As with a few of the albums on the list, I didn't really need to listen to this one specifically for the 1001 albums thing, because it's indelibly printed on my synapses. Having said that... I'll take any excuse to listen to some Bowie.
It's a lush, interesting, and immaculately crafted pop album. All the more impressive that (aside from some sax and trumpet) it is pretty much just the standard "drums, bass, guitar, piano/keyboard and vocals". Speaking of the vocals, they do really feel like they help to flesh out the arrangements. Much of the shift from 'intimate' to 'grandiose' that comes when the choruses of "Starman" kick in comes from Bowie swinging between octaves in best "Somewhere over the rainbow" fashion.
Bowie's voice is sometimes gentle and confessional, sometimes brash and glammy, occasionally desperate and howling. 'Five years' has an almost Marlene Dietrich feel to it. There's the gospel feel of 'It ain't easy', and 'Rock n roll suicide' might be the most perfect album closer ever conceived, going from a burnt out acoustic jam and building to a cathartic crescendo.
With the quality of music, it's no wonder that this album was a success in the US and UK, and lednew fans back to "Hunky Dory" and other previous releases.
Bowie reinvented himself and, with his androgynous alien persona, reinvented the idea of what a rock star could be. The black and white photo tinted after the fact just adds to the sci-fi/alien vibe that Bowie is putting out.
I have the old school Rykodisc version, and the bonus tracks are also amazing. I like his acoustic demo of 'Ziggy Stardust', and it's a strong album if you can leave off stuff like 'John, I'm Only Dancing' and 'Velvet Goldmine'. It's amazing, but only my third favourite Bowie, behind Low and Station to Station.
ReplyDeleteLow is a goodie. Station to Station, I'm afraid to say is something I only discovered after his death. A friend and I were discussing his work and how good 'Blackstar' was, when he recommended it to me (and yes you're right, it is phenomenal).
ReplyDeleteA lot of celebrity deaths are sad, but in a 'lifetime achievement' way. You remember that you used to like their music or their films etc. With Bowie, we'd been talking about Blackstar the day before his death, I'd been listen to this album a couple of weeks before, and had been listening to "Earthling" just a few weeks before that.