Re-Evaluation -Part 4 - David Bowie

Arguably the best modern composer of pop songs that has ebver lived. My wife loves the ground he walks on, I think I grew up with artists that were influenced by him but discovered him quite late. Although I was familiar with his hits in the 80s. In the 80s he was at the height of his image, in the 70s he was the darling of the press and the public alike. I think no artist has matched the legacy of albums that he realeased in the 70s starting with Space odditty, he went onto release 'the man who sold the world', Hunky Dory' and Ziggy Stardust.

My fave albums of his are post Ziggy Stardust. Aladin Sane is more rockier than Ziggy Stardust but features some brilliant songs like 'Lady Grinning Soul' and 'Cracked Actor". David Bowie was iunique as he realised music was about music but it was also about image. He constantly reinvented himself and each album was a different one from the other.
Kraftwerk released albums that was about the concept and were almost designed. David Bowie followed his influences but also created a sounds and image all of his own. The Albums that followed Allandin Sane, he followed up with Pin Ups which was a cover version album featuring tracks by the Who and Pink Floyd.

Then the albums followed were the Eno period. Low, Heroes and Lodger. These were precedded by the brilliant album Station to Station. In the 80s he released 'Scary Monsters' which featured the number one ' Ashes to Ashes'. In 1983 I would class David Bowie at his most influential he was collabarating with Nile Rodgers and was achiving success in the charts all over the world and in the touring arena with his 'Serious moonlight ' tour. The Problem with the Bowie Period after this time was that had signed for EMI, at that time EMI was quite powerful in record company terms and they spend alot of money securing his services. He released ' Blue Jean ' which was followed by the album 'Tonight'. This was that start of the period where the Bowie albums were getting a bit slagged off in the press. 'Never let me down' was also in the same catagory. David Bowie was following his intrests and was sort of alienating the fans at this time. In Bowie's defence he could not continue on at the same way he has in the 70s,m where he was experimental. When you are on a label like EMI you expect that the pressure to release hits is massive.

Bowie returned to form in the 90s with albums like 'Black tie White Noise'. Even hearing album like 'Heathen' it reminds me of themes that were explored in earlier albums (the word heathen was mentioned in the song 'Loving The Alien'. Its the little things.

In the 90s Bowie Contributed with Reeves Gabriels and collabarated with other artists, it was a invigorating time for Bowie in both the musical world and his personal life.

In collecting all his albums I still have gaps to fill but I know all the albums I havnt got off by heart for kme my fave album ever by him is 'Station to Station' from 1976. Its just 6 songs but the structure and guitar work and everything comes together.