Overview

Silhouettes and Shadows explores the secret history of David Bowie’s 1980 album Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)—an avant-garde pop album rich with tension and fear which closed Bowie’s golden years of the 1970s. Featuring exclusive interviews with close collaborators, this book uncovers the studio stories and hidden meanings behind Scary Monsters as Bowie stood at the crossroads of the new decade. Caught between the experimental Berlin Trilogy (Low, Heroes, and Lodger) and 1983’s smash hit Let’s Dance, it is here Bowie reached the end of his long road to recovery, overcame his demons, and buried the ghosts of his past to become a global superstar reaching millions of new fans. Scary Monsters’ hit singles “Fashion” and “Ashes to Ashes” would break Bowie back into the charts, confronting listeners with chaotic images of paranoia, addiction, social breakdown, and state control. Bowie would ride a new wave of inspiration with the post-punk of Joy Division, synth-pop of Gary Numan, and Culture Club’s sexual emancipation to the Blitz Kids and the New Romantics that followed in his wake. Marking a final goodbye to Space Oddity's lost hero, Major Tom, and the personas of Ziggy Stardust, Halloween Jack, Plastic Soul (the Gouster) and The Thin White Duke, in this rare moment, David Bowie, the pierrot clown of everyday romance, suffering, and song, let his mask slip to reveal David Jones, the man within.

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9781493065646

Table of Contents

Reviews

"""Adam Steiner's analysis of one of Bowie's most charismatic yet strangely elusive albums is as compelling as it is rich in detail. It sent me straight back to the record, as the best writing on music always does. This is a fresh and vital addition to the lengthening bibliography on David Bowie's extraordinary career.""--Michael Bracewell, author of Souvenir ""Both foreshadowed destination and a point of departure, Scary Monsters is a significant staging post in Bowie's career. Adam Steiner's erudite book communicates the thrill of an artist meeting the times, and his past, head on.""--Graeme Thomson, author of Themes for Great Cities: A New History of Simple Minds ""Scary Monsters is one of David Bowie's most fascinating records--a decade-closing album full of anger, confusion, innovation, retrenchment, theft, and sheer brilliance that's unique in his catalog. Adam Steiner digs into every aspect of it, from its songs to its art to its videos. He skillfully traces its many tributaries and listens to how it echoes throughout Bowie's later works. Anyone who's been entranced by Scary Monsters over the years will find much of interest here.""--Chris O'Leary, author of Ashes To Ashes and Rebel Rebel ""Steiner gathers together much significant research--covering areas of Bowie's recording career that have been previously overlooked.""--George Underwood, artist ""The 1980 album Scary Monsters is, arguably, David Bowie's masterpiece. It sums up everything Bowie had accomplished in the 1970s, but its sounds and its obsessions also foreshadow much of what Bowie would do in the decades to come. There are good reasons that every great Bowie release till his death in 2016 was called by some reviewers 'his best album since Scary Monsters.' In Silhouettes and Shadows, Adam Steiner provides a kaleidoscopic view of Bowie's masterpiece. Reading Silhouettes and Shadows is like living with the album in real-time. In some chapters we are next to Bowie as he is creating the album; sometimes we are next to the photographers and artists putting together its dazzling cover; sometimes we are with the videographer shooting the groundbreaking video for ""Ashes to Ashes;"" sometimes we are with Steiner himself as a responsive, insightful listener to the music and lyrics of each song, and to Bowie as an artist. It's a pleasure to relive Scary Monsters in Steiner's hands!""--Glenn Hendler, author David Bowie's Diamond Dogs (33 ⅓) ""Written with a poet's love for the jumble of words, the critic's fierce interrogating eye, and the fan's love of music, Silhouettes and Shadows is an essential read for anyone who takes Bowie seriously. Steiner brings out this unique stage in Bowie's life and art in full colour and with a rich and intriguing weave of testimony old and new and fresh insights on Bowie and his incredible music.""--David Buckley, author of David Bowie: Strange Fascination ""Adam Steiner's Silhouettes and Shadows is the mind-bendingly fascinating story of an album and its maker at the peak of his career.""--Arsalan Mohammad, host of the David Bowie: Albumtoalbum podcast ""An insightful, expansive, and informed searchlight into the inner workings of one of the most essential recordings of Bowie's oeuvre. Beautifully conceived and written with penetrating insight.""--Chuck Hammer, guitarist ""Steiner's rich text brilliantly recreates the claustrophobic paranoia and relentless self-analysis of an album that seems more unsettling every time you hear it.""--Peter Doggett, author of The Man Who Sold The World"

