David Bowie Rainbowman: 1967-1980 Paperback – 8 Sept. 2022

An absolutely amazing book. So many characters I knew and so many I didn't - all telling their stories. I spent a lot of time googling names and learning even more about that time. A superb and worthwhile book about Bowie written by an incredibly knowledgeable and interesting author..

Very good it’s the interviews with the people that worked with Bowie that makes this good.

a wonderful book for the interested .It chronicles the life and releases of a complex man who deserves the attention that was rather lacking somewhat during his lifetime. Despite his popularity at times serious studies only really emerged after his passing.This is the re-print English version. Buy it! you will not be disappointed.

good value

Bough it for a birthday present for friend Perfect!

My daughter got me this book for Christmas after I had asked her for it. I have read many books on Bowie and was surprised just how much new information is here.It is a really great detailed book and you hear from many people who were in the studio whilst these albums were created - many of whom have not been interviewed elsewhere. Competing viewpoints are set out so you get a chance to make your own mind up.The author also knows how to write about music in terms a non musician like me can understand. This got me listening to the Low-Scary Monsters era albums very closely again so that I could pick out bits that I had previously thought were Robert Fripp but may instead have been Carlos Alomar or Chuck Hammer.As stated in my title, the section on Low is great. It goes into a lot of detail and really shows how closely the sessions for this and Iggy's first 77 album were so closely intertwined.There's not a lot of dirt on the personal life here although it is touched on but it is probably as close as anybody has got to really setting out how the RCA era happened.I really hope that we get Volume 2 translated ASAP.

Just wonderful.............David Bowie Rainbowman by Jérôme Soligny was.....Growing up with this brilliant icon in music and acting was just magical, I loved listening to his music, listening to my parents singing out of tune to his songs - giggle! watching his films he starred in over and over again and I still love them today.David Bowie Rainbowman is the most authoritative work on the creation of Bowie's music ever published and a wonderful read.Plus, a must read for his fans new and old...........I loved this book especially as its packed with so much information about David Bowie with beautiful illustrations of his albums etc.A book that keeps on giving!!!!

I've read over 20 books about Bowie, including the definitive "Rebel Rebel" by Chris O'Leary but this "Rainbow Man" beats even that one. The detail is incredible - it's almost as if Soligny was present at the recording of each album! I'm loving every page. If you are a fan - or even if you're not - this is the one that nails the unique talent of Mr David Bowie.

I love that this book is about the music and does not get bogged down in unnecessary biographical minutiae. Such information is provided when it relates to the music. It discusses the music without becoming dry or boring. I was pulled willingly along throughout, often struggling to put it down when I absolutely *had to* do something else. I really hope volume two gets released in English. I would love to read about the less-loved era and his stunning return to form. Great book.

A writer with attention to detail, fact’s & integrity.Loving this account .

There are many (perhaps too many) books on David Bowie. Only a handful of them can be considered essential reading. This is, without question, one of them.The book is divided in several chapters structured in the following way: (1) a lengthy, often very eye-opening, quote by David Bowie as as a preface to the album or period under discussion (often, taken from one of the interviews granted by DB to the author), (2) a sober, evidence-based, fact-driven, painstakingly detailed discussion of every recording, complete with in-depth discussion of live and TV appearances, tours, films, videos, etc, bearing on DB's career during the period under discussion. (3) A good number of substantial statements, invariably illuminating, given by people closely associated to DB in a professional capacity during the period in question, the great majority of which were given to the author after DB's death. There follows a complete set of footnotes at the end of each chapter, many of them devoted to correcting errors in previous published accounts (including, surprisingly, the line notes to DB's records).The author's attention to detail and exacting drive for accuracy will tremendously help future historians and biographers of DB, insofar as the author takes many pains to check, verify, and correct where necessary many wrong assertions, false stories and factual mistakes that get lazily and uncritically repeated by biographer after biographer. That alone is worth the price of the book.One thing this book is not: the author's stated aim is to make a detailed and painstakingly researched discussion of David Bowie's art. As such, gossip about his private life and financial affairs is kept to a minimum, and only brought to bear when it serves to illuminate a point of detail in his artistic life. For that, I am grateful. You will not find the usual tiresome suspects whose stock in trade is peddling their affairs or their life together with DB, but you will find plenty of revealing interviews with those people who knew him best and worked with him at the time, and are in the perfect position to cast some light on the period they are addressing. Oh, and anyone will be delighted to read what Hermione Farthingale has to say on his career and his art while they were together. Securing her collaboration for this book was a major point of interest for me.The author writes lucidly, clearly, and engagingly. He is, thank God, utterly jargon-free. There are lately too many books on DB that pad what are essentially very slight contents with absurd discussion of French theorists that are distinctly needless and unnecessary to explain DB's career (I'm looking at you, 'scholarly' books on Bowie published by university presses). You will find no padding, no free-association free-for-all and no name-dropping in this book. Just the facts, as objectively and clearly presented as possible.In short: this is a book every serious David Bowie fan should own. It is written by a journalist who knows his trade and is a master of his subject, and who aims to present the facts as objectively as possible by selecting good, reliable sources and correcting, verifying, and fact-checking information. I pray that the English translation of the second volume will be forthcoming.

Mega star, riktigt bra bok!

What a treat! I love this book. It is so well done. I love that it focuses on the music first and foremost. I hope there are follow-up additions that continue further into Bowie's career. Highly recommended.