DAVID BOWIE - WE ARE THE DEAD/1984/BIG BROTHER/CHANT + LYRICS REACTION 

When you listen to this kind of music, you don't understand how someone could even write such a thing. I guess only our genius David Bowie can🧑‍🎤.

Diamond Dogs- what a prophetic album - very present of 2022/23 and references to the work of George Orwell 1984 and poet T.S Eliots’s The Wasteland. Bowie is a genius.

You are probably my favorite Bowie reactor, all the others do Golden Years, Fame, Lets dance, which Bowie himself said they were designed for commercial sales. The true brilliance of Bowie are these intricate songs that had no chance in the top 40! Thank you for sharing these great songs. Bowie was truly a genius and I bought his first album in 1969 and he has changed my perspective in my life. Enjoy more, so much to amaze you!☮️❤️🙏

"Diamond Dogs" is a serious contender for my all-time favorite Bowie album. I asked for it and got it for my birthday in October, 1975, much to my Mother's dismay. She didn't understand the music and the cover genuinely disturbed her. Aaahhhhh......precious memories....!!!

One thing to keep in mind - he was 27 in 1974. TWENTY SEVEN.

Yes. When I listened to this when I was a teen. It blew me away. Love it to this day.

This album was inspired by the novel, 1984 by George Orwell which speaks of a futuristic world of too much Government and Big Brother is straight up about the Government’s ever watchful eye on us and people being okay with the intrusion and wanting more. Sadly, we’re there now.

You absolutely get him ... as much as anyone on this planet really could. I was lucky to see him perform live four times in and around the Detroit area ... what an experience each and everytime. Great reaction!

Sweet Thing / We are the dead - 2 of his greatest works

This is probably my favorite David Bowie album but I loved Young Americans too! I loved all of his albums and it's so hard to pick a fave. He was a genius.

One of a kind ….. he knew every part. And got All his musicians play exactly what he wanted, and it was sublime and it’s always been supplying and he’s the best never to be repeated and there is a message throughout all his albums. Just a masterpiece, complete genius.

Genius

1974 The Diamond Dogs Tour at Madison Square Garden. The set was amazing and it was by far the greatest show I ever saw and that includes his other ones that I fortunately had the honor of being in the audience...

Absolutely breathlessly brilliant album - a roller coaster ride through a dystopian dream world ! Utterly unique and just stunning !

Thank you so much for playing the whole relative set of songs on this side of the album.. I used to play the crap out of this album when a teen, but hearing it all together now ... is a sonic bomb of sobering current realities.

Bizarre that I would find this song in a reaction video, I'm pretty old, in my 60's, I have the Diamond Dogs CD in my car as I type. Good to see that you may be exposing younger folks to the classics and timeless music, you play some of the good ones on your channel.

It’s awesome reacting to records like this with you. You obviously know and love music. This makes me look deeper into records like this 😎👍

Inspired by the book by George Orwell..1984 or Big Brother.Well worth the read!Love your reaction!

Kia ora hello from Aotearoa new zealand my brother how are you doing? I saw David Bowie with my dad and younger sister in 1983 at Western springs stadium for the serious moonlight tour for the LET'S DANCE ALBUM. WICKED I WAS 13 YEAR'S OLD that concert is still to this day the biggest crowd of people in one place at the same time in Aotearoa new zealand even though our population is twice the size as then. IT was sold out and a massive crowd of people pushed the fences over and rushed in thousands of people I'll never forget that scene and THEN THE WHITE DUKE CAME ON STAGE AND THE AIR WAS BUZZING WITH ELECTRICITY IT WAS AWESOME

A suggestion, David Live at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia. You don’t have to react to it, just listen to it for your own enjoyment. It came out after Diamond Dogs so it has songs from Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane and DD’s. Please, ✔️it out.

He warned us. We are sheep and want to be led! "Someone to claim us. Someone to follow. Someone to shame us. Some great Apollo."

