29 Days of Bowie [Archive] - Echoing the Sound

botley

01-22-2016, 11:38 PM

Wait a minute, this is a leap-year. February will have an extra day. Why not include the Baal EP into the thing along with maybe some live albums and box-sets? Will deluxe-editions of the albums count for this countdown?
I say we do it like this... bonus tracks optional, if you are into tracking them down. This isn't an exhaustive list but it keeps to about an hour of listening each day. If you can do it along with us, post here with impressions and thoughts, even if you only make it through couple of songs.

1. David Bowie (the original '67 Deram LP, plus "When I'm Five", "Ching-a-Ling", "London Bye Ta-Ta", "The Laughing Gnome", "Gospel According to Tony Day", "Karma Man", "Did You Ever Have a Dream")
2. Space Oddity aka David Bowie aka Man of Words/Man of Music (plus "Conversation Piece", single version of "The Prettiest Star", "Amsterdam" and the two-part remake of Memory of a Free Festival)
3. The Man Who Sold the World (plus "Lightning Frightening" and "Holy Holy")
4. Hunky Dory (plus "Bombers" and "The Supermen" remake)
5. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (plus "Sweet Head", "Velvet Goldmine", "Round and (a)Round")
6. Aladdin Sane (plus "John, I'm Only Dancing", "All the Young Dudes")
7. Pin Ups (plus "Growin' Up", "White Light/White Heat", "Knock on Wood", "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow")
8. Diamond Dogs (plus "Dodo", "Alternative Candidate (Demo)", "Rebel Rebel (US Single Mix)", "1984/Dodo")
9. Young Americans (plus "It's Gonna Be Me", "After Today", "John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)", "Who Can I Be Now?")
10. Station to Station (plus "It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City", "Waiting for the Man")
11. Low (plus "Some Are", "All Saints")
12. "Heroes" (plus "Abdulmajid", "Alabama Song", "Helden")
13. Lodger (plus "I Prey, Olé" and the remake of "Look Back in Anger")
14. Scary Monsters (plus "Crystal Japan" and the remakes of "Space Oddity" and "Panic in Detroit")
15. Let's Dance (plus "Under Pressure" and the Baal EP)
16. Tonight (plus "Absolute Beginners", "This Is Not America", "Underground", "As the World Falls Down", "Within You", "Chilly Down", "Magic Dance")
17. Never Let Me Down (plus "Julie", "When the Wind Blows")
18. Tin Machine
19. Tin Machine II
20. Black Tie White Noise (plus "Real Cool World", "Lucy Can't Dance")
21. Buddha of Suburbia
22. 1.Outside
23. Earthling (plus NIN's I'm Afraid of Americans remix EP)
24. 'hours...' (plus "We All Go Through", "1917", "We Shall Go to Town", "No One Calls")
25. Toy (plus "Nature Boy")
26. Heathen (plus "Wood Jackson", "When the Boys Come Marching Home", "Safe")
27. Reality (plus "Queen of All the Tarts (Overture)", "Love Missile F1-11", "Fly", "Waterloo Sunset")
28. The Next Day (Deluxe Edition, plus "God Bless the Girl", "Atomica", "The Informer", "Like a Rocket Man", "Born in a UFO")
29. ★

thevoid99

01-22-2016, 11:45 PM

Alrighty, I'll do that. I have a lot of the deluxe editions of those albums. I'll include Baal as well as Sound + Vision and anything that has Bowie rarities.

Findus

01-23-2016, 01:48 AM

A couple of weeks ago, I was thinking of this, but listening in reverse order..... starting at the end, and finishing at the beginning.

fillow

01-23-2016, 03:10 AM

Oh yeah, leap year... I'm gonna add Toy then.

r_z

01-23-2016, 03:30 AM

22. 1.Outside

plus "Get Real", "A Small Plot Of Land" (version from the Basquiet movie), "I Am With Name", "Nothing To Be Desired"

23. Earthling

plus "I Can't Read", "Planet Of Dreams"

26. Heathen (plus "Wood Jackson", "When the Boys Come Marching Home", "Safe")

plus "Pictures Of Lily"

27. Reality (plus "Queen of All the Tarts (Overture)", "Love Missile F1-11", "Fly", "Waterloo Sunset")

plus "Isn't It Evening?", "Rebel Rebel" (re-recording)

:)

I've always liked the album version of "I'm Afraid Of Americans" better than the self indulgent remix orgy from the single. Also, I consider "I Can't Read" (the 1997 version) a perfect closer for Earthling. "Planet Of Dreams" is nice, too, but is a bit too rough sounding to really fit on the album, sonically, I think.

botley

01-23-2016, 06:02 AM

Save it for the marathon! :P

seasonsinthesky

01-23-2016, 09:12 AM

plus "Get Real", "A Small Plot Of Land" (version from the Basquiet movie), "I Am With Name", "Nothing To Be Desired"

Isn't IAWN exactly the same as the album version? It sounds to be on the bonus disc, at least.

r_z

01-23-2016, 09:53 AM

Yeah, I'm talking about the version on the bonus disc. Is there an album configuration where it's included in the official tracklist?

fillow

01-23-2016, 10:30 AM

On the album it's attached to Segue Ramona A Stone. As a b-side it goes on its own.

seasonsinthesky

01-23-2016, 12:12 PM

On the album it's attached to Segue Ramona A Stone. As a b-side it goes on its own.

Indeed, the version on the b-side of THFL doesn't include the segue. So whoever made the Outside bonus disc fucked up.

frankie teardrop

01-23-2016, 02:24 PM

just being hella thorough for anyone who wants to do this. this is in addition to anything @r_z (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=347) mentioned a few posts ago:

2. Space Oddity aka David Bowie aka Man of Words/Man of Music
11. Low
15. Let's Dance
16. Tonight
17. Never Let Me Down
18. Tin Machine
19. Tin Machine II
20. Black Tie White Noise
22. 1.Outside
23. Earthling
24. 'hours...'
25. Toy
26. Heathen
27. Reality
29. ★

+ original version of 'wild eyed boy from freecloud' and the demo of 'space oddity' or 'ragazza solo, ragazza sola'. there are also two versions of 'london bye ta-ta.' one from sound + vision which goes here with marc bolan playing guitar. the earlier version goes with the deram stuff.
+ peace on earth/little drummer boy
+ cat people (soundtrack version)
+ dancing in the street (*snickr*)
+ girls + time will crawl (mm version)
+ fame 90 + pretty pink rose + gunman + like a rolling stone
+ hammerhead
+ king of stamford hill + you've been around
+ the man who sold the world (eno version) + hallo spaceboy pet shop boys mix + HFL (NIN mix) + showgirls i'm afraid of americans
+ fun (dilinja mix) + fun/funhouse + tao jones + goldie's 'truth'
+ jewel + a foggy day in london town + omikron versions? + trying to get to heaven + man without a mouth, sector z
+ saviour + hop frog + america
+ arnold layne
+ falling down + fannin street + province + reflektor + cynic + she can do that
+ RSD early versions of sue and tis a pity she was a whore

also, there's two versions of 'holy holy'- the inferior single mix goes with man who sold the world (along with those arnold corns tracks) as well as the spiders raveup remake which is technically part of ziggy.

there's also the early on / pye singles stuff (i dig everything, etc.) that goes before the deram stuff. mannish boys, lower third, etc. if it's a leap year and there's an extra day, i suggest starting with that disc instead.

and to everyone talking about it, yes the bonus disc version of 'i am with name' is identical to the album mix, despite the single mix dropping the segue. not sure what happened there but it sounds like a botch... if you want to count 'i am with name' just grab it from the hearts filthy lesson single.

seasonsinthesky

01-23-2016, 05:22 PM

and to everyone talking about it, yes the bonus disc version of 'i am with name' is identical to the album mix, despite the single mix dropping the segue. not sure what happened there but it sounds like a botch... if you want to count 'i am with name' just grab it from the hearts filthy lesson single.

Not just the lack of segue – it fades in earlier in the jam, and doesn't have an edit that happens later in the album version. The musical content is some extra 50 seconds compared to the album version.

Also, if completeness is the prerogative, "The Leek Soldier" and "I'd Rather Be Chrome" should be in there. Or just the whole of the friggin' suites, since they source these tracks, all the segues, AND "Nothing to Be Desired."

botley

01-23-2016, 06:16 PM

fillow

01-23-2016, 07:20 PM

^^
I actually started compiling a full chronological tracklist of all Bowie recorded tracks, including all available b-sides, demos, remakes, lives and whatnot, using Bowiesongs as a guide (it has a date of each recording which I have no reason to doubt). It was a couple of months ago and I put it on hiatus for while, only reaching Station to Station era. I think I'll get back to it later this year.

botley

01-23-2016, 07:23 PM

No doubt that would be cool. I think it'll be more fun if we keep casual interest going in this thread while people participate through the whole month, rather than strictly being completist and risking losing folks along the way.

thevoid99

01-23-2016, 07:43 PM

I think we'll need to do something on a blog page or something to organize this and keep track of those who will be involved. I'll be using my music blog for the event: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/

It's been years since I wrote something about music but this is Bowie. He is a big deal and I need to do this.

frankie teardrop

01-23-2016, 08:05 PM

If you wanna go for it and listen to everything he recorded — be my guest. I thought I would just keep the bonus tracks brief, and relevant to the album versions in terms of different approach/contrasting elements. Personally, I'm not going to sit through all those dub mixes of the 80s stuff, and if I'm actually going to do this it'd better be in 50-70 minute chunks per day during my commute. :P

not to quibble too much, but it just seemed like you were listing a healthy chunk of b-sides for the sake of being complete, but left off a handful major players in your proposition, so i figured we'd go the extra mile.

ditching half my additions, which veer into collaborations and hella obscure demos and unreleased tracks, it might be worth adding 'girls,' 'cat people' (moroder), 'get real,' 'nothing to be desired,' 'i can't read' remake, 'hammerhead*', the NIN mix of 'hearts filthy lesson,' PSB 'hallo spaceboy', the sleazy 'americans' original, 'small plot' from basquiat, 'pictures of lily,' 'she can do that' (which would have been his last recording if not for the next day), and whichever 'holy holy' & 'london bye ta-ta' isn't accounted for to your personal run**.

outside will be a long day, but it is what it is. if you can track down an original version of 'fun,' it really adds to the earthling experience and is a real lost opportunity (i loved a lot of the drum and bass live remakes, personally).

i pretty much have already listened to 85% of the discography since, so at this point, this exercise would be all about uncovering some of my lesser-listened to gems to tell a more interesting story. :P

*nothing major, but might as well pad out tin machine with *something.*
**i did my penance with the video for 'dancing in the street,' so i'm good with that one for quite some time. your mileage may vary!

thevoid99

01-24-2016, 11:35 PM

So, is the 29 Days of Bowie thing still happening and how are we going to organize this? I know another blogger friend of mine who is interested as he does films and music through his blog: http://moviesandsongs365.blogspot.com/

botley

01-25-2016, 06:03 PM

botley

01-28-2016, 10:21 PM

there's two versions of 'holy holy'- the inferior single mix goes with man who sold the world (along with those arnold corns tracks) as well as the spiders raveup remake which is technically part of ziggy.
"Holy Holy" is great as a Spiders freakout (trippy reverb on the vocal, man! Far-out, freak-out, in-out, etc.), but I gotta say, hearing the original single version produced by Herbie Flowers on Re:Call 1 has revitalized it for me. It doesn't sound like a demo anymore, or a Ziggy cast-off, because the new mastering really lets you hear Herbie's awesome bassline, and those sly backup vocals, as well as significantly more spirit in the rhythm track than was previously heard on extant masterings.

Also, I can unreservedly recommend the 2015 mastering of The Man Who Sold the World. Huge thunderous bass, just like it must always sound!

Lerxto

01-31-2016, 07:55 PM

It's already February 1st here, so I thought I'd just start a few hours early. :)
Now listening through the 1967 self-titled album. There's not much to say about this one, except the second half of this album (from When I Live My Dream til the end) is better than the first.
I also confess that I never sat through the 2010 deluxe edition of the album. 2 hours 35 minutes and 6 seconds is just far too long. I'll try today. I actually never got to the second disc before.

botley

02-01-2016, 10:22 AM

Last year I worked on a play (https://botley.wordpress.com/2015/05/17/farewell-to-brimstone-treacle-last-time-ill-badger-you-about-this-damn-play-i-promise/), Dennis Potter's Brimstone and Treacle (a stage version, based on a rejected BBC teleplay that he also wrote in 1976) with a British director living here in Toronto. He was insistent that we use Deram-era Bowie stuff for music cues in the show, particularly "When I'm Five" (which I realize is not actually on the first album, but as the show's prologue, it worked so beautifully that I just fell in love with it). We did everything we could on a shoestring budget to give the play a period-appropriate style, the setting being in the drawing room of an early-70s middle class British home, which suited the whimsical and yet screwy musichall-stroke-pop approach of these Bowie recordings. The director was convinced that nobody knew this side of Bowie, and would be surprised or even shocked to hear it so prominently, but that it would instantly set the right mood. He was absolutely right.

Whenever I'm designing sound cues, I always choose carefully when a director wants to use vocal music, as I try to at least juxtapose some element of the lyric or style with something that directly relates to it in the show (without being too on the nose). That particular play deals with exploitation and sexual abuse, in the context of which "Love You 'Til Tuesday" became pretty menacing indeed. I think "Come and Buy My Toys" was also on the pre-show playlist that the audience heard walking in, along with other folky tunes of the era. "When I Live My Dream" was the first thing they heard as the lights came up after curtain call. Inevitably those memories colour my views on this material, because honestly before that I'd never really even given this phase of Bowie's career much consideration. Evidently neither did he! Although "Silly Boy Blue" is on Nothing Has Changed, which indicates he was not overly embarrassed by it (and it does have a gorgeous melody).

Actually, I don’t think the rest of the album rates very highly compared with those tunes. Bowie's singing is pretty weak, at least by comparison to his full throated belting in later years, and he seemingly over-pronounces the words in an attempt to get them to scan properly and stand out above the arrangements (which are stuffed with some lovely ideas). It's a bit of a mess. "Sell Me a Coat" reminds me of the Simon & Garfunkel dour folky routine, which I like, but it just isn't as appealing. "Uncle Arthur" and "Rubber Band" are bizarre little story songs, catchy but ultimately grating. I think the single version of "Love You 'Til Tuesday" is a huge improvement on the album version. "There Is a Happy Land" is pleasant enough until that weird scat-singing thing Bowie does at the end. "We Are Hungry Men" is funny I suppose, but knowing that later songs found Bowie mildly obsessed with the apocalypse makes it more of a harbinger than anything else. Also, I suppose this was just reality in postwar London, but EVERYTHING HAS HAD A BOMB DROPPED ON IT IN THESE SONGS.

