HOW TO BUY...DAVID BOWIE!

5:53 PM GMT 18/04/2011

He's been silent now since 2004 - but even if David Bowie never recorded another note, he'd still be considered one of the most preternaturally creative figures of the rock era. Adopting a plethora of personas and styles but always resolutely himself, recordings from any period of his long career can make newly-minted sounds appear tame; but how to choose the top ten essential recordings? What are the best ways to sample the triumphs of his astonishing first decade - a ten-year sprint containing Aladdin Sane, Low and Ziggy Stardust? Which of his eighties LPs do you need? And who's going to give it up for such later works as Earthling and Heathen, or his albums made with Tin Machine?

Post your comments and recommendations below, please, and the best will appear in the magazine. Cheers!

Posted by Ross_Bennett at 5:53 PM GMT 18/04/2011

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Bowie at the BEEB is a wonderful place to start, although not an offical album release, it sums up an engaging and eclectic approach to songwriting (Jacque Brel & Chuck Berry are covered) and although the sound quality is not super stellar it is an encapsulation of his ever changing and innovative approach to improving his songwriting craft and bridges the gap between his early period and glam persona. A must have!

Posted by Edward at 6:25 PM GMT 18/04/2011 Report Abuse

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I bought Ziggy Stardust after seeing Bowie singing Starman on Top of the Pops. Couldn't stop playing it so went out and bought Hunky Dory, The Man Who Sold the World and Space Oddity as soon as I could afford them. Queued-up on day of release for Aladin Sane. You could start with any of the aformentioned album. Diamond Dogs didn't do it for me and since then his albums have been a mixture of the great and the not so great. If I had to pick one to start with I think it's got to be Ziggy, the album that made him a star!

Posted by Tony Ward at 6:29 PM GMT 18/04/2011 Report Abuse

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1. Ziggy - The very first album I ever heard in stereo. Blew my mind. Two acoustic guitars in Starman; one in each can!

2.Station To Station - First time I saw Bowie live was on the European leg of the STS tour. I'd love to say I lost my boyhood listening to this, but that would be untrue.

3. Low - He did it again. Changed everything.

4. Aladdin Sane - The one to hate and to say it is pretentious, flamboyant and purposely shocking about. But then again, listen to, say Time. It's actually so brilliant.

5. Hunky Dory - The one to love. The right thing to say. But it's also got so many marvellous tracks on it.

6. Let's Dance - Just listen to three first tracks. Ever listened to the other tracks, anyone?

7. Heroes - The one that actually makes sense once you've learned the drill. He would change it to the follow-up, of course.

8. Rare - The tracks you'd kill to be able to listen to. Now they suddenly are all here. Almost all.

9.Young Americans - I'd love to put 80's or 90's albums above this, but that would be untrue. But you really have to like Bowie to like this.

10. Scary Monsters. How cool it would be to name a Tin Machine album. But this one actually bears listening.

Avoid these:
Ziggy The Movie Soundtrack - If you must know how "Not only it's the last show of the tour but also the last show we'll ever do!" echoes look for the actual movie. OST sounds as dreadful now as it sounded then.

Anything by Tin Machine. You won't like it. I do know one person who does, but that's another story.

Compilations of early stuff. Unless you don't already own London Boys, Can't Help Thinking About Me or say Love You Till Tuesday. They are essential, of course. The others are not.

Posted by Kari Pesonen, Järvenpää, Finland at 7:00 PM GMT 18/04/2011 Report Abuse

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1. Ziggy - The very first album I ever heard in stereo. Blew my mind. Two acoustic guitars in Starman; one in each can!

2.Station To Station - First time I saw Bowie live was on the European leg of the STS tour. I'd love to say I lost my boyhood listening to this, but that would be untrue.

3. Low - He did it again. Changed everything.

4. Aladdin Sane - The one to hate and to say it is pretentious, flamboyant and purposely shocking about. But then again, listen to, say Time. It's actually so brilliant.

5. Hunky Dory - The one to love. The right thing to say. But it's also got so many marvellous tracks on it.

6. Let's Dance - Just listen to three first tracks. Ever listened to the other tracks, anyone?

7. Heroes - The one that actually makes sense once you've learned the drill. He would change it to the follow-up, of course.

8. Rare - The tracks you'd kill to be able to listen to. Now they suddenly are all here. Almost all.

9.Young Americans - I'd love to put 80's or 90's albums above this, but that would be untrue. But you really have to like Bowie to like this.

10. Scary Monsters. How cool it would be to name a Tin Machine album. But this one actually bears listening.

Avoid these:
Ziggy The Movie Soundtrack - If you must know how "Not only it's the last show of the tour but also the last show we'll ever do!" echoes look for the actual movie. OST sounds as dreadful now as it sounded then.

Anything by Tin Machine. You won't like it. I do know one person who does, but that's another story.

Compilations of early stuff. Unless you don't already own London Boys, Can't Help Thinking About Me or say Love You Till Tuesday. They are essential, of course. The others are not.

