THE ROCK STAR I'D LOVE TO MEET

If you have the chance to meet only one famous rock star, who would you choose? For me it would be David Bowie. I often fantasize that we're having tea and discussing music. It might never come about but if I can meet him, I will do those things.

One thing I'd like to talk over with David is experimental and electronic music. Like him, I find the first three Kraftwerk albums highly evocative. I'm sure David and I could have a great time listening to them and discussing each piece.

David's early tunes from the sixties are among my favourites. Songs such as "When I'm Five" and "Kooks"" show his more sensitive side. "The Laughing Gnome" shows his sense of humor. Early seventies classics such as "Space Oddity" and "Saviour Machine" show his love of science fiction.

I also love the three albums he recorded in Berlin. Hero's, Low and The Lodger  are beloved by me because of their aural textures and interesting lyrics. I've heard that David wanted to use German musicians but somebody in his agency told them that he had changed his mind. Being a fan of Krautrock, I wish David had met and put music together with those pioneers of German rock music.

Cat People is another album of David's which I enjoy. It has darker sonic textures than the German trilogy but I still enjoy it. The album also reminds me of the time I bought it in 1982.

David Bowie has worked with many different performers. The most famous was John Lennon. The two men collaborated on the song "Fame" in 1975. Brian Eno, pioneer of ambient music, also worked with David. It would be most interesting to hear David's take on those experiences. I'd also like to hear how he and Giorgio Moroder collaborated. He was the legendary electronic music pioneer who backed up Donna Summers on her hit "I Feel Love" in 1977.

Music has been a passion in my life since childhood. I mention it in my first two memoirs, available on my Bruce Atchison's books page. My most recent book is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Powell's Books.