Drowned in Sound

Search

Home > Community > Music forum

best bowie album?

no votes
? by alcxxk
of all the bowie albums ive properly listened to (scary monsters, heroes, low, station to station, aladin sane, the lodger), the lodger really is making me fall in love hardest.
repetition HAS to be one of his best songs.

on a side note, i'm making it mty business to put together an 80 minute cdr of the best of bowie, ignoring chart success and popularity. on it would be (so far):
breaking glass
heroes
cracked actors
repetition
TVC 15
the little drummer boy
+
ashes to ashes
what, along these lines, should i go to my local bowie library (one of my housemates has EVERY bowie album released and not much else. tis wonderful) to check out (tracks and albums).
please
thankyou.
alcxxk | 26 Jan '05, 02:06 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

Get Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust.
cadd | 26 Jan '05, 02:08 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

ziggy was pretty inevitably on my "to listen to " list.
what are the standout tracks on hunky dory?
alcxxk | 26 Jan '05, 02:55 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

I love Ziggy Stardust, there's just something about it. Same with Hunky Dory. Definitely my two favourite Bowie albums...
Hoski | 26 Jan '05, 07:41 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

You are right, alcxxk! Lodger is generally underappreciated and underrated. A superb record, start to finish. You all know I'm a Bowie fanatic, but I don't think of myself as completely without discretion. Tin Machine wasn't as terrible as the critics said. I think most of that spotty period can be attributed to Reeves Gabrels -- not my favorite guitarist, to say the least!

The best, though. All the RCA ('70s) records are genius. Even Young Americans, the plastic soul album, is great. Subject to change:

Hunky Dory
Scary Monsters
Heroes
Ziggy Stardust
Lodger
Low
Station to Station
Diamond Dogs
Aladdin Sane
Young Americans
The Man Who Sold The World

IMO, the best period of music by any musician, anytime anywhere. I've loved every one of these albums for over 20 years. I never get tired of them!!

David Live isn't bad; Bowie's other live record Stage is hit and miss, mostly miss. One critic said the worst thing about Pinups is that Bowie does the songs better than the originals. Space Oddity, Bowie's first LP, released on Decca, has its moments (title track, Cygnet Committee, Letter to Hermoine) but is largely forgettable.
oceanRain | 26 Jan '05, 03:14 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

thanks.
guess i'll have to give hunky dory a really good go.
seriously, the 70s/early 80s output is so fucking innovative it is literally awe inspiring.
gotta love that freaky eno.
alcxxk | 26 Jan '05, 03:30 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

ahhhhh Mr Bowie - my all time favorite

Got ALL his stuff and have stalked him for over 20 yrs

My all time favorite song has to be Lady Grinning Soul from Aladdin Sane.

But Hunky Dory is a great album too, must have worn a couple of copies of that out in my time.

All the other kids at school thought I was wierd because I liked Bowie - the sheep people of the time were into Donny Osmond or Micheal Jackson - guess you just have to wait sometimes to be proved right!
macduff | 26 Jan '05, 07:02 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

and the stand out tracks for me on Hunky Dory are...

Changes
Oh you Pretty Things
Life on Mars
Kooks

macduff | 26 Jan '05, 07:06 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

Impressive stalking, unless you're lying about your age on your profile...
rapscalion-jones | 26 Jan '05, 11:01 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

I really like the Space Oddity album. That's probably my favourite Bowie album. You're right that Cynet Committee is the stand-out track though.

I'd definitely agree with Low and Ziggy Stardust as well. For some reason I could never get into Hunky Dory, even though everyone seems to say it's his best.

The CD with the early years stuff on it is well worth checking out too. All nice storytelling songs.
ImageChange | 26 Jan '05, 08:42 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

My favourite is diamond dogs, followed by the man who sold the world then probably ziggy.

The man is truly a genius, and even with the levels of recognition he does receive, he should receive more. In my book he's almost up there in terms of influence with the beatles and in terms of prolific quality output, streets ahead.
TheBoyDeadly | 26 Jan '05, 09:12 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

a bit late in the day but deffo low - and also check out his Lower Third stuff for ace mid sixties mod pop - its worth shelling out for
prole_art_threat | 26 Jan '05, 09:33 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

I think Diamond Dogs and Scary Monsters were the best ones from his early work,
especially if you can get the Ryko re-issues with the bonus tracks (hard to find, expensive, but worthwhile).

The last really good record Bowie put out was Outside.
Teepee_uk | 26 Jan '05, 10:40 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

Of all the Bowie albums I've heard (about 4 I think) my favourite so far is Diamond Dogs. Haven't heard Ziggy yet though.
Darcy | 26 Jan '05, 10:41 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

Ziggy Stardust, Hunky Dory and Space Oddity are my faves, but i'm working through chronologically and i'm only up to Aladinn Sane.

