910 David Bowie - David Bowie (1967)

Studio Album - Pop Rock

About the Act:

David Bowie was a British Pop/Rock star from Bromley in Kent. He first started to come to prominence in the late 60s/early 70s, and was musically active up until his death in 2016.  Bowie was noted for his ever-shifting style, and constant reinvention of himself musically and adopting a variety of public personas. His popularity waxed and waned over his career, as the styles and personas he experimented with were more or less attractive. Some might accuse him of style over substance, but it is more true to say that the style was the substance. He released 27 studio albums, including two credited to the band Tin Machine.  He also had a career as an actor, and was an active artist and art collector. As one of the world's pop megastars, his history, public and private life have been endlessly picked over.

About the Album:

Before David Bowie hit success with Space Oddity, he released this album. Many regard it as not really a David Bowie album, or a novelty embarrassment. Some of the songs from it found their way into a film he made to promote himself.

My History with this Album:

None

Review:

So this is a really odd album, and doesn't fit with what would normally be expected of David Bowie, even though he was quite chameleon-like. It is a collection of songs, kind of folky, some kind of jokey, that tell stories, and sometimes in a kind of cockney way. It harks back to Music Hall, and has similarities to Anthony Newley and Lonnie Donegan. It does not include the Laughing Gnome but it could have done, it would not be out of place. Apparently, most Bowie fans have dismissed this as an aberration, but recently it is starting to be better considered.

Listening to it in isolation, on its own merits, is impossible, as it jars so much with later Bowie. Instead, I'm going to give it hopefully more context. Mainly, the context of the times. This was 1976. Folky story songs about odd folk are thoroughly in at this point in time, The Beatles were doing it, Pink Floyd were singing about Gnomes and Bicycles and people who stole laundry, The Kinks were doing it, The Moody Blues were doing it, Procol Harum were doing it. Lonnie Donegan, Anthony Newley, Adam Faith... and this kind of kitsch storytelling songs goes on into the 70s, who can forget Clive Dunn's "Grandad". Oh, and of course, the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band! Actually, in some ways it's not that different from later Bowie, Space Oddity is a story song, as are many of his 70s hits, the difference is more style, and attitude.

It's the mixed attitude here that is confusing, there are songs that are quite dark, delivered in a pseudo-comic way, that makes them grotesque, and songs about trivial things that are delivered with seeming innocence, and could be taken that way if they were not alongside the darker stuff.

It's kind of curious, it's kind of odd, and unfortunately, it's kind of embarrassing really. It's a curiosity, but not a great one. The genius has not come into his own yet.

6/10

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0FjFEuKt6CoUiY73DMdK5N

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVZo4za24WH8a1MDbevePSAwONQ5KRt6N

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bowie_(1967_album)