David Bowie

no guru · **Posted:** Thu Dec 15, 2005 12:43 am

harry Wrote:

I could eat him with a fork and spoon.

Quite the codpiece in Labyrinth.

Spade Kitty · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 11:49 am **Posts:** 4401

harry Wrote:

I pretty much like everything from Man Who Sold the World through Lodger (and I love the first half of Low). I am surprised there isn't more respect for the Man Who Sold the World... dark and challenging music. I love the hard edge of it, but After All is one of the best nodding out soundtracks ever.

I could eat him with a fork and spoon.

First half of "Man Who..." = awesome

but the second half....ugh. "Running Gun Blues" and "Savior Machine" are pretty half-assed, poorly written songs. For that matter so is "She Shook Me Cold" but THAT fucker rocks so hard, I just don't care :lol:

(plus the Pain Teens cover of She Shook Me Cold just rules!)

billy g · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:41 pm **Posts:** 9020

harry Wrote:

I pretty much like everything from Man Who Sold the World through Lodger (and I love the first half of Low). I am surprised there isn't more respect for the Man Who Sold the World... dark and challenging music. I love the hard edge of it, but After All is one of the best nodding out soundtracks ever.

I could eat him with a fork and spoon.

No respect? 4 of us (including you) listed it as among his very best. SK's just wrong in saying its less essential.

harry · **Posted:** Thu Dec 15, 2005 12:51 am

Spade Kitty Wrote:

harry Wrote:

I pretty much like everything from Man Who Sold the World through Lodger (and I love the first half of Low). I am surprised there isn't more respect for the Man Who Sold the World... dark and challenging music. I love the hard edge of it, but After All is one of the best nodding out soundtracks ever.

I could eat him with a fork and spoon.

First half of "Man Who..." = awesome

but the second half....ugh. "Running Gun Blues" and "Savior Machine" are pretty half-assed, poorly written songs. For that matter so is "She Shook Me Cold" but THAT fucker rocks so hard, I just don't care :lol:

(plus the Pain Teens cover of She Shook Me Cold just rules!)

Running Gun Blues is pretty mediocre, agreed. But the last half poorly written? the song MWSTW is one his best written, e.g. Nirvana's cover. And supergod dying is a great fade out....

Dalen · **Posted:** Thu Dec 15, 2005 12:52 am

Hunky Dory is one of my fav albums ever.

Spade Kitty pretty much nailed it.

Spade Kitty · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 11:49 am **Posts:** 4401

harry Wrote:

Spade Kitty Wrote:

harry Wrote:

I pretty much like everything from Man Who Sold the World through Lodger (and I love the first half of Low). I am surprised there isn't more respect for the Man Who Sold the World... dark and challenging music. I love the hard edge of it, but After All is one of the best nodding out soundtracks ever.

I could eat him with a fork and spoon.

First half of "Man Who..." = awesome

but the second half....ugh. "Running Gun Blues" and "Savior Machine" are pretty half-assed, poorly written songs. For that matter so is "She Shook Me Cold" but THAT fucker rocks so hard, I just don't care :lol:

(plus the Pain Teens cover of She Shook Me Cold just rules!)

Running Gun Blues is pretty mediocre, agreed. But the last half poorly written? the song MWSTW is one his best written, e.g. Nirvana's cover. And supergod dying is a great fade out....

There's a superior (IMHO) version of "The Supermen" that's an outtake on Hunky Dory.

Borg166 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 15, 2005 1:39 am

My top-3 Bowie albums:

Heroes
Scary Monsters
Outside

The first one is pretty safe if you're going to buy your first Bowie album.

The Mayor of Simpleton · **Posted:** Thu Dec 15, 2005 2:44 am

Spade Kitty Wrote:

I love the Bowie live records too...but I have to admit the versions of some of the songs are not good (Changes, for example).

