Trollheart

Album title: The Man Who Sold the World
Artiste: David Bowie
Genre: Heavy Metal/Glam Rock/Hard Rock
Year: 1970
Label: Mercury
Producer: Tony Visconti
Chronological position: Third album
Notes: There are four different covers for this album. I've just chosen the one I remember seeing in the record shops. I think it was a 1972 reissue, but it's the one that I remember, so suck it.
Album chart position: 26 (UK) 126 (US)
Singles: None
Lineup:
David Bowie: Vocals, guitar, sax, organ
Mick Ronson: Guitars, backing vocals
Tony Visconti: Bass, recorder, piano, guitar
Mick Woodmansey: Drums
Ralph Mace: Moog

Review begins

I'm told this was the album that began the “classic” Bowie period, and also served as his first steps into what would become glam rock and even heavy metal. It also kicks off the long association with the man who would become synonymous with his music, guitarist Mick Ronson. It certainly starts heavily enough, with a big feedback guitar which then powers into a whole hard rock groove recalling the likes of Purple and Free as well as T-Rex. Bowie's vocal when it comes in is harder too, somewhat bitter to a degree. There's some great riffing from Ronson and the piano has taken something of a backseat, as have the other acoustic instruments, such as the flute, recorder and acoustic guitar and indeed cello. Great smoking solo from Ronson as the song really takes off and Bowie is already reinventing himself. From the soft-spoken, somewhat shy raconteour of the last two albums, he's suddenly moving into the role he would describe on his fifth album as a “leper messiah”, and entreating --- actually, ordering --- us all to follow him on his magical, mysterious, magnificent journey as he explores the limits of his musical talent and creativity: limits which, we were to discover over forty-some years, hardly even existed.

Slowing down now in the middle with what I can only describe as a sawing motion on the guitar (Plankton or Chula or someone can explain it better I'm sure) and the whole song takes on an almost, again, messianic aura before it jumps into a blues groove recalling the twelve-bar blues of the likes of Quo and The Doors. Not quite sure how he managed to fit so much into eight minutes, but I'm exhausted already and it's only the first track! Slowing down again for the big finish, and into “All the madmen”, on which we hear the return of the acoustic guitar, Bowie going back a little to the folk songs off the first two albums, Tony Visconti's flute piping up before Ronson shoulders all aside with a big nasty electric guitar barrage, leaning into Thin Lizzy territory at times (though this would have been before they developed that sound, so, once again, Bowie and his crew lead the way). The flute, somewhat incongruous but perhaps appropriate in a song about mad people jumps in again before Ronson hammers at the frets again to re-establish order.

Sounds like a violin there but may very well be the Moog, who knows? Answers on a postcard, or in a comment please. Fine group vocal in the closing chorus as it fades down and into “Black country rock”, with a deceptively gentle guitar taken out rather quickly by the snarling electric. Very thick bass line running through this, then in total contrast “After all” is a soft, gentle acoustic ballad (well, mostly acoustic) with some gospel-style singing in the backing vocalist department and an almost funereal aspect to it. There's a really nice ... I don't know what is is, sounds like a kazoo, probably Moog, riff running alongside the guitar at times, and a really angelic ending. Something of a manic vocal opening “Running gun blues” against an acoustic guitar then some heavy percussion fires the song into life (how the hell did he rhyme “rifle” with “disciple”?) and it becomes another hard rock bluesy thumper.

Another dystopian future explored in “Saviour machine” with a sort of swaying rhythm and one of Bowie's best vocal performances in my opinion so far. This probably would have benefitted from orchestral backing, but the effects on the synth work nearly as well. Sweet solo from Ronson, augmented by a beautiful arpeggio on the keys, then it's back to hard rock and sexual innuendo (or not really even innuendo; it's pretty overt) with “She shook me cold” before we hit the title track, and the only one I knew before I began this album. I've always loved the mysterious, enigmatic and somehow cold idea of a man selling the world, ever since I heard this on the back of my sister's single of “Life on Mars?” I have no idea what it's about, but the idea totally intrigues me, and the way it's played, that repeating guitar riff, the bossa-nova (?) rhythm, both incongrous and perfectly fitting the song, the lonely, haunted organ sound, to say nothing of the conversation between Bowie and the Man, all strike a real chord with me. Bowie says to him “I thought you'd died alone, a long long time ago?” and with a chuckle of pure malevolence the Man sneers, “Oh no, not me: I never lost control. You're face to face with the man who sold the world.” Freaky. Love the ending, the guitar riff fading out over the kind of mournful, desolate keening chant. Love that song.