Posted by Kari Pesonen, Järvenpää, Finland at 7:00 PM GMT 18/04/2011 Report Abuse

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1. Low – An absolute necessity for anybody interested in music of the last thirty years, and a holy grail for Bowie fans
2. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust – The essence of T. Rex and balls out blues rock, a perfect summation of all things glam
3. Station to Station - A cornucopia what was and what’s to come
4. Hunky Dory – Bowie’s best pop record, cut after cut of sweetness with Bowie’s skewed lyrics
5. Aladdin Sane – Overlooked masterpiece that refines Ziggy
6. Sound + Vision – Just when you thought Bowie was washed up, this collection brought Bowie’s genius back to life
7. Heathen - Best of the latter day Bowie.
8. Santa Monica '72 – A long loved bootleg shows Bowie in full Ziggy power
9. “Heroes” – Not as essential as Low but the Eno/Bowie magic still shimmers
10. Let’s Dance – The mainstream crossover that still packs a punch with some hidden classics such as “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” and the classic cover of Iggy’s “China Girl”

Runners-up: Outside, Man Who Sold the World and Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)

Posted by Trevor MacLaren at 7:59 PM GMT 18/04/2011 Report Abuse

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1. Low: half quirkily constructed but brilliant songs, half ambient instrumentals;"cold wave" starts here
2. Station to station: unque, brilliant, unlike anything else before; one of the all-time great albums
3. Aladdin Sane: rockier than "Ziggy..."
4. Hunky dory: a great songwriter and pop stylist has arrived
5. Ziggy Stardust...: the greatest non-concept concept album ever (with Sgt Pepper...)
6. "Heroes": Low part 2; and that's really its only flaw (Fripp's demented guitar parts shine)
7. Lodger: is there a less than fantastic track on it?
8. Scary monsters: his first and best (by some distance) album of the 80's (Fripp's guitar again...)
9. Diamond dogs: a dystopian, nightmarish world in itself, that contains some of Bowie's best moments of his entire career; and he plays (nearly) all the guitar parts
10. Heathen: a latter-day beauty almost from beginning to end; classic Bowie in 2002

Posted by davidhuret at 2:39 PM GMT 19/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Aged 16 I could sing every song on Hunky Dory word-perfect and would do so in bus shelters, on piers, in the back of "borrowed" cars...

Posted by Ricardo Invitado at 2:56 PM GMT 19/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Scary Monsters : His last truly superb album and the one that lead the 70's into the 80's

Posted by gautxos at 3:05 PM GMT 19/04/2011 Report Abuse

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I like 'In A Flat Field' best. And 'Gentlemen Take Polaroids' was very good too.

Posted by Sting at 4:56 PM GMT 19/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Any of these:

The Man Who Sold the World - Bowie at his heaviest (lyrically and musically) - well, before Tin Machine at least...

Diamond Dogs - Truly amazing songs and proof that Bowie was no slouch on the guitar himself

Station to Station - as one person I used to know said, "Station to Station is the best advert for cocaine use ever"

Low - The influence of this album, and its two follow ups, still resonates even today

Heroes - Worth it for that gorgeous title track alone (even the X Factor couldn't truly kill that wonderful song - although they came close!)

Lodger - Overlooked and underestimated. A very fine album (beats the hell out of the Let's Dance/Tonight/Never Let Me Down trilogy)

Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) - Sheer bloody genius from start to finish - how can you not love an album where the opening track features a Japanese woman barking lyrics at you?

1. Outside - The album which truly signaled Bowie's creative rebirth from his rather ropey 80's material. Even the odd concept doesn't get in the way too much (his impression of an old man is hilarious)

Heathen - The album where the media sat up and listened and realised that Bowie had undergone a creative rebirth. Still bloody wonderful, though.

And, finally, the controversial one:

Tin Machine - Yes, it's loud, yes a lot of the lyrics leave a lot to be desired but it's got "I Can't Read" on it and if it weren't for Tin Machine, Bowie would probably have mutated into Phil Bloody Collins!

Posted by Andrew Marsden at 5:19 PM GMT 19/04/2011 Report Abuse

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I agree with most of the choices listed so far but just wanted to say that we miss him performing live terribly and really hope he'll come back out & do it again! LOVE the Bowie man!!

Posted by Cindy at 6:10 PM GMT 19/04/2011 Report Abuse

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1 Low

Another wave, not only surfed by Bowie, but invented by him. The instrumental side is, quite possibly, the music of his I return to the most. Also, Sound And Vision, Be My Wife and Always Crashing In The Same Car are all beautys and all vastly different.

2 Station To Station
What it would sound like if Kraftwerk and Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes had spent a night together. Bowie the crooner arrives. Who said cocaine was bad for you? Word On A Wing could be his most underestimated song.

3 Heathen
The return to form that actually was and also Low´s more content older uncle. David is ageing gracefully after a couple of pretty-good-but-not-the-whole-way-through albums. Oh, and he can sing. Blimey!

4 Aladdin Sane
Ziggy Stardust was the album that finally made him, but the idea is sometimes better than the songs. Also suffers from a pretty weak sound. The underrated American cousin Aladdin Sane is the stronger effort with better production.

5 Lodger
The lost part of the so called Berlin trilogy. Hasn´t got much to do with Low or "Heroes" musically, but it´s a really weird and creative sounding album. I can´t help but liking it. Doesn´t sound as overworked as the slightly overrated Scary Monsters.

Posted by A Swedish Guy at 8:44 PM GMT 19/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Serious Moonlight!

1. Outside - truly menacing "need a shower" grime. Unrelenting.
2. Station To Station
3. Hunky Dory
4. Low
5. Aladdin Sane

Posted by Psodal at 10:55 AM GMT 20/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Low is with out a doubt the best of a very fine career. From start to finish. it is faultless, the two sides,on the first side has a peculiar and often off-kilter, heavily fragmented songs and has crys for human reconnection and on the flip it has a deep melancholic four songs albeit instrumentals that with a continuation of the distance of the first side but more claustrophobic at the same time, it is the most consistent of the Berlin era albums with its ambient tendencies and krautrock cue's it still sounds his most modern but almost timeless sound.

Posted by optimusmule at 1:27 PM GMT 20/04/2011 Report Abuse

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So hard but here we go:

1. Hunky Dory - everytime I see a vintage vinyl pressing of this I'll have to buy it.

2. "Heroes"

3. Low

4. Station To Sation

5. Ziggy Stardust

6. Diamond Dogs

7. Aladdin Sane

8. Young Americans

9. David Bowie (aka "Space Oddity")

10. Scary Monsters

Runners up: Let's Dance + The Man Who Sold The World

Avoid These: Bowie has always been interesting but after 1983 he lost something, it just isn't the same :-( But the only REAL thing to stay away from are both Tin Machine Offerings and "Tonight". Even "Never Let Me Down" and "Black Tie" have their moments but... not "Tonight"!