Well, yeah, I gotta agree there. As a whole, they really intrigue me, however, and I really like hearing some early Adrian Belew doing his thing in the background.

Those two are going to have to go with me to work tomorrow to listen to, now that I'm thinking about them . . .

Dusty Chalk · **Posted:** Thu Dec 15, 2005 3:34 am

I like Diamond Dogs the most (yes, that's right, more than Ziggy...). Easily his most under-rated album. Not a naff track on 'ere (rhymes with "there").

Also, "TVC15". Great guitar tone on that one.

Buck_Wild · **Joined:** Thu Jul 21, 2005 3:28 am **Posts:** 232

Here's acclaimedmusic.net's rankings:

Albums Year
Rank Decade
Rank All Time

The Man Who Sold the World
1970
48 396 1331

Hunky Dory
1971
8 24 59

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
1972
2 5 16 Listen

Aladdin Sane
1973
24 170 460 Listen

Diamond Dogs
1974
38 411 1381 Listen

Young Americans
1975
24 276 824 Listen

Station to Station
1976
5 84 218

Low
1977
7 38 90 Listen

Heroes
1977
11 81 213 Listen

Scary Monsters
1980
13 85 490 Listen

Let's Dance
1983
18 226 1122

Surprisingly no Lodger. Seems like a lot of Bowie fans really like that album. Especiallly noticeable considering that Diamond Dogs, Young Americans, and Let's Dance get mixed reviews.

Ziggy 16 all time? Seems awfully high. Count me as one of the others who prefer Aladdin as a better version of that incarnation.
I mean, they're obviously comparable, but Aladdin just has a certain grooviness for lack of a better word.

That's interesting to find a Live fan. It's 2* AMG and I remember it getting 1 star in the old Rolling Stone record guides (those red and blue ones). I can see how somebody might prefer the studio versiions but why the hate I wonder?

Bowie was almost a litmus test for me back in the day. Not everybody was familiar with, e.g., The Stooges or even The Ramones. But he was widely heard of--even had TV commercials for Lodger! If you weren't into Bowie you weren't a real 'new waver' as far as I was concerned. But then with Under Pressure and Let's Dance you couldn't use that anymore. Everybody was into Mr. not gay anymore Coffee Achiever. Let's Dance wasn't terrible--especially Modern Love. But then it was over in one of the most stunning losses of the knack in rock history. Like a stock market crash for music fans.

alive · **Joined:** Mon Nov 29, 2004 1:00 am **Posts:** 352

1. Ziggy Stardust
2. Station to Station
3. Low
4. Hunky Dory
5. Aladdin Sane

I think that's the order of "essentialness" although Station to Station is my favorite.

Bee OK · **Posted:** Thu Dec 15, 2005 4:26 am

Buck_Wild Wrote:

Here's acclaimedmusic.net's rankings:

This make me happy on so many levals. Acclaimed is one of the best thing on the internet.

Bowie is so amazing good it's scary...

Buck_Wild · **Joined:** Thu Jul 21, 2005 3:28 am **Posts:** 232

Yeah, that's the word for it --*scary* good. He and Neil Young were the 2 guys who dominated the 70s where you can just pick one of what seemed like umpteen good - great albums depending on what mood you are in. You could practically live off one guy!

Acclaimed appears to tilt a bit Brit perspective based on blue lines at 33 and screamadelica 69 all-time respectively but that's a minor quibble. That 'These Critics Also Like' is pretty cool. I can't get the World and Jazz to work--don't think they are quite ready unles they are just mixing them into the rock lists. I'd prefer separate lists for sure.

This is cool too:
http://www.rocklist.net/

It's like the world's biggest rock clip file.

Finch Platte · **Posted:** Thu Dec 15, 2005 10:28 am

dnorwood Wrote:

I actually enjoyed the electronica/drum 'n' bass sound of "Earthling." Not many other people did. Check out "Dead Man Walking," "I'm Afraid of Americans," and "Little Wonder."

