David Bowie

Rebel Rebel

Song Review by Dave Thompson

One of David Bowie's most playful numbers, the guitar-riffing "Rebel Rebel" was contrarily lifted from one of his darkest albums, 1974's Diamond Dogs. The song was originally composed for Bowie's projected Ziggy Stardust musical in late 1973, although it can also be seen as a farewell of sorts to the entire glam movement which Bowie (and Ziggy) created -- a fitting warning, indeed, of the career convolutions he was about to embark upon.

Two versions of the song were recorded for release as an album-trailing single -- the familiar take which also made it onto the LP, and a powerful revamp, heavily phased and featuring Bowie playing all of the instruments (he handled lead guitar alone on the other). This latter version, which many fans consider superior, ultimately appeared only as a rare U.S. promo single (it was later included on the Sound and Vision box set), yet it provided the template for the live rendition performed throughout Bowie's 1974 American tour. The song remained a regular in Bowie's live set until the 1990 tour; it resurfaced in his 1999 repertoire.

Appears On

Year	Artist/Album	Label	Time
1974	David Bowie Diamond Dogs	Parlophone / Rhino / Warner Music	4:34
1976	David Bowie Changesonebowie	Parlophone / Warner Music	4:34
1976	David Bowie Station to Station	Parlophone / Rhino / Warner Music	0:00
1984	David Bowie Serious Moonlight [1984]	Pioneer
1988	David Bowie Glass Spider [Video]	Virgin
1989	David Bowie Sound + Vision	EMI Music Distribution	3:00
1990	David Bowie Changesbowie	Rykodisc	4:31
1992	Various Artists Classic Rock Box: WNEW-FM 25th Anniversary Box	PolyGram	4:28
1993	David Bowie The Singles: 1969-1993	Rykodisc	4:28
1997	David Bowie The Best of David Bowie 1969-1974	Virgin	4:30
1999	Original Soundtrack Detroit Rock City	Mercury / Island / mercury	4:25
2000	David Bowie The Singles Collection 1	EMI Music Distribution	4:30
2002	Various Artists Hot Guitar Licks: Guitar Rock	Time / Life Music	4:30
2002	David Bowie The Best of Bowie [DVD]	Virgin	4:38
2003	Original Soundtrack Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle	Columbia / Sony Music Distribution	3:09
2003	David Bowie Reality	Columbia / ISO	0:00
2003	Various Artists Legends: Crank It Up	Time / Life Music	4:31
2005	Various Artists Legends of Rock [Time Life]	Time / Life Music	4:30
2005	Various Artists Hollywood Cool	EMI Music Distribution	4:29
2006	David Bowie The Platinum Collection	Virgin	4:30
2007	Various Artists Legends Informercial Set	Time / Life Music	4:31
2007	David Bowie David Bowie Box	Sony Legacy	3:10
2008	Various Artists Now That's What I Call Classic Rock	Capitol	0:00
2008	Various Artists Absolute Rock Anthems	Warner Music	4:26
2009	Various Artists Bandslam [Original Soundtrack]	Hollywood	4:30
2009	Various Artists Simply the Best Seventies Rock	Warner Bros. / Warner Music	0:00
2010	Original Soundtrack The Runaways	Atlantic	4:32
2010	Various Artists Rock Anthems [Universal 2010]	EMI / Universal Music TV	4:29
2011	Various Artists Gods of Guitar [Universal]	Universal	4:27
2014	David Bowie Nothing Has Changed	Columbia / Legacy	4:30
2016	David Bowie Who Can I Be Now? (1974-1976)	Parlophone	4:34
2016	David Bowie Legacy	Columbia / Legacy / Sony Music	4:30
2018	David Bowie Loving the Alien (1983-1988)	Parlophone / Rhino	3:30
	Various Artists 25 Years Of Chrysalis Music	Sony CMG
	Various Artists Jackie: The Annual 2010	EMI	4:28
	David Bowie Montreal 1983: The Canadian Broadcast 2 CD Set	Golden Rain	2:15
	Original Soundtrack Music From the Motion Picture the Runaways	Atlantic
	David Bowie Rebel Rebel	Parlophone / Rhino	4:22

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David Bowie

Rebel Rebel

Song Review by Dave Thompson

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