since the 1980s is covered in equal detail. The records, tours, band members, films, stage work, his private family life, are all adequately documented. Accolades continue throughout his life as new generations of Bowie fans discover his music and influence. The book ends with chapters on Bowie’s declining health and semi-retirement as the accolades continue. Final chapters cover the travelling V&A exhibition as well as the significance and success of his final two albums. The highly successful ‘The Next Day’ and the final album, ‘Blackstar’, released two days before his death in 2016.

The visual material is particularly well done. Representative of all periods and aspects of Bowie’s life and presented in high quality reproductions, with appropriate captions. Some are well known photographic images , but there are abundant new or at least lesser known photographs, as well as much Bowie promotional material. Posters, tickets, t-shirts, record labels, covers and so on.

The book is some 200 pages, equally divided between text and images. “Bowie@75” is a fine addition to the many volumes already published on David Bowie; his music, his art, his life. It is probably of most interest to younger readers or those new to Bowie’s creativity. It provides a compact, comprehensive summary of his life and work. The book does an excellent job of placing Bowies art in the context of the times, the people, the places and events where it happened. I wish the author and publishers all the very best with this book.

Bowie @ 75

I feel so blessed that I was granted early access to Bowie @ 75 via the eArc.
I thoroughly enjoyed every single page.
I loved this insight into such an icon, from his humble beginnings, up until his passing.

Bowie’s talent, passion and dedication were never something I doubted however, this book has now given me a greater level of knowledge & understanding of what drove and inspired him and how much Bowie truly put into every decision, record and style choice.

On a personal note, I enjoyed reading about the song, Heroes (forever locked into my heart) and about that joyous cult classic, Labyrinth! “You remind me of the babe!” Lol

David Bowie was beyond talented. And this world truly lost a gift when he passed, but what a legacy he left behind.

Oh, and how could I forget the stunning pictures included? Many of his iconic photos are there, but so many more I’d never seen. (I’m not saying these are never-before-seen, but they are new to my eyes). Even without reading a word, these pictures chart the incredible rise of a musical icon. I will say that the artwork for Diamond Dogs is a little disturbing! Lol But, Bowie was forever pushing the boundaries, and it is that that gave him his iconic status.

This book is a must for all David Bowie fans. I can’t wait to buy a physical copy. And with it being released just before my birthday, what a fabulous gift to myself.

Thank you, NetGalley & Quarto Publishing Group – Motorbooks, for the eArc.

Yess!!! I adore Bowie, and like to think of myself as a huge fan! So this book was just perfect.
The photos were beautiful (a lot I have seen before, but there were a couple of new ones too) and the amount of text in this was huge. There is A LOT of information in this book!
If you're a fan of Bowie you will love this!!
It's a great coffee table book, and a good one to dip in and out of.
Great!!

"A unique and beautifully produced celebration of the iconic and beloved rock star, Bowie at 75 examines David Bowie’s extraordinary life through the lens of 75 significant career achievements and life events.

Hendrix, Joplin, Mercury...few rock artists garner as much adulation after passing as they did in life. In Bowie at 75, veteran rock journalist Martin Popoff guides you through all 27 studio albums, as well as a curated selection of earworm singles. But Popoff delves deeper to reveal the events that helped chart the course of Bowie’s career:

Guest appearances with artists like Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Tina Turner, and Queen
Key performances such as Live Aid
Collaborations with an incredible roster of guitarists that included Mick Ronson, Adrian Belew, Robert Fripp, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Nile Rodgers, and Earl Slick
Film and television roles
Romance...and more.

From his eponymous 1967 debut LP and ending with Blackstar, released just two days before his death, Bowie is regarded as one of the most influential musicians and performers of the previous five decades, during which he constantly redefined himself. In examining 75 touchstones, Popoff gives you a unique view of Bowie’s career arc from folkie to the breakthrough single "Space Oddity" to his flamboyant glam rock alter ego, Ziggy Stardust, and beyond.

Illustrated with live concert and candid offstage photography as well as memorabilia including gig posters, 7-inch picture sleeves, and more, this incredible package also includes a gatefold Bowie timeline, a gatefold painting depicting "A Party of Bowies," a previously unpublished 8x10 glossy print, and a pullout by famed gig poster artist Frank Kozik. The result is a stunning tribute to one of the most influential and admired stars in rock history - in a milestone year."

Dammit I miss Bowie. At least books like this one and my memories of seeing him in concert keep him alive. As does the giant Labyrinth poster in my bedroom.

Suffice to say it is the rare human being who will choose to dance with the muse so obsessively, to love all of the arts so much that he would not only die for art but perish as work of art personified, filmed and heard to the very end, showing and whispering to us strange things that widened and enriched the collective consciousness of those attuned and willing to receive."

Popoff delivered a visually stunning book that takes us through 75 of Bowie's life moments. For those who grew up on Bowie's music, this book will either serve as fun facts about his life for the casual consumer or a great collection piece for the big fans.