Adam Steiner's Silhouettes and Shadows is the mind-bendingly fascinating story of an album and its maker at the peak of his career. --Arsalan Mohammad, host of the David Bowie: Albumtoalbum podcast An insightful, expansive, and informed searchlight into the inner workings of one of the most essential recordings of Bowie's oeuvre. Beautifully conceived and written with penetrating insight. --Chuck Hammer, guitarist Steiner's rich text brilliantly recreates the claustrophobic paranoia and relentless self-analysis of an album that seems more unsettling every time you hear it. --Peter Doggett, author of The Man Who Sold The World

Adam Steiner's analysis of one of Bowie's most charismatic yet strangely elusive albums is as compelling as it is rich in detail. It sent me straight back to the record, as the best writing on music always does. This is a fresh and vital addition to the lengthening bibliography on David Bowie's extraordinary career. --Michael Bracewell, author of Souvenir Both foreshadowed destination and a point of departure, Scary Monsters is a significant staging post in Bowie's career. Adam Steiner's erudite book communicates the thrill of an artist meeting the times, and his past, head on. --Graeme Thomson, author of Themes for Great Cities: A New History of Simple Minds Scary Monsters is one of David Bowie's most fascinating records--a decade-closing album full of anger, confusion, innovation, retrenchment, theft, and sheer brilliance that's unique in his catalog. Adam Steiner digs into every aspect of it, from its songs to its art to its videos. He skillfully traces its many tributaries and listens to how it echoes throughout Bowie's later works. Anyone who's been entranced by Scary Monsters over the years will find much of interest here. --Chris O'Leary, author of Ashes To Ashes and Rebel Rebel Steiner gathers together much significant research--covering areas of Bowie's recording career that have been previously overlooked. --George Underwood, artist The 1980 album Scary Monsters is, arguably, David Bowie's masterpiece. It sums up everything Bowie had accomplished in the 1970s, but its sounds and its obsessions also foreshadow much of what Bowie would do in the decades to come. There are good reasons that every great Bowie release till his death in 2016 was called by some reviewers 'his best album since Scary Monsters.' In Silhouettes and Shadows, Adam Steiner provides a kaleidoscopic view of Bowie's masterpiece. Reading Silhouettes and Shadows is like living with the album in real-time. In some chapters we are next to Bowie as he is creating the album; sometimes we are next to the photographers and artists putting together its dazzling cover; sometimes we are with the videographer shooting the groundbreaking video for Ashes to Ashes; sometimes we are with Steiner himself as a responsive, insightful listener to the music and lyrics of each song, and to Bowie as an artist. It's a pleasure to relive Scary Monsters in Steiner's hands! --Glenn Hendler, author David Bowie's Diamond Dogs (33 ) Written with a poet's love for the jumble of words, the critic's fierce interrogating eye, and the fan's love of music, Silhouettes and Shadows is an essential read for anyone who takes Bowie seriously. Steiner brings out this unique stage in Bowie's life and art in full colour and with a rich and intriguing weave of testimony old and new and fresh insights on Bowie and his incredible music. --David Buckley, author of David Bowie: Strange Fascination Adam Steiner's Silhouettes and Shadows is the mind-bendingly fascinating story of an album and its maker at the peak of his career. --Arsalan Mohammad, host of the David Bowie: Albumtoalbum podcast An insightful, expansive, and informed searchlight into the inner workings of one of the most essential recordings of Bowie's oeuvre. Beautifully conceived and written with penetrating insight. --Chuck Hammer, guitarist Steiner's rich text brilliantly recreates the claustrophobic paranoia and relentless self-analysis of an album that seems more unsettling every time you hear it. --Peter Doggett, author of The Man Who Sold The World

