If I had to take 10 albums to mars with me this album would come with me no questions or decisions to make there. This album is timeless, nearly flawless and it has made a marked impression on the rock and roll landscape following it. This is a seminal album because it was really one of the first fully formed concept albums and at once it was classic rock and roll but even on the abum it is very theatrical marking it as a precursor for the likes of pink floyd and should I be so bold to say Alice Cooper. It wasn't just a rock and it wasn't a musical. It is drama with a tinge of the spectacular and a beat a.nd some soul pulsing through it.
The album tells the story of a possible saviour. In the opening track Ziggy lands with some bad news for earth that in five short years it'll be gone. It goes on with soul love and the good and the bad and how abstract love really is and moonage daydream keeps on with love and the want for real love and what exactly that is. In the next track it goes back to further develop the thoughts on why or should he even come down to Earth to tell the people the bad news. "It Ain't Easy" is sort of an odd man out, it's not filler but it doesn't really progress the concept, because its talking about struggle and Ziggy/Lady were definitely having problems down on earth. It's not really clear if Lady Stardust is a part of Ziggy's band, his lover or a persona of Ziggy, but it is clear that this creature(homo sapien or homo superior?) is having identity issues and that is a key concept of the album, what is identity and is it malleable, and how does our concept of one's self differ from others.
The second part of the album starts with "Star" where everyone wants to be a star and of course the man from the stars is shining bright on earth. Now "Hang On To Yourself" gives you an idea of whats to come its foreshadowing the madness thats around Ziggy and the Spiders. What we know so far is that he's come from space to tell earth the bad news but he's stayed here and become a rock star. Everyone loved him and he became ultimately too full of himself and this was his downfall, because his fans turned on him even though the band had been nearly plotting on whether or not to destroy his hands. The leper messiah dies, this is a very strong reference to Christ and possibly the potential of anyone so charismatic and dynamic ability, which leads you to wonder about how powerful the character could be.
The third part I feel is really hung up on Suffragette City, which is a good song but I think is almost filler or a need for a commercial song. The true finale comes with Rock N Roll Suicide, which really places a message in this album, don't give up on yourself, life can be hard but also don't follow this example of Ziggy's no matter how great one can be dismantled. Its very subtle and rich and a fitting end to a great album.
The album isn't perfect but it paints in brilliant strokes which will linger indefinitely in my opinion. It's a timeless album coming from a nearly 17 year old who's probably listened to this album for the 20th time in the past 30 weeks. I've come back to this album so many times, when my dad hooked up his new record player and put his collection in my room a few years ago this was the first album I played. It may not be my favorite or even the greatest album of all time but it's definitely close to perfection in its other worldly magnificence. Buy this album if it's not already in your collection, immediately.
