h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A646995

Brief biographical and career notes on a musician who is so famous and talented that it amazed me there isn't a guide entry written about him already.

Since he is still writing new songs this article deals with his career up to the year 2000 rather than try and anticipate the near future release of albums.

Films changed to be in order of the year they were made.

Some corrections:

"...personae have..." if you're going to use the clever latin plural you need to make sure the verb agrees, so either "personae have" or "persona has"

"(* indicates Bowie sung on soundtrack albums of the same name)"
should be:
"(* indicates Bowie sang on soundtrack albums of the same name)"

Jeepers creepers! I is normally quite pedantic about what grammar are being used.

Thanks for bringing that to my attention, I'll make the changes some time today.

-- David, who am often wrong

It's not Mr McCartney it's Sir McCartney now is it not?

Apart from that the article is pretty well written but it seems, well, very short. I remember an article on Metallica about three times as long as this getting ripped apart by people here because it missed out stuff people wanted.
For me what is here is fine so I'll be interested to see what others think. I'm not a Bowie fan I'm afraid so I can't offer any additional information I'm afraid.
Good work anyhow and an essential article I agree

I don't think you say Sir McCartney, I think it's Sir Firstname and Lord Secondname. But just in case I'm wrong I've changed it 'Sir Paul McCartney'. I also made the other changes above I said I would.

As to why it's short. Well there's a huge amount that could be written on Bowie -- his bands (early career and late), his sexuality, his wives and children, the singles, the live albums, the EPs, bands influenced by Bowie, what his contemporaries though of him, his business ventures, more about the internet, etc., etc.

But I'm not going to be the one to write it. I said this was brief career and biographical notes and that's what they are. I hope they will be a starting block for someone else to write the definitive Bowie article. In the mean time all the information that's missing can be found somewhere on the net (probably).

It's not that I'm lazy -- check out my biography of Mel Brooks in Peer Review just now -- I just don't know enough about Bowie to produce such a necessarily enormous piece of work.

-- David, who is only an ickle Bowie fan

As I said, it's fine by me. Some seem to want rather more usually that's all.
It gets my vote anyhow

mine too

Unfortunately it doesn't really meet my standards. And after a bit of thought I'd like to request that this NOT be recommended for inclusion in the edited guide.

I think that this Entry represents a good start, but I also think that quite a bit more needs to be added in order to do justice to Bowie's extraordinary career.

With that in mind, I'd like to propose that this thread be moved to the Writing Workshop, so that other Researchers can suggest ideas. I'm sure that there'd be other Bowie fans who'd like to contribute their thoughts - me, for one!

Seconded Ormy!

Hey, would be great if you could post something to the Scouts' group once a decision has been made

Editorial Note: This conversation has been moved from 'Peer Review' to 'The Writing Workshop'.

...at the author's request.

The author made no such request, but doesn't mind.