My understanding, is Breaking Glass was written during Bowie's residence in Berlin (the "Low" album on which it appears being one of the three albums written & produced there - Station to Station, Low & Heroes. Three of Bowie's most introspective albums, sometimes referred to as "The Berlin Trilogy" ), during which time, it is well documented, Bowie developed a fascination with fascism.
"The Night of Breaking Glass" was a turning point for Hitler's Nazi party (not in their ideology), rather in their process - it was sudden, brutal and, at that point, for the first time demonstrated to the German people.
I believe, rether than drug references, etc, it's a reference to a sudden, dramatic & demonstrative change in how Bowie was behaving.
@Sparticjs774 The Berlin Trilogy is actually Low, Heroes, and Lodger. Very interesting period when Bowie was trying to break some bad habits.
Station to Station, although it has some of my favorite tracks, was before he decided to kick the drugs (or try to anyway, he had many relapses) In fact in interviews he has stated that he doesn't even remember recording most of the album. I find it interesting that he was able to pump out that caliber of material in that state. I feel that the Station to Station era was the closest we came to losing him the...
@Sparticjs774 The Berlin Trilogy is actually Low, Heroes, and Lodger. Very interesting period when Bowie was trying to break some bad habits.
Station to Station, although it has some of my favorite tracks, was before he decided to kick the drugs (or try to anyway, he had many relapses) In fact in interviews he has stated that he doesn't even remember recording most of the album. I find it interesting that he was able to pump out that caliber of material in that state. I feel that the Station to Station era was the closest we came to losing him the way we had lost many great musicians to drugs. Berlin was a new beginning for him and I feel that is why the "trilogy" sound very experimental.
@Sparticjs774 The 'Berlin Trilogy' is a mythmaking misnomer for records that weren't even fully made/recorded in Berlin at all. The Eno association is another myth that needs amending [but won't] - sure he was there for a time, but his influence is overstated to the unwanted use of hyperbole
@Sparticjs774 The 'Berlin Trilogy' is a mythmaking misnomer for records that weren't even fully made/recorded in Berlin at all. The Eno association is another myth that needs amending [but won't] - sure he was there for a time, but his influence is overstated to the unwanted use of hyperbole
My understanding, is Breaking Glass was written during Bowie's residence in Berlin (the "Low" album on which it appears being one of the three albums written & produced there - Station to Station, Low & Heroes. Three of Bowie's most introspective albums, sometimes referred to as "The Berlin Trilogy" ), during which time, it is well documented, Bowie developed a fascination with fascism. "The Night of Breaking Glass" was a turning point for Hitler's Nazi party (not in their ideology), rather in their process - it was sudden, brutal and, at that point, for the first time demonstrated to the German people. I believe, rether than drug references, etc, it's a reference to a sudden, dramatic & demonstrative change in how Bowie was behaving.
@Sparticjs774 The Berlin Trilogy is actually Low, Heroes, and Lodger. Very interesting period when Bowie was trying to break some bad habits. Station to Station, although it has some of my favorite tracks, was before he decided to kick the drugs (or try to anyway, he had many relapses) In fact in interviews he has stated that he doesn't even remember recording most of the album. I find it interesting that he was able to pump out that caliber of material in that state. I feel that the Station to Station era was the closest we came to losing him the...
@Sparticjs774 The Berlin Trilogy is actually Low, Heroes, and Lodger. Very interesting period when Bowie was trying to break some bad habits. Station to Station, although it has some of my favorite tracks, was before he decided to kick the drugs (or try to anyway, he had many relapses) In fact in interviews he has stated that he doesn't even remember recording most of the album. I find it interesting that he was able to pump out that caliber of material in that state. I feel that the Station to Station era was the closest we came to losing him the way we had lost many great musicians to drugs. Berlin was a new beginning for him and I feel that is why the "trilogy" sound very experimental.
@Sparticjs774 The 'Berlin Trilogy' is a mythmaking misnomer for records that weren't even fully made/recorded in Berlin at all. The Eno association is another myth that needs amending [but won't] - sure he was there for a time, but his influence is overstated to the unwanted use of hyperbole
@Sparticjs774 The 'Berlin Trilogy' is a mythmaking misnomer for records that weren't even fully made/recorded in Berlin at all. The Eno association is another myth that needs amending [but won't] - sure he was there for a time, but his influence is overstated to the unwanted use of hyperbole