V-2 Schneider

Heroes, 1977

w hile Bowie was a hero to many, he always had heroes of his own, heroes he generally acknowledged in his work – Dylan, Lou Reed, Iggy, Scott Walker. He invariably wore his musical influences on his sleeve, and V-2 Schneider is a nod to Kraftwerk cofounder Florian Schneider. (And to the German Army’s V-2 rocket, the first ballistic missile, although the best policy when dealing with all things Bowie during this occasionally unfortunate period of unguarded coke megalomania is to adopt Fawlty methodology and not mention the war.) Instrumental, other than a repetition of its much-phased title, Bowie’s sax predominates.