"Please Mr. Gravedigger" is about as morbid as it gets, but of course that's the point. "Maid of Bond Street" is a straight-up obvious Jacques Brel lift, his songs from the first Scott Walker solo album being a clearly documented influence on Bowie. "She's Got Medals" is notable for being the start of Bowie's gender play, even if the lyrics come across as a bit staid. "Join the Gang" is about substance abuse in Swingin' London, I guess, but it's just too damn bouncy and what the fucking hell is that ending... and can we talk about "Little Bombardier"? I was with it until the weird minor key change that undercuts the "joy" of the second act. That makes it seem like the children are victims rather than saviours and then you're not really sympathetic for the fate of the character because he really does seem like a child molester. Yikes.

I do like "Ching-a-ling", which is a relic from Bowie's folk trio days, because it's clearly the proving ground for his later talent at arranging vocals for those extra powerful choruses. Lyrics are meaningless of course. "Karma Man" is pretty good, but the arrangement and poor production value lets the side down. "Did You Ever Have a Dream" is that kind of Biff Rose style Trad-psychedelic thing he'd do again on Hunky Dory with a bit more finesse. "London Bye Ta-ta" is good too, about as good as the other early songs Bowie would come back to revisit on Toy. Of course the crown jewel is "Laughing Gnome". Like, the amount of effort he must have poured into that fucking thing is astonishing. And then they clearly only had about ten minutes left in the studio to hastily cut "Gospel According to Tony Day" for the flipside, jeez Louise. Anyway, that was a fun morning.

ChipRock

02-01-2016, 10:36 AM

I like the idea of doing this. I've already been re-examining some of the back catalogue anyway, especially as I've often ignored anything pre 1977. It might get a bit complicated when covering the various bonus tracks. Personally I'd rather stick to the albums and maybe just include any particularly important non-album tracks. Anyway - I've never owned the first album, so downloading now.

thevoid99

02-01-2016, 03:34 PM

Here's my piece on the first album: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-david-bowie-1967-album.html

Lerxto

02-02-2016, 03:52 AM

Rather than writing a meaningless, long essay about how every single song on David Bowie #2 stands out, I'll just post some videos instead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-VQv65jiH8

It's my personal opinion, but it's a shame he never played Cygnet Committee after 1970. Such a great, epic song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyDmt-Yrhww

ChipRock

02-02-2016, 04:16 AM

I'm a bit late I know, but I did listen to David Bowie (1967). To be honest I don't have a great deal to say about it, and I'm certainly not going to go through track by track.

It's probably quite difficult to put into context without knowing much about the music-hall and cabaret scenes that I understand were influencing Bowie at this time. However, it does show straight away how much Bowie would change things around. From what I've heard, his early mod style singles were reasonably solid if not particularly exciting - how he could go from them to this is quite bizarre. Many of the songs really do remind me of television theme tunes from the 60s and 70s, maybe even adverts and jingles as well as nursery rhymes. Presumably at this time Bowie had given up on being a rock and roller and was aiming for some kind of child-friendly popular entertainment theme. I can imagine seeing him on a children's television show, doing unusual songs in between telling stories and playing with amusing puppets. Either that or belting out a few bland ballads on a light entertainment show. On that note - there are a couple of tracks that obviously aim at something a little more 'grown-up', but they sound rather forced and are probably less successful than some of the sillier songs.

Overall then I struggled to pay much attention to any of this. It's an interesting document, but I'm truly glad that Bowie didn't stick to this kind of material. There are maybe a couple of hints at talent here, and actually there are some interesting parts in the arrangement and production of these songs, but certainly not enough to make me want to listen to this again. Maybe I should ask my parents, who would have been teenagers at the time, what this record means to them as I just can't imagine who it was really aimed at. I'm guessing probably TV or theatre people rather than an actual pop audience.

I haven't listened to any of the single versions or b-sides from this era, and I did hear The Laughing Gnome once, years ago, and I think that was enough for anyone. As if a novelty song would get anyone anywhere anyway...

imail724

02-02-2016, 08:16 AM

especially as I've often ignored anything pre 1977.
What the fuck. Some of his best material is pre-77. No Ziggy? No Aladdin? No Station??

ChipRock

02-02-2016, 01:26 PM

What the fuck.

I know right? For a long time I was keen to avoid any hippy rockist stuff, but that's just youthful snobbery. I still prefer later Bowie, but that's why it's good to go back now and reassess the old stuff.

So I listened to David Bowie (1969) today... and it's not bad I guess. It can't be denied that Space Oddity is a wonderful tune, but it's fascinating to see how much he had developed following on from the first album. For large parts it's clear that Bowie had started to find his voice, and actually started writing more personally. As an album I'd say it was a bit patchy, and perhaps still not entirely confident, but I like that he allows himself to be a bit indulgent. I have to say that Wild Eyed Boy... was quite a highlight. I was expecting it to all sound a bit more 'groovy' and folky, dated even, but actually it isn't that bad. It'll probably stand up to repeated listens, as opposed to the first album, but still I'm not likely to have it on my iPod any time soon.

I can see why it wasn't that well received at the time, despite the hit single, but for large parts that's not down to any fault with his songwriting. Perhaps it could do with being a bit more focused in its sound? I don't know. Not quite my cup of tea, but at least you can hear the Bowie proper that we know and love in it.

fillow

02-02-2016, 02:15 PM

Today was Space Oddity day and once again as many times before I wished that Unwashed... didn't develop into the rocky tune but stayed entirely acoustic like its first verse.
I have a similar problem with Pink Floyd's Let There Be More Light: it starts with so much potential but then drifts in opposite direction from what I would like.

Oh and for the sake of the scrobbling I refuse to call the album anything other than Space Oddity.

thevoid99

02-02-2016, 02:42 PM

Here's my review of the second album: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-david-bowie-1969-album.html

Shadaloo

02-02-2016, 04:14 PM

I have a really, really hard time putting this one on for full playthroughs. Blow for blow I think I revisit it (and the Deram works) the least out of anything in his discography; barring Space Oddity the album is still largely the sound of the man trying to find his identity. It didn't really come together until TMWSTW. Not a bad little album of course, just...unfocused, is very much the right word for it.

ad infinitum

02-02-2016, 06:18 PM

A little late to the party but I'm starting today & listening to the first two back to back. I'd never heard his first lp & now I understand why people talk about The Laughing Gnome the way they do. From that to Space Oddity... what a difference two years makes.

I love this idea, it will allow me to explore Bowie's catalog in its entirety (save some remixes/bonus tracks/B-sides) like I should've done many years ago.

botley

02-02-2016, 06:38 PM

Space Oddity is leaps and bounds ahead, but not without its mis-steps. I like most of the tracks very much but the longer ones meander off track after a while. Bowie still hadn't yet mastered the art of sustaining a song idea for the long haul without undercutting it somehow. Hence why "Unwashed" veers into that goofy grunting towards the end, "Cygnet" blows all its bile before the ending and "Memory" is all about the rave-up ending while the proper song in front of it is slightly ponderous. I do like "Freecloud" and the perfect miniature that is "Letter", and of course the title track is still amazing. Everything else is good or above average. The backing players assembled by Visconti are terrific throughout, and in a properly mastered form the album makes for a great listen. I approve!

frankie teardrop

02-02-2016, 07:55 PM

i've always loved space oddity, truth be told. it was one of the earliest bowie albums i picked up in middle school, and i fell hard for 'unwashed,' 'memory of a free festival,' and especially 'cygnet committee,' which is the first in a long string of insular, gut-punching, stereo experiments that hit me where it counts. these days, it's all about 'letter for hermoine.'

thevoid99

02-02-2016, 08:14 PM

"Cygnet Committe" is one of my favorite Bowie songs as I love the entire album. I was listening to the Deluxe Edition last night as I just love hearing "The Prettiest Star" with Marc Bolan's guitar and "Conversation Piece" I think is one of Bowie's more underrated gems.

botley

02-02-2016, 08:29 PM

Conversation Piece ☔<3

ad infinitum

02-02-2016, 09:26 PM

Yep, Cygnet Committee absolutely stands out as a favorite track on initial listen, aside from the title track, obviously.

I remember exactly where I was when I first heard the song Space Oddity, as a little girl in the car with my (now deceased) father. It's not many songs I remember so vividly hearing the first time & I think that came into play with some of the sadness I felt upon hearing of Bowie's death. Not many artists are so tied up with my personal memories like that. I mean, the man has been around my entire life, making interesting, exciting music. And now he's gone & there are these shoes that you just know can never be filled. But I have zero right to complain because jesus, that discography!

Time to check out some of the bonus tracks recommended on the first page.

ChipRock

02-03-2016, 05:12 AM

Moving quickly along, I'm going through The Man Who Sold The World now. I wonder if this one might actually need a bit of time because right now I just think it sounds quite bad. Of course it's here that he's really struck on a darker and heavier sound that would lead directly through to Ziggy Stardust, but I don't think there are any songs here that actually sound good. Even the title track doesn't work too well for me - I'd much rather hear the 90s live version.
It seems like many people do like this, with some considering (I've just been on Wikipedia) it to be first proper Bowie album, but maybe it depends on what you're looking for. With the '69 album I thought he was getting somewhere with the songs, but here I think he's been a bit half-arsed, possibly relying too much on a good band and producer to carry through whatever ideas he had. It might work okay in the background at a party, but for close listening it seems rather lacking. But yes, of course, it was a vital step along the way. Maybe I'll give it another couple of listens later and see if I'm missing something.

frankie teardrop

02-03-2016, 07:12 AM

the man who sold the world is interesting--- it's notable as the first record featuring mick (and it shows, in the sleazy breaks of 'width of a circle' and the sludgy 'she shook me cold'). he was gaping the heavy metal sound popular at the time with black sabbath, cream, and yardbirds/zeppelin (the riff from 'the supermen' was reportedly given to him by jimmy page), but in typical bowie fashion, doesn't fully commit to it, often meandering into ghostly tales of madness ('after all,' 'all the madmen').

the album smacks of nietzschean power trips and apocalyptic landscapes, another facet of his work that starts here and carries on for many years. between this and tyrannosaurus rex shedding their folky roots, here is where glam begins. it's not my favorite, but i have no issues with the record and enjoy it semi-frequently.

on the subject of bonus tracks, i've always loved the repetitive stomp of 'lightning frightning' - an arnold corns outtake with a country-sax flair. this, as well as the other arnold corns session tracks, were recorded between 1970-1971, and are mostly notable (alongside 'width of a circle') for planting the seeds for the spiders from mars era.

i also must confess some love for the lulu version of 'man who sold the world'- released a few years later with 'watch that man' as a b-side.

Jinsai

02-03-2016, 08:22 AM

I'll join in when we get to the good stuff... I really don't like the pre-Hunky Dory material... it makes me uncomfortable to listen to most of it.

Shadaloo

02-03-2016, 10:51 AM

TMWSTW is the first album I can go through most of the way front to back. Still problematic here and there, but All The Madmen, TMWSTW and The Supermen are all great.

Running Gun Blues, on the other hand, is cringe-inducing and about as subtle as the Kool-Aid Man. Everything else falls somewhere in between for me.

Fun fact: Peter Murphy once described this as the first gothic rock record. I can kind of see it in places.

botley

02-03-2016, 11:13 AM

I *love* this album. It's probably one of Tony Visconti's finest as a producer and certainly as a bass player — Ronson pushed him to play up on the neck aggressively, like Jack Bruce. Together with Woody they make a terrific din (even today — check out their live recordings of this material as Holy Holy). Yes, there are a few patchy songs ("Saviour Machine" comes to mind for me as a skip-ahead moment) but the effect is very focused and direct, over all. Can't get enough of the title track, it's so haunting.

BenAkenobi

02-03-2016, 12:59 PM

my 2 pennies at last, couldn't find strength to pour out daily long passages.

1967 record i adore for humour and transparency, or should i say immediacy - gives me a sense of ongoing experiment and touches so many themes at once with equal intensity, he's more bard here than a pop- or blues singer. Trademark melancholy already settles in. 3/5

"Space Oddity" - a solid upgrade in music department as well as vocal delivery, songs got longer and mostly dropped third-person narrative format, creating a signal to contemporary scene: this guy is for real. Yeah yeah baby yeah, don't sit down. 5/5

"The Man..." continues pretty much where SO left. Sun machine is coming down and we gonna have a party. The sound got thicker and our singer gets some darker lyrics out. Quality work all around but it requires a certain mood to really enjoy. 4/5

thevoid99

02-03-2016, 02:21 PM

Here's my piece on The Man Who Sold the World: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-man-who-sold-world.html

For me, that is Bowie's first really great album as I just love every fucking second of it. And for anyone that is going to do Hunky Dory tomorrow, here's an essay I wrote a few years ago about the album: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2012/01/favorite-albums-2-hunky-dory.html

elevenism

02-03-2016, 06:31 PM

okay, i want to do this. what record are we listening to today?

thevoid99

02-03-2016, 09:12 PM

okay, i want to do this. what record are we listening to today?

The Man Who Sold the World and tomorrow, Hunky Dory. I'm going a day ahead for the reviews as I know much of Bowie's work from '69-'80 very well which makes it easier to analyze though I feel I'm rusty as it comes to writing reviews.