Fave Bowie tracks:

Space Oddity, Andy Warhol, Kooks, Lady Stardust and Ziggy Stardust.
rapscalion-jones | 26 Jan '05, 10:59 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

under pressure!
rebel rebel!
new killer star!
little wonder!
magic dance!
all the young dudes!
speed of life!

John_Brainlove | 26 Jan '05, 12:02 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

Hunky Dory hands down.

Life On Mars is such an incredible song. I want to applaud every time it finishes.
duke_raoul | 26 Jan '05, 12:05 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

i forgot -
fashion!
china girl!
fame!
suffragette city!

just buy a greatest hits. bowie is famously patchy. hunky dory is probably his most consistent. he's a singles guy if you ask me.
John_Brainlove | 26 Jan '05, 12:08 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

I wouldnt say that at all. Most of his work from the 60's 70's is consistently good, though obviously some tracks still excel....

sweet thing/candidate/sweet thing (reprise) on diamond dogs is absolutely mindblowing
TheBoyDeadly | 26 Jan '05, 13:21 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

here here
duke_raoul | 26 Jan '05, 14:54 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

under pressures DEFINITELY on the comp.
if youre gonna do pompy 80s stadium, do it like THAT.

would argue against him not being an album guy - low and station to station both really stand out as records, and the lodger has so much greatness.
greatest hits ALWAYS, without exception, HAVE to gloss over the more interestng and experimental (and longer) tunes.
alcxxk | 26 Jan '05, 17:36 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

excuse me sir! are you a moron?
do you not realise that the true hipsters choice is obviously the classic soundtrack to Labyrinth?
Marvel at the lyrics of As The World Falls Down, trying to forget the fact that its sung by a grown man to a 12 year old girl. Realise that Magic Dance truly is the greatest of Bowie's hits, ever! Rock to the faux reggae shite that is Chilly Down!

Seriously though, gotta love the Labyrinth soundtrack, as it's full of that AMAZING eighties bass sound that always makes me love whatever music its in despite how awful it is.

Jamie
Jamie_Summers | 26 Jan '05, 15:18 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

Best Albums gotta be the Berlin 3- Low, Heroes & Lodger- also worth checking out if you dig this are the Iggy Pop albums the Idiot and Lust for Life - co- written & produced and by Bowie at the same time. I think he even joined Iggys touring band as a keyboard player for a bit...
ollie_from_hoxton | 26 Jan '05, 18:11 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

Does Bowie sing Heroes in German on all the "Heroes" albums?
h_d_w | 26 Jan '05, 21:15 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

No. But I've got a special edition "Heroes" that has an English, German, and French vocals. Heroes is a great record. The saxophones that sound like French Horns that lead into the final track, Secret Life of Arabia, is smooth as silk brilliant. Joe the Lion, brilliant. Blackout, brilliant. The whole damn record, brilliant! I believe it was Melody Maker's record of the year in '78.

Yeah, I gotta disagree with John's assertion that Bowie is a singles man. REM, yeah. But every Bowie track from the RCA years falls into the good/great category. Some songs just really, really great! Nah, in fact, the only song from that period I don't like is All The Young Dudes, the tune Bowie gave to Mott the Hoople, the tune which prolonged Mott's career. OK, maybe Fill Your Heart, from Hunky Dory. And Bowie's cover of It Ain't Easy on Ziggy. (Gore blimey! db had a million songs from that period better suited to be on the Ziggy record. Velvet Goldmine, John, I'm Only Dancing - which is hilarious! - spring to mind.) The Young Americans' John, I'm Only Dancing sucked. But other than that, all the RCA Bowie tunes were great! And the person(s) who mention Sweet Thing/Candidate is absolutely correct! One of the greatest vocal performances of forever and ever!

God, I could really write some long posts on this subject! ;-) So, I'll force myself to stop here. Suffice to say, I implore each and every one of ya's to buy the RCA Bowie records, all of them! Greatest Hits packages, eg ChangesOne & Two -- no. Buy all the records, it's essential. If for no other reason than they are a very important part of rock 'n roll history. Those records in direct and indirect ways have influenced the path music has taken. Half or more of all yer favorite bands will cite Bowie as a major influence. But that aside, they're just fucking great records!!!
oceanRain | 26 Jan '05, 21:35 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

well that told me...
John_Brainlove | 26 Jan '05, 21:38 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

Hunky Dory, if just for Life On Mars
Judge_B | 26 Jan '05, 21:53 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

did it John-boy? Yet again I failed to finish reading the latest in Oceanrains Opus! Can you paraphrase for me?
Darcy | 26 Jan '05, 21:57 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: best bowie album?

it said - "you are wrong to say bowie is a singles man. It is all brilliant and here is why - etc"
John_Brainlove | 26 Jan '05, 22:02 | Send note | Report this | Reply


© DrownedinSound.com | From the Archive - The Tuesday DiScussion: what's the best best-of?