"""Essential reading for David Bowie fans and those interested in rock-and-roll history.""--Foreword ""Adam Steiner has written an in-depth discussion of David Bowie's 'last great album' ... It's a convincing argument and backed up with an in-depth analysis of the social, cultural and political landscape of the time ... Steiner seems to have read everything anyone's written about Bowie's work, and he's also done his own interviews too.""--Louder than War ""Full of surprises and unexpected comments and critical revelations ... gloriously readable and informative.""--International Times ""Steiner ... takes us on the thrilling, identity-splicing journey with him, and as he does so offers a compelling, vital insight into this key Bowie album with the dexterity and insight of a novelist as well of a skilled biographer.""--3: AM Magazine ""Written with a poet's love for the jumble of words, the critic's fierce interrogating eye, and the fan's love of music, Silhouettes and Shadows is an essential read for anyone who takes Bowie seriously. Steiner brings out this unique stage in Bowie's life and art in full colour and with a rich and intriguing weave of testimony old and new and fresh insights on Bowie and his incredible music.""--David Buckley, author of David Bowie: Strange Fascination ""Adam Steiner's analysis of one of Bowie's most charismatic yet strangely elusive albums is as compelling as it is rich in detail. It sent me straight back to the record, as the best writing on music always does. This is a fresh and vital addition to the lengthening bibliography on David Bowie's extraordinary career.""--Michael Bracewell, author of Souvenir ""Adam Steiner's Silhouettes and Shadows is the mind-bendingly fascinating story of an album and its maker at the peak of his career.""--Arsalan Mohammad, host of the David Bowie: Albumtoalbum podcast ""An insightful, expansive, and informed searchlight into the inner workings of one of the most essential recordings of Bowie's oeuvre. Beautifully conceived and written with penetrating insight.""--Chuck Hammer, guitarist ""Both foreshadowed destination and a point of departure, Scary Monsters is a significant staging post in Bowie's career. Adam Steiner's erudite book communicates the thrill of an artist meeting the times, and his past, head on.""--Graeme Thomson, author of Themes for Great Cities: A New History of Simple Minds ""Scary Monsters is one of David Bowie's most fascinating records--a decade-closing album full of anger, confusion, innovation, retrenchment, theft, and sheer brilliance that's unique in his catalog. Adam Steiner digs into every aspect of it, from its songs to its art to its videos. He skillfully traces its many tributaries and listens to how it echoes throughout Bowie's later works. Anyone who's been entranced by Scary Monsters over the years will find much of interest here.""--Chris O'Leary, author of Ashes To Ashes and Rebel Rebel ""Steiner gathers together much significant research--covering areas of Bowie's recording career that have been previously overlooked.""--George Underwood, artist ""Steiner's rich text brilliantly recreates the claustrophobic paranoia and relentless self-analysis of an album that seems more unsettling every time you hear it.""--Peter Doggett, author of The Man Who Sold The World ""The 1980 album Scary Monsters is, arguably, David Bowie's masterpiece. It sums up everything Bowie had accomplished in the 1970s, but its sounds and its obsessions also foreshadow much of what Bowie would do in the decades to come. There are good reasons that every great Bowie release till his death in 2016 was called by some reviewers 'his best album since Scary Monsters.' In Silhouettes and Shadows, Adam Steiner provides a kaleidoscopic view of Bowie's masterpiece. Reading Silhouettes and Shadows is like living with the album in real-time. In some chapters we are next to Bowie as he is creating the album; sometimes we are next to the photographers and artists putting together its dazzling cover; sometimes we are with the videographer shooting the groundbreaking video for ""Ashes to Ashes;"" sometimes we are with Steiner himself as a responsive, insightful listener to the music and lyrics of each song, and to Bowie as an artist. It's a pleasure to relive Scary Monsters in Steiner's hands!""--Glenn Hendler, author David Bowie's Diamond Dogs (33 ⅓)"