That leaves us with “The supermen” to take the album to its conclusion, and it's brought in on pounding, tumbling percussion with something akin to a continuation of the chant from the end of the title track, a sharp, almost spoken vocal from Bowie with a sense of African tribal chants mixed with gospel in the backing vocals while Bowie rants on and Ronson keeps a tight hold over the guitar for once. Well, for about half the song, then he lets rip with total abandon. Perfect closer.

TRACKLISTING AND RATINGS

Width of a circle
All the madmen
Black country rock
After all
Running gun blues
Saviour machine
She shook me cold
The man who sold the world
The supermen

Afterword: Definitely a heavier Bowie album than anything I've experienced up to now. I can see how it's seen as the one that began his career proper, as it were. The arrival of Mick Ronson puts a whole new slant on things, and while Bowie has been accused of not paying too much attention to the music due to being newlywed at the time, I don't see it reflected in what I heard here. But then, he was the consummate professional, and has refuted such allegations, and in the wake of his death I'm not about to bring them up again. Another fine album, looking forward to the next one.

Rating:

__________________
Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Pet_Sounds

Really well done reviews, TH. I've always thought of the man who sold the world as a Christ-like figure. Can't wait to read more, especially because my favourite is up next!

__________________
Everybody's dying just to get the disease

grindy

Really enjoy reading those.
Finally a discography here I know pretty well.

__________________
A smell of petroleum prevails throughout.

Plainview

HUNKY! HUNKY! HUNKY!

Also OT but Whishaw is a hunk.

__________________

Trollheart

Album title: Hunky Dory
Artiste: David Bowie
Genre: Glam Rock/Art Rock
Year: 1971
Label: RCA
Producer: Ken Scott and David Bowie
Chronological position: Fourth album
Notes: From what I can see, this was the first album on which Bowie produced, albeit as a co-producer. Weirdly, though the mega-classic “Life on Mars” was released from this as a single, it didn't chart until 1973, a full year after Ziggy, when it hit the number three slot. It's now of course recognised as not only one of his best and most well-known songs, but one of the greatest songs of at least the seventies, if not the century. (Certification needed? Suck it pal. Everyone knows this song! Oh look! Someone over there is using an uncited source! Quick!)
Album chart position: 3 (on re-release and on the breakthrough success of Ziggy Stardust the following year)
Singles: “Changes”, “Life on Mars”
Lineup:
David Bowie: Vocals, guitar, sax, piano
Mick Ronson: Guitars, mellotron, vocals
Rick Wakeman: Piano
Trevor Bolder: Bass, trumpet
Mick Woodmansley: Drums

Review begins

In retrospect, this should have been the album to break Bowie as far as I can see, with future classics such as “Oh! You pretty things”, “Life on Mars” and of course the opener, “Changes”, which pretty much describes his attitude towards trends and convention. With a lovely opener piano line from Rick Wakeman, it alternates between a slow, almost melancholy, soul style and a more uptempo, poppy chorus with that famous “Ch-ch-ch-changes” prefacing each lines of same. It's a great opening track, and of course was a single. You can hear here how Bowie's voice is developing, becoming stronger, more self-assured and confident, and the low sax break at the end (delivered by the Thin White Duke himself) just underlines this. Another piano line, almost honky-tonk this time, brings in “Oh! You pretty things”, with a definite sense of gospel in it, again a slow verse with a fast, joyful chorus, kind of marching along in a Beatles vein, though it's probably debatable that John, Paul, George and Ringo would have been singing about the “Homo Superior”...

The first flash we get of Ronson's brilliance on this album is in the opening to “Eight line poem”, where he delivers a soft bluesy intro, low-key and understated but really powerful, joined by Bowie on piano and a really soft vocal, almost inaudible at times, at others rising to a height of passion in a few words. Sounding a little like something Roger Waters would later produce, both on his own solo work and with the latter years of Pink Floyd, it sashays along gracefully, only the barest riffs from Ronson touching the edges and taking the short song out as it began. A masterclass of minimalism, that still manages to grab your heartstrings and pull them till it hurts.

If there's anyone who needs a description of “Life on Mars”, please go back to your home planet. There can't be a person on this Earth who has not heard the sublime opening piano line from Wakeman, leading into the soft, cultured vocal from Bowie, the big crescendo for the chorus as he unleashes his powerful passionate voice, and the stabbing, staccato piano that dots the borders as the song goes along. Vocal harmonies with Mick Ronson, the explosive yet gentle percussion piling in --- to say nothing of the abstract lyric and Ronson's fine solo --- all go to make this song the deserved classic it is, and it's a mystery to me, writing in the twenty-first century of course, when it's easy to be wise with hindsight, how this was not a hit on its first release. I particularly love the descending piano at the end which runs into a faraway ringing telephone. I do have an issue with the sublime strings used here, which add another dimension to the song: who plays them? There is no credit that I can find for them, and I think that's criminal and a real oversight, as they are very much an integral part of this classic slice of seventies rock.

