https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvgqWO_TgP0 David Bowie famously terminated the persona of Ziggy Stardust in July of 1973 at the Hammersmith Odeon. While it is technically true that he performed once more as Ziggy that October, the Odeon gig was the iconic moment which signalled the end of the creation which launched him to fame. Bowie's next two personas would very much be re-workings of Ziggy; although in 'Diamond Dogs' Bowie began to experiment more with different sounds and styles. Thematics are arguably more important to this album than to any of Bowie's others; many of the songs were initially written for a stage adaptation of George Orwell's 1984. Having been denied the rights, Bowie worked the songs into a dirty, dystopian glam album which retains the theatrical feel of its original format. 'Diamond Dogs' has certainly received its fair share of criticism, mainly perhaps for the relative lacklustre of its second side. Track nine, '1984', is pure Broadway - perhaps enough to make some listeners cringe. David himself recorded the majority of the instrumentation, and without the rich and immersive sound of his usual motley crew, as the songwriting slackens we are left with rather fewer redeeming features. The album of course, has exceptional moments. 'Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing (Reprise)' blends stagnation and opulence to perfectly describe and populate the dirty, corrupt universe of 'Diamond Dogs'. 'Rebel Rebel' remains one of Bowie's best ever singles, and its punchiness encapsulates why 'Diamond Dogs' can be such fun. The album is a mishmash of ideas, just about held together by a single thread. All the cogs were in place for Bowie's career to start twisting and turning through the unexpected.