Thanks for your reaction to these songs. Bowie,went from the Major Tom big hit to this masterpiece in just a couple of years. It's so hard to come up with that 1 "song" on this album. For me however The Candidate stands out as my favorite. Again,thank you.

The Chant is in my top five Bowie tracks ..it should be Englands national anthem

one of my favs!

Great reaction, thank you,

Brilliant!!! Thank you for reacting to this masterpiece by the visionary, Bowie!! He’s my all time favorite Artist!!

Diamond Dogs. This whole album plays out as a story of dystopian society. Loosely based on Orwell's 1984 and Brave New World...Bowie is the perfect storyteller (and his VOICE). It's rock and roll and musical theater. Sweet Thing is my favorite song on this record. This album blew my mind and caused me to fall in love with David Bowie when I was a teenager...I've loved him ever since and I'm nearing 60.

"What kind of picture are you gonna paint this time..." that was perfect. Brilliant reaction. This was supposed to be part a play called 1984 based on the book. "Someone to shame us someone to blame us" was the masses wanting that from Big Brother if you've read it. He loved to read and much of his works were parts of books or poems that he'd get obsessed by for a short time. Wow it's so refreshing to hear some deeper cuts from someone and especially an artistic listener. I'm always looking to see if you have new Bowie up. Pope... do I hear a cat eating dry food in the background lol?!? Love it.

Listen to his later interviews. People were downplaying the power of the internet and he was saying, "Oh no, it's going to change the world in ways we have no way of imagining." David was thoughtful and truly original, and a voice that cut through all the static. He was pesient. We should have listened.

Underrated mid 70's gem... it's Ziggy in a dying world... it's Bowie taking full control in every way... Sweet Thing, 1984 & Big Brother are the sound & visionary signposts... never again could this happen

I love that you soak up the whole experience and don’t pause a bunch of times to comment.

Pope i love your reaction. Its like poetry the way you describe David Bowie's art . You say "he made a rainbow, he made a double rainbow"...well, the morning David passed, in New York, there was a double rainbow over New York City. So he literally did make a double rainbow. Search double rainbow over New York and you will see it. Poignant beautiful and magical. 🌈🌈 Love the way you feel the music art and poetry in your soul and help us understand it in a deeper way. Subscribed. Much appreciation from over the pond in Wales ❤

Try to watch some of his interviews if you can. Three I'd suggest are: Bowie MTV, Bowie, a philosophical conversation, and Bowie, Jeremy Paxman

Awesome choice!

For more Bowie genius, try both his Low and Heroes albums, they are still setting standards 40 years on!

I love that you're reacting to Bowie Songs that are a little more off the beaten path. Many of his best songs are not the ones that everyone else is reacting to. And this is definitely one of them in my opinion.

Out of the David Bowie personas, my personal favorite (and the one I feel is the most underrated) is Halloween Jack, a.k.a., "Ziggy Stardust, but in the Post-Apocalypse." It wasn't his fault that he was sandwiched between the more iconic Ziggy Stardust and the menacing Thin White Duke. That bright red coverall, the flamboyant dress shirt with the geometric patterns, the Doc Marten combat boots (or were they platform boots?), that yellow kerchief scarf about his neck, and that eyepatch as the bow on top, to sell the whole grittier image as Bowie bid the Glam Rock genre he'd brought to the forefront goodbye? _Glorious_ . No other words for it. Plus, I kinda liked the darker, more pessimistic tone of _Diamond Dogs_ , which Bowie originally wanted to be a straight up play based on George Orwell's _1984_ . The songs "1984" and "Big Brother" are even dead giveaways! While Ziggy Stardust had dark elements (trying to warn people about a vague apocalypse that was coming in five years' time, but ultimately being ignored when he let the fame go to his head, becoming a washed-up Rock 'N' Roll Suicide), along with the whole _Berlin_ trilogy that starred the Thin White Duke (simultaneously being about Bowie's real life struggles with cocaine addiction, as well as commentating on the Cold War and the paranoia of the whole ideological battles between the East and the West, and the unfortunates caught in the middle), _Diamond Dogs_ nevertheless served as a brilliant jumping off point, as Bowie began to experiment more with his sound, which makes it a shame that the album doesn't get talked about nearly as much, that it's overshadowed by it's siblings. The songs are so brilliant, that when I read on various sites that it received a "mixed" reception from listeners and failed to top the charts, I was flummoxed and more than a little upset! *WHAT?!* How in the _HELL_ could anybody dislike this album?!?!