ChipRock

02-04-2016, 09:15 AM

So today is Hunky Dory day. Now we're getting somewhere! I have to say I'd class this as the earliest Bowie record you really need to listen to. It's by no means perfect, and generally it's not quite to my taste musically, but after everything I've said about the previous records, this is where 'shit gets real'. It's interesting when you see that by the time this record was made he was well into the Ziggy thing, so I can't help wonder if it almost works as a compilation of older songs being stuck on vinyl before getting properly into his new project. There are a couple of weaker songs here, but overall I really enjoy the rise in his confidence, songwriting maturity and ability to put together a unified sound. On The Man Who... you could really hear the disconnect between Bowie and the rest of the guys in the studio, but here things sound like they have really gelled.
I won't go through all the songs, but I must make a case for Changes as a really important track. It's by no means one of my favourites, but as the first track on the first side of this album, it is so forceful in announcing 'Hey, I'm David Bowie, and this is what I do'. It feels like there's no way anyone else could sing that track. Otherwise I do love Quicksand - and who doesn't right? - Life On Mars? is probably a classic too, and probably due to the video I always thought it was from Ziggy Stardust, and The Bewlay Brothers stands out as a song I've not previously been familiar with.
In between all that I could probably skip a few tracks, and if I was forced to grade it I'd probably not go beyond 3/5, but a lot of that is down to personal taste. Objectively though I can see it's importance, in terms of Bowie's career but also as a post-Beatles, post-Hippy British pop record that really hints at the future.

frankie teardrop

02-04-2016, 11:29 AM

it's interesting. i know i'm in the minority here but i've never loved hunky dory from front to back and always found it to be a bit overrated. i find it incredibly uneven. on one hand, we have 'quicksand,' 'life on mars?' (my go-to karaoke song), and 'the bewlay brothers,' three of his most enigmatic and ponderous songs, and three of his best. i also have big love for 'oh you pretty things,' 'queen bitch,' and 'andy warhol.'

on the other hand, we have quite a bit of throwaway here, as i never could stand 'fill your heart' or 'eight line poem.' 'kooks' was a wild card- i loved it when i was young and disliked it as an adult, but as a new dad it's back on the plus side with me.

as far as his singles are concerned, i never cared that much for 'changes' either. it's not skippably heinous, but ranking the "hits" it usually falls short for me.

basically, the record has more strengths than weaknesses, but i've never been able to embrace it as an unstoppable classic like some have.

orestes

02-04-2016, 01:25 PM

Whatever merits "Changes" may have has been lost over the years due to bad covers and its use as a commercial jingle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6xxgNTaiQs

thevoid99

02-04-2016, 03:50 PM

Here's my review of Hunky Dory which I think is Bowie's masterpiece and still my favorite album of his: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-hunky-dory.html

botley

02-04-2016, 04:55 PM

Side One of Hunky Dory is note. Fucking. Perfect. Like, I cannot possibly imagine a single note being changed (including the post-false ending of "Life on Mars?" when you hear the studio phone ringing, spoiling the take, and Ronno swearing right at the very end) without it being lesser. "Eight Line Poem" has my favourite Mick Ronson lead, hands down, although his playing and arrangements on the whole LP are great, top to bottom. So exquisitely tasteful and complementary. "Quicksand" will forever remind me of the only time I saw Bowie live... because he played it, magnificently, and the guy sitting in the seat across from me was absolutely losing his shit as soon as it started.

I have a harder time staying with Side Two, but the high points ("Queen Bitch", anyone?) are tremendous. Before reading it on Wikipedia recently, I had no idea that "Bombers" was originally intended to open this side of the album, but seeing as I slightly prefer "Fill Your Heart" (cheesy vocal and all), it's probably for the best it stayed out of the running. "Andy Warhol" is all about the long guitar steeplechase at the end. With "Bewlay Brothers" I have to be in a receptive mood, but when I am, it stings me like no other.

As far as my preferred digital mastering goes... sadly, no existing version gets it 100% right for my liking. Rykodisc's "AU20" Gold CD from the mid-90s comes closest, but it needs some EQ for it to sound 'great' (ie. more low bass, less high-midrange and a tiny lift at the very top). There are seemingly none of the tape problems or excessive compression problems that plague other releases, but I don't know why.

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02-04-2016, 06:40 PM

I've always loved Changes so I choose to have a selective memory about its use in ads. And Oh You Pretty Things ranks as one of my all-time fav Bowie tracks. Love how he uses every inch of his voice in little over three minutes. Song for Bob Dylan is also another favorite, it just flows so easily. And it gets no better than Queen Bitch, dripping of Velvet Underground. Much love for Bewlay Brothers & Quicksand as well. So many good tracks here, but I could live without Andy Warhol & Eight Line Poem.

As for yesterday's TMWSTW- love the marked difference in the quality of the backing band, so much sharper. I still love the title track, & would be ok if I never heard Nirvana's cover again (there's nothing wrong w/it except it's overplayed). But I find myself going back to Space Oddity. A lot. That one is growing on me quite a lot.

One thing that gets confusing for me is the different remasters available. How the hell am I supposed to know which one to go with?

botley

02-04-2016, 08:26 PM

Good question. The answer depends largely on what you prefer. Since this is the Internet, you can get them all for free and pick your favourite...

allegro

02-04-2016, 08:36 PM

"Queen Bitch", anyone?
Oh, man, one of my fave Bowie songs of all time.

botley

02-05-2016, 08:36 AM

Ziggy. What the hell else is there to say?

SACD Stereo for the win

henryeatscereal

02-05-2016, 10:33 AM

Is this "Ziggy Stardust..." day? (i already heard, lol...)

botley

02-05-2016, 10:37 AM

Yep, and it's spectacular.

thevoid99

02-05-2016, 03:30 PM

And here's my take on Ziggy: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-rise-fall-of-ziggy.html

henryeatscereal

02-05-2016, 05:00 PM

All i can say about The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" is that "Lady Stardust" is an underrated song...

orestes

02-05-2016, 05:17 PM

Listened to Ziggy back to back today.

frankie teardrop

02-05-2016, 05:22 PM

it's always been a bit difficult to actually stitch together the narrative in ziggy, as one of two songs from the era that actually *mentions* the character (the kinda forgettable 'sweet head') isn't even on the record! it's pretty weak as an actual concept record, but yes, what more can you say? i've listened to this album so many times over 20+ years that it doesn't exactly hit me hard anymore, but it's still incredible and a strong piece of work.

frankie teardrop

02-05-2016, 05:45 PM

not gonna lie though, singing every word of this album to my 5 month old and watching him light up was a pretty big highlight today.

allegro

02-05-2016, 10:15 PM

All i can say about The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" is that "Lady Stardust" is an underrated song...

By WHOM? ;) It's one of my favorite songs on that album. (although when I was young, the part where he says "get some pussy now" perplexed me, LOL) I love that whole damned album, there's not one bad song.

And here's my take on Ziggy: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-rise-fall-of-ziggy.html
Isn't "Lady Stardust" allegedly ABOUT Marc Bolan (alternate title was "A Song for Marc")?

thevoid99

02-05-2016, 10:28 PM

By WHOM? ;) It's one of my favorite songs on that album. (although when I was young, the part where he says "get some pussy now" perplexed me, LOL) I love that whole damned album, there's not one bad song.

Isn't "Lady Stardust" allegedly ABOUT Marc Bolan (alternate title was "A Song for Marc")?

You know, I do think it is though the lyrics made me believe it's more than that as the line "Femme fatales emerged from shadows/To watch this creature fair" is definitely a reference to the song "Femme Fatales" by the Velvet Underground.

allegro

02-05-2016, 10:28 PM

You know, I do think it is though the lyrics made me believe it's more than that as the line "Femme fatales emerged from shadows/To watch this creature fair" is definitely a reference to the song "Femme Fatales" by the Velvet Underground.
That allegedly is about Ziggy, himself, since it is a concept album about Ziggy. He's a creature femme / male / ???

(He's an alien.)

Although I don't know who is going to get the pussy, now.

thevoid99

02-05-2016, 10:31 PM

That allegedly is about Ziggy, himself, since it is a concept album about Ziggy. He's a creature femme / male / ???

OK, that does explain everything as that line sort of threw me off no matter how many times I hear that song and the album.

allegro

02-05-2016, 10:40 PM

The one I love so much on this album is this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3dtDdO5Op4

orestes

02-06-2016, 06:31 AM

Falls wanking to the floor.

imail724

02-06-2016, 07:56 AM

Falls wanking to the floor.
Time is my favorite Bowie song. In fact, Aladdin Sane is my favorite Bowie album. Every track is perfect.

botley

02-06-2016, 08:40 AM

The songs are all great, but took me a long time to hang with the album, because I actually got to know most of its songs from other versions/live performances first.

Bowie's obscure late-70s remake of "Panic in Detroit" (with the faux Speak'n'Spell voice) was probably the first one I heard, then the epic 2005 restoration of David Live came out and I loved all those arrangements. Compared with the overstuffed widescreen sweep of the studio production (shrieking synths, squawking guitars, backup vocalists seemingly piped in from another room around the block, and Bowie fighting to be heard above the din) those appealed to me more. And of course, as a Rolling Stones loyalist, "Let's Spend the Night Together" sounded like a desecration! But for the 'Ziggy Conquers/Absorbs/Consumes America' narrative, of course it all works.

allegro

02-06-2016, 08:44 AM

The songs are all great, but took me a long time to hang with the album, because I actually got to know most of its songs from other versions/live performances first.
Wow, you heard the live version of Panic in Detroit before the studio version? That's wild, interesting. I guess because I'm FROM Detroit, we were INUNDATED with the studio version when it was released. We heard it EVERYWHERE.

allegro

02-06-2016, 01:01 PM

Jean Genie evokes a lot of 70s pot-smoking memories; Cracked Actor evokes visions of my late campy bi/gay drama club best friend hilariously acting out the song, loudly singing it in my face.

This is another Greatest Hits album, for sure.

BenAkenobi

02-06-2016, 01:25 PM

Before going into A.S. i spinned H.D. and Z.S. once again, was impressed by how those earlier two compliment each other. Both aren't "ideal" because H.D. is full of tributes and Z.S. is about imaginary band that relied more on players' looks than actual songs - and according to 30th anniversary edition notes it could go in any direction with the songs made for it. But they paint a vivid broad picture together, of a brief period in history where life was changing faster than ever, where mass media produced characters became a strong social force and the fiction became larger part of everyday reality.

Aladdin Sane for me is different to that duo (contrary to the common definition of it and Ziggy being a themed pair). It's all about sound now, suggests the portrait with eyes closed on plain white cover. 5 years of moonage daydream are reduced to mere handful of blurry photos taken during one Saturday night. The exclamation "you're not alone" that closed Ziggy Stardust turns out to be false. There's no soul love left in these characters, their dream ended and all that's left is going all the crazy ways to relive that disappearing illusion.

botley

02-06-2016, 01:37 PM

Wow, you heard the live version of Panic in Detroit before the studio version? That's wild, interesting. I guess because I'm FROM Detroit, we were INUNDATED with the studio version when it was released. We heard it EVERYWHERE.
Not the live one, although that is equally amazing. The CD of Heathen I had came with this bonus disc with a couple of remixes and the Toy version of "Conversation Piece", which is still one of his finest ever recordings. It also had this weird Scary Monsters era outtake, which had his then-current band playing "Panic in Detroit" like the way they remade "Space Oddity". I didn't even realize there was an earlier version, at first, until this girl I met with an Aladdin Sane poster on her bedroom wall wised me up! That's no joke.

I was still in high school when this happened, and in retrospect still a real Bowie n00b when I saw him on the Reality Tour — but I appreciated most of what he played even if I hadn't checked out all the albums. The back catalogue was just too daunting for me to even steal all of it online, though I suppose I could have done that at the time.

thevoid99

02-06-2016, 02:54 PM

Here's my review of Aladdin Sane: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-aladdin-sane.html

This is my 2nd favorite Bowie album. I just love how rough the guitars sound as well as what Mike Garson brought to the table with the pianos. "Panic in Detroit" is just fucking sexy. I just love that mixture of Bo Diddley beats with Latin rhythms and Ronson's guitar just going all over the place. And there's "Lady Grinning Soul", how can anyone not love that ballad?

henryeatscereal

02-06-2016, 06:13 PM

By WHOM? ;) It's one of my favorite songs on that album. (although when I was young, the part where he says "get some pussy now" perplexed me, LOL) I love that whole damned album, there's not one bad song.

Oh i agree, the album is perfect and as every masterpiece it has no bad songs, i just think it doesn't get mentioned much by fans when they talk about the album "highlights" ("Starman", "Suffragette City", "5 Years, "Ziggy...", etc...).

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02-06-2016, 07:20 PM

Jesus Christ, I forgot how filthy the guitar is on AS. I love every second of it.

henryeatscereal

02-06-2016, 08:22 PM

Sorry if i "bended the rules", but i heard "Aladdin Sane" on the day (awesome) and now i'm listening "Earthling", since i received my replacement copy today on the mail (old one got stolen, sad...).

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02-06-2016, 09:10 PM

I know some folks prefer the reworked '73 sax version of "John, I'm Only Dancing" but I gotta say, nothing rocks like the original. Absolute classic.

Just now hearing the '74 version, "John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)", & it's a completely different animal. A deliciously funky animal.