Posted by Ernie Settler at 9:54 PM GMT 20/04/2011 Report Abuse

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So hard but here we go:

1. Hunky Dory - everytime I see a vintage vinyl pressing of this I'll have to buy it.

2. "Heroes"

3. Low

4. Station To Sation

5. Ziggy Stardust

6. Diamond Dogs

7. Aladdin Sane

8. Young Americans

9. David Bowie (aka "Space Oddity")

10. Scary Monsters

Runners up: Let's Dance + The Man Who Sold The World

Avoid These: Bowie has always been interesting but after 1983 he lost something, it just isn't the same :-( But the only REAL thing to stay away from are both Tin Machine Offerings and "Tonight". Even "Never Let Me Down" and "Black Tie" have their moments but... not "Tonight"!

Posted by Ernie Settler at 9:57 PM GMT 20/04/2011 Report Abuse

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There is so much that is relevant but if I have to pick one album it would be Low. The issuance of Low in 1977 secured Bowie's permanent relevance.

In the musical turmoil of 1977 where old idols were being torn down Low showed Bowie breaking new ground and that he was not to be trifled with.

The instrumentation and the electronic sounds still leave me with mouth agape and in awe. "What in the World" in it's melodic minimalism, its electronic blips and awesome (again minimalist) guitar lead always is exciting. The feelings of ennui and alienation that permeate the album never ebb. Powerful stuff.

Posted by Ken in Ottawa at 11:26 PM GMT 20/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Ziggy Stardust for me is THE classic Bowie's album ever. My favourite is Scary Monster, where Bowie got into the 80's with great ideas, great guitars (Fripp ecc.). I love it.
1) Scary Monster
2)ziggy Stardust
3)Low
4)Aladdin Sane
5)Heroes
6)Lodger
Don't forget Bowie Live, for me one of the best live album of seventies

Posted by Luca G.Ponti at 9:08 AM GMT 21/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Low is Bowie's all time high moment, like many others here agree. Unsurpassing. Station to Station belongs also to top three. Couple of persons here mention Outside as a sort of comeback album, I'd pick Heathen, which is better from my mind.

Posted by Tom off Funland, Hell sin king at 1:47 PM GMT 21/04/2011 Report Abuse

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"hunky dory" is a good place to start for his melodies

then "ZIGGY STARDUST" has "the" rock sound !

"Young American" got Soul,

and "low" symbolises the NEW WAVE before it was new !

but "station to station" has all the above mentionned qualities

Posted by JUJU at 4:22 PM GMT 21/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Young Americans is maybe the catchiest song of all time. You put that on and people start moving. The problem is that the album as a whole just doesn't carry the same enthusiasm. It's just not his best work. Station to Station, which I believe came out the following year, is hands down Bowie's best album. The title track is such a departure from the start of Young Americans. It's actually pretty ballsy that he is kicking it off with this ten minute beast. Ya its only 6 tracks but they're all spectacular. It feels like the same approach as on Young Americans but this time he nails it. This is 100% one of my favourite albums of all time and the best Bowie has ever produced. I mean Golden Years is the worst track on the album and its one of his biggest hits. Now having said that, Heathen is dangerously underrated. I'm still rocking Slip Away and Slow Burn back to back at least once a week. Check it out!

Posted by Al Butkus at 4:39 PM GMT 21/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Ziggy Stardust did it for me. Seeing him perform starman on TOTP was the start of my love of all things music. I still own the vinyl copy I bought at the time. Every song rocks.

Posted by keith perrin at 4:57 PM GMT 21/04/2011 Report Abuse

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1. Ziggy Stardust
2. Hunky Dory
3. The man who sold the world
4. Low
5. Scary Monsters
6. Heathen
7. Aladdin Sane
8. Diamond dogs
9. Heroes
10. Lodger

Posted by Andy L. at 5:33 PM GMT 21/04/2011 Report Abuse

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1. Ziggy Stardust
2. Hunky Dory
3. The man who sold the world
4. Low
5. Scary Monsters
6. Heathen
7. Aladdin Sane
8. Diamond dogs
9. Heroes
10. Lodger

Posted by Andy L. at 5:33 PM GMT 21/04/2011 Report Abuse

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1. Ziggy Stardust
2. Hunky Dory
3. The man who sold the world
4. Low
5. Scary Monsters
6. Heathen
7. Aladdin Sane
8. Diamond dogs
9. Heroes
10. Lodger

Posted by Andy L. at 5:34 PM GMT 21/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Young Americans - Bowie's strength is that he amalgamates and often perfects his influences. He's also the consummate collaborator. Bowie "plays well with others". On YA, all of these forces converge. It's got a real heart under it's plastic veneer. It manages to be wry without being ironic. What other white guy could successfully ape Philly Soul and be totally earnest without being totally serious? Who else had the gall to rework a John Lennon song before having him featured as a backup singer at the tail end of the album? Who else could write a song as good as Win? Plus, it gave us Luther Vandross...

Posted by Tom Acemoglu at 6:43 PM GMT 21/04/2011 Report Abuse

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The albums Bowie made with the band known as the Spiders from Mars (with Mick Ronson) will remain the most legendary and classic.

1. Ziggy Stardust - It's amazing how this "well-hung creature" sings those beautiful high notes and melodies with such angel-like qualities. Well crafted with great songs, great arrangements (notably Mick Ronsons string arrangements)

2. Hunky Dory -Life on Mars: one of the best tracks ever recorded, together with other classic tracks as Changes, Oh You Pretty Things, Quicksand...

