An avant-garde pop album rich with tension and fear 1980's Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
marked a pivotal point in David Bowie's career. Standing at the bleeding edge of the new decade
between the experimental Berlin Trilogy (Low Heroes and Lodger) and 1983's wildly successful
Let's Dance it was here Bowie sought to bury the ghosts of his past and the golden decade of
the 1970s to become a global superstar reaching millions of new fans. Featuring fresh insights
and exclusive interviews with close collaborators Adam Steiner's Silhouettes and Shadows
uncovers the studio stories meanings behind and secret history of Scary Monsters. Steiner
gives a nuanced memorable portrait of Bowie at a personal and professional crossroads drawing
on his own struggle with addiction growing paranoia and political turmoil. Despite the
album's confrontational themes it included the hit singles Fashion and Ashes to Ashes with
Bowie riding a new wave of inspiration from the post-punk of Joy Division The Specials'
two-tone revolution and the stadium synth-pop of Gary Numan. Most importantly it marked a
final goodbye to Major Tom Ziggy Stardust and The Thin White Duke characters and personas
that had defined his career: in this rare moment David Bowie the costumed clown of romance
suffering and song let his mask slip to reveal David Jones the man within.