“With just a hint of mayhem”

Yes, it's a warning based on Orwell's 1984. And, it's never more timely than now.

Most of the git parts were played by himself, Liked it 😊

♦️♦️ Bowie walked on water😎

I've been listening to this since it first came out....I think I am close to understanding.... LOL. But seriously, you can spend a lifetime analysing the genius of these songs, and it will keep on giving and giving. Read the book too. George Orwell was the other genius on the C20th.

his vocals on "we are the dead" are sublime. if I had to pick a favorite Bowie track it would be that. but aa you are finding out, there are so many amazing tracks!

Nice job reacting to often overlooked Bowie!❤️❤️👍

This is my favorite Bowie….huge Bowie fan.

Pope, I love you, you rocker you! Bowie ♥️ binds us.

Great reaction! I was 12 when Diamond Dogs came out and my best friend got it. We listened to it not knowing what to expect. I can still remember that 1st listening experience. I was an instant fan.

❤

hey pope,you kill me,,,,,,this masterpiece album is ,DIAMOND DOGS,,,,LISTEN TO THE WHOLE ALBUM ,,,,THE FIRST TRACK OR INTRO,FUTURE LEGEND WILL SET FOR YOU SOMETHING THAT YOU ONLY experience ONCE

At my dad's house on new year's eve 1983/84 i had 1984 ready to go at the stroke of midnight I'd been waiting for age's to play that track months hadn't told anyone. Dad quite often I'd be dj when dad had a party so pissed people wouldn't scratch his Album's and to this day me and dad now 74 years old go to gigs together I've got tickets for me dad and my partner to see MIDNIGHT OIL AND THE PIXIES at the end of the year. when me and my ex wife Moana named our first born a boy Strummer Dad came up with his middle name Clash and so it's Strummer Clash Palace me and dad LOVE THE CLASH

It’s perhaps my preferred Bowie’s album

Well done,the greatest of all time imo

Haha !David Bowie has a song called "Absolute Beginers"

Try "After all", Bowie from 69/70. It's lovely ❤️ I like your way of presenting songs. You play the hole song and comment after it's finished 👌🌟 Have a great weekend 🎶🌟🧑‍🎤⚡️⚡️⚡️⚘️

Enjoyed your reaction; happy you weren't there at the time otherwise you'd be as creaky as me. He was very very good.

You need to go see Moonage Daydream at the imax!! Don’t miss it ❤👩‍🎤

Thank you Pope🥰Im not Good in English but you talk so I understand Little bit more Bowie had so many Great lyrics Eks Scary Monster and many mores My first Lp was Pin-up 🤩Love from Norway 🌹

That some of these shit ever!!

I would love to hear what you listen to. What makes you buzz? Summer 1976 a heat wave in Irland just finished school and Bowie ! We had music I don't think we will see again. But I'm biased.

that shit went crazy

Shake it up. Shake it up. Move it up move it up. It’s about BIG BROTHER telling us what to do. Wow you just said he said run. Wow! I never heard that. I ALWAYS thought it was the skipping sound of bru-tha bru tha bru-tha. When it could be run run run run run. Thank you. Something new.