3. Aladdin Sane -harder rock than Ziggy added with some stunning piano playing.

4. Diamond Dogs -This album would have been even better if Bowie hadn't sacked Mick Ronson and the Spiders.

5. Heroes -all great tracks. I prefer this one compared with Low that has a fascinating B-side, but where do you spot Bowie on that side apart from a minor vocal part on the track Warszawa?

6. The Man Who Sold the World. This one is more of a band effort that displays great raw and aggressive solo playing by Ronson and imaginative bass playing (Visconti). Great tracks: The Supermen, All the Madmen, the title track.

7 Station to station

8 Lodger

9 Scary Monsters

10 Space Oddity

sorry, Young Americans didn't make the top ten

Posted by Hans-Eric, Sweden at 8:43 PM GMT 21/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Hunky Dory - A perfect post Beatles pop album when the world was starving for well-written melodic tunes. And the first time Bowie & Ronson worked together. Not a bad song on the record.

Posted by Cody@deltakings.com at 10:05 PM GMT 21/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Bowie has fascinated me since I was a child and I remember the impact of first seeing my cousin's copy of Aladdin Sane - I'd been unaware of anything so visually striking or anything so musically powerful before and even at the age of 9, I sensed this was important music ~ of all time. His lyrics captured my young imagination, I had no idea what it was all about but I knew it was good. Even now, thirty years later, the images constantly change as you listen and they get stranger. Excellent! The distinctive vocals are underpinned by strong and potent guitar sounds. His music has a force all of it's own, appealing to the conscious and subconscious mind and that 70's sound is perfect for his poetry.

I admit to preferring early Bowie stuff, but would not discount the later material. It's just personal taste I guess. I think it's important to see where he began, so I'd recommend...

1. Space Oddity
2. The Man Who Sold the Earth - [my personal favourite]
3. Aladdin Sane
4.The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust
5. Hunky Dory
6. Low

Bowie is a seriously talented artist and has always been way, way ahead of his time. He has been, and still is, such an inspiring and leading influence on art and musicians of all ages and, quite rightly, his sound will stretch into the future. As yet unborn generations will have the Bowie experience. They have that pleasure to come.

Posted by Tracey J Burrows at 10:29 PM GMT 21/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Absolutely agree. Hunky Dory is a masterpiece! A great place to start. Sublime songwriting, imaginative arrangements. One of the greatest albums of the 70s and another example of why he is considered the Picasso of pop/rock music.

Posted by Yanni in NY at 3:26 AM GMT 22/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Hunky dory was pretty huge for me. The early 1990's Sound / Vision releases with extra tunes were key. I grabbed all I could, though had most of it on vinyl already. Space Oddity is a fantastic record. But even stuff like Diamond Dogs has atmosphere in the singles, though the "concept LP thing" is weaker than Man who sold, Aladdin, Station to Station, Low, Ziggy, etc.

Hey, I like the early stuff on Immediate.."I DIG EVERYTHING!" Love it! Great swingin sixties London feel.

Posted by Stan at 5:55 AM GMT 22/04/2011 Report Abuse

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diamond dogs is an under rated gem, also like earthling alongside the obvious hunky/ziggy/sane. prefer heros to low

Posted by baz at 2:53 PM GMT 22/04/2011 Report Abuse

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diamond dogs is an under rated gem, also like earthling alongside the obvious hunky/ziggy/sane. prefer heros to low

Posted by baz at 2:53 PM GMT 22/04/2011 Report Abuse

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diamond dogs is an under rated gem, also like earthling alongside the obvious hunky/ziggy/sane. prefer heros to low

Posted by baz at 2:53 PM GMT 22/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Low. Scared the shit of me when I first heard it. I was twelve. It's still a little unsettling today, but also starkly beautiful. Warszawa may be the best thing he's ever done.

Posted by Mike Mueller at 4:52 AM GMT 23/04/2011 Report Abuse

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A true legend. ALthough Ziggy is a wonderful LP I always come back to Hunky Dory - never heard anything like it before or after. Totally UNIQUE.

Posted by Perth Saint John at 10:13 AM GMT 23/04/2011 Report Abuse

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A true legend. ALthough Ziggy is a wonderful LP I always come back to Hunky Dory - never heard anything like it before or after. Totally UNIQUE.

Posted by Perth Saint John at 10:14 AM GMT 23/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Heathen is a great album. In many ways, it felt like what Bowie had been building towards. I think it's his best 'complete' album. It was the sound of a rare sort of elder statesman of rock who still had both his street cred and his creativity relatively intact over 30 years after their first hit. The title track somehow became an instant classic among fans too. Just look at the 'A Reality Tour' DVD to see the power of these tracks live.

This album even surpasses much of his seminal '70s output. A mature yet still deliciously skewed sound which both lamented the world of 2002 and welcomed the future too.

Posted by David McDermott at 4:54 PM GMT 23/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Diamond Dogs, The ultimate transitional Bowie album, includes all the greatest aspects of his career thus far, and hints on the wonders yet to be unleashed.

Posted by Savakas at 5:07 PM GMT 23/04/2011 Report Abuse

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1. Diamond Dogs
2. Scary Monsters (Super Creeps)

Posted by Steve Maidens at 2:53 AM GMT 24/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Diamond Dogs is a vastly underrated and overlooked classic album.

It is an essential element of Bowie’s career; the bridge between the rock of Ziggy and Aladdin and the white soul of the Young Americans and Station To Station era.

I actually believe it is Bowie’s best album, though I appreciate it is not his most influential. In addition to writing some of his most interesting lyrics and recording some of his finest vocal performances, without the aid of the Spider’s he played just about all the instruments with the exception of one track. It is almost worth buying for the cover alone, even in its airbrushed version. Bowie’s genius is captured in all its glory, though listening to Future Legend for the first time one is unsure if he had gone from mainman to madman. His vocal range is on full display and if ever proof was needed to show he had the ability to become a top rate crooner then the Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing reprise is it; Sinatra on cocaine. It even includes the Rolling Stones best track of the last 30 years in Rebel Rebel, although the title track comes a close second. All at a time when Bowie was releases an album every 9 months in addition to touring and producing everyone form Lou to Lulu.