Space Suicide

02-06-2016, 09:22 PM

Most people hate remixes and this EP but I love this remix.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo4-cj2Am44

The video clipshow is cliche and maybe in bad taste but the remix rules.

frankie teardrop

02-07-2016, 11:54 AM

pinups is my least listened to and least revered of the classic 70s run, but it's been growing on me a lot lately. i don't actively dislike anything on it anymore, which is a big step up from the last time i heard it almost 10 years ago. big love of course, for 'sorrow,' 'see emily play,' 'friday on my mind,' and 'rosalyn.' 'where have all the good times gone' is also a stomper.

the issue i have with pinups though, is that very few of these surpass their original garage rock versions. i've always loved early floyd, the pretty things, the kinks, etc. so it's hard to separate things for me.

orestes

02-07-2016, 01:31 PM

Yeah, it's a bit disposable as far as covers go. My least favorite are the Who covers.

thevoid99

02-07-2016, 03:47 PM

Here's my take on Pin Ups: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-pin-ups.html

Yeah, it's my least favorite album of the his run in the 70s but I still love it. As a rock n' roll album that is all frills and thrills with no filler. You can't get more rock n' roll than that as I did hear some of the originals. Bowie I think was not just faithful to them but actually provided his own take w/o overwhelming the original though I think his version of "Sorrow" is better than the one by the Merseys.

botley

02-07-2016, 08:01 PM

Yeah, this is sort of the last gasp of the Spiders (with no Woodmansey). Not bad by any means, just not as firey and essential as the previous albums.

fillow

02-08-2016, 07:13 AM

The sudden change of accent note in Diamond Dogs almost always gets me.

henryeatscereal

02-08-2016, 10:10 AM

"Diamond Dogs" is one of my favorites, i like it even more than "Ziggy..."; the album is ambitious ("Sweet thing"), edgy ("Rebel Rebel") and even strange ("Chant of the ever circling skeletal family").
It's funny how almost all bowie albums "preview" the sound of the next one in a particular song; in this case you case hear how Bowie was interested in soul and funk in "1984"; he'll end up embracing this style in the next album: "Young Americans".

frankie teardrop

02-08-2016, 10:25 AM

whereas pinups is my least favorite, diamond dogs is one of my very favorite bowie records, from front to back. every broken note, every sloppy moment, the whole thing is raw and bleak and unfocused and really speaks to me. it walks a fine line between the past and future- echoes of the spiders, yet a look towards funk and soul that would dominate his career for the next few years.

the 'sweet thing' suite (my second favorite bowie song of all time) was bowie's first attempt at using the borroughs cut up technique for lyrics. lots of new directions and firsts here. i also love bowie's amateur, snarling guitar on much of this record. perfect case of imperfection being perfect. i also adore 'big brother' and 'we are the dead.' 'rebel rebel,' while a bit played out, is still a cracking tune, and 'diamond dogs' is one of my favorite singles.

as for bonus tracks, i've always loved the alternate demo version of 'candidate'- cut for the original proposed 1984 musical which was quickly rejected by the estate and scrapped. for such a sing-song melody, it's a definite precursor to the direction of this record.

thevoid99

02-08-2016, 04:42 PM

Here's my take on Diamond Dogs: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-diamond-dogs.html

I fucking love that album. I love the sloppiness of it and how raw it is. The "Sweet Thing" suite is the best cut of the album.

botley

02-08-2016, 09:33 PM

There is a really impressive grit in this album, like it was made by digging out of the muck. Bowie's proposed musical adaptation of 1984 grew legs (and leg-warmers) and started barking in the alley on its hands and knees. It's dark but still campy, like hearing Winston and Julia (Bowie's fragile high harmony voice in "We Are the Dead") singing a liebestod — and then the chorus enters, annunciating the triumphant Godhead along with the Shaft theme. Creepy, but there's no end of fun to be had all the while, and that U.S. single remix of "Rebel Rebel" with the flamenco percussion should've been a #1. I return to this one a lot and am constantly amazed by Bowie's artistic achievement with it, not least without the help of a bandleader or co-producer.

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02-08-2016, 09:40 PM

'Cause hope, boys, is a cheap thing, cheap thing'

Why does that line always make smile? So much love for this album.

frankie teardrop

02-09-2016, 01:30 PM

i fucking LOVE young americans these days. it was my least favorite for a long time. as an early teen, i found it joyless, fake, and stiff. now, i find it to be the exact opposite. since i have many years of atonement for this one, it's one of my go-tos when i want to listen to a random bowie record on an ordinary day. 'right,' 'win,' and 'fascination' are my favorite three cuts from this one, and i have huge love for 'it's gonna be me,' an outtake from the era that is so good that it's a crime it was left off the record.

'young americans' is among my go-tos (alongside 'life on mars') for karaoke.

fillow

02-09-2016, 02:17 PM

I wish David would leave Across the Universe out of YA. It so doesn't fit with the rest of the songs.
Also, it's surprising how much space does the title track have despite being filled with lots of percussion and backing vocals. I can't imagine a modern pop song to sound like that, every possible space would be filled with some annoying repetitive sample of something.

orestes

02-09-2016, 05:47 PM

The bass line on "Fascination" is where it's at.

thevoid99

02-09-2016, 06:56 PM

I'm listening to the album right now, review is coming later, as here is my post on David Live: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-david-live.html

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02-09-2016, 08:46 PM

With the exception of 'Fame' this record sounds so lush & indulgent compared to his past work. I love that about it. Going to need to spend more time with the latter part of the album before I can fully appreciate it, I think.

thevoid99

02-09-2016, 10:15 PM

And here is my take on Young Americans: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-young-americans.html

allegro

02-09-2016, 10:23 PM

I'm listening to the album right now, review is coming later, as here is my post on David Live: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-david-live.html

David Live has a very special place in my heart, and brings back so many great memories. I was in Jr High when it was released, and we were allowed to play records during lunch period over the PA system; David Live was the record of choice for every lunch period for pretty much an entire school semester. We lived for David Live every day.

Somehow the lewd lyrics of Cracked Actor slipped right by the teacher on duty.

The live version of Sweet Thing is so awesome.

https://youtu.be/CiydgQymvTE

Jinsai

02-09-2016, 10:51 PM

Young Americans is one of the albums that stands out from the other "reinventions" of Bowie, and one of the only ones that I never felt was a true success. I can't remember the original quote, but his inspiration for the album was some impulsive response to R&B and saying "That's it! I want to be a black American female singer!" or something to that regard as the gestation for the project. You can tell when listening to it that he hadn't really thought it through though, and tried to negotiate other ideas and concepts to sit alongside that initial burst of "inspiration." Ultimately, it's a failed idea, even if it has great moments. The cover of Across the Universe is much maligned, probably for reasons more quickly attributable to that outburst of inspiration (and maybe appropriately so), but it's one of the high points for me... and the title track is an amazing pop song, and who cares where it came from at that point.

Space Suicide

02-09-2016, 11:16 PM

Jinsai

02-10-2016, 01:19 AM

All I ever liked from the album was the title track and the ever obvious Fame. Nothing else did much for me.

One of the things I love about this analysis is that we get the converging opinions... I like the pitch shifting bit on Fame's vocals, but I don't give a sandy tragic fuck about anything else that's going on there... It to me seems like a lost concept. I spent a lot of time trying to like it more than I did.

frankie teardrop

02-10-2016, 06:29 AM

The bass line on "Fascination" is where it's at.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plr5r-RmFp4

(why my youtube links don't show up as proper embeds these days is a mystery to me, but hey...)

henryeatscereal

02-10-2016, 10:05 AM

My only "complaint" about "Station to Station" is that it's too short, the album flows like running water to me...

The title track is awesome and "TVC15" is my favorite song from this album, i can't believe that just like Alice Cooper (in the 80's), Bowie doesn't remember much from the album production!

allegro

02-10-2016, 10:16 AM

My fave song on "Station to Station" is the title track, so awesome.

orestes

02-10-2016, 10:58 AM

I've listened to "TVC15" so much within the past month it's ridiculous. The crunchy guitar riff coupled with Mike Garson's piano work during the chorus is just sublime.

Space Suicide

02-10-2016, 12:27 PM

One of the things I love about this analysis is that we get the converging opinions... I like the pitch shifting bit on Fame's vocals, but I don't give a sandy tragic fuck about anything else that's going on there... It to me seems like a lost concept. I spent a lot of time trying to like it more than I did.

Agreed however I usually have differing opinions than most about Bowie. Unsure how well the opinions are here but elsewhere people give me strange looks. :p

thevoid99

02-10-2016, 02:36 PM

Station to Station (review coming later) is to me, a musician's musician's album. The band Bowie had in that record is off the charts. From start to finish, there is never a dull moment in that album nor a bad spot. Even in the production, you can hear everything on that album as I like to think of it as one of those rare perfect albums. It's kind of crazy considering that most of the guys who were making that album were all fucked up on drugs back then including Bowie. From the title track to "Wild is the Wind". It is really unlike anything out there even though it was a transitional album for Bowie. I don't think I have a favorite track on that album. I just love all of it as it's one of my top-5 favorite Bowie albums ever. Plus, you can't deny the powerful musicianship on that record. Especially on "Stay" where that was Earl Slick's crowing achievement as a guitarist with Carlos Alomar, Dennis Davis, and George Murray providing that solid foundation in the rhythm section. You could tell that as fucked up as they were as Earl Slick did admit on the Five Years documentary that there was a lot of nasty shit that was happening in those sessions but everybody for some reason pulled through to make great music.

allegro

02-10-2016, 03:44 PM

Bowie said in an interview from around 2002 (linked somewhere in here) that Station to Station and Low were his two favorite albums, that both contained what he considered his best work.

frankie teardrop

02-10-2016, 09:41 PM

this is where things really get cooking, in my book. black fucking magic, from the title track, straight through that gorgeous nina simone cover. a perfect record, front to back. this marks the beginning of my favorite era of bowie's career.

thevoid99

02-10-2016, 10:27 PM

And here is my review of Station to Station: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-station-to-station.html

botley

02-11-2016, 07:34 AM

I missed posting about them here (crazy work schedule the last few days) but I've been keeping up with the listening, and it's great to see the love for Young Americans and Station to Station. Not as big of a fan of the production style on these records, but Bowie's work is genius and the 5.1 mixes for both records really bring out the space for those brilliant arrangements. I can't wait to get to Low next... although I suppose The Idiot and Lust for Life could go in here today as well!

I've listened to "TVC15" so much within the past month it's ridiculous. The crunchy guitar riff coupled with Mike Garson's piano work during the chorus is just sublime.
I love it too... but that's Roy Bittan (from the E Street Band) on keys! Garson was dismissed after Young Americans because Bowie didn't like him proselytizing for Scientology, heheh. Tony Kaye (from the earliest lineup of Yes) was the sole keyboardist for Bowie's "Raw Moon" band during the legendary 1976 Isolar tour, and he did a great job as you can hear on the Nassau Coliseum recordings from Station to Station reissues.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/6/12220275_0e0710fae2_o.jpg

allegro

02-11-2016, 10:51 AM

although I suppose The Idiot and Lust for Life could go in here today as well!
Nah, maybe we should put those in the Iggy thread ...

Bowie didn't like [Garson] proselytizing for Scientology, heheh
GAAHHHHHHHHH, can't say I blame him, WTF, I didn't know that, hahahahahahhahahaaaaa!! No drugs for Mikee then, either, hahahahaha. edit: I guess Mike has long since left Scientology, ugh.

frankie teardrop

02-11-2016, 11:50 AM

speaking of the nassau 76 show, that is my go-to live Bowie record (second place goes to stage). it was a legendary bootleg i had been dying to hear for years and years, and the final remastered concert that came along with the station to station reissue is top notch!

on the subject of low... i actually wrote up a sizable piece a few days after db passed as it was also low's 40th anniversary. peep it here:

http://www.post-punk.com/david-bowie-low/

'some are,' an outtake from the era, is one of my top five bowie songs of all time. wolves howling, snow falling, burnt embers everywhere. it gives me chills every time i hear it.

henryeatscereal

02-11-2016, 01:13 PM

"Always crashing the same car" is my favorite song from the "A" side (yeah, in this album the sides matter!), and i would choose "Subterraneans" as my fave from the "B" side (that it's practically a Brian Eno solo album...)

implanted_microchip

02-11-2016, 01:26 PM

Low's my favorite Bowie album and has been since the moment I first heard it, with Speed of Life crashing right into my ears. Subterraneans has been my favorite Bowie song ever since. An equally gorgeous and haunting album, with a beautiful arc and finish, a sense of constant waves of depression and sadness riding all throughout and a powerful close. Always Crashing In the Same Car is unbelievable. A good chunk of my top 10 Bowie songs are all from Low. It hardly gets any better as far as I'm concerned.

thevoid99

02-11-2016, 04:45 PM

And here is my piece on Low: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-low.html

Top 5 favorite Bowie album for me.

seasonsinthesky

02-11-2016, 05:12 PM

orestes

02-11-2016, 06:04 PM

I missed posting about them here (crazy work schedule the last few days) but I've been keeping up with the listening, and it's great to see the love for Young Americans and Station to Station. Not as big of a fan of the production style on these records, but Bowie's work is genius and the 5.1 mixes for both records really bring out the space for those brilliant arrangements. I can't wait to get to Low next... although I suppose The Idiot and Lust for Life could go in here today as well!

I love it too... but that's Roy Bittan (from the E Street Band) on keys! Garson was dismissed after Young Americans because Bowie didn't like him proselytizing for Scientology, heheh. Tony Kaye (from the earliest lineup of Yes) was the sole keyboardist for Bowie's "Raw Moon" band during the legendary 1976 Isolar tour, and he did a great job as you can hear on the Nassau Coliseum recordings from Station to Station reissues.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/6/12220275_0e0710fae2_o.jpg

Ugh, you're right. I read the wiki entry on it to double check and completely read over his name.

orestes

02-11-2016, 08:41 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJG6dZmOWaQ

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02-11-2016, 09:11 PM

It really doesn't get much better than this. There is something particularly transcendent about 'Warszawa' for me. It has the ability to take me out of whatever headspace I'm in & drop me onto this sparse, lonely, intensely weird roller coaster-like ride of hope & sadness & anger & defiance & everything else. I run the entire emotional gamut listening to that song, it's amazing like that. And if I play 'All Saints' after it- holy shit!

I love this thread. Every day I check in for my "listening assignment" & off I go. Really appreciating the Bsides & extras recommendations lately.

orestes

02-11-2016, 09:47 PM

"Subterraneans" has to be one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard.

Lerxto

02-12-2016, 04:55 AM

Speaking of Low (although it's 'Heroes' day today), if you haven't got the 2002 montreux jazz festival soundboard bootleg yet, go get it. It's on KAT.
He performs 10 tracks from Low as an encore, and it sounds fantastic. I think it's a must-have.

frankie teardrop

02-12-2016, 07:08 AM

if i had to pick a favorite bowie record, it's heroes. if i had to pick a favorite bowie song, it's 'the secret life of arabia,' the disco-funk light at the end of a bleak tunnel. while low is brilliant (and arguably my second favorite LP), i've always felt the a-side of heroes is slightly superior, from the the broken and beautiful 'sons of the silent age' to the pummeling 'blackout.' 'beauty and the beast' is a perfect state of intent, and 'joe the lion' rages with purpose. none of these songs fade out before they're meant to; these songs are the fleshed out versions of low's own paranoid pop gems, run through much more grit and shades of grey.

of course, let's not forget about the title track, which still has such staying power despite many a shitty cover. i mentioned elsewhere, but seeing the hand-scrawled lyrics on display at the david bowie is... exhibit moved me deeply, and listening to the isolated tracks with fripp's three combined guitar loops was a small window into genius. i even love 'helden' and find the song no less amazing when sung in another language.

while low's flip invokes more of a religious, pastoral vibe, the b-side of heroes is just as strong, but much more isolating. honking and bopping through 'v2-schnieder' (bowie at his most kraftwerk), staring down a black hole with 'sense of doubt,' taking a moment of near-silence with 'moss garden' and feeling your own skin crawl on the inside with the bleating saxophones from 'neukoln.' as much as i love a downer ending (and can easily imagine the album ending here), 'the secret life of arabia' brings it all back home for one more icy blast of funk.

yep, it's definitely my favorite bowie record.

thevoid99

02-12-2016, 02:31 PM

Here is my take on "Heroes": http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-heroes.html

botley

02-12-2016, 07:15 PM

Been trying all day to find something valuable to add upon what's already been said about this amazing diptych (the Berlin 'trilogy' isn't, IMO, Lodger and Stage are the other half of a tetralogy). There have been whole books written about just this period of his career (check out Seabrook's A New Career in a New Town if you haven't already). It's been a source of inspiration and refreshment for generations of my favourite musicians.