After that amazing song, “Kooks” comes across as a pretty ordinary pop song, somewhat in the mould of Syd Barrett or The Kinks. There seems to be violin here too, but again I can't find any credit for it anywhere. The song is a midpaced, bouncy one with some very sprightly piano, and it's okay, but it's no followup to “Life on Mars”, but then, what could be? “Quicksand” comes in very low and gentle, acoustic guitar impelling it forward, then some nice piano and those mysterious strings come back to whip up the tune into something of a fervour. Bowie's voice, originally soft and gentle rises in concert with the music, and again there are some great vocal harmonies here. Excellent work by Wakeman, and whoever is playing the violins should definitely be given credit, I don't know why they're not.

“Fill your heart” sounds like something out of a Broadway musical, and I see it's a cover of an old song, so maybe it was. In a musical that is. It sounds very old and kind of out of place here though. Not crazy about, have to admit. Even Bowie's vocal on it sounds strained. Less crazy about “Andy Warhol”, at least the beginning, with a lot of weird phone sounds and voices. It does develop though into a nice uptempo acoustic number but I feel it's a bit basic and maybe not worthy of him. Much better is “Song for Bob Dylan”, with a lovely slow southern boogie-style guitar from Ronson and fine piano from Wakeman, Bowie emulating Dylan's vocal style and Ronson adding some sweet blues and slide guitar too. “Queen bitch” returns somewhat to the rawer hard rock of The Man Who Sold the World and gives Ronson his head; he doesn't waste the opportunity. There's a touch of the Mariachi to the closer, “The Bewlay Brothers”, with a nice slow acoustic guitar. Goes through some changes, and it's overall a pretty satisfying final track.

TRACKLISTING AND RATINGS

Changes
Oh! You pretty things
Eight line poem
Life on Mars
Kooks
Quicksand
Fill your heart
Andy Warhol
Song for Bob Dylan
Queen bitch
The Bewlay Brothers

Afterword: This, then, is where the hits start to come through, and again I can't really understand why it was Ziggy and not this album that was his commercial breakthrough. There are certainly some duff tracks on this (and few if any on Ziggy) but they're outweighed by the truly great songs, with an instant classic into the bargain. It's not a perfect album, to be sure, but it certainly shows Bowie coming on in leaps and bounds from the previous albums, however good they may have been. It's the start of something truly special, which would culminate in the release of probably his most famous album, and the creation of his most famous persona, a year later.

Rating:

__________________
Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Trollheart

The Great Discography Project List, Part III

Artiste name: Robbie Williams
Genre(s): Pop
Timespan: 1997 -
Suggested by: Trollheart
Notes:
Number of albums: 11

Discography details:
Life Through a Lens (1997)
I've Been Expecting You (1998)
Sing When You're Winning (2000)
Swing When You're Winning (2001)
Escapology (2002)
Intensive Care (2005)
Rudebox (2006)
Reality Killed the Video Star (2009)
Take the Crown (2012)
Swing Both Ways (2013)
The Heavy Entertainment Show (2016)

Artiste name: Stevie Wonder
Genre(s): Soul/R&B
Timespan: 1962 -
Suggested by: Trollheart
Notes:
Number of albums: 23

Discography details:
The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie (1962)
Tribute to Uncle Ray (1962)
With a Song in My Heart (1963)
Stevie at the Beach (1964)
Up-tight (1966)
Down to Earth (1966)
I Was Made To Love Her (1967)
Someday at Christmas (1967)
Eivets Rednow (1968)
For Once in My Life (1968)
My Cherie Amour (1969)
Signed, Sealed and Delivered (1970)
Where I'm Coming From (1971)
Music of My Mind (1972)
Talking Book (1972)
Innervisions (1973)
Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974)
Songs in the Key of Life (1976)
Hotter Than July (1980)
In Square Circle (1985)
Characters (1987)
Conversation Peace (1995)
A Time To Love (2005)

Artiste name: Robert Wyatt
Genre(s): Progressive Rock
Timespan: 1970 - 2007
Suggested by: Plainview
Notes:
Number of albums: 8

Discography details:

The End of an Ear (1970)
Rock Bottom (1974)
Ruth is Stranger Than Richard (1975)
Old Rottenhat (1985)
Dondestan (1991)
Shleep (1997)
Cuckooland (2003)
Comicopera (2007)

__________________
Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Trollheart

As I mentioned at the begininng of this project, because some of the artistes I want to cover here have already had some of their albums reviewed by me previously, when I get to that point I will link in to the original review. However, I've decided to keep the main part of the framework even for albums I have reviewed, as in those reviews, there is none of the categorisation and note-taking I'm indulging in here. So you'll get the bit before the review, then a link, and then the tracklisting ratings and the final album rating.