In 40 minutes Bowie captures a diversity of ideas and influences that most artists do not gain in a lifetime and for the majority of modern “pop stars” careers are carved from less than any one of the elements contained here.

They don’t make them like this any more and the music world is a sadder place for it. Oh dear now I’m getting nostalgic for a lost era, but more importantly the unique genius that is Mr Bowie..

Posted by Jeremy King at 10:10 PM GMT 24/04/2011 Report Abuse

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How to buy? Just make sure it first came out in the seventies - you can't go wrong and won't be disappointed...

Posted by SCarr at 10:17 PM GMT 24/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Terribly difficult to pick between Hunky Dory and Diamond Dogs.

1. Hunky Dory - just excellent songs, without the pose of the albums which followed.
2. Diamond Dogs - a performance album, if you heard it live you could believe it if it sounded the same as the record. Love the title track. His best singing performances.
3. Ziggy - One of the all time classic rock albums, but still with traces of the essence of Hunky Dory.
4. Bowie at the Beeb - this is a great collection. Shame it stops as early in time as it does. (Virtually all BBC recordings put out on CD from this era are great to have, 60s and 70s).
5. Either Heroes or Station to Station.

Going to stop there. Aladdin Sane never did it for me, can't understand the fascination with Low. His worst though has to be David Live. Soft, no punch, no performance, lost everything which Diamond Dogs had.

Posted by BartonAlan at 3:25 PM GMT 25/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Terribly difficult to pick between Hunky Dory and Diamond Dogs.

1. Hunky Dory - just excellent songs, without the pose of the albums which followed.
2. Diamond Dogs - a performance album, if you heard it live you could believe it if it sounded the same as the record. Love the title track. His best singing performances.
3. Ziggy - One of the all time classic rock albums, but still with traces of the essence of Hunky Dory.
4. Bowie at the Beeb - this is a great collection. Shame it stops as early in time as it does. (Virtually all BBC recordings put out on CD from this era are great to have, 60s and 70s).
5. Either Heroes or Station to Station.

Going to stop there. Aladdin Sane never did it for me, can't understand the fascination with Low. His worst though has to be David Live. Soft, no punch, no performance, lost everything which Diamond Dogs had.

Posted by BartonAlan at 3:25 PM GMT 25/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Unfortunately, most people agree that Tin Machine (especially Tin Machine 2) is a low point. Tonight isn't great either; personally, I don't rate Black Tie, White Noise too much either. Pretty much all of his 70s stuff is essential, particularly Hunky Dory, Ziggy Stardust and Low. I think his much-overlooked 90s-2000s period is worth some investigation. Earthling is decent, as is Outside, but Hours and Heathen are definitely underrated albums. Reality's not much cop though, except for New Killer Star.

Posted by Tom Jordan at 3:36 PM GMT 25/04/2011 Report Abuse

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1. Ziggy Stardust - There are better songs on other albums but as a cohesive whole this is hard to beat.

2. Station To Station - So out of it he hardly remembers it yet an icy masterpiece of artifice balanced with the heartfelt.

3. Hunky Dory - Unique in the way it balances childlike melodies and structures with a sense of foreboding found in the lyrical darkness.

4. Low - What does a soundtrack to despair & regeneration sound like? It's all here on this magnificent album.

5. Diamond Dogs - You could lament the fact that the 1984 musical never took wings or you could rejoice in the fact that here was dystopia made a sonic reality with a claustrophobic feel peerless at this moment.

6. The Man Who Sold The World - So underrated. Hints of the brilliance to come shows itself on All The Madmen & Saviour Machine.

Posted by John Mordecai at 4:53 PM GMT 25/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Lodger-why does this gem in Bowie's catalogue always get overlooked? It was inspired by the Walker Brothers Nite Flights, which was itself influenced by Bowie's Low.

Has there ever been another record that has been inspired by a record that was itself influenced by something from the same artists catalogue?

Just listen to the sublime 'Fantastic Voyage', a Scott Walker song in all but name. Or 'Move On', which is actually 'All The Young Dudes' played backwards. A happy studio accident.
Then you have the rockers such as 'Red Sails'(a bit of a Harmonia steal there David)? and 'Look Back in Anger' a live favourite and another song that wouldn't sound out of place on a Scott Walker album.

And of course there are the hits 'Boys Keep Swinging' where the band all swapped instruments in the studio for ones they couldn't play very well which sounds like it could trip over itself at any minute and 'DJ' a sleazy little number with some nice violin and kissing sounds. Throw a bit of Turkish Reggae into the mix (Yassassin) and you've got one of Bowies best, and a personal faveourite of the Dame himself.

Posted by Andy Banham at 7:26 PM GMT 25/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Lodger-why does this gem in Bowie's catalogue always get overlooked? It was inspired by the Walker Brothers Nite Flights, which was itself influenced by Bowie's Low.

Has there ever been another record that has been inspired by a record that was itself influenced by something from the same artists catalogue?

Just listen to the sublime 'Fantastic Voyage', a Scott Walker song in all but name. Or 'Move On', which is actually 'All The Young Dudes' played backwards. A happy studio accident.
Then you have the rockers such as 'Red Sails'(a bit of a Harmonia steal there David)? and 'Look Back in Anger' a live favourite and another song that wouldn't sound out of place on a Scott Walker album.

And of course there are the hits 'Boys Keep Swinging' where the band all swapped instruments in the studio for ones they couldn't play very well which sounds like it could trip over itself at any minute and 'DJ' a sleazy little number with some nice violin and kissing sounds. Throw a bit of Turkish Reggae into the mix (Yassassin) and you've got one of Bowies best, and a personal faveourite of the Dame himself.