This is what I have: Low is the sound of entrapment and "Heroes" is the breakthrough. Oh and sure, it's just about the coolest thing ever that Visconti came up with that harmonized snare gate effect thing, but then it's even COOLER that they use it for the handicaps on "Secret Life".

orestes

02-12-2016, 09:08 PM

Nope, not sobbing to myself listening to "Heroes". That temperament was quickly shut down with the intro to "Joe the Lion".

thevoid99

02-12-2016, 10:57 PM

Here's my review on Peter and the Wolf: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-peter-and-wolf-1978.html

Not one of my favorite recordings but I do love Bowie's narration though I think of the record as an unofficial anomaly in his canon.

emptydesk

02-12-2016, 11:17 PM

i'd put LODGER back into the "berlin trilogy" just for straight ripping off harmonia

thevoid99

02-12-2016, 11:22 PM

I love Lodger. It's an album that I feel is quite weird and full of ideas but it's also Bowie at his funniest. Songs like "DJ" and "Boys Keep Swinging" show him being very funny. That's one of the things about him, he's willing to take a piss and not take himself seriously.

frankie teardrop

02-13-2016, 09:37 AM

lodger was another slow burn record for me back when that i love now. it's so broken and discordant, but not in the same way as diamond dogs (which was an instant love for me). i always thought the album started strong, got great in the middle ('keep swinging,' 'look back in anger'), and ended weirdly.

these days, i have huge love for 'yassassin,' 'move on' (complete with its backwards masked 'all the young dudes' riff), 'red sails,' and even 'repetition,' which always unnerves me. the only song that's a total mystery to me is 'red money,' if only because it works much better as 'sister midnight.' my favorite outside of 'look back in anger' is probably 'african night flight' which is a giant hot mess of a song i still know all the words to.

this record kind of goes hand in hand with before and after science for me, and very much has that eno-esque funk production to it that you could also see taking flight with talking heads. i love how much of this record came to light, with band members switching instruments and still popping out great songs really showed testament to everyone's talent and songcraft. lodger is a cool, strange, and underrated record that may not be his best, but has lots to love. i'm glad to see that the quietus shed some light on it as well:

http://thequietus.com/articles/03161-30-years-on-david-bowie-s-lodger-comes-in-from-the-cold

botley

02-13-2016, 09:43 AM

The band is on fire for most of Lodger, they made some incredible backing tracks and Bowie's writing and singing over them is totally on point. But the final mix undeniably just blows — this is a KICK-ASS ROCK COMBO, you can hear all of them (minus Eno and saxophonist Stan Harrison) doing their thing on Stage — and yet they are sucked into a thuddy din of murk far, far behind Bowie's brilliant but way-too-upfront vocals. Most of the digital remastering jobs so far have not clarified it significantly. They are really obscure now, but the early-80s CDs made by RCA for Europe (not other territories) sound pretty tremendous for this second diptych of Lodger/Stage... and yet, like most early digital transfers, they're not problem-free. Really, though, just like Stage did in 2005 I feel Lodger could definitely benefit from a completely new remix using the original elements. Hopefully Visconti gets the opportunity to do one for the next round of Bowie reissues.

emptydesk

02-13-2016, 09:54 AM

There are rips of original RCA vinyl floating around the high seas, and LODGER is one of the LPs that benefits. Personally, I've always thought the mix suited the disjointed nature of the music. It's like a tape of pirate radio.

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02-13-2016, 10:02 AM

Nope, not sobbing to myself listening to "Heroes". That temperament was quickly shut down with the intro to "Joe the Lion".

Heroes chokes me up almost every time I listen to it. The raw emotion in his voice in the latter half of the song kills me. And the emotion he felt when actually performing it in Berlin in '87 must have been absolutely extraordinary.

Sons of the Silent Age is a perfect follow-up on the album.

botley

02-13-2016, 10:07 AM

emptydesk

02-13-2016, 11:46 AM

Mmmmm brutally hardpanned.

botley

02-13-2016, 12:45 PM

Mmmmm brutally hardpanned.
Heheh, yeah... and somehow it still ROCKS. Those tom-tom fills hit you right in the chest. Whereas on Lodger, they tend to disappear below the churning burble of low-midrange muck.

thevoid99

02-13-2016, 05:44 PM

Here is my piece on Stage: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-stage.html

Lodger is coming later tonight as I'm now working on a review of Cabaret.

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02-13-2016, 09:27 PM

For me Lodger is a really nice breath of air after the psychic heavyweights that preceded it. Fantastic Voyage, Move On, Red Sails, DJ, Boys..., Red Money, etc.. hell, I like the whole thing (even African Night Flight!). The album feels light, a little campy & just plain fun. It's nice to have something almost playful after Berlin.

And the bass line/drumming in Red Sails almost sounds like it could've been a Joy Division song to me.

thevoid99

02-13-2016, 11:53 PM

Sorry for the lateness but here's Lodger: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-lodger.html

seasonsinthesky

02-14-2016, 02:03 PM

This is how the Lodger band SHOULD SOUND:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC7rgQk_kAY

Thundering, off-the-rails, thrilling. Also, in keeping with the bizarre Lodger-y studio tomfoolery, that incredible drum track was the last part of the backing they recorded!

Through a strange set of circumstances, this YouTube clip played while I was listening to a Boris drone album. The panning in "Alabama Song" is a very effective mixing choice when it's layered against mono guitar drone.

botley

02-14-2016, 04:10 PM

Scary Monsters... and Super Creeps!! What an epic. Beautiful, pristine noise all the way through. Each song is like a valedictory for all the greatest moments of Bowie's career so far. I think every album after this stands somewhat its shadow, maybe for good reason. Once again, I can’t recommend the SACD version highly enough — even the little bit of tape drag it has at the very top of "Up the Hill Backwards" adds to the high drama.

Self-consciously a "studio rock" effort, more so than the preceding albums — leaving behind all their pretentions to escape the earthly bounds of rock, let alone the bounds of Earth itself! This is undoubtedly an album made at the very height of analogue recording technique — the album even begins and ends with tape spool noises. Drum tones for days. Surprised more hip-hop artists haven't discovered these for sampling.

fillow

02-14-2016, 05:35 PM

Because You're Young always gives me strong Joy Division vibe. I kinda wish Bowie would record a full post-punk album.

thevoid99

02-14-2016, 06:17 PM

Here's my take on Scary Monsters: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-scary-monsters-and.html

Among my 10 favorite albums of his. I also love "Because You're Young" as I just think it's one of his best album cuts.

frankie teardrop

02-14-2016, 06:51 PM

what a fucking record. i don't agree with the whole press concept of 'last great album' nor the constant 'best album since scary monsters' press angling, but all the same, it's a brilliant LP from front to back. not a dull moment. 'teenage wildlife' is the real masterstroke on the record (such a nasty dig at all the upcoming new romantics, who bowie was scared shitless of), and of course there's the title track and 'ashes to ashes' to contend with. 'scream like a baby' has that nasty post-punk vibe to it as well, and i love it so. 'kingdom come' might just be his best cover tune of the 70s, for my money's worth.

for those not in the know, 'it's no game' hails from a 1970 demo, which features the exact same melody and many of the same lyrics, including the 'put a bullet in my brain and it makes all the papers' bit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iwkfyFTA0M

the moral of the story is- never throw anything away.

frankie teardrop

02-14-2016, 06:54 PM

speaking of 'scream like a baby' and not throwing anything away- check out this soul-era track written for ava cherry. should sound very familiar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDidSNQyB24

allegro

02-14-2016, 07:19 PM

the moral of the story is- never throw anything away.
Isn't that what Iggy said Bowie taught him (http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/iggy-pop-remembers-david-bowie-he-appreciated-oddballs-20160127)? LOL.

frankie teardrop

02-14-2016, 07:27 PM

Isn't that what Iggy said Bowie taught him (http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/iggy-pop-remembers-david-bowie-he-appreciated-oddballs-20160127)? LOL.

i'd love to hear that 1974 'scary monsters' one of these days...

orestes

02-14-2016, 09:04 PM

Man, Scary Monsters is such a hard, nasty album. Also, "Fashion" has to be one of the sexiest Bowie songs.

henryeatscereal

02-14-2016, 09:06 PM

"Scary mosters" is awesome, you can tell how much Trent Reznor was influenced by this one.

"It's no Game" it's an underrated track (tracks?), and what can i say about "Ashes to ashes"?, i think this is one of the albums were Bowie starts to realize he's not getting any younger and has matured reaching cult status and climax in his most "artsy" phase, "Ashes.." is an example of this "realization".
I don't think it's his "last great album", but i do consider it among the top 5 most important in his discography... oh yeah it was also my first bowie purchase on vinyl, cracking this one right now!

thevoid99

02-14-2016, 10:05 PM

Here's my brief piece on the Christiane F. Soundtrack: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-christiane-f-soundtrack.html

Tomorrow, Baal (review finished, will be published tomorrow), Let's Dance and Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture.

botley

02-14-2016, 10:37 PM

frankie teardrop

02-15-2016, 12:51 AM

Oh man, the Christiane F. soundtrack rules on vinyl. Perfect for 'those' kind of parties.

Another gem from the Scary Monsters sessions — unfinished backing track for Bowie's cover of Cream's "I Feel Free" (finally realized years later on Black Tie White Noise):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1RzV3dn7kM

love that vampires of human flesh boot. can't believe that song took until 1993 to show up in one form or another... he was attempting that since the early 70s, if i recall correctly. one of those covers that never died, like the two VU covers.

as for christiane f, what a depressing movie. finally got to see it in the theatre a few years ago and it was devastating.

is scary monsters the most recycled album of his to date? lots of looking backwards and mining the past- major tom back in the saddle, diamond dogs-era astronettes outtakes (i am a laser, invoking 'people from bad homes' as a lyric for 'fashion'), mining old folky space oddity demos to open and close the record, and apparently digging the title track out from the diamond dogs era as well (which makes sense as both are nasty, dirty, dirge-ridden rock and roll rave-ups with).

speaking of mining the past in this era, i don't care much for either re-recorded track, both 'space oddity' and 'panic in detroit' from this era seem stiff and forced, though it's been years since i've reassessed. i do recall hating the ryko edition's bonus tracks for the most part, the tradeoff being the sublime 'crystal japan.'

botley

02-15-2016, 09:12 AM

^ I happen to think they're all essential — certainly all better than that cringeworthy '91 remix of "Sound and Vision" on Ryko's Low.

It's Let's Dance day! Talk about recycling. Chic grooves over an old Iggy tune. A plinky pop-y take on the sublime Giorgio's "Cat People". The old "Twist and Shout" rave-up over bouncy disco riffs. Stevie Ray Vaughan sounding like he's been parachuted in — shades of EVH on "Beat It". But, you know what? This album captures its zeitgeist. I think it's very finely crafted and interesting.

Love those fat Tony Thompson drum tones and the horn section being integrated in a compelling way, for perhaps the first time since David Live. This indefinable stew of R&B and Europop is something Bowie would try and recapture on several subsequent albums, to very mixed results, but here it feels off-the-cuff and spontaneous.

frankie teardrop

02-15-2016, 09:37 AM

the dawn of bowie as a household name. it's a fun dance record, lots of high energy, and a lot of fun, but it's never been a favorite. that said, i have zero issues with it!

that said, i *adore* 'ricochet,' and the original soundtrack recording of 'cat people' is among his best work of the 80s.

BenAkenobi

02-15-2016, 01:09 PM

Damned be the time difference. Too late to tell everyone how I take Lodger over S/Monsters any day of the week :D

thevoid99

02-15-2016, 04:32 PM

Here is my piece on the Baal EP: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-baal-ep.html

Let's Dance will come later as I'm half-done with the review.

orestes

02-15-2016, 06:10 PM

https://vine.co/v/iM1gdYVzEpq

thevoid99

02-15-2016, 07:28 PM

And here's my take on Let's Dance: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-lets-dance.html

Re-listening to it makes me realize how some of the other cuts on the album aside from the singles are actually great tracks. Especially in the fact that it serves its purpose as a dance album as I'm starting to remember that this was a record my parents listened to all of the time when I was 2 years old and also enjoyed. Wow, I'm getting flashbacks of myself dancing in my diaper and drinking a bottle of Coca-Cola.

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02-15-2016, 08:34 PM

"Let's Dance" is part of the essential soundtrack to my childhood, & for that alone I love it. When this album came out I was at the age when I was just discovering music via my blue plastic Smurf radio. And boy did the radio stations love to play tracks off this record, so this one is too hopelessly intertwined in nostalgia for me to rate in a remotely objective manner. I'll just say this, almost everything Bowie did he did well, & pop & dance music was no exception.

And that part in China Girl at about 3:05, where he sinks into the deep baritone & intones "Oh, baby, just you shut your mouth." Does it for me every single time.

orestes

02-15-2016, 08:55 PM

Confession time: up until today, I've never listened to Let's Dance. Oh sure, I'm more than familiar with the hit singles off the album but I've never given his 80s discography much thought. Perhaps because they were a bit maligned by Bowie, himself, or maybe it was the period. (Frankie or botley fill free to correct me) The now really, really, bad looking videos didn't help, either. (I'm looking at you, Julien Temple.) With that said, listening to Let's Dance did conjure up a bit of nostalgia for me as well. Most of us are around the same age, so we were all probably exposed to Bowie by this album. I don't know how many times I watched "Modern Love" on MTV as a child, totally taken in by this blonde Adonis on screen. Or the excitement and confusion I felt watching Bowie make out on a beach in "China Girl". Thinking back on it now, even if Bowie was going for a more mainstream look and sound with this album, my reaction and the memories I'm conjuring up as type this out all highlight the things we've admired in Bowie as a performer. So yeah, to a young child first being exposed to Bowie, Let's Dance was a bit dangerous.

