That picture of Bowie is a reminder of just what a tool he became and yet, in '66, he was the sharpest guy in London, and making much better music.
Not many people had heard of him in '66; just another wannabe.
By '72/'73 he was in his creative pomp and rather than looking "a tool" he looked the part of a proper pop star. With his Ziggy facepaint, Elton and his giant specs and platform boots, Bolan and his feather boas and the sea of sequins, glitter and tinfoil which marked out the glam(orous) nature of early 70s rock/pop, showmanship reached its zenith and self respecting rock stars, when not chucking tellys out of hotel windows or driving their Rollers into swimming pools successfully reminded us they were there to dress up and entertain, glam peacocks in a glum world. What I love about the glam era is the unabashed effort acts put into cornering their own "gimmick" - Noddy Holder and his mirrored top hat, Alvin Stardust and his leather gloves, even The Rubettes and their flat caps! Gimmickry was nothing new in pop. It wasn't just their talent and charisma which set The Beatles apart a decade earlier. Brushing their hair forwards into mushroom style pudding bowls, wearing collarless suits and talking down their noses grabbed everyone's attention. They were different. Alien even. But great!! Then they pushed it on again with bright military tunics, funny glasses, moustaches etc. We should never underestimate the power of imagery and branding. That's why I found great singers like Neil Diamond...well, a bit dull to be honest. Elvis was a fabulous singer but he made sure he was a fabulous showman too. Few rock images are more iconic than the rhinestone spangled, caped jumpsuits he made his 70s trademark. I don't see any of this as embarrassing or shallow. Indeed, in the early 70s it was a refreshing V sign to the prevailing austerity.
What helped put the skids under things - at least here in the UK - wasn't punk but that bloody awful, mumbling, scruffy, amateurish thing known as "pub rock" when dullards like Dr Feelgood and Ian Dury brought everything down with a bump by looking no different to or being no more charismatic than their beer-swilling audience. They didn't want to be (or know HOW to be) STARS.
Rather the Ziggy Stardust look (absurdity is a GOOD thing in the pop world!) than, say, Phil Collins (who could pass as a minicab driver or someone from Human Resources) or subsequent shoegazers who have made zero effort to look the part of a real star.