Posted by Andy Banham at 7:26 PM GMT 25/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Lodger-why does this gem in Bowie's catalogue always get overlooked? It was inspired by the Walker Brothers Nite Flights, which was itself influenced by Bowie's Low.

Has there ever been another record that has been inspired by a record that was itself influenced by something from the same artist’s catalogue?

Just listen to the sublime 'Fantastic Voyage', a Scott Walker song in all but name. Or 'Move On', which is actually 'All the Young Dudes' played backwards. A happy studio accident.

Then you have the rockers such as 'Red Sails'(a bit of a Harmonia steal there David)? And 'Look Back in Anger' a live favourite and another song that wouldn't sound out of place on a Scott Walker album.

And of course there are the hits 'Boys Keep Swinging' where the band all swapped instruments in the studio for ones they couldn't play very well which sounds like it could trip over itself at any minute and 'DJ' a sleazy little number with some nice violin and kissing sounds. Throw a bit of Turkish Reggae into the mix (Yassassin) and you've got one of Bowies best, and a personal favourite of the Dame himself.

Posted by Andy Banham at 7:29 PM GMT 25/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Lodger-why does this gem in Bowie's catalogue always get overlooked? It was inspired by the Walker Brothers Nite Flights, which was itself influenced by Bowie's Low.

Has there ever been another record that has been inspired by a record that was itself influenced by something from the same artist’s catalogue?

Just listen to the sublime 'Fantastic Voyage', a Scott Walker song in all but name. Or 'Move On', which is actually 'All the Young Dudes' played backwards. A happy studio accident.

Then you have the rockers such as 'Red Sails'(a bit of a Harmonia steal there David)? And 'Look Back in Anger' a live favourite and another song that wouldn't sound out of place on a Scott Walker album.

And of course there are the hits 'Boys Keep Swinging' where the band all swapped instruments in the studio for ones they couldn't play very well which sounds like it could trip over itself at any minute and 'DJ' a sleazy little number with some nice violin and kissing sounds. Throw a bit of Turkish Reggae into the mix (Yassassin) and you've got one of Bowies best, and a personal favourite of the Dame himself.

Posted by Andy Banham at 7:32 PM GMT 25/04/2011 Report Abuse

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1 Scary Monsters - the last point at which DB could do no wrong, after this the doubt crept in.
2 Low - completely moved the goalposts with this
3 Heroes - still way ahead of everyone else at the time, not even an appalling cover could ruin the title track

Posted by Russ Spence at 9:35 PM GMT 25/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Before I first heard side 2 of 'Low' it simply hadn't occurred to me that this kind of sound could be made. It was quite unearthly and I still consider 'Low' to be not only Bowie's finest, but one of the top ten albums of all time.

Posted by Gronk at 10:30 AM GMT 26/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Before I first heard side 2 of 'Low' it simply hadn't occurred to me that this kind of sound could be made. It was quite unearthly and I still consider 'Low' to be not only Bowie's finest, but one of the very greatest albums of all time.

Posted by Gronk at 10:31 AM GMT 26/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Diamond Dogs is my personal favourite, followed by Hunky; Sane & Heroes. Or perhaps Man Who Sold or Station, or what about Young Americans or Lodger (2 lesser mentioned ones from the 70s). I still think Low & Ziggy are a tad over rated though. Scarey Monsters is also a fine effort. Prefer Tonight to Dance - listen to it again, Tumble & Twirl; Alien; + Neighborhood Threat are as good/better than Modern Love. Tin Machine was not bad - otherwise he could have turned into Phil Collins or Elton! Outside is very good & like Earthling more than Heathen or Reality. Not overly impressed with Hours or Black Tie.

Posted by Baz at 11:47 AM GMT 26/04/2011 Report Abuse

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1.'Hours-Of the later material, this easily has the best songs. "Seven," "Thursday's Child" and "The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell" all serve to remind that Bowie (along with guitarist Reeves Gabrels) could write great, simple songs you could sing along to.

2. Tin Machine-No one puts Tin Machine in the corner.
3. Earthling-A daring move. "Little Wonder" is an amazing tune and perhaps the best opening cut on any album during the decade.
4. The Buddha of Suburbia-Yep. It's weird and is pretty obscure but it's still an interesting look at where he was going and where he'd been.
5. Hunky Dory-For obvious reasons.

Posted by Jedd Beaudoin at 11:22 PM GMT 26/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Somebody needs to speak up for the always undervalued 'Black Tie, White Noise'. Very dance floor-friendly with a richness and warmth that make it deserving of, no, not the top spot, but definitely a higher placing in the Bowie table.

Posted by winterlong58 at 3:18 AM GMT 27/04/2011 Report Abuse

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1 Station to Station--Vocals at stunning peak + guests, production, and outer space!
2 Young Americans--Vocals nearing peak + guests, bonus tracks on Rykodisk, Somebody up there likes DB.
3 Low--production, ambiance, instrumentals!
4 Scary Monsters--ushering in the sound that kills the 70s
5 Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust, etc.--songs could have worked with any production, + Mick Ronson
6 Hunky Dory--pop gems
7 Aladdin Sane--production, guests, weirdness!
8 Heroes--songs, production, elegance
9 The Man Who Sold the World--can we hear this album more, please?
10 Let's Dance--Let's dance!