Listening to the album, it's not that bad. I could do without "Shake It" as the closing track because it's definitely veering closer to 80s stuff I'm hesitate to listen to. :p But the extended outro to "Let's Dance" more than makes up for it.

thevoid99

02-15-2016, 08:57 PM

And that part in China Girl at about 3:05, where he sinks into the deep baritone & intones "Oh, baby, just you shut your mouth." Does it for me every single time.

That's my mom's favorite part of the song and it's a major reason why it's her favorite Bowie song.

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02-15-2016, 09:54 PM

That's my mom's favorite part of the song and it's a major reason why it's her favorite Bowie song.

Heh, it's not my favorite Bowie song but that shit is HOT!

screwdriver

02-15-2016, 10:00 PM

botley

02-16-2016, 09:06 AM

We're now in the dark days of Tonight, aka the Sexy Sax Man period. Set firmly in the era where Bowie's non-album singles were more memorable than anything on the album itself. I actually do like most of this record, except for "God Only Knows" (insert vomit emoji). If one can adjust to the massage parlour textures of the instrumentation, it is mostly quite enjoyable. It's just that "This Is Not America", "Absolute Beginners" and yes, even "Dancing in the Street" will stay in the brain longer.

frankie teardrop

02-16-2016, 11:18 AM

tonight is no masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination. but that said, like botley, i have a soft spot for it. the only song i'll legitimately go to bat for in a heated debate is 'loving the alien,' which is one of my very favorite bowie songs. i'm dying to hear any of the alternate original versions that might have existed before it got run through the pop-production windmill. i think it's a gorgeous song and worthy of reconsideration as a stone-cold bowie classic.

the rest of the album is pleasant, but nothing wonderful. for the first time, it's grasping for straws and aiming for hits, as most of the record is covers to continue to help iggy out and repeat the success of 'china girl.' it's taken me a long time to appreciate it for what it is, but i still throw it on from time to time.

the cover, however, is gorgeous. and i'll also second botley regarding 'absolute beginners' and 'this is not america,' which are wonderful songs that far surpass most of the material here. except 'loving the alien,' of course.

fillow

02-16-2016, 11:29 AM

And then there's epic 20-minute Blue Jean video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXvAaNcXNzI

botley

02-16-2016, 01:36 PM

I'll second @frankie teardrop (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=889)'s enthusiasm for "Loving the Alien", even if the album version is a little overwrought. This live arrangement really did revitalize the song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8cENJO39Rs

Both that and a straight-up take on "Blue Jean" were setlist regulars on the Reality Tour, so that's saying something in favour of the album. In fact, Bowie chose to perform "Blue Jean" at more than one show in 2004 in lieu of anything from Low or Station to Station, perverse as that may seem.

Space Suicide

02-16-2016, 01:43 PM

I bought the Rolling Stone Commemorative issue today. Nice retrospect, a stunning cover and cool little album summaries and backstories were good. It can sit with my TIME Bowie issue now.

allegro

02-16-2016, 01:51 PM

Heh, it's not my favorite Bowie song but that shit is HOT!

LOL, Iggy wrote those lyrics (which was actually about a Vietnamese girl but whatever) and the girls screamed when he sang it, too (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aq0kCmzweTU). :p

I'm late to this party but Let's Dance's Serious Moonlight tour was the best fucking tour EVAR.

thevoid99

02-16-2016, 02:03 PM

Here's my take on the Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars live album: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-ziggy-stardust-spiders.html

For me, I think this is Bowie's best live recording 2nd only to the Bowie at the Beeb collection.

fillow

02-16-2016, 02:13 PM

On Sunday I watched Ziggy motion picture twice in a row because after the first take I realized there was a second audio track with full length commentary/discussion by Tony Visconti and D.A.Pennebaker (the director).

thevoid99

02-16-2016, 05:54 PM

Here's my take on Tonight: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-tonight.html

I love "Loving the Alien", "Blue Jean", and the bonus tracks from the 1995 reissue. The rest of it, what the fuck? The title track is OK as is "Dancing With the Big Boys" and "Neighborhood Threat" but man, the production is horrible. Someone seriously needs to find those demos cause I'm sure there is something in those demos we probably haven't heard and were better than the final versions of those songs. Bowie's cover of "God Only Knows" I think is the worst thing he's ever done. Worse than "The Laughing Gnome".

botley

02-16-2016, 07:07 PM

We're also scheduled to listen through the Labyrinth soundtrack songs today! "As the World Falls Down" is my favourite. Cool promo video for it on the Best of Bowie DVD.

thevoid99

02-16-2016, 08:02 PM

I'm getting ready to do the soundtrack for Labyrinth as I've already prepared a review for it. Then there's Never Let Me Down. I think I'm kind of overworking myself a bit as I'm doing more than just the studio albums.

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02-16-2016, 08:37 PM

LOL, Iggy wrote those lyrics (which was actually about a Vietnamese girl but whatever) and the girls screamed when he sang it, too (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aq0kCmzweTU). :p

Yeah, I know he wrote it. Hell, I'd probably be screaming also if younger Iggy was standing in front of me w/that ridiculous physique in a string bikini. ;) Honestly I like both versions almost equally, I'm just a sucker for a nice baritone.

As everyone else has said, Tonight isn't one of his stand-outs. But I love love love "Blue Jean" so much. That & "Loving The Alien" are the take-aways though I really want to like the Tina Turner collab "Tonight" more than I do. It seems like there was a lot of potential there between two fantastic voices but the track never seems to really take off.

frankie teardrop

02-16-2016, 09:01 PM

honestly, the issue with tonight is that bowie was really hard up for new material at the time, given the immense acclaim and spike in popularity that let's dance brought him, which led to obvious record label pressures as well as some internal struggles, i'm sure.

if you consider the fact that tonight only has 2 (TWO!) new bowie compositions, you can see the writing all over the wall with this one. it's telling that both 'loving the alien' and 'blue jean' are strong, with lots of great quality material surfacing on absolute beginners, the falcon and the snowman, and hell, even labyrinth. bowie just didn't have enough songs to justify the record, and instead of letting it cook a little longer, leaned on the same techniques that made let's dance a smash, with diminishing results. over HALF of the album consisted of iggy pop songs, which is just plain nuts. regardless of if bowie co-wrote them or not, it's plain to see that this one came out a bit formulaic and was trying a bit hard to both milk success and put a few extra bucks in ig's pocket. like i said above, i've grown to enjoy most of it when the mood strikes, but this record definitely has its issues.

we're not there yet, but this exactly why i think never let me down is a far superior (though still hella flawed) record. hey, at least it only had *one* iggy cover ;).

fillow

02-17-2016, 12:04 AM

if you consider the fact that tonight only has 2 (TWO!) new bowie compositions
It's technically four new songs. Two of those that credit Pop were not covers of older material but actually written by them together for this album during the sessions

botley

02-17-2016, 10:34 AM

if you consider the fact that tonight only has 2 (TWO!) new bowie compositions, you can see the writing all over the wall with this one. it's telling that both 'loving the alien' and 'blue jean' are strong, with lots of great quality material surfacing on absolute beginners, the falcon and the snowman, and hell, even labyrinth. bowie just didn't have enough songs to justify the record, and instead of letting it cook a little longer, leaned on the same techniques that made let's dance a smash, with diminishing results. over HALF of the album consisted of iggy pop songs, which is just plain nuts. regardless of if bowie co-wrote them or not, it's plain to see that this one came out a bit formulaic and was trying a bit hard to both milk success and put a few extra bucks in ig's pocket. like i said above, i've grown to enjoy most of it when the mood strikes, but this record definitely has its issues.

we're not there yet, but this exactly why i think never let me down is a far superior (though still hella flawed) record. hey, at least it only had *one* iggy cover ;).
I see where you're coming from, but I disagree a little with how you're interpreting Iggy's role on these records. Listening to NLMD probably for the first time with any closeness today (I've never bought it, but both the remastered CD and vinyl mixes are on Tidal, along with all the associated digital EPs that EMI put out in 2007) it's clear "Bang Bang" is the oddity, whereas on Tonight the songwriting element Iggy brought to the table was central to Bowie's approach.

Tonight offered a soft, palatable sheen in terms of instrumental arrangements but there is still an undercurrent of scrappiness — rock n' roll attitude, if you will — to the lyrics of the songs that made the cut. Bowie was attempting to evangelize for those songs to his global audience. The goal was to hook them into the source while working within a palatable format. Even though they dropped the preamble, "Tonight" is still a song about discovering your girlfriend's corpse.

People who discovered him through Let's Dance might have never heard an Iggy Pop record or even a Beach Boys album before, and may have been encouraged to look into them after buying Tonight. I can't stand Bowie's version of "God Only Knows" precisely because of that extra layer of schlock, but people in Eastern Europe and Asia at the time might have taken it as their cue to hunt down a copy of Pet Sounds, or even a Sceptre Records compilation thanks to "I Keep Forgetting" (which is pretty faithful to the original).

The gulf between Bowie's ambition to write social commentary songs on Never Let Me Down and the result is embarrassingly wide. The songs with Iggy on Tonight have a realism that it sorely lacks (viz. "She was born in a handbag"). When NLMD closes with "Bang Bang", one is left thinking: oh, he just wanted to do his own Blah-Blah-Blah. Too bad there's only one guy who can write like that.

frankie teardrop

02-17-2016, 12:34 PM

yeah, it sounds like i neglected iggy's legitimate contributions to tonight, and like i've said i definitely don't mean to put it down, as i do enjoy it. one can definitely argue that the marimba man production definitely watered down the bite of the older iggy material, though- that layer of schmaltz disguises the title track's true intentions, even though some of us know better to read the lyrics.

meanwhile, as i've mentioned, i do happen to prefer never let me down by a strong margin, even though there's nothing on it i like as much as 'loving the alien.' sure, the social commentary falls flat and sure, the glass spider tour was a bit overly corny and ambitious (i'm so shocked that alomar signed on for that one alongside peter frampton), but i find the record to be a little more consistent, if that makes sense. 'time will crawl' is a gem, and i have no issues with 'day in, day out' if you can ignore the lyrical comment. 'glass spider' is one of the epics (as much as one can claim epic stature for this era)- the overarching artistic statement on the record that invokes a bit of that 'all the madmen' kind of insanity (and accent, to boot). 'beat of your drum' is fun, and i do love the title track, a lot.

that all said, the album ends really poorly. i listened to them today, but with the exception of 'bang bang' (a solo iggy favorite), i *still* couldn't tell you what any of those songs sound like. it's pretty telling that he left 'too dizzy' off of certain reissues of the album, a bizarre case of revisionist history that i don't think he's done anywhere else.

the outtakes and b-sides from the era? awesome. i love both 'julie' and 'girls' and think they should have found a better home at the end of this record. 'where the wind blows' is also great, and might just be a contender for bowie's most obscure and underrated single? great tune, all things considered.

botley

02-17-2016, 01:07 PM

the album ends really poorly. i listened to them today, but with the exception of 'bang bang' (a solo iggy favorite), i *still* couldn't tell you what any of those songs sound like. it's pretty telling that he left 'too dizzy' off of certain reissues of the album, a bizarre case of revisionist history that i don't think he's done anywhere else.
Yeah, that's a shame, even though it's a shitty song. Bowie was working closely with Erdal Kızılçay during this period for recording backing tracks, after first hiring him to prepare demos for Let's Dance and later assembling Iggy's Blah-Blah-Blah (reprising this multi-instrumentalist role again on the Sound+Vision tour, the Buddha of Suburbia album and some Leon/1. Outside sessions), and sorta threw him a bone by co-crediting that one to Bowie/Kızılçay. So, understandably, Erdal felt slighted by this decision to delete his only publishing credit from all future pressings of that album and eventually stop returning his calls. But... nobody bemoans the lack of his synth and bass playing on the later Bowie albums, brutal as that sounds.

All I can remember about the last ten minutes of NLMD is Bowie rapping with Mickey Rourke, lol. OUCH.

fillow

02-17-2016, 01:37 PM

Shining Star will forever be my guilty pleasure. I honestly can't get enough of it.

botley

02-17-2016, 01:43 PM

I was really surprised to learn I especially like "Julie", hadn't really examined it in any detail until I heard it on Tidal. It's a banger, and prefigures the chorus on "Days" slightly. Kinda hums along at that Molly Ringwald tempo, heheh. Good stuff.

thevoid99

02-17-2016, 02:18 PM

Here's my take on the Labyrinth soundtrack: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-labyrinth-soundtrack.html

I'll get to Never Let Me Down later in the day.

henryeatscereal

02-17-2016, 04:54 PM

"Never Let Me Down" is my least favorite album, but i do enjoy "Day In, Day Out", "Time Will Crawl" and "Bang, Bang".
I guess i order to enjoy it you have to be in "the mood", other Bowie albums i can listen to almost at anytime, this one has that "New Wave/dance" vibe that makes it a total product of it's time, but saying that it's all bad it's being deaf/dumb.

orestes

02-17-2016, 07:09 PM

http://cdn.makeagif.com/media/1-28-2016/C0wEKJ.gif

orestes

02-17-2016, 07:26 PM

I bought the Rolling Stone Commemorative issue today. Nice retrospect, a stunning cover and cool little album summaries and backstories were good. It can sit with my TIME Bowie issue now.

I picked it up the other day. I didn't realize he had a tattoo of Iman, heh. This passage, though, made me sit and pause for a moment to collect myself:

The public reaction to that death-in the hours and days that followed-was genuine and massive: There was an immediate and immense outpouring through social media; his influence on everything from fashion to underground culture was hailed in the media; the Vatican even offered a blessing. David Bowie was one of those people the world couldn't imagine living without. But since death was at his disposal, Bowie apparently decided to face it and make it an element in his work, a collaborative partner. This was what he'd always done: He transformed himself, and then moved on.

thevoid99

02-17-2016, 07:56 PM

Here's my piece on Never Let Me Down: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-never-let-me-down.html

There was potential for a good album there aside from the singles. It's the fucking production that ruins it. "Too Dizzy" I think is the worst song Bowie wrote. It's fucking awful. No wonder he left it out of subsequent reissues. "Julie" and "Girls" could've replaced that song along with a few others. It would've at least been a more decent album.

