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Bowie
Posted at 3:49 AM on August 12, 2007
by Mac Wilson
(14 Comments)
Okay, I have a confession to make. It's not easy for me to admit this, but here goes.....I am woefully unfamiliar with the majority of David Bowie's catalog. It's not that I dislike his music (quite the opposite, actually), I just haven't had the opportunity to familiarize myself with most of his songs. My relationship with David extends to the classic standards we've all heard from radio (i.e. the Changesonebowie stuff). Up until this week, the only Bowie album I owned (that's right, the only one) was Low, and that was largely because Pitchfork inexplicably named it #1 album of the 1970s and I had to see what was so great about an album that's supposedly better than London Calling and Marquee Moon (incidentally, it's inferior to both). In short, I was beginning to feel like a film buff who had only seen one Stanley Kubrick film. So I've set out to seek out as much Bowie as I can get my hands on, and try to bring myself up to date.
The problem I'm running into is this: the man released about 12-15 classic albums, and everyone is going to have a different idea of what the best place to start is. My second Bowie album was "Heroes", although I'm beginning to suspect that the Berlin Trilogy might not have been the best place to start. Where, then? I hate to reduce this to a "what's your favorite Bowie album" thread, so I'll pose the question in a more thoughtful context:
If you had to recommend one David Bowie album to someone who was wondering what all the fuss has been about, which album would it be?
Comments (14)
Hunky Dory, Ziggy Stardust, Station to Station...holy sweetness, very tough to bring it down to just one. I have his whole catalog but really bounce around between which album is my fave.
I guess Hunky Dory today.
He had so many "eras" that it's hard to pick one. It's almost impossible. My suggestion would be to find an album from each of his periods and go that way. He changed so much over time that there isn't one definitive Bowie album to start with.
I'm partial to the Berlin Trilogy period (Heroes, Low and Lodger) and "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) era Bowie
Ziggy Stardust
Young Americans
Station to Station
Heroes
Scary Monsters
After "Never Let Me Down" I haven't purchased anything by Bowie, so his late 80's to present catalog I couldn't make any recommendations.
Funny, my wife and I were discussing the same thing this morning.
While I'm a huge fan of the Berlin Trilogy albums, I would say that the best listen from start to finish is either Ziggy Stardust or Scary Monsters.
I will probably have to say "Hunky Dory" if not only for "Quicksand". or "Heroes" or maybe "Scary Monsters"... but i actually even love Let's Dance too(very underrated), so.... sorry. "Low" and "Lodger" are pretty awesome too. but i said it, Hunky Dory. so i'll stick with it.
This is a tough question. I'm sitting here watching the DVD of the Glass Spider tour (the only live Bowie I've seen in person) and trying to think of his huge catalog. I have to admit the newer stuff I don't go back to a lot - but I think I would start with LIVE - it covers his Berlin period as well as his early stuff...the two seminal "eras" of his career in many minds. If you were looking for post-80's Bowie, I'd go with "Earthling"
For music - it's gotta be Ziggy Stardust
For cool album title - it's gotta be Aladdin Sane (and possibly for coolest album artwork - tied with PinUps).
Keep the suggestions coming, folks. Ziggy Stardust seems to be pulling ahead...
Personally, I'm a fan of "Hunky Dory," simply because I think 'Andy Warhol' is on of DB's best tunes.
However, you should check out his 1967 song 'The Laughing Gnome' to hear his best work.
Ha! yes Michael Wells, the Laughing Gnome!! I actually have that on an album called "Images: David Bowie 1966-67. I saw it once at a record store (i think in Portland, Or.) and I bought it. I have never run across it since... it's definitely all before he was REALLY David Bowie... It's awesome. and Andy Warhol is surely one of his best songs ever.. so i'll stick with hunky dory.
Just for fun, the band Flight of the Conchords do a great Bowie parody called Bowie's In Space
Some lyrics may not be safe for work, but Jemaine does a pretty good Bowie
Ziggy Stardust, Dimond Dogs, Station to Station never steered me wrong. But Lets Dance (SRV, ya know) and Never Let Me Down were what led me there. The previously mentioned Glass Spider live show shows the performer, too. Did I say Peter Frampton? Can't knock Carlos Alamar, either.
What does Lucia say?
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