As one of the greatest songwriters of all time, David Bowie’s musical opinions tend to hold a lot of weight. In addition to a constant desire to move forward, reinventing himself and incorporating new influences into his sound, Bowie had a distinct ability to keep his finger on the pulse of musical trends. So, when the songwriter lists the album he credits with the beginning of glam rock, it’s worth listening to.
After struggling through the 1960s as an unsuccessful solo artist, Bowie established himself during the glam rock scene of the early 1970s. Producing some of his best and most beloved work as the alien character Ziggy Stardust, his glam era remains a definitive highlight of Bowie’s discography. Of course, the songwriter was not alone in the world of glam. Artists like T Rex, Sweet and Slade paved the way for Ziggy’s rise in fame, though the immense talent of the Brixton-born artist soon saw him rise to the top of the scene.
Back in 2003, shortly after the release of his 24th studio album, Reality, Bowie was asked by Vanity Fair to select some stand-outs from his extensive record collection. Many of his picks tracked his musical inspiration throughout the years, selecting The Velvet Underground & Nico, which had a huge impact on Bowie’s early career, as well as The Fabulous Little Richard, which contributed towards his musical awakening in the 1950s.
Another record that the iconic musician selected was Daevid Allen’s Banana Moon, which he credited with the beginning of those “strands of the embryonic glam style”. Finding fame as a founding member of psychedelic rock pioneers Soft Machine, Allen embarked upon a solo career in the early 1970s. Banana Moon, which features many of his ex-Soft Machine bandmates, was the Australian musician’s first solo album.
Like his ex-bandmate Kevin Ayers, Allen’s solo work maintained his incredible psychedelic rock roots while incorporating a more modern sound for the 1970s. Listening to Banana Moon, there are definite parallels to be drawn between Allen’s sound and that of T Rex and even Roxy Music. In fact, Bowie was so infatuated with the record that he boldly described the sound of the opening track ‘Time Of Your Life’ as “Bryan Ferry and the Spiders from Mars (together, at last!!)”.
Expanding on his appreciation for the album. Bowie continued, “Banana Moon became Allen’s solo transitional move before forming the loony Gong”. The songwriter further notes the influence of Robert Wyatt, who performed with Allen on the album, saying, “Wyatt also went on to a long and respected solo career, intermittently working with ex-Roxyite Brian Eno.”
While Bowie’s comments could be attributed to his noted sense of humour, Allen does appear to be adopting a proto-Ferry style of vocals on ‘Time Of Your Life’. The origins of glam rock are often attributed to Marc Bolan’s bejewelled appearance on Top of the Pops in 1971; the roots of the musical style are certainly evident in Allen’s solo debut.
