Comments | lynedd: My brain hurt like a warehouse...

lynedd

My brain hurt like a warehouse...

Nov 08, 2009 17:31

Okay, trying to narrow down a "best of" list for the David. Album per album favourite songs. No idea how even to do that with some albums... (Aladin Sane, I'm lookin' at you.)

As stated earlier today, input appreciated (with reasons, please). Tell your friends; I'll take any advice on this one.

( This got really long... )

music, bowie

Comments 8

likethebeer November 9 2009, 02:47:07 UTC

I'm completely clueless when it comes to Bowie, except for the things that everyone knows, so I'm useless in that way.

I like what you wrote throughout, and I think, from what you said, that I think you're right about "Never Let Me Down". [that's just me, a'course. But what you wrote sounds cool.]

And I'm so glad that his recent album ("Heathen") is your 2nd favorite! It's always cool when an artist that you love still surprises you (I'm waiting for the same thing w/Janet Jackson, with all apologies - totally known and understood - of who I'm talking about ;).

lynedd November 9 2009, 23:19:36 UTC

David is an artist I'd like to really dig into, as a series of Monday Music posts, but I come at it from an odd perspective compared to canonized music critique so I'm somewhat hesitant to do so.

But I think I need to review some of the more challanging and underplayed offering, starting with "Never Let Me Down." Next time I'm not actually working a Monday, which is some months away...

jmcgarry November 9 2009, 16:56:12 UTC

1. David Bowie (1967 Deram) Hmmm, not "Rubber Band ( ... )

lynedd November 9 2009, 23:15:09 UTC

It's hard not to just hand over Ziggy and say This. Just, this. ...but the Chameleon King has changed so many times that Ziggy, while iconic, is not fully representational.

Iconic but not representational is my biggest problem in compiling a collection, really.

jmcgarry November 10 2009, 00:29:18 UTC

Yes, "fully representational" is pretty tough with someone who has that kind of mutability. I miss the early albums where pretty much every song was at the very least a good one and more often than not a great one. I keep meaning to have a Bowie weekend. Tough to do with three other people vying for the CD player.

eniastoa November 9 2009, 22:48:42 UTC

My first thought was to make it two lists, the best of the Bowie songs everyone knows according to you right now, and the best of the Bowie songs everyone doesn't know. If you're still working on this, I might still recommend that -- or another way of making complementary lists that makes more sense to you.

Of course, seconding "Helden", I'm not sure which list that would go on.

I know it's not all one song, but I have trouble with the idea of removing any one of them from the context of the others on Station To Station -- listening to some albums I miss the pause of flipping sides and the second start, but this isn't one of them.

None of the "Best of" albums have satisfied me as albums, even though I'd not reject any of the songs. Favorites that were not hits I want to hear in the mix in appropriate places, and how much career-spanning makes sense at any one listening time varies.

Let me know what you think. Seriously. Please. ... Ahem. The question was asked of YOU; I can't fault your list or 's"; mine would be different again ( ... )

lynedd November 9 2009, 23:13:07 UTC

"...make it two lists, the best of the Bowie songs everyone knows ..., and the best of the Bowie songs everyone doesn't know...

I think this might be an excellent solution. It's really hard to skip the iconic singles, even when they're not actually (in my opinion) his best songs.

I agree that breaking up the coherence of some albums is really difficult. Putting "Station to Station" on that list feeds my arguement that it is more rightly the first of the Berlin albums than "Lodger" is the third. *wink*

I know the question was asked of me, but I'm curious about what other people would include, and why. So I'ma aksin' you, too.

eniastoa November 10 2009, 06:11:07 UTC

A bit of scattershot, then, of ones that resonate for me: "Moonage Daydream", "Sons Of The Silent Age", "The Bewlay Brothers", "Candidate (Demo)", "We Are The Dead", "V-2 Schneider", "Little Wonder", "Black Country Rock", "Warszawa" ...

Music that really reaches me, I hardly ever apply any analytical discipline to, or try to explain -- I just am happy when it reaches others too enough to encourage more from the people who made it. Not that I'm at all immune from pop hooks ...