And so, in that spirit, we come to


Album title: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
Artiste: David Bowie
Genre: Art Rock/Glam Rock
Year: 1972
Label: RCA
Producer: David Bowie and Ken Scott
Chronological position: Fifth album
Notes:
Album chart position: 5 (UK) 75 (US)
Singles: “Starman”, “Rock'n'Roll suicide”, “Suffragette City”
Lineup:
David Bowie: Vocals, guitar, sax, piano
Mick Ronson: Guitars, keyboards, piano, vocals
Trevor Bolder: Bass, trumpet
Mick Woodmansley: Drums

Review begins

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

TRACKLISTING AND RATINGS

Five years
Soul love
Moonage daydream
Starman
It ain't easy
Lady Stardust
Star
Hang on to yourself
Ziggy Stardust
Suffragette City
Rock'n'Roll suicide

Afterword: When I heard this album first, I was wholly unaware of the story, and even looking back on it now, I find it a little hard to follow. Where, for instance, does “Suffragette City” fit in to the plot? And I always believed “Rock'n'Roll suicide” was Ziggy breaking down, while someone comforted him, helped him try to break the habit (I assumed drugs were a lynchpin of the album) and maybe, failing, stayed with him till he died. (“Oh no love, you're not alone...”) But I find it hard to reconcile the title with the actual ending, now that I know it. I mean, it's hardly suicide to be torn apart by black-hole jumping aliens, now is it? I can just see it: “No, no your honour. He just started tearing bits off himself and handing them to us, telling us we should ... use them to ... coalesce our .... anti ... matter ... into .... um, yeah, this way to the cells is it?”

Kind of ruined my perception of it. Still love it though, and it's probably my favourite Bowie album, of those I know, though of course as I'm finding out, there are a whole lot more brilliant ones waiting to vie for that title.
Rating:

__________________
Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Trollheart

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:

__________________
Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Trollheart

Album title: Pin Ups
Artiste: David Bowie
Genre: Glam Rock
Year: 1973
Label: RCA
Producer: Ken Scott and David Bowie
Chronological position: Seventh album
Notes: All cover songs bar one
Album chart position: 1 (UK) 23 (US)
Singles: “Sorrow”
Lineup:
David Bowie: Vocals, guitar, sax, harmonica, Moog
Mick Ronson: Guitars, piano, vocals
Trevor Bolder: Bass
Mike Garson: Piano, synthesisers, harpsichord, organ
Ken Fordham: Sax
Aynsley Dunbar: Drums
G.A. McCormack: Backing vocals

Review begins

I'll admit I thought about leaving this one out. I'm not a fan of covers albums, and while it's part of the discography (how ironic: when I typed “dis” to begin the word “discography” my auto-fill gave me the word “disappointment”!) I would rather not consider a tribute album as part of Bowie, or anyone's body of work. In the same way I steer clear of Springsteen's Seeger album or Fish's Songs from the Mirror (which, weirdly, closes with Bowie's “Five years”) I prefer not to deal with covers, but here we are and I guess we'll have to make the best of it. Don't expect a long or too thorough review though, I'm just warning you now.

It's not all covers, in fairness: there is one --- one --- new track, and it's a great song I know and I'm sure so do you --- but the other problem is that even the songs covered here are mostly unknown to me, so I can't even comment on how good or bad his versions are. I do know one or two, so in those cases I'll make an attempt, but most of this is going to pass me by like a number 42 bus when you've just taken your eyes off the road for one second to look at your phone...

“Rosalyn” was originally recorded by The Pretty Things apparently. This means nothing to me. My only encounter with that band was through the supposedly proto-prog album S.F. Sorrow (Hey! A link, as the only original song on this is called “Sorrow”! Yeah, I'm bored already) and this wasn't on it. Was it? No, it wasn't. And I know why. It's a basic rockabilly uptempo number that really is so banal it's almost funny. I expect Bowie does a good job, but I don't know the original so can't comment. If you're into rockabilly you'll probably like it. I'm not. I don't. At least I do know Van Morrison and Them's “Here comes the night”, so I can tell this is a good, smoky version, slowed down somewhat until the verse begins. Some nice sax blasting out, and Bowie's changing of the way the lyric on the chorus is delivered is interesting. Again though, I'm no Morrison fan and I only know the song from hearing it on the radio.

