Author Topic: Where to start with Bowie?  (Read 4739 times)

JonFromMaplewood

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Where to start with Bowie?
« on: March 05, 2013, 12:42:27 PM »
Hi Tom.

Like most, my knowledge of David Bowie is limited to classic rock radio and owning Changes One and Changes Two.

(Well, I have a little more knowledge than that, owning some Mick Ronson and Klaus Nomi tracks and having seen him on his "Farewell" tour in '91).

Now I am ready to dive in whole-hog. Where do I start? Do I do this chronologically? Or should I skip some of the earliest stuff? What is the pinnacle? Or are there several pinnacles?

Please advise in all of your spare time.

Thank you,
Jon
"I'm riding the silence like John Cage up in this piece." -Tom Scharpling

JonFromMaplewood

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Re: Where to start with Bowie?
« Reply #1 on: March 05, 2013, 01:37:50 PM »
Others can chime in too.  : )

I have a gift card and want to buy an album. But is it Ziggy? Diamond Dogs? The Man Who Sold the World? Where do I start?
"I'm riding the silence like John Cage up in this piece." -Tom Scharpling

mostlymeat

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Re: Where to start with Bowie?
« Reply #2 on: March 05, 2013, 03:47:13 PM »
Start w/Ziggy. It's so good and doesn't really have radio hits that you are sick of and is kind of the perfect encapsulation of everything that is awesome about DB.

Then, Man Who Sold The World - this might be my favorite cuz it's the most hard-rock. Ronson just shreds all over this, it's so great.

Hunky Dory is next up - another perfect album but I could go several lifetimes without hearing Changes or Life on Mars again.

After that you can just skip to Low/Heroes/Lodger, "The Berlin Trilogy", they are all awesome, Lodger is especially overlooked. But they are dark records with lots of eerieness so if you are not a teenager it might not work.

Steve of Bloomington

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Re: Where to start with Bowie?
« Reply #3 on: March 05, 2013, 03:58:30 PM »
Scary Monsters is a favorite, for Robert Fripp's guitar work on there particularly. In addition to the ones you've heard ('Ashes To Ashes', 'Fashion') there are lesser known greats like 'Up The Hill Backwards' (nice combo of driving acoustic and Fripp's lead here), 'Teenage Wildlife' (Bowie's commentary re: New Wave and late 70's early 80's music) and the Tom Verlaine cover 'Kingdom Come'. Also in addition to Fripp there are strong players all around ('Professor' Roy Bittan, Pete Townshend, more).

Bryan

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Re: Where to start with Bowie?
« Reply #4 on: March 05, 2013, 05:32:03 PM »
I agree with mostlymeat and Steve of B. That is good advice.

JesseFromVegas

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Re: Where to start with Bowie?
« Reply #5 on: March 05, 2013, 07:29:58 PM »
My two cents:

In order, listen to:

1. Ziggy
2. Aladdin Sane
3. Hunky Dory
4. Station to Station
5. Heroes
6. Low
7. Scary Monsters
8. Lodger

If you're not sick of him by the time you finish listening to Lodger, go back and listen to Diamond Dogs, Young Americans, Pin-Ups, and then everything else (although to be fair I've never listened to the first two albums or either Tin Machine album.

buffcoat

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Re: Where to start with Bowie?
« Reply #6 on: March 05, 2013, 10:00:03 PM »
"Candidate" off Diamond Dogs is my favorite Bowie song ever. Go figure.

Man Who Sold the World, Ziggy, Diamond Dogs, Aladdin Sane, Hunky Dory top tier

Station to Station, Heroes, Low, Lodger second tier (still very good)

Space Oddity, Scary Monsters, Young Americans, Pin Ups, Let's Dance I've only heard some songs from. None has quite moved me to listen to all of it. Anything newer might have a couple of good songs (I own Earthling, somehow).

I found that the songs off Changes___Bowie were good guides to the records overall. Ziggy, Diamond Dogs and Aladdin Sane are the full-on concept albums, but most of his stuff at least has themes running through it.

I really don't appreciate your sarcastic, anti-comedy tone, Bro!

masterofsparks

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Re: Where to start with Bowie?
« Reply #7 on: March 06, 2013, 07:56:38 AM »
Just to add to the mass of voices:

Start with either Hunky Dory or Ziggy Stardust. Those are the two strongest albums IMO. Aladdin Sane is also terrific but it also feels a bit like a Ziggy retread. Not bad at all, and arguably close to or equal in terms of song quality, but the concept feels very similar to Ziggy.

Low and Heroes are probably my favorites, though your experience with them will depend on your feelings about Eno. IMO, these should probably be jointly credited to Bowie and Eno.

Station to Station is another favorite, but again this will depend on how much you like krautrock.

I like Scary Monsters a lot, but it kinda sounds like the work of a crazy person. It's got this brittle, coke-saturated sound that can be either very compelling or incredibly off-putting, depending on my frame of mind.

I would personally steer you away from The Man Who Sold the World (very flat-sounding and badly mixed) and Diamond Dogs (very uneven), though I know they have their defenders. There are great songs on both, though.
I'll probably go into the wee hours.

JonFromMaplewood

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Re: Where to start with Bowie?
« Reply #8 on: March 06, 2013, 08:52:50 AM »
Wow, this is great stuff. Thanks everyone!

And MoS, I love Eno so I may check out Low and Heroes sooner rather than later.

I will probably start with Ziggy and Hunky Dory. Those are consistently mentioned by all. Then I will have to regroup and see if I am ready to go to Germany yet.
"I'm riding the silence like John Cage up in this piece." -Tom Scharpling

Steve of Bloomington

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Re: Where to start with Bowie?
« Reply #9 on: March 06, 2013, 12:51:12 PM »
Scary Monsters DOES sound like the work of a crazy person, but I'm sort of a fan of that genre (see also: Kate Bush's 'The Dreaming')

nec13

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Re: Where to start with Bowie?
« Reply #10 on: March 06, 2013, 05:40:25 PM »
I'd start with Tin Machine, myself.
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cavorting with nudists

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Re: Where to start with Bowie?
« Reply #11 on: March 06, 2013, 05:42:54 PM »
This shouldn't be considered a guide for anyone else, but for a long time the only Bowie I had time for was Low/Heroes/Lodger. Then I got the Rykodisc 2-disc Singles set and finally got it.

Sorry if this is too obvious but avoid Let's Dance.
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nec13

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Re: Where to start with Bowie?
« Reply #12 on: March 06, 2013, 06:10:35 PM »
For me, the ideal gateway to Bowie's catalog would be Hunky Dory. I think it's probably his best and most varied album.
Nobody ever lends money to a man with a sense of humor.

buffcoat

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Re: Where to start with Bowie?
« Reply #13 on: March 07, 2013, 01:59:52 PM »
For me, the ideal gateway to Bowie's catalog would be Hunky Dory. I think it's probably his best and most varied album.


Be careful! A song like "Fill Your Heart" can kill a certain type of potential Bowie fan's interest right quick.

I really don't appreciate your sarcastic, anti-comedy tone, Bro!

masterofsparks

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Re: Where to start with Bowie?
« Reply #14 on: March 07, 2013, 02:18:35 PM »
For me, the ideal gateway to Bowie's catalog would be Hunky Dory. I think it's probably his best and most varied album.


Be careful! A song like "Fill Your Heart" can kill a certain type of potential Bowie fan's interest right quick.

Or "Kooks." Ugh.
I'll probably go into the wee hours.