Wonderful reaction. Bowie........ Diamond Dogs was my entry to Bowie's world when I was 12 years. Changed my life xx

What an open minded young man. God bless you. It’s not easy getting through David’s lyrics and trying to ‘get’ them. I am 60 and STILL learning new meanings to his songs. Diamond Dogs is a concept album (popular in the 70’s). The theme was based to some degree on George Orwell’s book 1984. VERY VERY RELEVANT TODAY. A MUST READ. Young man you have a new watcher of your channel. ❤❤😊

Wanted to share more. When I was a youngin’ (13 and on)my sister’s, a friend and I would sit around for hours analyzing his music.

You should check out his live album “David Live”. It was during his “ Thin White Duke” phase in the 1970’s. 1984 is the first song, and it’s a great album. I had the CD years ago when I was in high school and listened it a lot, lol.

I had this album when it came out, I had some understanding of it, but guy today, it makes perfect sense, look around, SILENCE DOES COMPETE WITH HELL you'll get it.

All right Pôpe : now, you officially are a Bowie fan. And, unlike many reactionners who tend to do it before they even listened to his most popular tracks, you can now fully understand why the words "legend" and "genius" perfectly fit the man ;) . Edit : Btw, this video compiles the 4 final songs of the album "Diamond dogs", with the lyrics and packaged after the design of the album. I don't know who made this video, but I say : give this person a giant-sized statue made of cookies !!!

Soundtrack of my youth. Still relevant….

Absolutely Fabulous Music, great reaction Thanks Pope.

It's fun seeing u discover what I did in 1974 at age 15! Bowie fan for life!

You should do Give Blood from this show. Absolutely rocks and you get your David Gilmour from Pink Floyd. And, as a drummer, you gotta check out more Simon Phillips. Brilliant band!

While artists are indeed "in a world of their own", as you say, it's also ours as soon as the art is out, so yeah, this belongs to all of us.

Nice! Some fan took the time to extract the "Orwell" tunes from side two of Diamond Dogs, dolled them up with their lyrics, and packaged them as what back in the day would have been called an "extended play" or "EP" for short. EP's usually had four songs on them, two songs on each side of the record. "1984" is one of my favorite Bowie tunes. Released in 1974, it captures the sound of that era -- those disco violin runs with the wah-wah guitar -- while at the same time pointing the way to the future in the bridge. There's a clip on RU-vid of him playing the song live back then, but he was pretty strung out at the time and his performance lags a bit. Listening along just now I was trying to remember the first time I heard the song. It wasn't 1974 because I was too young then. It was probably '78 or '79, a year or two before we read Nineteen Eighty-Four in school. I mention it because, although we took it for granted, back then, whenever an artist would release a new album, the dj's at the better rock radio stations would often dip into their catalogs for other songs to play as well. So with Bowie in 1980, for example, instead of hearing "Ashes to Ashes" twice an hour, it would be "Ashes to Ashes" and "Rebel Rebel" (or some other great tune) instead. And they would also slip in deeper cuts every so often as well, especially at night. The "spookiness" of "1984" was perfect for that. Incidentally, when Nineteen Eighty-Four was made into a film (in 1984 no less), Bowie reportedly wanted too much money to produce the soundtrack for it. So the movie producers commissioned the Eurythmics for the job instead. The ballad "Julia" from that soundtrack is an underrated gem. It's also worth mentioning, I think, how much "Big Brother/Chant of the Ever Circling Skeletal Family" sounds like some of the tunes on his last album -- 40 years ahead of its time!

Beautiful stuff. Bowie's dystopian portrait - still resonates now.

Pope, my friend, I'm so glad you loved this suggestion of mine. Makes me so happy to see such a positive reaction. The album is called "Diamond Dogs" and you've already reacted to the song, "Sweet Thing", off side one, (these tracks are off side two). This is, in fact, Bowie's lyrical interpretation of a novel by George Orwell called "1984", who wrote it in 1948( he switched the year round!) It's a sci-fi story of a dystopian future, with a totalitarian government in power, where Big Brother is always watching you!! Sound familiar? Very relevant to today. I can't imagine anyone giving this story such an atmospheric and chilling adaptation better than Bowie. It's possibly my favourite album by him, but then, there are so many more great ones. You've nearly completed this album, but there's still some left!. So how about, the opener to side one, "Future Legend", which goes straight into the title track, "Diamond Dogs". Over to you then...😺

Boy sure miss him! I loved him in labyrinth. I wish I could of seen him live. He looked like he put on a great show. Check out Fame

You totally get it. Totally. I love you. Totally!