"""Adam Steiner has written an in-depth discussion of David Bowie's 'last great album' ... It's a convincing argument and backed up with an in-depth analysis of the social, cultural and political landscape of the time ... Steiner seems to have read everything anyone's written about Bowie's work, and he's also done his own interviews too.""--Louder than War ""Adam Steiner's analysis of one of Bowie's most charismatic yet strangely elusive albums is as compelling as it is rich in detail. It sent me straight back to the record, as the best writing on music always does. This is a fresh and vital addition to the lengthening bibliography on David Bowie's extraordinary career.""--Michael Bracewell, author of Souvenir ""Adam Steiner's Silhouettes and Shadows is the mind-bendingly fascinating story of an album and its maker at the peak of his career.""--Arsalan Mohammad, host of the David Bowie: Albumtoalbum podcast ""An insightful, expansive, and informed searchlight into the inner workings of one of the most essential recordings of Bowie's oeuvre. Beautifully conceived and written with penetrating insight.""--Chuck Hammer, guitarist ""Both foreshadowed destination and a point of departure, Scary Monsters is a significant staging post in Bowie's career. Adam Steiner's erudite book communicates the thrill of an artist meeting the times, and his past, head on.""--Graeme Thomson, author of Themes for Great Cities: A New History of Simple Minds ""Essential reading for David Bowie fans and those interested in rock-and-roll history.""--Foreword ""Full of surprises and unexpected comments and critical revelations ... gloriously readable and informative.""--International Times ""Scary Monsters is one of David Bowie's most fascinating records--a decade-closing album full of anger, confusion, innovation, retrenchment, theft, and sheer brilliance that's unique in his catalog. Adam Steiner digs into every aspect of it, from its songs to its art to its videos. He skillfully traces its many tributaries and listens to how it echoes throughout Bowie's later works. Anyone who's been entranced by Scary Monsters over the years will find much of interest here.""--Chris O'Leary, author of Ashes To Ashes and Rebel Rebel ""Steiner ... takes us on the thrilling, identity-splicing journey with him, and as he does so offers a compelling, vital insight into this key Bowie album with the dexterity and insight of a novelist as well of a skilled biographer.""--3: AM Magazine ""Steiner gathers together much significant research--covering areas of Bowie's recording career that have been previously overlooked.""--George Underwood, artist ""Steiner's rich text brilliantly recreates the claustrophobic paranoia and relentless self-analysis of an album that seems more unsettling every time you hear it.""--Peter Doggett, author of The Man Who Sold The World ""The 1980 album Scary Monsters is, arguably, David Bowie's masterpiece. It sums up everything Bowie had accomplished in the 1970s, but its sounds and its obsessions also foreshadow much of what Bowie would do in the decades to come. There are good reasons that every great Bowie release till his death in 2016 was called by some reviewers 'his best album since Scary Monsters.' In Silhouettes and Shadows, Adam Steiner provides a kaleidoscopic view of Bowie's masterpiece. Reading Silhouettes and Shadows is like living with the album in real-time. In some chapters we are next to Bowie as he is creating the album; sometimes we are next to the photographers and artists putting together its dazzling cover; sometimes we are with the videographer shooting the groundbreaking video for ""Ashes to Ashes;"" sometimes we are with Steiner himself as a responsive, insightful listener to the music and lyrics of each song, and to Bowie as an artist. It's a pleasure to relive Scary Monsters in Steiner's hands!""--Glenn Hendler, author David Bowie's Diamond Dogs (33 ⅓) ""Written with a poet's love for the jumble of words, the critic's fierce interrogating eye, and the fan's love of music, Silhouettes and Shadows is an essential read for anyone who takes Bowie seriously. Steiner brings out this unique stage in Bowie's life and art in full colour and with a rich and intriguing weave of testimony old and new and fresh insights on Bowie and his incredible music.""--David Buckley, author of David Bowie: Strange Fascination ""Essential reading for David Bowie fans and those interested in rock-and-roll history.""--Foreword ""Adam Steiner has written an in-depth discussion of David Bowie's 'last great album' ... It's a convincing argument and backed up with an in-depth analysis of the social, cultural and political landscape of the time ... Steiner seems to have read everything anyone's written about Bowie's work, and he's also done his own interviews too.""