FernandoDante

02-17-2016, 08:01 PM

http://cdn.makeagif.com/media/1-28-2016/C0wEKJ.gif
Is he using one of those skate/hoverboard things that rich people fall into pools with nowadays? Bowie, always ahead of his time!

orestes

02-17-2016, 08:11 PM

Lol, no, just roller skates.

allegro

02-17-2016, 08:58 PM

From the 1997 Entertainment Weekly Interview (http://www.ew.com/article/2016/01/11/david-bowie-50th-birthday-ew-interview):

EW: Do you have a Bowie incarnation that you loathe?

Bowie: I have a couple of albums that I’m absolutely quite embarrassed about.

EW: Embarrassed?

Bowie: Yeah – because it was my fault. Tonight [1984] and Never Let Me Down [1987]. Those two albums for me were my nadir; they were just awful. I shouldn’t have gone into the studio and made albums when I felt as I did. I’d totally fallen out of love with writing music at that time.

allegro

02-17-2016, 09:09 PM

I picked it up the other day. I didn't realize he had a tattoo
You can see the tattoo HERE (http://www.bowiewonderworld.com/faq.htm#p22).

botley

02-18-2016, 11:08 AM

Maybe it's just the overall uptick in fondness after his passing, but Jeez Louise, I even enjoyed listening to Tin Machine today.

frankie teardrop

02-18-2016, 12:08 PM

Maybe it's just the overall uptick in fondness after his passing, but Jeez Louise, I even enjoyed listening to Tin Machine today.

see, now this is the first time i'm kind of struggling with enthusiasm to listen. i don't like either tin machine record, outside a single song on each ('i can't read' and 'you belong in rock and roll' respectively), so i'm kinda floundering a bit. will check in if/when i can muster the energy for these.

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02-18-2016, 08:55 PM

Tin Machine today was a nice kick in the pants after Tonight & NLMD. I can appreciate his desire to "reboot" & get back to his roots, or whatever it was he was after with this endeavor. Some of the tracks are pretty catchy & there's nothing cringe-worthy.

I won't lie, though. After finishing up w/Tin Machine I rewarded myself with "Real Cool World", a longtime personal favorite because it's so ridiculously catchy & fun. In fact, that whole soundtrack is still a pretty great listen all these years later.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7cpz1F7JB0

orestes

02-18-2016, 09:39 PM

Haha I skipped ahead to Black Tie White Noise today. The production is definitely of it's time but it's still a fantastic album. Bowie's cover of "Nite Flights" has to be one of my favorite songs he's covered.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL03lUj89oY

"I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday" has taken on a new perspective since Bowie's death.

frankie teardrop

02-18-2016, 09:45 PM

not to skip too far ahead either, but i have big love for 'real cool world' AND black tie white noise myself. that said, as much as i used to love 'nite flights' - hearing the original and falling in love with scott walker a while back kind of cheapened the cover for me a bit. those first few songs from the walker brothers record is pretty much my favorite music ever.

thevoid99

02-18-2016, 10:08 PM

I'm listening to Tin Machine's debut (review will come later) for the 2nd time right now and yes, it's a fucking kick in the balls. There's some amazing songs in that record as it shows Bowie just going balls out and wanting to make rock n' roll no matter how imperfect or how loud it is.

Sorry for the lateness, here is my take on the first album by Tin Machine: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-tin-machine.html

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02-19-2016, 05:10 PM

thevoid99

02-19-2016, 05:41 PM

I'm about to listen to the 2nd Tin Machine album (review coming later) and then the live album as here is my take on the Sound + Vision box set: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-sound-vision.html

botley

02-19-2016, 05:48 PM

I don't know if it's the fever breaking or what, but I enjoyed the heck outta Tin Machine II. A much tighter, more cohesive & polished (but not overly so) effort. The first half of the album particularly so. Bowie's voice sounds rougher, more rock 'n roll than smooth synth. A nice change of scenery before we return to solo Bowie land.
Agreed, this is not nearly as bad as the critical slating it received would imply. There are at least five or six really solid tracks, a few duff ones but the trajectory now is decidedly upward rather than down. Too bad Tin Machine II isn't even in print anymore... this is probably the hardest album of all to track down on our list. EMI declined to put it out at the time, the label that did release it has disappeared and it's been in limbo since.

One of the 'full' versions on YouTube is just the left side of the stereo image. :mad:

This is actually a really cleanly-produced album, some quite impressive bass sounds along with very tasty guitar licks from Gabrels (whose star will remain ascending for the remainder of the 90s period). I happen to listen to it more than the debut.

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02-19-2016, 06:20 PM

Too bad Tin Machine II isn't even in print anymore... this is probably the hardest album of all to track down on our list. EMI declined to put it out at the time, the label that did release it has disappeared and it's been in limbo since.

That answered my next question of why it was so hard to find, I figured it had to be out of print. I listened to a youtube version today that didn't sound too bad. What a shame this album is essentially forgotten. I like it enough to be tempted to hunt down a flac version. You're right about the guitar licks, it gives the album a nice grit the last overly-polished Bowie efforts were lacking.

botley

02-19-2016, 06:51 PM

Everyone who skipped this one: c'mon, just give it "One Shot"!

I'll see myself out.

frankie teardrop

02-19-2016, 06:58 PM

agree with you both- i do prefer tin machine II to the first record.

i didn't realize the vinyl was so expensive (https://www.discogs.com/Tin-Machine-Tin-Machine-II/release/1928971), either. think i picked it up for just a few bucks?

thevoid99

02-19-2016, 09:10 PM

Here is my take on the album: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-tin-machine-ii.html

I actually like this one more than the first as I think it's more realized and certainly more accessible. It's loud but also has elements of melody. It sounds like Bowie having fun and just enjoying the idea of being in a band.

orestes

02-19-2016, 09:18 PM

Outside: my proper introduction to Bowie, all thanks to Trent and the Lost Highway soundtrack.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aepBpZ3kXek

Before that the only Bowie album I owned was a compliation cd (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changesbowie). Such a fantastic and often overlooked album but one that gets all my love. I like the correlation between this album and Diamond Dogs, in that both are concept albums dealing with an apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic world. I wonder what we would be listening to if Bowie had kept the concept going by releasing continuous albums leading up to 2000?

Sometimes I listen all the way through, other times I skip the segues if I just want to listen to the music and ignore the album's story. "A Small Plot of Land" has to be one of my favorite tracks- the drumming/piano combo is amazing.

seasonsinthesky

02-20-2016, 07:07 AM

Despite how much I love it – also being my Bowie intro – it'd be tremendously forgiving to say Outside doesn't suffer from bloat. Granted, the record seemed doomed to be lengthy regardless, what with one of its first formations being beastly prog-length jam suites; still, once Bowie and co. decided to make proper songs instead, there were definitely too many.

Bowie's apparent 'decisions' were to excise "Wishful Beginnings" (version 2.0, to fit the Pet Shop Boys "Hallo Spaceboy" remix on the end), "Thru These Architect's Eyes," "Strangers When We Meet" and "No Control" (dropped from the Excerpts vinyl in addition to WB, as well as some segue content). While I am fine with SWWM and semi-okay with TTAE being left out, I find the record far more bland and way less surprising/reduced in sonic scope without WB and NC. A better choice for drop is "I Have Not Been to Oxford Town," and perhaps all segue content except "Leon Takes Us Outside" (thus chopping the intro off "I am With Name," which is way too interesting to totally remove).

I'll reiterate my wish for the original 20-minute suites released officially. They're a fantastic listen. I think my 'ultimate' tracklist would likely blend the suites with some short single material in between them from the final record, though it certainly wouldn't solve any bloat issues.

1. Leon Takes Us Outside suite
2. The Hearts Filthy Lesson
3. I am With Name suite
4. Hallo Spaceboy
5. The Voyeur of Utter Destruction (As Beauty)
6. The Motel
7. The Enemy is Fragile suite
8. I'm Deranged

Also, this era is pretty golden for remixes, particularly the Basquiat mix of "A Small Plot of Land" and the jungle mix of "I'm Deranged," as well as the incredible version of "The Man Who Sold the World" on the SWWM single.

(Turns out you can also get the whole album on vinyl (https://fridaymusic.com/product.aspx?pc=Y4LPFM0310&cp=80419_80591_80637) and it only happened recently. I missed that.)

botley

02-20-2016, 08:37 AM

Um, guys, I love it too... but we've skipped over Black Tie White Noise (plus, for all you completists, its 2,000,000 remix B-sides) and the Buddha of Suburbia album. Today, I'm thankful for "Lucy Can't Dance" — dedicated retroactively to Lady Gaga.

orestes

02-20-2016, 09:53 AM

Not true. I talked about BTWN on the last page. :)

henryeatscereal

02-20-2016, 10:38 AM

I'm confused, what album is on today?

I'll just go ahead and listen to "Black Tie, White Noise"...

botley

02-20-2016, 11:50 AM

I'm confused, what album is on today?

I'll just go ahead and listen to "Black Tie, White Noise"...
That's what I had intended for today. Obviously, you can do whatever order you want, and if people are staunchly against certain records no one will force you to listen! I would really encourage everyone to try Buddha of Suburbia tomorrow before moving on to 1. Outside and associated tracks, however.

I got a kick out of BTWN this morning, though the number of sax solos Bowie takes is pretty indulgent (although apparently it's Iman who liked them, and the album's a present for her, so not exactly self-indulgent). "Miracle Goodnight" is the best thing that could have happened from a reunion with Nile Rodgers, that guitar solo he takes is insane.

seasonsinthesky

02-20-2016, 12:25 PM

Heh, woops. I'll quote it in a couple days when everyone else hits Outside.

I love BTWN. It's certainly a more interesting take on the '80s Bowie sound than the actual '80s albums. Particular A-plusses for the title track, "The Wedding/Song," and "Pallas Athena." It's also a proper beginning of some good remixes backing his singles, with a few being nearly as good as the album versions.

However, I can't stand "Miracle Goodnight," and have a rough time sitting through "Jump They Say." Not every one can be a winner...

orestes

02-20-2016, 12:58 PM

But those thighs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=829mlJiRCIU
botley I intend to listen to all the live albums, soundtracks, side projects, etc. after finishing up with Blackstar. ;)

thevoid99

02-20-2016, 03:04 PM

Here's my piece on Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby!: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-tin-machine-live-oy.html

Black Tie White Noise will come later.

frankie teardrop

02-20-2016, 03:19 PM

'pallas athena' is the standout for me on black tie white noise, but there's very little i take issue with on this record. 'you've been around' is another favorite, which is funny as it's a tin machine outtake that was ALSO reworked in 1995 on a reeves gabrels solo record.

the singles are a lot of fun as well- both 'miracle goodnight' and 'jump they say' are enjoyable, even with all the sax indulgence. the only real issue i have with this record is the cover of 'nite flights,' which as i mentioned on a previous page, lost a lot of its appeal once i heard the original walker brothers version. since bowie's been channeling scott walker since the early 70s, it's strange that it took this long to realize a cover. to that end, it took even longer to get 'i feel free' down on record, as bowie was tinkering around with that one since the ziggy days. he even got ronson to play on this BTWN version, if i recall correctly.

quick aside on 'the wedding' - another favorite on the record. i've always loved how the cure's reading of 'young americans' featured the bassline from this tune instead. never understood why they did that, but i dig it.

lastly, i listened to this on vinyl today, and i just realized they cut both 'the wedding' and 'looking for lester' to make this fit on one disc. bummer!

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02-20-2016, 06:22 PM

Sax, sax & more sax! Like frankie, it's all about "Pallas Athena" & "You've Been Around" for me. "Don't Let Me Down & Down" & "I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday" are also very enjoyable listens, & I like the "Nite Flights" cover, though I do prefer the original. An all around nice release after the Tin Machine break.

But I'll always associate this album most with "Real Cool World" because I adore that song & because when the movie soundtrack for Cool World came out I was working in a record store & we wore that sucker out. Yet one more example of Bowie weaving his way in & out of so many moments in my life.

frankie teardrop

02-20-2016, 06:23 PM

But I'll always associate this album most with "Real Cool World" because I adore that song & because when the movie soundtrack for Cool World came out I was working in a record store & we wore that sucker out.

that soundtrack kicks ass, honestly. i love that thompson twins song and still DJ it often.

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02-20-2016, 06:36 PM

that soundtrack kicks ass, honestly. i love that thompson twins song and still DJ it often.
It absolutely kicks ass! I love Play With Me, Disappointed, Sex On Wheelz, Next is the E, the stuff from Cult, Ministry, etc... hell, the whole thing is tight from start to finish.

Space Suicide

02-20-2016, 06:55 PM

I've said this before but The Wedding is an amazing opener to the album and probably my favorite David Bowie instrumental.

thevoid99

02-20-2016, 08:42 PM

Here's my piece on Black Tie White Noise: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-black-tie-white-noise.html

This is pretty much one of my favorites. It's an album that just gets better every time I listen to it as Bowie's saxophone playing. What could be more beautiful than that? He just has this tone and sound to it that is very emotive and expressive. "The Wedding" is pretty much one of the greatest opening tracks ever as if I ever get married, I want that track to be played. I've been reading some blogs on Bowie's music and I don't understand the hate towards "Don't Let Me Down & Down" which I think is an incredible R&B song. I also love the cover of "I Feel Free" with Mick Ronson's guitar and the cover of "Nite Flights" though I too prefer the Walker Brothers version as well.

botley

02-20-2016, 10:53 PM

i listened to this on vinyl today, and i just realized they cut both 'the wedding' and 'looking for lester' to make this fit on one disc. bummer!
That is too bad, as "Looking for Lester" is not without its charms — chiefly, a long-awaited return to the fold for Mike Garson on piano! He's also on the next three albums, and two more after that (Toy and Reality).

thevoid99

02-21-2016, 04:18 PM

And here is my piece on The Buddha of Suburbia: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-buddha-of-suburbia.html

This is Bowie's most underrated work of the 1990s. Not just for the title track but also the ambient pieces like "The Mysteries" and "Ian Fish, U.K." as well as the stuff that Mike Garson provides on piano as it is just great to hear him again on a Bowie album as I also liked his appearance on "Looking for Lester" from Black Tie White Noise.

frankie teardrop

02-21-2016, 07:24 PM

if there's a case to be made for any DB record as his most underrated, buddha of suburbia is a strong contender. especially considering it's wonderful, with not a dud on it, as far as i'm concerned. i recall somewhere that he even thought it was among his best. such a shame that it's been regulated to obscure status.

highlights for me are the title track (preferably the first version), 'sex and the church,' 'bleed like a craze, dad,' 'dead against it,' and 'the mysteries.' honestly, i love the whole thing top to bottom. 'strangers when we meet' does deserve special mention as well, but it was a great song even bettered by the outside re-recording, which we'll get to tomorrow.

that all said, this was the album that i was listening to when i visited his apartment a few days after he passed. <3

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02-21-2016, 11:34 PM

I didn't have the time I wanted today to devote to BoS. I managed one cursory listen but need at least one or two more to really appreciate it. I did enjoy Strangers, Dead Against It & the title track in particular. So many nuances & subtleties on this one, it really demands repeated listens. I like that the production seems pared down from past efforts, it sounds far more natural & unforced.

