What a sad, sad day for music fans around the world. One of the most creative, innovative and beautiful rock voices went silent last night when David Bowie returned to the stars and left us all behind.
I've been listening to Bowie's music all day, and I figured I'd put together this humble little tribute to some of my favorite Bowie songs, but blending them with cardboard - cuz that's the way we roll here at ATBATT.
Three.....Two....One....Liftoff....
Joc Pederson holds out the hope and potential of a promising baseball career that we all (most of us?) dreamed of as Young Americans.
The video itself has a sketchy sound on the high end, but what a thrill to see Bowie perform. I'll take it.
"Aint there one damn song...that can make me break down and cry?"
Maury Wills pretty much re-invented the game of modern day baseball by firmly establishing the stolen base as an offensive weapon. The kid ran Wild Like The Wind.
The song itself isn't very fast paced, but damn, Bowie steals something from me every time I hear this song.
Steve Howe had a promising career that was unfortunately cut short by alcohol and drug addiction. He kept trying to come back, and kept stumbling back. He would revive his brilliance, only to succumb to the demons again - Ashes to Ashes.
"Time and again, I tell myself, I'll stay clean tonight."
Good ol' Jackie brought some much needed Changes to all of MLB.
"These children that you spit on, as they try to change their worlds...don't tell them to grow up and out of it."
Of course the big three get Heroes. (An excellent live version here)
"We can beat them forever and ever."
Dang, listening to this song is still bringing tears to my eyes tonight. Every time I hear it, I think Bowie is swimming with the dolphins now.
What can be scarier than having big Don Drysdale reaching back and firing off a brush back pitch straight at your head? Oh, you're backing off that plate alright.
"Keep me running. Running scared."
Duke Snider, Gil Hodges, Roy Campanella and Carl Furillo
Dodger fans will always have the Golden Years of the Boys of Summer.
"Nothing's gonna touch you in these golden years."
Of course, who else but the venerable Vin Scully should get this song? Vinnie has been the Sound and Vision of my baseball summers for my entire life.
"I will sit right down, waiting for the gift of sound and vision."
Ol' Willie Davis was the Dodgers' Three Dog, so he gets Diamond Dogs, a song with some of the best rock lyrics ever.
"This aint rock and roll, this is genociiiiiiiiiide!"
So many teammates and LA fans complained about Jeff Kent when he was a Dodger. It wasn't because he was an ex-Giant, they said he was grumpy and always simmering. It seemed to me the only thing he wanted was for his team to give 100% every game, which is all I ever saw from him.
Sometimes I think I was the only Kent fan in LA. Kent gets Slow Burn.
Man, that bass line cuts right to my gut and I love the way Bowie hits those notes - "Sloooow Buuurrrrrnnn."
I lived through Fernandomania, I knew Fernandomania. You "Manny bein Manny", are no Fernando.
If you didn't live in LA or otherwise did not experience Fernandomania, check out the excellent 30 for 30 docu on it that's on Netflix. LA was bonkers for Fernando, and he deserved it all.
Let's have some fun with that video of Bowie doing a bad lip sync job on Soul Train. Yup, Soul Train.
Of course, the man who would be a Fashion model, Mr "The Gap" Kemp.
"We are the goon squad and we're coming to town."
Finally, the Dodgers' very own Starman, who hit home runs so high and so far, they were called "moonshots".
Now Bowie is the Starman waiting in the sky.
Aloha, David, wherever you may be.
