Look into the Shadows: Peter Murphy’s Favourite Albums

Baker's Dozen

Artists discuss the 13 records that shaped their lives

1. David BowieDavid Bowie (aka Space Oddity)


I must have been around 12 or so and living in Wellingborough when I first heard ‘Space Oddity.’ I must have heard it on the radio initially and it was like a visitation. It wasn’t just a song, it was a transmission from another realm. This voice, almost alien, floating in orbit above the everyday drabness of terrestrial life. Major Tom wasn’t just an astronaut, he was the archetype of beautiful isolation. I immediately bought this album. Who has not laid back and tried to decipher the lyrics of ‘Memory Of A Free Festival,’ whilst listening and imagining? Before Ziggy came along, this emerging theatrical person was arriving, and I knew something was going to happen with him.

PreviousNext Selection

Don’t Miss The Quietus Digest

Start each weekend with our free email newsletter.

Help Support The Quietus in 2025

If you’ve read something you love on our site today, please consider becoming a tQ subscriber – our journalism is mostly funded this way. We’ve got some bonus perks waiting for you too.

Subscribe Now