--Louder than War ""Full of surprises and unexpected comments and critical revelations ... gloriously readable and informative.""--International Times ""Steiner ... takes us on the thrilling, identity-splicing journey with him, and as he does so offers a compelling, vital insight into this key Bowie album with the dexterity and insight of a novelist as well of a skilled biographer.""--3: AM Magazine ""Written with a poet's love for the jumble of words, the critic's fierce interrogating eye, and the fan's love of music, Silhouettes and Shadows is an essential read for anyone who takes Bowie seriously. Steiner brings out this unique stage in Bowie's life and art in full colour and with a rich and intriguing weave of testimony old and new and fresh insights on Bowie and his incredible music.""--David Buckley, author of David Bowie: Strange Fascination ""Adam Steiner's analysis of one of Bowie's most charismatic yet strangely elusive albums is as compelling as it is rich in detail. It sent me straight back to the record, as the best writing on music always does. This is a fresh and vital addition to the lengthening bibliography on David Bowie's extraordinary career.""--Michael Bracewell, author of Souvenir ""Adam Steiner's Silhouettes and Shadows is the mind-bendingly fascinating story of an album and its maker at the peak of his career.""--Arsalan Mohammad, host of the David Bowie: Albumtoalbum podcast ""An insightful, expansive, and informed searchlight into the inner workings of one of the most essential recordings of Bowie's oeuvre. Beautifully conceived and written with penetrating insight.""--Chuck Hammer, guitarist ""Both foreshadowed destination and a point of departure, Scary Monsters is a significant staging post in Bowie's career. Adam Steiner's erudite book communicates the thrill of an artist meeting the times, and his past, head on.""--Graeme Thomson, author of Themes for Great Cities: A New History of Simple Minds ""Scary Monsters is one of David Bowie's most fascinating records--a decade-closing album full of anger, confusion, innovation, retrenchment, theft, and sheer brilliance that's unique in his catalog. Adam Steiner digs into every aspect of it, from its songs to its art to its videos. He skillfully traces its many tributaries and listens to how it echoes throughout Bowie's later works. Anyone who's been entranced by Scary Monsters over the years will find much of interest here.""--Chris O'Leary, author of Ashes To Ashes and Rebel Rebel ""Steiner gathers together much significant research--covering areas of Bowie's recording career that have been previously overlooked.""--George Underwood, artist ""Steiner's rich text brilliantly recreates the claustrophobic paranoia and relentless self-analysis of an album that seems more unsettling every time you hear it.""--Peter Doggett, author of The Man Who Sold The World ""The 1980 album Scary Monsters is, arguably, David Bowie's masterpiece. It sums up everything Bowie had accomplished in the 1970s, but its sounds and its obsessions also foreshadow much of what Bowie would do in the decades to come. There are good reasons that every great Bowie release till his death in 2016 was called by some reviewers 'his best album since Scary Monsters.' In Silhouettes and Shadows, Adam Steiner provides a kaleidoscopic view of Bowie's masterpiece. Reading Silhouettes and Shadows is like living with the album in real-time. In some chapters we are next to Bowie as he is creating the album; sometimes we are next to the photographers and artists putting together its dazzling cover; sometimes we are with the videographer shooting the groundbreaking video for ""Ashes to Ashes;"" sometimes we are with Steiner himself as a responsive, insightful listener to the music and lyrics of each song, and to Bowie as an artist. It's a pleasure to relive Scary Monsters in Steiner's hands!""--Glenn Hendler, author David Bowie's Diamond Dogs (33 ⅓)"

Author Information

Adam Steiner studied philosophy at the University of Aberdeen and writes about music, street-art culture, architecture, poetry, and transgressive fiction. His previous books include Into the Never: Nine Inch Nails and the Creation of the Downward Spiral, a deep dive into the cultural impact of the seminal album (Backbeat Books 2020), and Politics of the Asylum, a novel that presents a nightmare vision of the NHS told from the perspective of a cleaner, Nathan Finewax (Urbane Publications 2018). He lives in London.

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