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Book Review: A Chameleon’s Tale
by Lang Reid
 Hot
off the press is A Chameleon’s Tale, and I was honored to be sent a
publisher’s proof copy before printing. Written by Mo Tejani, it is (on the
surface) a travelogue of a wanderer who is seeking his true niche, a place
he can call home.
I took the book with me on my last flight to Chiang Mai, and I was
disappointed when we got there, requiring me to put the book down. Written
in a conversational, easy-to-read style, Mo Tejani takes you from his
birthplace in Africa, around the world and even to his country of parental
heritage, India, and eventually arriving in Thailand, and Chiang Mai in
particular. Not only does our Mo have cultural ties with many countries, but
he also has the added problematical ingredient of religion.
He describes very well the family anguish that ensued after Idi Amin’s
unilateral decision to expel the Asians from Uganda, including an insight
into bureaucracy which would split up a family unit because not all
passports were from the same country.
On his travels through the world, Mo Tejani writes of the influences upon
him from many mentors, and of the nights of congress with women travelers,
which I have to say becomes a little tiresome, but does not take away from
the main thrust of the book.
As Mo continues his journey, he becomes more and more skeptical of the work
done in the name of do-gooders, and his final analysis should make some aid
organizations cringe. Unfortunately, both Mo Tejani and I know this will not
happen! They are too well entrenched, and well funded to listen to lone
voices in the wilderness.
He does thank his mentors over the global years, “These wandering souls of
the world – people who have, for reasons of their own, left behind the
places where they were born and grew up, to criss-cross the globe – have but
one mission: to help others make their lives better. Not only do they make
me realize I am not alone, but also that I still have a long way to go down
my own road.”
Mo Tejani extrapolates from his own world situation to ponder the fate of
the ‘third culture’ children born into intercultural marriages. “Where will
be the home for these children? Do we really even have, or need, a
traditional home any more? Surely it’s not the house you live in, or its
location, but who and what you put in it that makes it a home.”
In the words of Hotel California, “We are all just prisoners here, of our
own device”, which in many ways goes to explain much of the expat presence
in Thailand. And as the song carries on, “Relax said the nightman, we are
programmed to receive. You can check out anytime you like but you can never
leave!” Perhaps explaining while we (and Mo Tejani) are still here.
An interesting, deep, and yet entertaining book and well worth the B. 450
price tag at any major booksellers. You will see yourself in this
publication. We wanderers have a common bond!
Mott’s CD review: David Bowie
Station To Station
 Suffered
by Mott the Dog
Treated like water by Meow the Cat
The Stars have fallen off
There is no doubt that of his time David Bowie is a Star, a genius; some
of his work will go down as seminal in the history of rock ‘n’ roll.
Nobody but a fool would try to contradict this. But the peaks have been
as high as the troughs have been low. It only also takes a very brief
examination to see that most of the peaks came in the early Seventies,
whilst since then his work has been patchy to say the least. Upon closer
inspection, it is noticeable that his truly great work has always been
done in collaboration with other artists, who very rarely get the credit
they deserve. A bit like Mott the Dog in collaboration with firstly Ella
Crew and then Meow The Cat. Always grab the credit if you can!
David Bowie made his first recording debut under that name (he had
formerly been known as David Jones, but changed his name to stop any
confusion with Davy Jones of the Monkees). The album was self titled,
released in 1967 and sank without trace, which when listened to today is
not surprising.
Two long years passed before David Bowie was allowed back into the
recording studio, when his first effort was the rather strange number
one hit ‘Space Oddity’. On the strength of this song a new album ‘Space
Oddity’ (1969) was rush released full of David Bowie’s new songs. This
too was of little merit, with an amusing cover of David Bowie wearing a
Kevin Keegan style perm.
David Bowie then seemed destined to be regarded as a one hit wonder,
which infuriated the young Bowie, as he saw all his peers rushing to
superstardom, such as Marc Bolan, Elton John, Bryan Ferry, etc.
Fortunately Mercury records could see some talent in the rather odd
looking young man, and invested some more studio time with him. By this
time David Bowie actually had a regular backing band behind him. A
rhythm section of Woody Woodman’s on drums, Trevor Bolder on bass, and
most importantly of all Mick Ronson on lead guitar, who also doubled up
as musical director. This was the dawn of ‘David Bowie and the Spiders
From Mars’.
The resulting album was brilliant; a mixture of hard rock with catchy
tunes and perfect hooklines. But although David Bowie was around to
write the lyrics and sing the vocals, apart from that he pretty much
left the band to get on with it. When the album was released it came out
solely under the name of David Bowie with the title ‘The Man Who Sold
The World’ (1971). Just to put one more spoke in the wheel, David Bowie
insisted upon a cover of himself dressed in drag. In 1971 this was more
likely to get you beaten up than garner a round of applause. Various
record shops refused to stock the album, and by the time the album cover
had been replaced the damage was done. Nonetheless, the songs were full
of promise and the guitar work of Mick Ronson spectacular.
