David Bowie And the Path He Paved

David Bowie, well his estate I should say, is about to unleash previously unreleased music, and I for one am happy girl.  I grew up listening to David Bowie. He is forever in the soundtrack of the party days of my youth. The nights of dancing in my red shoes, drinking Old English 800s  and well,  puking all night long.  And of course not learning my lesson and doing it all over again the following night.  Those were amazing days. What I remember of them anyway. 

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When David Bowie died, it was a kick in the gut. It hurt my soul. It was the one celebrity death that made me feel like my youth had also died . Although my knees have been telling me that for years. Nonetheless, it made me incredibly sad. 

David Bowie was rock music most prolific innovator. He was always ahead of his times, and always creating new paths for other artist. He brought Sci-Fi into the art of music with his hit ‘Space Oddity” 

 He was the master of Alter Egos, such as the Thin White Duke” Alladin Sane” and the Iconic ‘Ziggy Stardust”  (Side Note: Bauhaus does an amazing cover of this song)

His collaboration  and subsequent tour with Nine Inch Nails was quite possibly one of my favorite live shows of all time. The duo was absolute fire. I watched them perform “Hurt” “Man Who Sold The World” and “Im Afraid OF Americans”. There has never been anything like it before or since in my opinion  

David Bowie was Non Binary before that was a thing. He broke the sexual identity rules and stirred the loins of many, regardless of gender. And No one cared. 

But more than Anything, David Bowie was a master at the  writing, singing and performing his art: The hit song. And whether he did it in a dress, or under a different name or joining forces with another incredible artist, it was masterful. But, sometimes, it was when he was just himself that his brought the most magic. I mean lets face it, ‘Lets Dance” is his biggest and best selling song, and no matter what, when that song comes on, No matter how difficult times may be, you want to 'put on your red shoes and dance the blues."  

The Record Plant in Los Angeles is closing; the legendary studio has been open since 1969.

The studio was one of three Record Plant locations in the United States. Founded by Gary Kellgren and Chris Stone, the first location opened in New York City in 1968. The next year, the Los Angeles location opened. The third location in Sausalito, Calif. opened in 1972. Sadly, the New York location shuttered in 1987, and the Sausalito location closed in 2008.

The closing of the Record Plant is another sign of the ever-changing music industry. Technology has greatly evolved to the point where studios aren't always necessary to record music. It's a sentiment shared by East/West and Ocean Way engineer Gary Myerberg, who's quoted by Los Angeles Magazine saying, "There is no money in the recording music business ... If you want to go to the studio and spend $2,000 a day, just take that and buy a laptop and a sample library or tell A.I. what song you want to make and it’ll make it."

In a coincidence that certainly couldn't have been planned, Variety published a story on July 11 titled "L.A. Recording Studios Are Fading, Despite Manifesting Music's Greatest Hits." The story centered on the reopening of Capitol Studios, which was closed for two years due to renovations from earthquake damage. The story even name-checked the Record Plant as among some of the great studios still operating in Los Angeles. That same day, news of the Record Plant's closure was first reported.

This has been a problem for a number of years now. In a 2009 segment on NPR's "All Things Considered," Joel Rose explored the shuttering of recording studios in New York City. Even a decade and a half ago, studios were losing money to at-home recording technology. First, it started with losing business from musicians working on demos. Then it started to snowball.

" ... Some of the big work dried up, too, as the major record labels slashed their budgets," wrote Rose. "Add the soaring price of real estate, and it's easy to see why most of the well-known Manhattan studios closed their doors."

Each Record Plant location has a unique history. It's incredibly difficult to decide which location yielded the greatest albums. All three locations had some of the most iconic artists in music history record some of the most memorable releases ever. In tribute to the Record Plant in Los Angeles, here are just five albums that recorded there.

The Record Plant in Los Angeles is one of four studios where the 1987 debut album of Guns N' Roses was recorded. Nearly 40 after its release, Appetite for Destruction is still considered one of the greatest debuts and overall albums of all time. It has sold over 30 million copies worldwide. In the United States alone, it has sold over 18 million copies.

Fleetwood Mac recorded Rumours in five different studios. Among them were the Record Plant locations in Los Angeles and Sausalito. What more can be said about Rumours that hasn't already been said? It remains, as an album, an absolute pop/rock masterpiece that is both of its time and timeless. With every passing year and new generation, its legend just continues to grow.

Like Rumours, Stevie Wonder recorded Songs in the Key of Life in multiple studios, including the Record Plant's Los Angeles and Sausalito locations. Also like the iconic Fleetwood Mac album, Wonder's 1976 release is a masterpiece and boasts the singles "I Wish," "Isn't She Lovely," "Sir Duke," "Another Star" and "As." Songs in the Key of Life went on to win Album of the Year at the 19th annual Grammy Awards.

The Eagles recorded Hotel California at the Criteria in Miami and at the Record Plant in Los Angeles. It's one of the best-selling albums of all time. In the United States alone, it has sold over 26 million copies. Currently, it's tied with AC/DC's Back in Black as the third best-selling album of all time in the U.S. The only albums to sell more than Hotel California are Michael Jackson's Thriller (34 million copies) and Eagles/Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 (38 million copies).

The Record Plant in Los Angeles was one of three studios where Nine Inch Nails recorded The Downward Spiral. Released in 1994, the album solidified Nine Inch Nails and leader Trent Reznor as one of the most influential forces of the '90s. The album has sold over four million copies in the United States, has made countless "best albums" lists and remains beloved by rock fans over 30 years after its release.