Looking forward to revisiting this one after the February listening exercise is done, especially after reading the glowing opinions here.

ChipRock

02-22-2016, 10:02 AM

Damn. I'm definitely still listening to a lot of Bowie, but have fallen out of synch with #29DOB
However - I see that today is 1. Outside day, so I feel I have to say something. Overall I'm a big fan of 90s Bowie (that's totally my decade generally) but this is where things get really interesting, as a teenager. I'd enjoyed Black Tie a great deal, but then I was listening to more pop and dance music at that point. By '95 though I was well into Nine Inch Nails and other 'Alternative' music and as if by magic Bowie was following the same path. I'd missed out on Buddha of Suburbia, but then I guess so did most people, but when The Hearts Filthy Lesson came it it was really exciting. Of course the album was a bit more interesting than just being 'Industrial' Bowie, but it really helped me - representing 90s kids everywhere - keep on his side. This was helped a great deal by seeing him live in London in '95 - the first and only time I'd actually see him. It wasn't the best show for me at the time - Wembley sucks as a venue at the best of times, but being all seated and having a setlist that rather lacked warmth shall we say? Of course I look back now and just wish I could go back through it again properly appreciating what he was doing. The Motel still gives me chills when I think of the live version. Also, The Voyeur of Utter Destruction is a recent favourite, particularly with the live version.
Being critical though, I think there should have been two albums here. One being the Leon suite version - taking all the mad dialogue and droney art-rock parts, and then a more accessible pop record with most of the Outside songs but without the segues and maybe trimmed down a bit on other places. They would function as part of the same work, but allows the listener to enjoy the cleaner tunes on their own merits, and they can go deep with the Leon album as an addition. So actually I find it hard to judge Outside on its own because I am so completely in love with the 'outtakes' record which I believe was only released fairly recently. I'm also distracted by The Hearts Filthy Lesson always reminding me of Seven, and I'm Deranged making me think of Lost Highway. That reprise for the end credits is just magic.
Basically then - Outside on its own is a great record, but it's not truly excellent. However, taking all the various parts from this period, with the outtakes, the b-sides, the live work, the remixes, the film soundtracks (of course I'm Afraid of Americans first appeared in '95 too) - it really is a fantastic creative period for Bowie. Strangely I lost him a bit from Earthling on, but that's an album I really do need to revisit.

henryeatscereal

02-22-2016, 11:01 AM

Just like orestes and many on this forum, my first introduction to Bowie was "Outside".
Because of this, it's difficult to me to listen to the album with "objective ears", because all the emotions it gives me.
Still i heard it and tried to analyze it in the proper way and i decided it's not a perfect album and it has some filler (not much though..), but i can say that it's one of the most interesting albums from David; not just the concept, the music is elaborate, dense and strange ("A small plot of land" anyone?)
I will always love the album, probably it's not the greatest or the most "memorable" but i consider it belongs to my generation as much as NIN, Manson, The Prodigy, Nirvana and Metallica...

Also:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i9nahfpuG0
This song made me a true Bowie fan!

seasonsinthesky

02-22-2016, 12:51 PM

Space Suicide

02-22-2016, 12:53 PM

Love Outside! It's my favorite album (Earthling is close, Seven Years in Tibet <3) post Let's Dance and everything after. I am also a dork and got to enjoy this album and music styling thanks to NIN involvement with tours and the Lost Highway soundtrack. I'll post more later but whooooooo.

botley

02-22-2016, 12:56 PM

Mike Garson just posted about "Voyeur": http://mikegarson.com/bowie_utterdestruction.html

r_z

02-22-2016, 02:03 PM

a more accessible pop record with most of the Outside songs but without the segues and maybe trimmed down a bit on other places.

This is exactly the way I'm used to listening to this album as I edited out the segues and slightly tweaked the sequence to include Get Real and the Basquiet version of Small Plot...

I'm also really into the 90s vibe of the production mixed with its "Se7en meets 12 Monkeys meets Strange Days" kinda charme. Next to Eno Garson's Bowie's MVP here.

seasonsinthesky

02-22-2016, 02:29 PM

Mike Garson just posted about "Voyeur": http://mikegarson.com/bowie_utterdestruction.html

The giant Bowie face and Gabrels just ripped my face off. Holy shit.

(this is the video in his post, too good not to post directly:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G0TDI7KY7g

screwdriver

02-22-2016, 02:58 PM

Mike Garson just posted about "Voyeur": http://mikegarson.com/bowie_utterdestruction.html

I realize this will sound totally uncool, but about half the time Garson is the best ever, and the other half the time, it sounds like he is just playing a totally different song, in a totally different key with a totally different tempo. I'll let you guess which one this feels like to me. it's certainly challenging.

fillow

02-22-2016, 03:24 PM

Space Suicide

02-22-2016, 03:48 PM

For all fans of Outside and Earthling I strongly suggest to check out liveandwell.com, an often-overlooked and pretty short but nevertheless stellar live album, recorded in 1997 and released originally only via Bowie's fan club.

Has a cool remix of Fun as well. I also recommend this! Never heard much about this album really so glad someone else brought it up. I've had it in iTunes since April 2008. Long time haha.

http://i.imgur.com/Yf3Zd25.png

thevoid99

02-22-2016, 06:21 PM

Here is my piece on Outside: http://thevoidgoround.blogspot.com/2016/02/29-days-of-bowie-outside.html

When I first heard it in '95. I couldn't understand what to make of it as my only recollections of Bowie was Let's Dance. It took years for the album to grow on me as it's among my favorites and it's probably the most daring album he's ever made as it's fucking ahead of its time. Yet, multiple listens I feel isn't enough as it's a record that I believe audiences have no clue what to think and have barely even scratched its surface. It's very multi-layered as I also love the musicianship of it as that core band of Bowie, Eno, Gabrels, Alomar, Kiziclay, Garson, and Campbell is just fucking ballsy.

botley

02-22-2016, 07:21 PM

Getting strong Blade Runner vibes today from 1. Outside, even the weakest tracks... whereas in a less enlightened time, I would've probably put it in the Hackers soundtrack category of mid90s cheese (to which Bowie himself would contribute with the D. Saber remix of "Little Wonder" in 1996). It's definitely a grower, impenetrable at first but full of rewards for the dedicated listener.

The indefatigable Chris O'Leary, Pushing Ahead of the Dame, unearthed this 1944 quote from Edmund Wilson about detective stories in elucidating Bowie's Nathan Adler: the hardboiled gumshoe appeals to a world "ridden by an all-pervasive feeling of guilt and by a fear of impending disaster which it seemed hopeless to avert because it never seemed conclusively possible to pin down the responsibility." Yet in a good detective's story, the murderer is always found, the responsibility satisfyingly doled out.

No one on 1. Outside cares whodunnit, culpability is not even a concern; the central question is yes, it's grisly, but is it art?

Here is Adler's diary (http://hem.bredband.net/stuabr/diary.htm).

koz-ivan

02-22-2016, 08:15 PM

honestly I've never really known what to make of Outside, on one hand there are some great tracks - that still hold up quite well - on the other well the album is a tremendously ambitious project - but ultimately not a successful one.

1. The Segue tracks - while interesting in their own way, bloat and divide the album. Perhaps this was an idea that was too soon, they do remind me of the Year Zero ARG audio clips - ultimately they are interesting supplements but this is not the right form factor for them.

2. Plotlines, Lyrics, Broadway musicals and the middle-ground - some tracks like say "Hallo Spaceboy" can be absorbed as a standalone track, while others have these sort of clunky name drops that never really make sense but are forgivable as standalones (Heart's Filthy Lesson) and finally some tracks get completely bogged down "I have not been to Oxford town". Some songs feel like they are very literal in the sense that they wouldn't be out of place in a very weird Broadway Musical but when removed from context completely fall apart.

3. Nitpicks. while the album booklet was / is really cool in places, in others the distortion / graphical effects obscure the text - this has always rubbed me the wrong way, if the lyrics are to be printed - they should be printed in a fairly easy to read format.

4. Half Measures - I am still not ultimately sure what this album was supposed to be it feels like somewhere in there is a coherent story, but it is told in the sort of Lynchian weirdness sort of way. coherent and concrete at times, in others style vastly outweighs substance. that mixture has never sat well with me. I love the idea of a story being told through the album artwork, liner notes, songs and these other creepy audio clips on the record but I never felt it really all came together.
--

I do like this album though, always have, certainly it isn't perfect, but if an album is going to "fail" i'd much rather see one fail because it tried too hard vs just mailed in. Outside is trying hard.

ChipRock

02-23-2016, 02:51 AM

check out liveandwell.com
Of course I wouldn't ask anyone directly where to find something copyrighted etc, but I'd love to check this out but I've never been able to find a copy. Ha. There's one on Discogs for £70, which I think I'll skip.

Anyway, big thumbs up for Garson love. I can't quite get on board with Get Real though. It's not a bad song, but where the hell did it come from? Quite the contrast to all the other b-sides from the time. I'd forgotten about The Man Who Sold The World. I absolutely love that too. I'd take it over the original any day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkrV0LHa260

Edit to add video - I never saw this clip before.

frankie teardrop

02-23-2016, 06:35 AM

sad to miss out on writing about 1.outside yesterday... was busy at work and unable to check in. that said, this has always been a favorite. so many amazing songs- the title track, 'the voyeur of utter destruction,' 'the motel' (which always gives me chills), 'we prick you,' and of course, 'the heart's filthy lesson.'

i can see where everyone is coming from regarding bloat, but i make a point to spend the time with this record, and when i'm able to, i enjoy the art damaged thinly veiled premise and don't mind the length in the slightest. i don't dislike a single song on this record, and don't mind the segues if i'm listening from top to bottom.

the wild card here is 'strangers when we meet,' which makes zero sense in context of the record yet adds a much needed sense of warmth to the end of the record. i definitely prefer this version to buddha of suburbia's.

it was refreshing to finally hear the leon suites in respectable quality a few months back, and i've always loved a few of the outtakes from the era, including 'nothing to be desired' and the re-recorded version of 'the man who sold the world.

fillow

02-23-2016, 06:57 AM

I wish they'd recorded updated Andy Warhol as well. Thank god there's newly-surfaced rehearsal video and audio.
There was a brilliant quality version available from Loreley Festival 96 show, but by that time the song was further patched with prominent d'n'b percussion which, frankly, annoys me.

henryeatscereal

02-23-2016, 09:01 AM

"Strangers when we meet" doesn't make sense in the album, but it's a "preview" of what was coming in albums like "Hours..." and "Heathen" (as i said: most of Bowie albums include a preview for his upcoming work...)

ChipRock

02-23-2016, 09:06 AM

Speaking of annoying - it's Earthling day. Considering how much I loved Outside, it's weird that I very quickly 'went off' Bowie around the time of Earthling. I heard a couple of tracks at the time, but never really listened to the album properly until, uh, recently. I can now say I was very unfair in dismissing it, but seriously - Little Wonder does not work for me at all. It was the first 'proper' single, and also the first track on the album (but now six minutes long - yay!), so kinda tough to avoid. I remember a friend putting Looking For Satellites on a mixtape for me, and that was little more than okay. Basically I'd say it doesn't have a great opening section at all, but things do get better. The mid section from Seven Years In Tibet to The Last Thing You Should Do is really fucking cool. I'm Afraid Of Americans is a good track, but surely everybody prefers the Nine Inch Nails version right? I know I do, and I didn't even hear that until I got the Seven single years later when it popped up on the b-side.
I'd say this probably could have been a better album overall - maybe with a different order and a bit of editing? Some of the songs are a little weak, but it could have been made a bit punchier, and the good stuff here is very good. Certainly not bad for a guy turning 50.

r_z

02-23-2016, 10:44 AM

I prefer the album version to the NIN remix, tbh. To me the remix sounds kinda stale and misses the dynamics of the album version. I'd imagine they've only put that out because of the buzz NIN had during this part of the 90s.

Also, I like Earthling a lot. A fun album and listen. I'd add "I can't read" in its rerecorded form as a 10th song and closer.

henryeatscereal

02-23-2016, 11:42 AM

"Earthling" is one of my favorites, i know it's not a perfect record still i like it a lot; "Seven Years on Tibet" is an underrated track.
"I'm Afraid of Americans" obviously is better as a remix, but also the "Telling Lies" (Adam F Remix).
Wish Bowie had continued with "Outside 2" after "Earthling", but i can't complaint because "Hours" is good.

Space Suicide

02-23-2016, 12:07 PM

elevenism

02-23-2016, 01:00 PM

i must admit i was fucking furious when this record came out and it wasn't 2.Outside. (outside was my favorite album of all time back then and it might still be)
But i was also REALLY getting into dnb at the time (hell, back then, a lot of it was still jungle.)
And here was bowie doing drum and bass rock.
I've only ever heard one other band do something similar, and that's Baxter, on their first album.

I will always fucking adore this record.
people have said that he was "trying to sound like" this or that at the time.
But what he was doing was a version of DnB, and DnB has ALWAYS and will ALWAYS be underground.
To me, this record kind of seemed like a "return to form" after the bizarre experimentation of outside-whatever "form" means for bowie.
Even though it was dnb infused, it was still a short, punchy rock album.

i found an interesting quote from Gabrels (on earthling) in a magazine i was reading at the pharmacy last night.
"I felt like everybody was looking around them, musically, and thought, fuck, it’s the end of the millennium and we’re still playing like we’re in the Rolling Stones,”