1973: David Bowie - Aladdin Sane

Listening to 'Aladdin Sane' now, I'm struck by how glam it is. It's a real glam stomp of an album. In that sense it's more of-its-time than a lot of other Bowie albums. In the history of Bowie, though it has its supporters, it's a bit of an in-between album, following two classics, Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust, and before his critically acclaimed Berlinny late 70s.

It's something of a sequel to Ziggy, and certainly not dissimilar in sound. It's saved from blandness by a couple of very pretty songs and some fabulous piano by Mike Garson. It's actually a pretty tremendous collection of songs and he couldn't really have done much better in terms of a follow-up to Ziggy. It's neither alienating nor entirely aping.

Really I've never thought all that much of it and chose to write about it almost to damn it with faint praise and perhaps to suggest that Bowie, for all his legend and greatness, never actually came up with better songs than on Hunky Dory and Ziggy. But now, studying it more closely, I'm really impressed. It's kind of a really great album. Or just one song away from it.

What I've always thought, in particular, about David Bowie and Bob Dylan above pretty much all the other legends of rock, is how exceptionally learned, articulate and smart they are, which seems a bit obvious, but I feel like they could have been university professors if they'd gone down that route, which is not something I necessarily feel about say, McCartney, Ray Davies, Neil Young. Bowie's brilliance can almost be a problem sometimes. Perhaps he really hasn't done that many basic, simple, beautiful songs that aren't in inverted commas. Maybe that's why I enjoyed 'Where Are We Now' so much.

Still, this album has one. 'The Prettiest Star' is really a lovely little song, heartfelt and romantic. 'Lady Grinning Soul' is also a pretty song, though more dramatically so, though I think my favourite now, as it's pretty much always been (indeed I think it was my favourite Bowie song in my teens) is 'Drive-In Saturday', which combines great melody and style with keen Americana and a sci-fi element. It's really all there and such an epic. Why it's not considered one of his greatest ever songs I'm not too sure.

'Time' and the title track are the kooky ones, with avant-garde piano, the memorable lyrics and the sense of menace. As for the rest, yes, there's a fair bit of glam stomping, including Jean Genie and a cover of Let's Spend the Night Together which I do think the album could do without.

It's a pretty great album really. I wonder how many people have it as their favourite Bowie album but it's probably quite a few people's second or third favourite. For me, the early 70s is my favourite Bowie time, however influential and brilliant he may have remained later.

Consequently, this is my Bowie compilation:

Life on Mars?
"Heroes"
Drive-in Saturday
Oh, You Pretty Things
Fill your Heart
Young Americans
Young Beginners
Where Are We Now?
Ziggy Stardust
All the Young Dudes
The Prettiest Star
Ashes to Ashes
Modern Love
Absolute Beginners
Moonage Daydream
Changes
Five Years
Sound and Vision
Space Oddity
Can't Help Thinking About Me
Rock'n'Roll Suicide

Oh yes, I like the hits basically!