Avoid These:
Tonight--ewwe, reggae?
Pin Ups--Let's spend the night without this record
Beginnings--fairy nonsense

Posted by Kegani Shrug at 4:47 AM GMT 27/04/2011 Report Abuse

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1. Ziggy Stardust - If you could only take 3 albums to the moon, this would be one of them!
2. Aladdin Sane
3. Hunky Dory
4. Diamond Dogs
5. Low
6. Station to Station
7. Pin-Ups
8. The Man Who Sold The World
9. Let's Dance

Posted by Dom Rock at 3:36 PM GMT 27/04/2011 Report Abuse

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DIAMOND DOGS - THE BRIDGE BETWEEN GLAM AND SOUL BOWIE - STILL AHEAD OF ITS TIME 37 YEARS ON!! PLUS THE GREATEST LP COVER SLEEVE EVER

Posted by PJB at 8:01 PM GMT 27/04/2011 Report Abuse

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RE: Sting
Nice one,made me laugh!
Who hasn't been influenced by Bowie?
He always wanted to be a teacher.He got me and another few thousand people as kids into Lou and Iggy, which isn't to be sniffed at concerning the impact those 2 alone have had on my life and many others.Meanwhile he continued to release fantastic music himself.He has never bored me ever ,(apart from "Never Let Me Down",sorry David!).I love both Tin Machine albums and went to see them live and they were brilliant.The man in a small venue with Iggy's "Lust For Life/Idiot" band! I'm sure I speak for a lot of long term fans when I say that it was a dream come true,after all the huge stadiums in the 80's.Start at Ziggy,then go back to Hunky Dory,then Man Who Sold the World(an underrated gem),then off to Berlin with Low and Heroes,StationtoStation is essential also.Just buy them all and enjoy the journey,omit Never Let Me Down",and enjoy his trip into the nineties with "Outside"where David is reunited with Eno and the deep baritone is back with us.Heathen was his last really great album.He owes us nothing but we owe him a lot.

Posted by Tim Keppie at 8:48 PM GMT 27/04/2011 Report Abuse

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really? is this how mojo's going now? for fucks sake.....

Posted by Anonymous at 11:00 PM GMT 27/04/2011 Report Abuse

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RE: Anonymous

Yes thats how MOJO is going talking about a true legend rather than the crud around now

Posted by BAZ at 12:22 PM GMT 28/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Young Americans every time.

Strange but it was what opened the door on Bowie for me.

A soul boy/casual/whatever you want to call it and naturally suspicious of guitars and 'rock' in general - I was also young , please forgive me!

Hearing this track and then delving a bit deeper into the album, made me love this period Bowie, but I didn't go any further at that time, as did one of his classic zigs when the world zagged.

Then wheel came full circle last year when all the reviews of Weller's 'Wake Up The Nation' checked Bowie as a reference, so I went back for more and ended up with the Special Edition STS, Low and all the others and am now making up for lost time!

Posted by Tim N at 1:46 PM GMT 28/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Personally,
1. Hunky Dory
2. Ziggy
3.Diamond Dogs
4.Alladin Sane
5, Buy a 'Best Of'
6. Scarey Monsters
7. Buy a "More Best Of"
8. The Cat People sound track to get the best version of 'putting out the fire'.
9. LIve Aid sound track for Heroes with Thomas Dolby on synth.
10. Earthling, cool coat and cockney vocals reminiscent of 'The Bewley Brothers' close out, we have come full circle is that why he's stopped?

Top tracks? Rock n roll suicide, 5 years, Starman?
Top Bowie cover, The man who sold the world but who's? Nirvana, Lulu? Personally I think Midge Ure's version.

Posted by s rippin at 3:33 PM GMT 28/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Station2station - nuff ced!

Posted by Max. (Sthlm,Sweden) at 9:38 AM GMT 29/04/2011 Report Abuse

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Aladdin Sane was the first Bowie album I got, Diamond Dogs soon followed. Like the earlier thread mentioned, the 70's period was the best.

1. Aladdin Sane
2. Diamond Dogs
3. The Man Who Sold The World
4. Young Americans
5. Station To Station
6. Hunky Dory
7. Space Oddity
8. Low
9. Bowie Singles

Worst Bowie albums for me were Tonight and Black Tie White Noise.

Posted by jsmbliam at 10:37 PM GMT 29/04/2011 Report Abuse

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1.Low
2."Heroes"
3.Station To Station
4.Diamond Dogs
5.Hunky Dory

Posted by Serge at 7:47 PM GMT 01/05/2011 Report Abuse

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Often overlooked, perhaps because the surreal 'non-linear' narrative makes the album less accessible to the casual listener, Outside remains my favourite late period Bowie album. The Bowie/Eno magic being weaved to reproduce the deranged spirit evident on 'All the Madmen' or on the cover of 'See Emily Play'. Stand out tracks 'The Motel', 'Hearts Filthy Lesson', 'Hallo Spaceboy' and 'Strangers when we meet' being fitting additions to the Bowie catalogue.

Posted by Garry at 10:12 PM GMT 02/05/2011 Report Abuse

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Often overlooked, perhaps because the surreal 'non-linear' narrative makes the album less accessible to the casual listener, Outside remains my favourite late period Bowie album. The Bowie/Eno magic being weaved to reproduce the deranged spirit evident on 'All the Madmen' or on the cover of 'See Emily Play'. Stand out tracks 'The Motel', 'Hearts Filthy Lesson', 'Hallo Spaceboy' and 'Strangers when we meet' being fitting additions to the Bowie catalogue.

Posted by Garry at 10:13 PM GMT 02/05/2011 Report Abuse

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Often overlooked, perhaps because the surreal 'non-linear' narrative makes the album less accessible to the casual listener, Outside remains my favourite late period Bowie album. The Bowie/Eno magic being weaved to reproduce the deranged spirit evident on 'All the Madmen' or on the cover of 'See Emily Play'. Stand out tracks 'The Motel', 'Hearts Filthy Lesson', 'Hallo Spaceboy' and 'Strangers when we meet' being fitting additions to the Bowie catalogue.

Posted by Garry at 10:14 PM GMT 02/05/2011 Report Abuse

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RE: Sting you complete mug.