Because of all the controversy Mercury dropped David Bowie like a red
hot brick. RCA was able to see the possibilities, though, quickly
signing up David Bowie with his band. Recording a new album ‘Hunky Dory’
(1971) and getting it out on the streets within six months. This helped
repair the damage and got the buzz going about David Bowie.
Six months later and another album was ready, a concept album no less.
‘Ziggy Stardust And The Rise And Fall Of The Spiders From Mars’ (1972).
Every song a classic, quite possibly the album of the year, definitely
changing the face of rock ‘n’ roll forever. In just over a year The
Spiders from Mars had become the tightest unit around and the biggest
draw on the concert circuit. Mick Ronson’s guitar playing on ‘Moonage
Daydream’ was to become legendary. The rhythm section was unbeatable and
the avant-garde Mike Garson had been added on keyboards.
From here on David Bowie and The Spiders From Mars could do no wrong.
The following year produced the equally brilliant ‘Aladdin Sane’ (1973)
and a covers album ‘Pin Ups’ (1973). Every concert was sold out, rave
reviews, they were the darlings of the media, thousands of fans
worldwide.
Then to everybody’s disbelief at the end of a long sold out U.K. tour
from the stage of the Hammersmith Odeon to the surprise even of the band
David Bowie split up ‘The Spiders From Mars’ forever.
In the following years, the David Bowie album ‘Diamond Dogs’ (1974) was
not a bad album, featuring various Spiders, and was certainly a
commercial success, but certainly missed the flair of the previous
albums. There was also a double live album that year recorded with his
new band of hastily put together session musicians, which frankly got
panned by the critics and the record buying public alike.
The next year’s ‘Young Americans’ (1975) saw Bowie take off in a
completely different direction, embracing the new dance resurgence in
America. It was a reasonable album earning David Bowie two worldwide
hits with ‘Fame’ and ‘Young Americans’. Although no longer at the top of
the rock ‘n’ roll tree, David Bowie was holding his own about half way
up.
The next year’s ‘Station To Station’ (1976) is one of the worst albums
ever to be released on an unsuspecting paying public. The results of
this album have often been blamed on the excesses of David Bowie’s rock
‘n’ roll lifestyle, and the fact that he was burnt out. If this was the
case don’t release the album.
The title track opens with the line: “The return of the thin white duke
throwing darts in lovers eyes”. Well if this was the return of the thin
white duke I am glad I never met him before, and I hope he never comes
back again. There are only two good things about the title track
‘Station to Station’ – firstly, it opens with the sounds of a locomotive
pulling away from the station and if I was you I would get on that train
and leave. The second thing is that it drags on for over ten minutes,
which means that you can at least runaway before the next track starts.
‘Golden Years’ is the second track which David Bowie’s remaining fans
turned into a minor hit single. Thankfully there are only six tracks on
the album, lasting an excruciating thirty seven minutes, forty-four
seconds. But amazingly, after the first two tracks things get even
worse, the biggest crime of all being that obviously with no inspiration
left at all, for the final six minutes David Bowie murders a cover of
Tiomkin: Washington’s ‘Wild Is The Wind’. To add insult to injury the
record company did not even bother to do any new artwork for the album,
simply taking some of the rejected photos from Bowie’s film ‘The Man Who
Fell To Earth’ and slapping them together. If this album had been
submitted to any record company by anybody but a big name like David
Bowie it would not have been released.
Earl Slick and Carlos Alomar do produce nice guitar solos on some of the
songs, but what Roy Bittan from the E-Street band is doing on here I do
not know.
The following year David Bowie moved over to Berlin, Germany to lick his
wounds and collaborated with Brian Eno to produce the marvelous ‘Low’
(1977), and later that same year the album ‘Heroes’ (1977) had its
moments. But Bowie was never again to reach the creative peaks of those
early Seventies albums.
Deservedly David Bowie has a reputation as one of Rock’s great artists,
but not on the basis of Station To Station.
Personnel
David Bowie: Vocals, Guitars, Tenor and Alto Saxophone
Carlos Alomar: Guitar
Earl Slick: Guitar
Roy Bittan: Piano
Dennis Davis: Drums
George Murray: Bass
Warren Peace: Backing Vocals
Songs
Station To Station
Golden Years
Word On A Wing
TVC15
Stay
Wild Is The Wing
To contact Mott the
Dog email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.mott-the-dog.com
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