I enjoy this disc, too. I like the way Gabrels plays, and also the stuff Bowie did w/ him & the Sales brothers with Tin Machine.

Great version of Dead Man Walking on the Conan O'Brien disc.

fp

pollysix · **Joined:** Tue Oct 26, 2004 2:56 am **Posts:** 5174

If you can find it, this is a good compilation.

http://www.connollyco.com/discography/david_bowie/changesbowie.html

As much as I'm an "album" person there are some Bowie albums I can do without. That said I'd love to pick up Ziggy Stardust and StationtoStation.

d · **Posted:** Thu Dec 15, 2005 2:08 pm

pollysix Wrote:

If you can find it, this is a good compilation.

http://www.connollyco.com/discography/david_bowie/changesbowie.html

(shudders) I have that cd. That Fame '90 song is atrocious. I'd go for the original vinyl versions, Changesonebowie and Changestwobowie. But yes, I agree, for a good start, the cd you suggested is a good one.

http://www.teenagewildlife.com/Albums/C1B/Title.html
http://www.teenagewildlife.com/Albums/C2B/Title.html

Spade Kitty · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 11:49 am **Posts:** 4401

dnorwood Wrote:

pollysix Wrote:

If you can find it, this is a good compilation.

http://www.connollyco.com/discography/david_bowie/changesbowie.html

(shudders) I have that cd. That Fame '90 song is atrocious. I'd go for the original vinyl versions, Changesonebowie and Changestwobowie. But yes, I agree, for a good start, the cd you suggested is a good one.

http://www.teenagewildlife.com/Albums/C1B/Title.html
http://www.teenagewildlife.com/Albums/C2B/Title.html

ChangesTwo is such a bizarre compilation, but I love it. Almost none of it ends up on ChangesBowie though. Love the picture of him on the cover.

Yail Bloor · **Posted:** Thu Dec 15, 2005 2:14 pm

dnorwood Wrote:

pollysix Wrote:

If you can find it, this is a good compilation.

http://www.connollyco.com/discography/david_bowie/changesbowie.html

(shudders) I have that cd. That Fame '90 song is atrocious. I'd go for the original vinyl versions, Changesonebowie and Changestwobowie. But yes, I agree, for a good start, the cd you suggested is a good one.

it was the "good start" for me on Bowie back in the day.

HideousLump · **Posted:** Fri Dec 16, 2005 12:24 am

Does anybody else have the "Early On" pre-Deram singles comp? And does anybody else think it's really good?

If you're into mid-'60s Shel Talmy-produced stuff (Who, Kinks, Creation), it swings.

bluejayway · **Posted:** Fri Dec 16, 2005 12:42 am

You don't like Life On Mars? Shoot, Mark, it's a great song. You may be a lost cause. How about John, I'm Only Dancing? Or, hippie David, Janine?

I listen to Low more than anything, which may well not be up your street, but try Always Crashing In The Same Car and see how you get on. There's some Bowie out there for almost everyone, if you're not ideologically committed to not supporting his coke-addled affection for fascism in the 70s.

tehobner · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 8:48 pm **Posts:** 4479

"Life on Mars" has it's moments. The verse is weak as fuck and music is a tad too cheesy. It's probably one of my least favorite songs I've heard of his other than the terrible dancy stuff.

bluejayway · **Posted:** Fri Dec 16, 2005 12:59 am

But it's based on 'My Way'! Of course it's cheesy

tehobner · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 8:48 pm **Posts:** 4479

Also, not catchy or rocking. It sounds like some shit from Godspell.

HideousLump · **Posted:** Fri Dec 16, 2005 1:19 am

STRIKE LIGHTNING, STRIKE Wrote:

"Life on Mars" has it's moments.

Try the Streisand version.

Spade Kitty · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 11:49 am **Posts:** 4401

Mark would NOT like "Your Blues" era Destroyer methinks

David Bowie

Who is online