Chula surely does, but I don't know anything by The Yardbirds (precursor to Led Zep of course) and so “I wish you would” attains an extra suffix from me, in “go away and leave me alone”. In fairness, I hear him doing a fair impression of Plant, the kind of wah-wah guitar is nice, but again it's all sixties rock and I really have no truck with much, if any of that. Pink Floyd, now that's another matter, though again early early Floyd, not so much. I think I know, or have heard “See Emily play”, but I couldn't swear to it. Doesn't sound very Barretish I will say. Also sounds very weird, so, you know, Floyd. And again, no credit for violins, though there are definitely some at the end. Yeah. Kind of reinforces my reluctance to listen to Piper or Saucerful any more than is absolutely necessary for my research. The only song I know called “Everything's alright” is from the movie/stage show of Jesus Christ Superstar and I'm going to assume this is not it, and it isn't. Whoever the Mojos are, they sound quite soul, but I don't care enough to check. This kind of music just really, really bores me. And on we go to the halfway point, and I have to admit I'm no fan of The Who either, so “I can't explain” is a very appropriate title for the sixth track. At least it has a nice punching snarling guitar, which is good after all this more soft kind of rock and/or roll. Good backing vocals too. Probably the best so far: cool sax break there from our mate Ken Fordham and a superb solo from Ronson.

I only know “Friday on my mind” because Gary Moore did a version (and did he rock it up!) but I must say Bowie makes this very much his own. You could almost believe it was his own song, It's a good fast rocker and his cockney accent, somewhat over-exaggerated, works well, then when he puts on a mock upperclass one it's quite the surprise, but it all comes together very effectively. The one original song then, and the one that perforce stands out here, is “Sorrow”; with its laconic, violin opening and Bowie's drawled vocal it was always destined to become a classic. Great vocal harmonies and a laidback little guitar pull us inot a squeaky sax solo from Fordham as Bowie's vocal gets more passionate and the sax follows him. Wonderful piano outro, and we're back to those Pretty Things, with another song I've never heard of. The only “Don't bring me down” I know is that hit single by ELO, and that wouldn't be written for another six years, so it sure ain't that. No, it's a kind of “Mannish Boy”-esque pastiche of blues and rockabilly. Pass.

The last one I know of is “Shapes of things”, and again, it's thanks to Gary Moore, who covered it on his Victims of the Future album, though apparently it was those birds from the yard who wrote it originally. Moore's version pummels your face and then comes back to roar “Are you still alive? Take that!” whereas this one (can't speak for the original of course) kind of swaggers along but is much more a limpwristed version compared with Moore's. It's not bad though, and it's nice to at least recognise one of the songs. In fairness, his backing vocalist shout “Come tomorrow!” as Moore's did, so it's not too weak. Still, obviously I prefer Gary's updated version. Kind of don't think this really works for Bowie. Interesting staggered guitar ending. Back to Daltrey and the boys then for “Anyway, anyhow, anywhere”, which again rocks the joint and even if I don't know the song it does sound punchier than most of the rest of the tracks here. Reminds me a little of “Do you love me (Now that I can dance)” by The Contours (heard Springsteen do it on a live bootleg at one point) and there's plenty for Ronson to get his teeth into, to say nothing of Aynsley Dunbar on the drums (isn't he a chef? Oh no: that's Aynsley Harriot! ) and some fine organ work from Mike Garson.

The final track then is by The Kinks so, yes you guessed it, I have never heard it. These sixties bands just aren't for me, y'know? Pet_Sounds probably loves this. Anyway, at least it heralds the end of this reluctantly-undertaken album in the Bowie catalogue, and I can get back to reviewing real albums. No offence, but I just don't think of this as one.

TRACKLISTING (not going to bother with the ratings, as I would only rate “Sorrow”)

Rosalyn
Here comes the night
I wish you would
See Emily play
Everything's alright
I can't explain
Friday on my mind
Sorrow
Don't bring me down
Shapes of things
Anyway, anyhow, anywhere
Where have all the good times gone

Afterword: Nothing much to say. Like I said, cover albums and me, generally, don't get along and I hate reviewing them. Still, interesting to see this was another number one album for Bowie. I guess after the last two albums, people would have bought this and sent it to the top if he had read out the phone directory. Not me though. Next.

Rating:

__________________
Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

TechnicLePanther

The guitars on Hunky Dory were probably Mick Ronson.

__________________
Many have tried to destroy it... but... true evil never dies. It is only... REBORN

SUGGEST ME AN ALBUM - I'm probably not going to listen to it but I will if you bother me enough.