Backstage Passes: Life on the Wild Side With David Bowie

Rating:
Summary: Fascinatingly vulgar
Review: "Backstage Passes" is the story of what happened when two people who had little class or morals (David Bowie and his then-wife Angela) suddenly became very famous and very rich. What happened is that they indulged their lowest animal passions and lived lives that went out of control. All of this would be just one more trashy rock star biography except that Angie Bowie seems to have no regrets and no insights about any of this, even years after the facts. Some show biz bios try to gloss over the ugly excesses of their subjects or attempt to rationalize their moral slovenliness and show that on SOME level that the subject isn't exactly proud of all that he/she did. Not this one. The author just throws it all in the reader's face with a "So what? Who cares?" attitude. This is what made this book fascinatingly vulgar, and unintentionally hilarious. I shared it with a friend and he found it to be one of the funniest things he had read in months. The author seems to be daring ANYONE to object to anything she or David Bowie did with what she must consider to be nothing but moldy and irrelevant moral reservations. I have news for the author: the parade has passed her by. People are tired of irresponsibility, substance abuse, wasteful living, promiscuity, and cheating. David comes across as whacked out on drugs and in need of critical psychiatric help during the period this was written. Did anyone around him-all of those hanging on to his fame and celebrity-bother to help help him? Doesn't look like it from the evidence here. Luckily, he did clean up his life years later-no thanks to his worthless "friends ".

Rating:
Summary: David had Angie silenced for ten years
Review: "Backstage Passes" is the story of what happened when two people who had little class or morals (David Bowie and his then-wife Angela) suddenly became very famous and very rich. What happened is that they indulged their lowest animal passions and lived lives that went out of control. All of this would be just one more trashy rock star biography except that Angie Bowie seems to have no regrets and no insights about any of this, even years after the facts. Some show biz bios try to gloss over the ugly excesses of their subjects or attempt to rationalize their moral slovenliness and show that on SOME level that the subject isn't exactly proud of all that he/she did. Not this one. The author just throws it all in the reader's face with a "So what? Who cares?" attitude. This is what made this book fascinatingly vulgar, and unintentionally hilarious. I shared it with a friend and he found it to be one of the funniest things he had read in months. The author seems to be daring ANYONE to object to anything she or David Bowie did with what she must consider to be nothing but moldy and irrelevant moral reservations. I have news for the author: the parade has passed her by. People are tired of irresponsibility, substance abuse, wasteful living, promiscuity, and cheating. David comes across as whacked out on drugs and in need of critical psychiatric help during the period this was written. Did anyone around him-all of those hanging on to his fame and celebrity-bother to help help him? Doesn't look like it from the evidence here. Luckily, he did clean up his life years later-no thanks to his worthless "friends ".

Rating:
Summary: interesting book review from a 28 year old.
Review: hi, all , my name is jon-michael. as a huge bowie fan, i must say i for one liked this book, it really is about, two people that loved each other deeply and then of course what happened along the way. fame is really tough and takes its toll, but i liked this book, it shows two strong people, and what they went through.the main focus of the book, is thier life, i mean those were the times then, you know, in the end, you learn about how, learning to really love each other more, through out what happens to you, even if it doesnt work out. well wriiten book.

Rating:
Summary: I love Angela Bowie!
Review: I've enjoyed reading Angie's essays on her website. She's actually a very good, witty writer. She really knows how to dish too. This tasty memoir made me laugh out loud at times. I definitely believe she was a huge influence on David...her brashness definitely rubbed off on him, in a good way! I liked reading about the ups and downs during their wild, crazy marriage. Although David probably wishes the gag order lasted forever!

Rating:
Summary: Trashy, biased
Review: Of the many David Bowie biographies out there, this has got to be one of the worst [though there are others that are competing for the title--ie. Alias David Bowie by the Gillmans]. In it his ex-wife--a horror through most of his life--simply bitterly airs all his dirty laundry while inserting many lies inside the mix to produce a very trashy, vulgar product. This work slanders without having any redemptive value. If you read other biographies, you will not only get info into this dark period of his life, but also on his coming out of it and moving on. I cannot stress how low this book has fallen, and have to recommend that it stays on the shelf.

Rating:
Summary: Pass by "Backstage"
Review: The tell-all autobiographies of disgruntled ex-spouses/paramours are among the most annoying books on the rock world. Angela Bowie's "Backstage Passes: Life on the Wild Side With David Bowie" aspires to be witty and caustic, but ends up merely sounding bitter, without revealing anything really worth knowing.

Bowie describes how she arrived on the music scene of the 1960s and met the budding singer David Bowie. After a very unconventional relationship, they married (he proposed by asking if she could deal with the fact that "I don't love you"?) into an open, bisexual union. A child, several albums and a drug addiction later, they split.

A gag order was part of the divorce settlement between Angela Bowie and her ex husband; this book was published once the order ran out. Alas, there really isn't anything to justify the order. She is bitter -- nobody could mistake that. But aside from intimate rashes and lack of sexual prowess, she really has nothing too grubby to say about David Bowie. Bowie apparently contents herself with acid-flecked comments whenever she can manage it. There are jilted ladies of the rock world (Marianne Faithfull, Bebe Buell) who handle themselves with decorum, but apparently Bowie doesn't want to.

