Day 0712 - Your Arsenal

Morrissey "Your Arsenal" (1992)

Morrissey has become a bit of an embarrassment in recent years, cancelling gigs and tours left right and centre, and seeming to espouse isolationist, extreme rightwing ideas.    Back in the 90s though, he was still better known for his music.

With "Your Arsenal" he had a band together and enlisted the help of David Bowie collaborator Mick Ronson to produce this album.   Ronson worked with Bowie on his 70s glammy albums, and he is clearly the right person to helm this album, as Morrissey turns down his indie side and cranks up the glam rock a bit.  His lyrics had already started to hint at the kind of controversy he now gladly courts, with a song titled "The National Front Disco" which included the chant "England for the English".  People were a bit uncomfortable with this, not finding it clear if he was being tongue-in-cheek or not.

Musically though, it's an enjoyable album.  Despite the rockier, 'ballsier' sound, my favourite track is the gentle, atmospheric "Seasick, yet still docked".

Day 0440 - Quiet Life

Japan "Quiet Life" (1979)

I've never heard of Japan before (well... not the band.  I've heard of a Japan), but apparently their move from glam rock to trendy arthouse was "a revelation" - or so says the book.

This is quite nice, not amazing, but nice.  Reminds me of Duran Duran, but with sparser, dreamier production. Lots of fretless bass backed by synths.

Day 0267 - The Rise and fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

David Bowie "The Rise and fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" (1972) - got it

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.