279 - David Bowie - Alladin Sane

[csberry]

The songs on this album are all over the Bowie-glam map. It comes across more of a compilation album than a cohesive unit. Maybe, more accurately, it sounds like two partial albums and an EP. First you have the jazzy, cabaret EP of "Aladdin Sane," "Time," and "Lady Grinning Soul." Then a collection of songs that have a kind of doo-wop/old school rock 'n' roll sound ("Drive In Saturday" and "The Prettiest Star," in particular). While these songs didn't float my boat, the aspect of "futuristic retro" was interesting. The remaining songs are very much in the sound of Ziggy Stardust... with a bit of a Chuck Berry and Rolling Stone thing going on. I can't help but think that some cutting of tracks and more time in production/composition could have made the two "half-albums" into a single whole.

Like the U2 album, there are numerous songs that I thought were good, but didn't really do anything for me. Another one of those cases that an album that consists of songs that are good with few stand outs can sometimes overcome other albums with a couple of classics and a couple of duds on the Rolling Stone Top 500 list.

Songs I knew I liked: "The Jean Genie"

Songs I didn't know but now like: "Aladdin Sane (1913-1938-197?)" and "Panic in Detroit"

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: "Let's Spend the Night Together" is just plain painful to hear to me.

Comments

Just keep in mind with David Bowie . . .

[(Anonymous)]

The primary reason this album (and the next four subsequent to it)sounds like it's all over the map is because Bowie himself admitted that during this time he was so gorked out on god-knows-what-all-he-was-taking that he barely remembers recording the d*** thing (and Station to Station? He doesn't remember recording it at all). If I remember correctly, he finally pulled it together for Heroes, but I could be completely wrong.