Pop sprouts from unlikely places. David Bowie sometimes seemed like a man from another planet, but his breakthrough, via The Man Who Sold the World, Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust came while he lived in an overgrown shared house in south-east London. French-Tunisian artist Néjib makes sprawling Haddon Hall the narrator of his tale of ambition, transformation and fabulous music. “The London sky was sad like a cold cup of tea,” it begins, but before long Bowie, his then-wife Angie, producer Tony Visconti and a host of hangers-on have brought riffing, bickering life to the suburbs. The likenesses aren’t always close, but bright colours and arresting perspectives abound.
Marc Bolan strolls down a sinuous yellow road, the Stooges perform in a lightning-streaked wave of red, and vibrant flowers shoot through corridors as “Life on Mars” emerges. It’s an enjoyable ride, but Haddon Hall never quite coalesces. It feels like a tumble of episodes rather than a story, with plenty of energy but not much insight, and Ziggy’s eventual birth in a Beckenham back garden is fun rather than triumphant.
• Haddon Hall: When David Invented Bowie is published by SelfMadeHero. To order a copy for £12.74 (RRP £14.99) go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min p&p of £1.99.
