And so on to
Album title: Aladdin Sane
Artiste: David Bowie
Genre: Glam Rock/Hard Rock
Year: 1973
Label: RCA
Producer: David Bowie and Ken Scott
Chronological position: Sixth album
Notes: Bowie's first number one album, and his biggest success to that point in the USA
Album chart position: 1 (UK) 17 (US)
Singles: “Drive in Saturday”, “The jean genie”
Lineup:
David Bowie: Vocals, guitar, sax, harmonica
Mick Ronson: Guitars, piano, vocals
Trevor Bolder: Bass
Mike Garson: Piano, synthesisers
Ken Fordham: Flutes, sax
Mick Woodmansley: Drums
Brian “Bux” Wilshaw: Sax, Flutes
Juanita “Honey” Franklin, G.A. MacCormack and Linda Lewis: Backing vocals
Review begins
Bowie's first experience of America is reflected in the lyrics here throughout the album, and by the fact that he considered the album a case of “Ziggy goes to America”. Although using a new persona, one of many he would employ over the lifetime of his career, Aladdin basically just takes the Ziggy character and tweaks him slightly. Ziggy, of course, technically had died in the finale to the previous album, and three months into the tour for this one Bowie would officially retire him, but for now it was almost a case of two fictional personalities pulling against each other in a tug-of-war, with the “real” (?) person in between, struggling both to retain control and his sanity. Superstardom had arrived almost overnight for Bowie with the megahit
Ziggy Stardust and he was, I think it's fair to say, somewhat overwhelmed by it all.
A big sharp riff that owes much to “Suffragette City” opens the album with honky-tonk piano as we head into “Watch that man”, with a very Rolling Stones feel to it, rocking along with some fine backing vocals, somehow adding an American tint to the music. I guess it could be said to be somewhat autobiographical, as in watch my star rise, see how far I get, or it could be something darker, as Bowie kept a check on his burgeoning personalities and tried to sort out which was the real one. There must have been times when he feared being taken over by his creations, which might explain why he changed them so frequently, trying not to allow any one of them to gain too much of a foothold in his psyche, for fear it might not leave, and he be left wondering who he really was.
Great work from an exuberant Ronson, then some lovely piano taking us into the title track, with its odd suffix (1913-1938-197?) and almost relaxed and loungelike before it builds up on a stronger piano line and the vocal gets a little more cohesive. Must say, Trevor Bolder does excellent work here on the thumping bassline, but most credit must go to Mike Garson for his amazing acrobatics on the piano which lifts this track well above even the bar for a Bowie song. Stunning. “Drive in Saturday” was one of the singles from the album, and it has a very fifties ballad feel to it, swinging along until it gets to the chorus when it gets harder and some cool sax makes its way into the melody. Dealing with, I guess, teen love and experimentation, it also has some, again, very fifties backing vocals which kind of remind me of
Little Shop of Horrors for some reason.
There's a very hard rock feel, mixed with some Latin rhythms I think, in “Panic in Detroit”, a great descending bassline (sounds like upright bass, but I don't think so) and a good time had by all. Sort of makes me think of a tribal dance or some sort of ritual. Love the harmonica and growling guitar that kicks “Cracked actor” in, a real stomp about it, like a more restrained Ramones or Kiss maybe. “Time” has a slow, folky feel to it, then punches up on some powerful piano and harmonica and begins to march along. About twice at least I thought the song was over, then it came snapping back with more. Great wailing solo from Ronson near the end there. I like the way “The prettiest star” swaggers along with an almost twenties idea to it, nice piano and some great backing vocals. The squealing sax gets on my nerves a little, but not that much. Not sure what to say of another cover, this time of the Stones' classic “Let's spend the night together”. I mean, it's great, but is it necessary? Bit of a manic version, but I would have rather had an original song.
Of course everyone knows “The jean genie”, with its heavy, loping rhythm thanks to Ronson, and borrowing heavily from The Doors' “Roadhouse Blues”. Harmonica from Bowie really sets the final scene on this classic, Bowie is in perfect voice and really, for his excursion to and exposure to the USA this is really the perfect song. Surprised nobody approached him from Levis or Wrangler. Maybe they did. One of those songs that just gets the heart pumping and really doesn't give you a chance to take a breath. The ending is staggering, like someone hitting you over the head with a guitar. Sweet. The album then ends on a long classical piano intro from Mike Garson and we discover perhaps one of the best tracks on the album which I had not any knowledge of. “Lady grinning moon” is the perfect closer, with a soulful vocal from Bowie, some smoky sax and a little Classical guitar from Mick Ronson. Running through everything is a rippling, sprinkling piano like a small calm but insistent river.
TRACKLISTING AND RATINGS
Watch that man
Aladdin Sane (1913-1938-197?)
Drive in Saturday
Panic in Detroit
Cracked actor
Time
The prettiest star
Let's spend the night together
The jean genie
Lady grinning soul
Afterword: Definitely a worthy successor to
Ziggy, this album is full of great songs and ideas, and though I can hear the Americanisation in some of it, I don't feel it takes it over completely. I certainly hear it as a continuation of the previous album, and the idea of split personality/schizophrenia does come across very well. At this point, it would seem Bowie's albums were just getting better and better, perhaps as he honed his craft and began to see how far he could go, testing the boundaries. The only black mark, as such, on this album, for me, is the Stones' cover. Other than that though, it's all gold. Almost literally too, as like I mentioned in the notes, this was Bowie's first chart-topping album and also broke him into the top twenty Stateside.
The "lad" was well on his way.
Rating: 
