Mick Rock. The Rise of David Bowie, 1972-1973 (Multilingual Edition)

So glad I purchased this, among so many other Mick Rock Titles on my bookshelf, including several authographed copies from Bowienet, but as you get more and more Bowie photos, you just want more and more. This is a gloriously printed book, and some of the photos have appeared before, but many have not and those are priceless. The cover is 4 photos, done as an animation print, using lenticular paper and is worth the price of the book, but there's lots of beautiful shots in here printed without peer. Just stunning.

Now THIS is a coffee table book! I only a have a few others, and I didn't realize until this showed up that it's a Taschen book. I have one of their art titles, and I definitely know Taschen to be quality publishers. As for this book in particular and the photos in it, well!I was barely walking and talking when Bowie began his rise to worldwide fame, so I was not able to witness the period that Mick Rock has captured so thoroughly. His way of just taking the shots that got his attention gives a dynamism to the concert and candid photos. I wish I'd been in the audience at any of those shows (but, OK, probably most likely Boston and Santa Monica)! The shots done at Haddon Hall have that "right on the verge" quality that I'd never seen before. By the time I knew who Bowie was in the early 80s, he was as polished as marble in a museum, so I like seeing how he was still putting his style together cheek-by-jowl in 1972. The hologram of Ziggy images on the cover is a really nice touch.Even if you're more a fan of 80s Bowie, 90s Bowie, Berlin Bowie, Disco Bowie, any other Bowie at all, GET THIS BOOK. Obviously, Ziggy is not where it all began (and a coffee table book of Bowie as a teenage wannabe pop star on the make would also be fantastiche!), but here at least see where his hard work began to bear fruit!

This isn't isn't another "Moonage Dreams" although pictures from the same era they are still both different entities...they are all different picture although same are probably shot just minutes later but no repeats..."Rise of David Bowie" has bigger pictures literally...maybe by only 1 inch in length but an inch is an inch...in a perfect world we can have both but Moonage Dreams is long out of print and way out of price range from most of us...still i'd recommend getting this book asap if your reading this you probably want it and should get it before you can't...Taschen photography books are great products they don't come any better or at the very least not many are made much better...so you are getting a very good quality in work...i can easily the best, the best of quality.

I first saw the huge version of this book in a Louis Vuitton store in Paris... signed by the Starman himsrlf, and only a limited amount in the world... but alas, I didn't have enough money for it (like 500 usd). I regretted it so much for months to come, especially since the amazing David Bowie passed away 3 months later... I was miserable. So, after months filled with mourning and remorse, I took it upon myself to look for it online, and I found this gem! I was so excited and quickly ordered it. I nearly cried when I got it, because it was just so perfect. The cover is breathtaking, and the pictures inside are stunning, exactly like the one I saw in Paris! But smaller. It instantly soothed the grudge I was holding over myself for not getting the one in Paris, because even though it's not signed, it's the perfect size for me. The other one wouldn't have fit anywhere in my room, realistically speaking. And I don't live on my own yet...Anyways, If you're a huge David Bowie fan like I am, get this book! It is the perfect book for your DB collection. You won't regret it. (:

Taschen has a wonderful habit of putting together the most beautiful books.This book exemplifies that ability. I was absolutely stunned when I got this book by how gorgeous it is. I gasped when I saw the cover. It could have easily been cheesy, but it is perfect.You have to see it to believe it. The book is mostly pictures, one beautiful shot after the next. Mick Rock obviously loved David Bowie and honors him with his work in this book. Kudos and thank you from the bottom of my Bowie loving heart to Mick Rock and Taschen for producing such a gorgeous work of art.

This is a gorgeous collection of photographs of one of the most charismatic and fascinating musicians that has ever lived - during one of the most fascinating periods of his career. What's not to love? Several folks have noted the stunning cover - I have one (maybe strange?) beef with that cover - I wish they hadn't photoshopped his original teeth. That sharp-edged set of chompers gave Bowie's ethereal beauty a feral edge. Damn, I loved those teeth, and the perfect pearly whites on this cover (in all but one of the superimposed images) just don't have the same charm. I know I'm not alone - the artist Jessine Hein actually modeled a set of dentures on Bowie's original smile. Anyway, my point is - sometimes the imperfect is perfect! And if you are a Bowie fan - you'll enjoy these photos.

After decades of seeing Bowie in dandy suits, it's easy to forget out utterly OUT THERE he was in the early 70s. This book will leave you in no doubt of his roots and his leading edge performance spectacles. Gritty and yet somewhat Alien, he pushed boundaries that 40 years later few dare to emulate, with far fewer succeeding. Highly recommended, especially if you can get it at the showstopper price of around twenty bucks, which is a fraction of what you'd pay walking into a Taschen store, today, to purchase the same thing.