The problem with Angela Bowie is that, like many paramours of rock stars, she assumes that she's a lot more interesting than she actually is. Her life is detailed, but not terribly interesting. What's worse, there's little contact with the intriguing people in the rock world. There's a spattering of stars like Mick Jagger who make real appearances (okay, we know Mick is a "billy goat" -- next shocking revelation!) and Michael Jackson, and others like Marianne Faithfull and John Lennon are mentioned but never really shown. Even Bowie's own ex-husband (the whole reason people read the book) is a nebulous presence.

Bowie's writing wobbles dangerously, with plenty of rants and flash-forwards, as well as her opinions on the music industry. There's a lot of sex and drugs, but not much rock'n'roll. If you want to hear about the various people who wanted to sleep with both Bowies, Angela will tell you gladly. Same with the gender-bending clothes. Unfortunately, you won't be told nearly so much about his music.

Readers may put down "Backstage Passes: Life on the Wild Side With David Bowie" wondering why the famed rock star bothered to put a gag order on Angel Bowie. The shock value is ultimately low, and the embittered, self-centered focus gets annoying. Not recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Pass by "Backstage"
Review: The tell-all autobiographies of disgruntled ex-spouses/paramours are among the most annoying books on the rock world. Angela Bowie's "Backstage Passes: Life on the Wild Side With David Bowie" aspires to be witty and caustic, but ends up merely sounding bitter, without revealing anything really worth knowing.

Bowie describes how she arrived on the music scene of the 1960s and met the budding singer David Bowie. After a very unconventional relationship, they married (he proposed by asking if she could deal with the fact that "I don't love you"?) into an open, bisexual union. A child, several albums and a drug addiction later, they split.

A gag order was part of the divorce settlement between Angela Bowie and her ex husband; this book was published once the order ran out. Alas, there really isn't anything to justify the order. She is bitter -- nobody could mistake that. But aside from intimate rashes and lack of sexual prowess, she really has nothing too grubby to say about David Bowie. Bowie apparently contents herself with acid-flecked comments whenever she can manage it. There are jilted ladies of the rock world (Marianne Faithfull, Bebe Buell) who handle themselves with decorum, but apparently Bowie doesn't want to.

The problem with Angela Bowie is that, like many paramours of rock stars, she assumes that she's a lot more interesting than she actually is. Her life is detailed, but not terribly interesting. What's worse, there's little contact with the intriguing people in the rock world. There's a spattering of stars like Mick Jagger who make real appearances (okay, we know Mick is a "billy goat" -- next shocking revelation!) and Michael Jackson, and others like Marianne Faithfull and John Lennon are mentioned but never really shown. Even Bowie's own ex-husband (the whole reason people read the book) is a nebulous presence.

Bowie's writing wobbles dangerously, with plenty of rants and flash-forwards, as well as her opinions on the music industry. There's a lot of sex and drugs, but not much rock'n'roll. If you want to hear about the various people who wanted to sleep with both Bowies, Angela will tell you gladly. Same with the gender-bending clothes. Unfortunately, you won't be told nearly so much about his music.

Readers may put down "Backstage Passes: Life on the Wild Side With David Bowie" wondering why the famed rock star bothered to put a gag order on Angel Bowie. The shock value is ultimately low, and the embittered, self-centered focus gets annoying. Not recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Steamy!!!!!
Review: This book is so much fun to read. Angela is definitely a little bitter about the lack of credit she received for helping to establish the Ziggy persona, but the factual information dealing with Bowie's rise to the top is accurate!

Rating:
Summary: The BEST book on Bowie!
Review: This is the best book on David Bowie I've read, and I've read them all! It is also valuable for being the only firsthand account. Filled with lots of details and ancedotes (not gossip!) about Bowie, it is a very honest portrait of a marriage, a hilarious if often disturbing look into the Bowies' life at home and on the road.

There's very little that seems to be put in the book merely to "shock." Rather it offers candid views of Iggy, Keith, Rod, Marianne, and yes, David and Mick. Angela unabashedly tells you what it was like to be in the middle of Swinging London and the 1970s British Glam-rock scene. She provides a vivid and highly credible portrayal of a loose and decadent time.

Angela is surprisingly modest throughout, since she clearly respects the talent she keeps company with. She never credits herself with David's accomplishments, but does state the obvious in noting she was often his biggest creative spark and contributed significantly to the launching of his career.

Ignore the other reader's comments, the one who doubts Angie's extraordinary life. "There are more things in heaven and earth...." Besides, how can you trust a reader who uses phrases like "more dirtier?" Buy Backstage Passes and decide for yourself. You won't find a better or more unsparing perspective than Angela Bowie's.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining (no pun intended)
Review: This was a fun look into the wacky world of the 70's entertainer. Angela Bowie "tells it all" without being tacky and selling her soul. She deserves credit for helping to create his image and his lifestyle, and I hope she had a lot of fun along the way. I love David's music, but I gotta say after reading this book I think he's kind of creepy - why anyone would make it a point to completely ignore the mother of his child forever is beyond me, but so much for the hippie idealism of love - I guess that went out the door with the platform boots. The description of the coke binges made my head swim, and the "surprise at the bottom of the swimming pool" was truly creepy. A good tell-all told while retaining some dignity. Well done.