The art accompanying the text was the highlight and added life to the book. The text was great in showing the highs and lows of Bowie's career and the chronological order provided an immersive way to experience his life.

Excited to own a copy of this book, a great collection piece as a lifetime Bowie fan.

Thank you NetGalley, Quarto Publishing, and Martin Popoff for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

↠ 5 stars

As a lifelong Bowie fan, I buy every book about him thats released, but obviously some are better than others, Martin Popoff’s “Bowie At 75” belongs on the latter shelf, mainly for the photographs which are a real feast for the eyes. Popoff’s analysis is at times a little eyebrow-raising because he doesn’t always sound like a hardcore fan, which comes across as unusual in such a sumptuously celebratory publication , but this doesn’t spoil the overall excellence of this book.

Author Martin Popoff is best known as a heavy metal journalist but has now written a book about David Bowie’s life and music. David Bowie died in 2016 at the age of 69; he would be 75 today which is captured in the title, Bowie @ 75, a pictorial book featuring 75 “career highlights” according to author Martin Popoff, best known as a heavy metal journalist. These highlights include every studio album plus whatever the author considered a “touchpoint” – the first such being, of course, his birth. We are treated to a picture of Bromley, Bowie’s birthplace in South London, looking rather more rural than it does today, as well as a picture of Bowie aged 8 in 1955. Another early touchpoint is the notorious moment when friend George Underwood punched Bowie in the face and caused a permanent eye injury. This is described in some detail, including the name of the girl they were squabbling over, an indication that Popoff does care about detail.

Letter to Hermione is described as a “dour but mercifully brief folk piece” – the first clue that Popoff is not altogether a fan. Perhaps surprising is that the author does not care for its successor either, despite it being the closest Bowie came to a heavy metal album (unless you count Tin Machine). The Man Who Sold the World is described as having writing that is “chordal, slightly aimless, with the lyrics coming after the music;” and that Bowie had a “foppish, dancehall voice.” At least the author is opinionated rather than bland. He does not mention the connection between the cartoon US cover and the asylum where Bowie’s brother Terry was ensconced – a sign that he is missing, I feel, much of what makes the album so good – though he does write again about the cover later in the book when describing Terry’s death by suicide. The author likes Hunky Dory better, calling it “the third first Bowie album” and with songs that became “catalog classics”.

Even when it comes The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, the album that broke Bowie, Popoff does not sound like a fan. “There’s no sonic unity amount the songs” he complains, though conceding that “the record, curiously, is considered essential by those who started punk bands” – note the passive voice. He may prefer the following album, Aladdin Sane, writing that “Bowie’s sixth album makes the fifth sound like a demo.” Perhaps because it sounds “gnarlier,” suiting Popoff’s taste?

On we go: Pinups, Diamond Dogs, David Live (Popoff definitely not a fan), Young Americans (ditto), until we get to Station To Station which seems to strike a chord with the author, who says that it “somehow feels like Bowie’s first work of high art.” Low, then “a brutal assessment of ‘Heroes’ would have it an extended single, essentially ‘Heroes’ plus nine B-sides,” writes the author, though he later concedes “the huge respect the record now garners for its artistic merits,” once again using the passive voice to distance himself from popular opinion.

In Popoff’s framing, Let’s Dance and the Serious Moonlight tour are a peak. “Although there would be grander Bowie tours to come, there would be none more magical and demonstrative of a David Bowie not only firing on all cylinders but hitting every target.” Personally I could not disagree more; the tour lacks the intensity of the best Bowie performances, hugely popular but ultimately not that interesting except for being hugely popular. The author though is entitled to his opinion!

Despite a certain lack of enthusiasm for the music, I enjoyed reading the book, though it is hard to read any chronicle of Bowie’s career without a little sadness. Popoff is I think a fan of Bowie’s ability to change things up, to be ahead of his peers on matters like the internet (he calls bowienet “the first good website by a musician”), and gives good coverage to Bowie’s later years, saying that “Bowie would make some of his greatest records in his twilight years” and that Blackstar, the final record, was “a creative triumph beyond anybody’s expectations.” This is where I find myself most agreeing with Popoff; I consider it his finest musical achievement.

That said, I am not sure Popoff was the best person to do this book, which seems designed to appeal to the fans. Bowie’s music is not for everyone and one senses that while the author is trying his best to be sympathetic, his commendable honesty reveals that much of it is not to his taste.

I must add though that even judging by the electronic proof which I have reviewed, the design is excellent and although I did not spot any really unusual pictures, it is a bit of a visual feast and fans may like it for that alone.

I read a copy provided by Quercus and Netgalley but my opinions are my own.

The photos in this book are fascinating. I found myself going back and forth to look at the details. A very good curation of photos of David’s public life.

I dipped in and out of the text but liked the chronological progression and especially the timeline section.

This is a book that you would revisit. The research seems sound though I was puzzled by some textual decisions. For example, ‘Haymaker’ describing Underwood seems odd and would readers outside UK understand this? And earlier the punch had been described by Bowie as not hard.

Overall, a good reference book and album of Bowie’s life in music.