Mick Rock: The Rise of David Bowie, 1972-1973: FO Hardcover – Illustrated, 17 Mar. 2016

Photographer Mick Rock met David Bowie in 1972, and went on to become his official photographer and the man who visually chronicled Bowie's extraordinary Ziggy Stardust concerts, which took place in 1972 and 1973. It was a perfect partnership, with Bowie's iconic presence matched by Rock's ability to capture the moment. "David trusted me", he says, "I regarded myself as a guardian of his image ... I got pictures of him eating, drinking coffee, having a cigarette before going on stage, making himself up. I even got shots of him asleep." And that, of course, is in addition to the amazing stage shots which make up the bulk of the photographs in this book.Publisher Taschen initially brought out this title as a signed limited edition at a suitably high price; but now we can get a standard edition which to my mind is good value. It is a hefty volume, 300 pages of high quality art paper, the pictures are stunning, and it has a remarkable lenticular cover which shows different images depending on the viewing angle - shut one eye for the best results.Many of the pictures have been shown before, but around half are previously unseen. An earlier book by Rock and Bowie called Moonage Daydream also covers this period, but is now out of print; this is worth getting whether or not you have the older title.There is not a lot of text, but it is worth reading: an essay on Ziggy Stardust by Michael Bracewell, but more important, an interview with Rock by Barney Hoskyns in which he describes how he met Bowie, how he worked, and his reflections on Bowie and on the glam era. Short, but fascinating.The photos are mostly presented without captions, and most are one per page, with the occasional two-page spread. What I really like though is that at the back of the book there is a full visual photo index, with page numbers as well, that identifies each picture and gives the exact date and location.All the images are from 1972-3, hence the title, "The Rise of David Bowie". As Rock notes, although the Ziggy Stardust album is about a rock star, Bowie was not a star when it was released; the album and tour made him a star.I am a fan so cannot be truly objective; but I think both the photos and Bowie himself are absolutely stunning. He is someone who seems to look good in all kinds of situations. The pictures convey not only his other-worldly stage show and mystical expressions, but also his warmth and personality, willingly signing autographs for fans, or chatting with guitarist Mick Ronson on the train. We also get to see the mesmerising effect he had on his audience; I only wish I could have been there (I did not get to see Bowie perform until 1978).One small thing to mention: while the images are generally of high quality, they are not all razor sharp; Rock mentions that his first concern was to get the shot, rather than to get studio quality every time.Highly recommended for Bowie fans or anyone interested in rock culture in the seventies.Postscript: I found an interview where Mick Rock discusses the difference between this book and the earlier Moonage Daydream. He said that when the book idea first came up his reaction was "We've done it, David and I did it years ago." But he approached Bowie who said fine but "the big thing for me, and for David, was that the book had to have a load of previously unseen pictures." Not all the pictures are new of course, but many are. He also says that improved digital technology means that the reproductions are better. "So these pictures are the finest renditions of these photos. Yeah, it's a very different book from Moonage." Note though that he is talking about the deluxe edition, which I have not seen, so they may not be quite as good in this version.

What a fantastic book, this truly sets the standard for coffee table books when it comes to not just Bowie but classic rock.Where do i start? Well the book is huge and the quality of the paper and print is just beautiful, Taschen always seem to come up with the goods and this is no exception, the cover is actually the most impressive i've ever saw in any book. The effect is basically that whatever way you hold it up you'll see one of maybe three Bowie pictures, its just stunning and i'm not usually easily impressed.One of the other reviewers mentioned the same concern i had before ordered, that this book would just be a rehash of other Mick Rock books on Bowie such as Moonage Daydream, far from it - so many new pictures and the ones you've saw before look better than ever, the colours and size of the glossy paper makes them look incredible, it's way better than his previous Bowie books (which were pretty good anyhow).Although this doesn't cover the same range of Bowie's career the way the book "David Bowie Is" if you're a fan of the Ziggy/ Aladdin Sane era then this is a must buy, its a beauty of a book, i'd actually give it ten stars if i could. For once i'm impressed.

Beautiful book with a gorgeous lenticular cover.Of the many guises adopted by Bowie during his career perhaps Ziggy Stardust was the character inevitably destined to be immortalised in photograph. His colourful flamboyant androgyny was almost sculpted for the camera lens.This book contains large format images of Bowie from the Ziggy/Alladin period which for the most are breathtakingly wonderful. If you are concerned that this is a replica of Rock’s earlier Ziggy portfolio ‘Moonage Daydream’ then don’t be. I have both books and I can assure you that there are many images contained within ‘Rise’ which I had not previously seen before.This is a small but vital chapter documented pictorially of the life of a genius. A man so creatively talented and unique we will undoubtedly never see his like again.We miss you David.

Not only is this book a beautiful item, it has a whole presence to it. I call myself an avid fan of David Bowie, and even I was surprised by the amount of photos which were unseen before. The book has a fantastic index at the back with the same photo and details of date and place. Really exciting to see my home town featuring more than once. This is a book to dip in and out and I would say you will certainly not be disappointed with the quality and size..it's a BIG book! If I were to only ever recommend one David Bowie book this would be it. Don't buy and keep it in the wrapper! ENJOY..

This visual ode to the late, great, and irreplaceable David Bowie is a must for Bowie fans and the curious alike. A veritable tome worthy of the phenomenon Bowie undoubtedly was, Mick Rock's vast array of photos taken as David Jones built his own spaceship, eased inside and turned the ignition to blast off for the finest rock career of the 20th century, is punctuated with fascinating anecdotal detail. The 3D cover alone is a work of art in itself and, with each turn of a page, the reader is more deeply immersed in the twin artistries of Bowie and Rock. Bowie would have loved it. You will, too.

There are many stunning pictures in this book and it is a real treasure chest for a Bowie fan but I have to say I don't think Mick Rock is a particularly good or very professional photographer. You had to be there to take the pictures but Bowie was such a photogenic and beautiful subject, anyone else could, with a little photographic knowledge, have equaled or bettered these pictures. Yes, capture the moment at the expense of sharpness but too many of the posed shots seem a little out of focus to me.

Have been looking for a good David Bowie book for over a year now, and i have finally found it. Incredible pictures and a stunning binding and cover.Only down is the text at the back is not in english, luckily i was still able to read it but it should have been stated in the description