A testament to David Bowie’s far extending influence is the fact that in the musical landscape the luminary helped create, two figures as stylistically disparate as Marilyn Manson and Waylon Jennings’ son Shooter have teamed up to cover Bowie’s “Cat People” and made a 16-bit noir video. That is an insane premise that sounds like some sort of unaired SNL skit or like it was borne from one of the Nerdist editorial team’s notoriously obscure inside jokes. But alas, that is the power of David Bowie, the great unifier of all cool/strange people.
Jennings’ cover of “Cat People” comes from his most recent record Countach (For Giorgio), which is an homage to ’80s mega producer Giorgio Moroder (for all you Stranger Things fans, Jennings’ album and Moroder’s discography are must-listens). It is a noir-ish take on one of David Bowie’s darker, brooding tracks, and Marilyn Manson’s vocal timbre is weirdly perfect for the task. It makes me think that these two would do a great job covering the entirety of Bowie’s final record, Blackstar, which confidently plumbs the depths of existential dread.
Visually, the pair offer a 16-bit video that follows a cult of women who are somehow related to a rash of fatal animal attacks. We see a semi-apocalyptic version of Los Angeles, shady business in motels, and of course, the two singers getting into their fair share of trouble. It is a truly bizarre tribute, and I think Bowie would be ecstatic about it.
Do you think Jennings and Manson successfully put out the fire with gasoline? Let us know on Twitter if you have any other favorite Bowie covers that we have to hear.
Image: BCR Media
Matt Grosinger is the music editor of Nerdist, and you can find him thinking about David Bowie on Twitter.
