David Bowie - The Major Albums

Spring 2021 Professor: Brian Kim Stefans  Email: stefans@humnet.ucla.edu  Time: Tuesdays, 3-3:50 Office Hours: Wednesdays, 12-2 Introduction The singer, composer and actor David Bowie, who passed away in 2016, needs no introduction. In this course, we will listen to and discuss the key albums from his catalog including Hunky Dory, Ziggy Stardust, Young Americans, Station to Station, the “Berlin Trilogy,” Scary Monsters and his final LP, Blackstar, released just days before his death. Topics include Bowie’s relationship to the bands of the “British Invasion,” Black American music, avant-garde music, and sub-genres of pop including Glam, Krautrock, and various flavors of EDM. We will also discuss Bowie’s various personae, the changes in his vocal style over the years, how he constructed his songs, his collaborations with Brian Eno, and the enormous influence he had on fashion and early forms of the music video.  Every student must have access to a streaming music service such as Spotify.