David Bowie's career, much like his iconic personae, comes with its own oral tradition, its own apocrypha, like the ancient gods and monsters before him. The resurgence of Bowie-mania since the release of his 28th studio album, The Next Day, early this year, has spawned art exhibits and new critical theory on the subject of both man and myth.
Paolo Hewitt manages to synthesize the major movements of Bowie's music into one dramatic overture. With rare photos, comprehensive album stats and contextual narrative, Hewitt ties together a catalogue as disparate as Hunky Dory and Let's Dance. Bowie: Album by Album lends generous insight into the magic of a music legend's work, firmly establishing each album's historical significance--paramount for an artist whose work has striven to capture the present nuance. This is a glamorous addition to the serious fan's library. --Dave Wheeler, bookseller, The Elliott Bay Book Co., Seattle, Wash.