Quicksand (David Bowie song)

"Quicksand"
Song by David Bowie from the album Hunky Dory
Released 17 December 1971
30 January 1990 (Rykodisc Reissue)
Recorded Trident Studios, London, 14 July 1971
Genre Art rock, folk rock
Length 5:03
Label RCA
Writer(s) David Bowie
Producer(s) Ken Scott, David Bowie
Hunky Dory track listing

"Kooks"
(5)		 "Quicksand"
(6)		 "Fill Your Heart"
(7)

"Quicksand" is a song written by David Bowie in 1971 for the album Hunky Dory; it was recorded on 14 July 1971.[1] This ballad features multi-tracked acoustic guitars and a string arrangement by Mick Ronson. Producer Ken Scott, having recently engineered George Harrison's album All Things Must Pass, attempted to create a similarly powerful acoustic sound with this track.[2]

Lyrically the song, like much of Bowie's work at this time, was influenced by Buddhism, occultism, and Friedrich Nietzsche's concept of the Superman.[3] It refers to the magical society Golden Dawn and name-checks one of its most famous members, Aleister Crowley, as well as Heinrich Himmler, Winston Churchill and Juan Pujol (codename: Garbo).[4]
David Bowie "Quicksand" (1971)
30 second sample from David Bowie's "Quicksand".
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Reception

NME editors Roy Carr and Charles Shaar Murray have described it as "Bowie in his darkest and most metaphysical mood",[3] while a contemporary review in Rolling Stone remarked on its "superb singing" and "beautiful guitar motif".[5]

Marilyn Manson has stated this as one of his favorite Bowie songs. [6]

Other releases

Personnel

Cover versions

Notes

  1. ↑ Kevin Cann (2010). Any Day Now - David Bowie: The London Years: 1947-1974: pp.223-224
  2. ↑ David Buckley (1999). Strange Fascination - David Bowie: The Definitive Story: p.115
  3. 1 2 Roy Carr & Charles Shaar Murray (1981). Bowie: An Illustrated Record: p.41
  4. ↑ David Sheppard (2007). "Wishful Beginnings", MOJO 60 Years of Bowie: p.24
  5. ↑ John Mendelsohn (6 January 1972). "Hunky Dory". Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 27, 2007.
  6. ↑ "Marilyn Manson Shows Avril His, Uh, Toy". 30 September 2004. Retrieved 29 September 2016.

References

Pegg, Nicholas, The Complete David Bowie, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, ISBN 1-903111-14-5

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