Great watching that and seeing someone else react. I walked 12 miles in Summer 1983 to get Diamond Dogs, listened all the way through and then Chant fade-out I was almost in tears I thought the record was scratched.

Nice

If I were to make one suggestion jump over to Aladdin Sane listen to the song "Time". Your impression is having some value here

Fantastic! Thank you. All roads lead to Bowie⚡️

The piano from We Are The Dead is gorgeous

Oh! This will be good. Defecating Ecstasy. Greatest line ever. Thank you for reacting to songs not normally reacted to by king Bowie.

Diamond dogs was a cassette I wore out during many a smoky car rides back in the day.

I was 16 when I first heard Bowie. I’m now 66 and he’s still my favorite. Read the books 1984 and Animal Farm by George Orwell - those novels were the inspiration behind this album.

One of my all time favorite Bowie albums! Young Americans is a great one too!

I greatly appreciate your sympathy with Bowie's lyrics - yes, he's worth it for sure - if you hadn't yet, you might enjoy this documentary of his life: Moonage Daydream - strange but affecting and challenging - if he could live like that, maybe we should try it a little - eternally exploring

Thats probably my favourite album of all time and I loved David Live too. I bought this out of my pocket money or whatever (I remember my first job paying me the princely sum of £6.00 a WEEK back in the 70's so either way it took a lot of financing to keep my Bowie albums up to date). I loved Bowie, Alice Cooper and Roxy Music around the beginning of the 1970s and its wonderful seeing young people, like yourself enjoying the music I grew up to.

Thank you for responding to my recommendation. I'm glad you like it.👨‍🎤❤️

Bowie was phenomenal. 😀😀

From Diamond Dogs album.

These tracks are voiced by characters living in a fictitious dystopian world, inspired by Orwell's nightmarish 1984. It is as if we are listening in to the ranting of disturbed people living in a world dominated by a State that seeks to control all thought, with all individualism crushed. One thing I noticed some time ago was that some of the cover art, released in 1974, looks like New York as it did when the Twin Towers were crumbling!

"We are the Dead"- one of my all time favourites. The music and instumentation is so atmospheric plus those dark, dark lyrics. I just echo everyone else. Pure genius. What a body of work he gave us.

Omg I'm a Bowie fan from The Gravediggers song on to Lazurus but I never heard this Album THANK YOU!

Thankyou for reacting to this it's relatively obscure but so amazing ., definitely top 2 favorite Bowie albums

David was deep into esoteric magick. I have his tarot cards. He followed William Burroughs. He taught him when you get writers block to write out what you want to say and cut all the words out and throw them on the table and pick them up and see what it says. David used this method to write his songs.

How many times do you talk to someone about something innocuous like, for instance, going somewhere on holiday....next thing it pops up on social media 😮 We are truly living in 1984

☮️💙💙💙🔥

HI Pope The origins of this album Diamond Dogs was his intention to write a musical about the novel called 1984 but he couldnt get the rights to do it from the authors wife Mrs Orwell. So he made an album instead if you see the film and then listen to album it makes not total sense lopl but you get closer as to what in part its all about

From the time I discovered Bowie as a teen, ‘we are the dead’ has been possibly my very favorite track (although it’s kind of impossible), and Diamond Dogs up there as my favorite album (along with all his work from that decade). Bowie has a way of making a song both beautiful and creepy AF at the same time. Oh...according to the DD song book I had found back in the day, the album closes with him repeating ‘bra’ (as in ‘bruh’...damn, the guy even invented a word that would become common decades later😁). Wish I still had that songbook. Started my guitar journey by teaching myself from that book...