The BOOK That Changes How You Hear David Bowie | This Bits Brilliant Book Podcast

In this episode of This Bit’s Brilliant, hosts Simon Q. Elliott and Paul Ging delve into the fascinating, complex, and incredibly detailed world of David Bowie. Life is too short for bad books, which is why Paul is pitching a massive, "doorstoppy" non-fiction masterpiece that every music lover needs on their shelf: Ashes to Ashes by Chris O'Leary. Spanning 40 years of Bowie’s unmatched career—from his cocaine-fueled days recording Station to Station in Los Angeles in 1976 all the way to his untimely death in 2016—Ashes to Ashes attempts to make sense of the icon's shifting motivations in one continuous, beautifully joined-up narrative. Though structured song by song, it reads like an epic story that will captivate casual listeners and hardcore Bowie nerds alike. Paul breaks down why this book is an essential read, highlighting the incredible, granular details that most music fans completely miss. Ever wondered about the hidden layers of the hit song "Ashes to Ashes"? Paul reveals O'Leary's brilliant observation that the track isn't just a sequel to "Space Oddity"—it’s a deeply meta, knowing nod that directly lifts structural lines from Buddy Holly's lesser-known sequel song, "Peggy Sue Got Married". The conversation also explores Bowie's dramatic 1982 "sliding doors" moment. The book charts his sudden transformation from the world’s biggest cult music artist into a multi-platinum, mainstream pop megastar following a chance meeting with Chic's Nile Rodgers. Paul and Simon debate this commercial shift—from the artistic heights of the Berlin Trilogy (Low, Heroes, and the criminally underrated Lodger) to the massive pop success of Let's Dance and the critical confusion of his subsequent album, Tonight. From a defense of Bowie's aggressive, spiky, and experimental 1980s band Tin Machine, to an analysis of how his environment in Lausanne, Switzerland, altered his creative output, this episode covers the brilliant, the weird, and the forgotten eras of music history. It may be a book as big as your head, but Paul proves exactly why Ashes to Ashes is worth every single page. Tune in to find out why you should stop scrolling and start reading this definitive musical biography. This Bits Brilliant is a book podcast about the best music, sport and culture books from the 80s 90s and 00s. We only cover books we love and tell you about the best bits and why you will enjoy them. Simon Q Elliott and Paul Ging talk about great books on culture, music and sport from the 80s, 90s and 00s. Because Life's too short for bad books. On this show we uncover hidden gems and unexpected connections. From classic writing to the all time bestsellers, we'll lead you to great books that make you laugh and occasionally think. Discover great writing.