Bowie's finest work

Juzba · Post by **Juzba** » Sun Feb 08, 2004 9:17 am

Been reading a biography of Bowie and listening quite much of his stuff lately(Man who sold the world LP, as we speak)... Anyway, just thought of posing this question, since the man obviously has quite many albums to choose from. My personal favourites would be Low and Heroes, actually the whole body of work produced 1977, that includes Iggy Pop's The Idiot and Lust For Life. How the fuck do you produce 4 albums of this quality in one year? There must be something special about Berlin...

TheWarmth · Post by **TheWarmth** » Sun Feb 08, 2004 8:38 pm

I think Aladdin Sane is probably my favorite Bowie album right now. I do like Low and Heroes, but not quite as much. I guess I have a soft spot for the Ronson years. I've heard that an expanded, 30 year anniversary edition of Diamond Dogs is being prepared in the same way Ziggy and Aladdin were reissued. Should be very cool.

Post by **runcible** » Sun Feb 08, 2004 9:14 pm

Low is a fucking masterpiece - you're spot on there. I never got into the album Heroes, only the song itself.

Personally speaking I'd go for the following:
Low
Station To Station
Diamond Dogs (side 1 features some brilliant deranged moments as it builds towards Rebel Rebel).
Hunky Dory

I'd also mention Aladdin Sane and Ziggy Stardust but I think I burnt myself out on those 2 many years ago. A recent playing of Ziggy surprised me on the enjoyment front as I'd reached the point where I felt just couldn't listen to it ever again. And I never got Young Americans - shmaltzy cocaine ridden showbiz jazzy crap for the most part as far as I was concerned (Fame excepted).

Finally on the Bowie front something I've often scratched my head about... The soundtrack (and the film itself) of the final Spiders From Mars performance at Hammersmith seems complete, but I have a vinyl boot of the gig which features fewer songs. It does have on it, however, a truly incredible version of Jean Genie with Jeff Beck guesting on guitar. Very heavy and crunchy with some interesting work-out stuff by Mr Beck. Never appeared in the film, or the soundtrack and never heard another reference to it, yet it's the highlight of the recording. Anyone know anything?

twentysixdollars · Post by **twentysixdollars** » Sun Feb 08, 2004 10:05 pm

I listened to Bowie a lot in my youth (who, of my generation, didn't?) but was never really much of a fan; ultimately I'd say that Low is his best work since it's his most emotionally honest record and both sides (especially the Enoey instrumental half) are exciting and innovative. Heroes is also good but I think Lodger is extremely lazy. Hunky Dory probably has his best collection of songs (most of which would have worked well on a mid-period Kinks record!), though Wakeman's keyboards are a bit distracting and (gasp) I never liked Mick Ronson, and I think he spoilt one of McGuinn's better albums (Cardiff Rose).

I respect him a lot, but I really dislike Bowie's pseudo-soul material though (Young Americans and most of Station to Station) which I always thought was completely whitebread and, appropriately, a bit stale. (Lou Reed's contemporaneous Rock and Roll Heart was along the same lines but less dramatic and therefore a lot more palatable. Bowie, even when drenched in irony, was always one of the least compelling white soul singers around. And furthermore, the Spiders From Mars discs have, to my ears, aged less than gracefully.

Post by **runcible** » Sun Feb 08, 2004 10:47 pm

twentysixdollars wrote: I respect him a lot, but I really dislike Bowie's pseudo-soul material though (Young Americans and most of Station to Station) which I always thought was completely whitebread and, appropriately, a bit stale. Bowie, even when drenched in irony, was always one of the least compelling white soul singers around. And furthermore, the Spiders From Mars discs have, to my ears, aged less than gracefully.

The white soul thing doesn't mean a lot to me - soul music passes me by for the most part. Station To Station hit me because of the heavy feel of songs like the title track and Stay (which used to be incredible live about 20 years ago).

The Spiders stuff... I'd take slight issue with your comment. I felt they'd dated but only through over playing (listening to the Ziggy Stardust track itself still, for me, takes some courage) but I think those 2 albums stand up pretty well now as classic glam/punk albums of the era. Perfect punchy tracks like Hang Onto Yourself are Ok with me.

I meant to add that one thing that no one seems to mention about the superb Diamond Dogs album is the fact that Bowie himself plays guitar throughout (with the exception of some work on one track). It would never even occur to people that the guy is a guitarist - in fact he probably isn't, but his work on DD is pretty impressive.

runaway · Post by **runaway** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 3:43 am

I saw Bowie in 1978, touring to support the Heroes album. Amazing show; he changed from one stylish Italian suit to another. I think his hair was dyed blonde. It was the tour that they recorded the live album Stage; a wall of vertical, fluorescent light tubes as a backdrop. My first taste of the post-modern pop aesthetic. One of the best shows I've ever seen.

My favorites:
Ziggy Stardust
Young Americans
Low
Heroes
Scary Monsters

Starfish · Post by **Starfish** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 10:42 am

Can't believe no-one's mentioned Tin Machine.
Or that concert when he knelt down and recited the Lord's Prayer.

appledelphy · Post by **appledelphy** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 2:13 am

l
o
w
.

spooks · Post by **spooks** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 3:08 pm

i have been to recent shows in rotterdam, london and brum, and all 3 shows were awesome, the new reality album is his best since outside,
but my favoutite album is diamond dogs, followed by low and heroes, if anyone one wants to trade any bowie stuff let me know

will this do? · Post by **will this do?** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 5:32 pm

My fave Bowie stuff is the early Tony Newley/Jaques Brel type stuff ('London Boys', 'Can't help thinking about Me', 'Heat of the Morning', and yes, 'the Laughing Gnome'). I have a double album of this stuff, and there was a time when it was my fave record FULL STOP.

I know you think I am a fukkin' deviant and a smart arse, but this is true.

The only other stuff I have is Ziggy, Hunky Dory, the BBC sessions (worth getting if you like the Ronson era stuff - tracks like 'Bombers' ('"die" said the general, "cobblers" said the man') Supermen and 'Let me sleep beside you'), and a greatest hits tape.

Post by **BzaInSpace** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 10:03 pm

You're right - 'Let Me Sleep Beside You' is a fantastic track, probably one of his best...*

First Bowie album I ever heard was 'The Man Who Sold The World' (through Nirvana's cover), it still sounds pretty crazy, definitely a kind of lost classic.

Listened to death 'Ziggy Stardust' and 'Hunky Dory' when I was younger (am kind of avoiding now so when I hear them again I might enjoy them more).

I have grown to love 'Aladdin Sane', I wasn't too keen on it when I first heard it in 1998, but now I believe its the best from the 'Ronson Era' (Mick Ronson's solo work is pretty good too, any Bowie fan will dig it).
Esp 'Lady Grinning Soul' & 'Watch That Man'...

My favourite album though has to be 'Station To Station' , the title track is a masterpiece in it's own right.

Its awesome. Its got a real funky groove, the production is immaculate and I only found out the lyrics last year... it's a fucking magic spell!

When Bowie sings 'GOT to keep searching...' it's soulful as hell.

He sounds sincere.

I think it has endured tremendously, shame it is always never appears on 'Best ofs'.

Respest for Bowie, if for nothing else for 'Raw Power'.

And 'The Lord's Prayer'.

* I have never heard 'Diamond Dogs', '"Heroes"', 'Lodger', 'Young Americans', 'Scary Monsters...'.

What do I really need to hear? A lot of this is available on cheap deluxe editions at the moment.