Photographer Mick Rock met David Bowie in 1972, and went on to become his official photographer and the man who visually chronicled Bowie's extraordinary Ziggy Stardust concerts, which took place in 1972 and 1973. It was a perfect partnership, with Bowie's iconic presence matched by Rock's ability to capture the moment. "David trusted me", he says, "I regarded myself as a guardian of his image ... I got pictures of him eating, drinking coffee, having a cigarette before going on stage, making himself up. I even got shots of him asleep." And that, of course, is in addition to the amazing stage shots which make up the bulk of the photographs in this book.Publisher Taschen initially brought out this title as a signed limited edition at a suitably high price; but now we can get a standard edition which to my mind is good value. It is a hefty volume, 300 pages of high quality art paper, the pictures are stunning, and it has a remarkable lenticular cover which shows different images depending on the viewing angle - shut one eye for the best results.Many of the pictures have been shown before, but around half are previously unseen. An earlier book by Rock and Bowie called Moonage Daydream also covers this period, but is now out of print; this is worth getting whether or not you have the older title.There is not a lot of text, but it is worth reading: an essay on Ziggy Stardust by Michael Bracewell, but more important, an interview with Rock by Barney Hoskyns in which he describes how he met Bowie, how he worked, and his reflections on Bowie and on the glam era. Short, but fascinating.The photos are mostly presented without captions, and most are one per page, with the occasional two-page spread. What I really like though is that at the back of the book there is a full visual photo index, with page numbers as well, that identifies each picture and gives the exact date and location.All the images are from 1972-3, hence the title, "The Rise of David Bowie". As Rock notes, although the Ziggy Stardust album is about a rock star, Bowie was not a star when it was released; the album and tour made him a star.I am a fan so cannot be truly objective; but I think both the photos and Bowie himself are absolutely stunning. He is someone who seems to look good in all kinds of situations. The pictures convey not only his other-worldly stage show and mystical expressions, but also his warmth and personality, willingly signing autographs for fans, or chatting with guitarist Mick Ronson on the train. We also get to see the mesmerising effect he had on his audience; I only wish I could have been there (I did not get to see Bowie perform until 1978).One small thing to mention: while the images are generally of high quality, they are not all razor sharp; Rock mentions that his first concern was to get the shot, rather than to get studio quality every time.Highly recommended for Bowie fans or anyone interested in rock culture in the seventies.Postscript: I found an interview where Mick Rock discusses the difference between this book and the earlier Moonage Daydream. He said that when the book idea first came up his reaction was "We've done it, David and I did it years ago." But he approached Bowie who said fine but "the big thing for me, and for David, was that the book had to have a load of previously unseen pictures." Not all the pictures are new of course, but many are. He also says that improved digital technology means that the reproductions are better. "So these pictures are the finest renditions of these photos. Yeah, it's a very different book from Moonage." Note though that he is talking about the deluxe edition, which I have not seen, so they may not be quite as good in this version.

Beautiful book with a gorgeous lenticular cover.Of the many guises adopted by Bowie during his career perhaps Ziggy Stardust was the character inevitably destined to be immortalised in photograph. His colourful flamboyant androgyny was almost sculpted for the camera lens.This book contains large format images of Bowie from the Ziggy/Alladin period which for the most are breathtakingly wonderful. If you are concerned that this is a replica of Rock’s earlier Ziggy portfolio ‘Moonage Daydream’ then don’t be. I have both books and I can assure you that there are many images contained within ‘Rise’ which I had not previously seen before.This is a small but vital chapter documented pictorially of the life of a genius. A man so creatively talented and unique we will undoubtedly never see his like again.We miss you David.

Not only is this book a beautiful item, it has a whole presence to it. I call myself an avid fan of David Bowie, and even I was surprised by the amount of photos which were unseen before. The book has a fantastic index at the back with the same photo and details of date and place. Really exciting to see my home town featuring more than once. This is a book to dip in and out and I would say you will certainly not be disappointed with the quality and size..it's a BIG book! If I were to only ever recommend one David Bowie book this would be it. Don't buy and keep it in the wrapper! ENJOY..

Have been looking for a good David Bowie book for over a year now, and i have finally found it. Incredible pictures and a stunning binding and cover.Only down is the text at the back is not in english, luckily i was still able to read it but it should have been stated in the description

Beautiful lenticular cover which sets the standard for what to expect on your journey through the book, truly spectacular from start to finish.