Posted by sim sala bim at 3:29 PM GMT 03/05/2011 Report Abuse

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RE: Sting you complete mug.

Posted by sim sala bim at 3:29 PM GMT 03/05/2011 Report Abuse

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The best way to start out would be Hunky Dory, for it has the quitessential charm of Bowie to it, with Oh You Pretty Things and Life on Mars it's easy to fall in love. Then go for Ziggy... the superstardom album and arguably the best - it just shimmers with absolute greatness. After that (yes it's going chronologically) Aladdin Sane - basically as good as Ziggy but with bigger balls and less aching beauty (except Lady Grinning Soul, a song like no other) it revels in rock'n'roll brilliance with Jean Genie, Watch That Man etc. Then take a leap forward to Low, Bowie had already influenced the whole punk generetaion, now it's time to influence the post-punkers - a groundbreaking masterpiece of electronica-rock, a journey (with Brian Eno actually). Go on with the sequel, Heroes, same year, same cosmic quality (if really into those, take a detour to Iggy-Bowie The Idiot and Lust For Life of the same year). Now leap back to Station To Station for a dark dance of drugs, a sort of bridge between what we have gone through already. Man Who Sold the World would be next, if you couldn't get enough of the early rock'n'roll adventure. Now get the Platinum Collection of 3CDs to fill in gaps of the early era and get the peaks of what was to come after Heroes. To finish off, enjoy the high peak of Bowie live with the newly released Live At Santa Monica '72. Now you're on your own.

Posted by Sander at 10:06 AM GMT 04/05/2011 Report Abuse

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Top 5 Bowie albums

1. Hunky Dory - sounds fresh and new every time I play it, and I play it often
2. Ziggy - I will never forget the first time I played this at the age of 13 in my bedroom - spellbound from "Five Years" onwards.
3. Low - Side 2 took some getting into, but after the shock of tunes with no vocals passed this album grew and grew in my mind.
4. Scary Monsters - the album that rounded off Bowie in the seventies, kicked off Bowie in the eighties on a high note but was sadly never surpassed.
5. Lodger - overlooked by many but listen again - and how about that video for "Boy's Keep Swinging"?

Posted by Marcus Soldini at 8:52 AM GMT 05/05/2011 Report Abuse

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Top 5 Bowie albums

1. Hunky Dory - sounds fresh and new every time I play it, and I play it often
2. Ziggy - I will never forget the first time I played this at the age of 13 in my bedroom - spellbound from "Five Years" onwards.
3. Low - Side 2 took some getting into, but after the shock of tunes with no vocals passed this album grew and grew in my mind.
4. Scary Monsters - the album that rounded off Bowie in the seventies, kicked off Bowie in the eighties on a high note but was sadly never surpassed.
5. Lodger - overlooked by many but listen again - and how about that video for "Boys Keep Swinging"?

Posted by Marcus Soldini at 8:52 AM GMT 05/05/2011 Report Abuse

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1. Low
2. Hunky Dory
3. Ziggy Stardust
4. Diamond Dogs
5. Scary Monsters
6. Aladiin Sane
7. Station to Station
8. Heroes
9. the Man Who Sold the World
10. Young Americans

Posted by madmansgayscience at 5:17 PM GMT 05/05/2011 Report Abuse

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Tricky.....

1. Ziggy Stardust
2. Hunky Dory
3. Man Who Sold The World
4. Diamond Dogs
5. Space Oddity (Cant help it - 1st Bowie I heard)
6. Low
7. Station To Station
8. Aladdin Sane
9. Heroes
10. Young Americans

Posted by Tom Blunden at 4:21 PM GMT 09/05/2011 Report Abuse

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How do you choose you're favourite Bowie album? I think it's an impossible task as it depends upon your mood. I've chosen ten and each one can be my favourite on any given day. Today they follow the following order:
1. Station to Station -A classic mix of European and American rock
2. Hunky Dory -A master class in great songs, great lyrics and beautiful orchestration. Rick Wakeman describes it as the best album he played on.
3. Low -Utterly brilliant, influenced by Neu, Kraftwerk, Can... but without which there would have been no New Romantic movement.
4. Ziggy Stardust -The template for classic rock, genre defining!
5.Young Americans -A ground breaking album where Bowie takes a chance and succeeds with aplomb. As good a soul album as Stevie Wonder was recording at the time, I can pay no higher compliment.
6.Diamond Dogs -The bleak dystopia of Orwell's 1984 is set out here as a concept album. Bowie is on top form, although I would have like to have seen Mick Ronson play guitar on this.
7.Scary Monsters -Angular! A weird hybrid of rock with avant guard solos. The guitar in Fashion is bonkers, yet compliments the song perfectly. Also any album which has Pete Townshend performing heroics is always a winner.
8. Heathen, chosen just ahead of Reality. Beautiful songs and surely the start of another great trilogy before he suffered chest problems. 5.15 is just beautiful.
9. Aladdin Sane -An obvious choice really. The Spiders are on overdrive. The piano playing is also great and in 'Time' Bowie is the only person who could make the word 'Wanking' essential to a song. Also 'Lady Grinning Soul' is arguably the greatest ending to any album,
10. Space Oddity -The first true great Bowie album and massively overlooked. There are numerous great songs on this album. Bowie's folk classic.
Also Highly Recommended: Lodger, Reality, Heroes, Let's Dance, The Man Who Sold The World, Outside, Earthling, Tin Machine, Pin Ups, Bowie at the Beeb
Avoid: Tonight and Never Let Me Down -The Nadir of Bowie's illustrious career.
Come back David we miss you, let's see you produce something as good as your last two albums.

Posted by Anthony Stobart at 10:35 PM GMT 09/05/2011 Report Abuse

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How do you choose you're favourite Bowie album? I think it's an impossible task as it depends upon your mood. I've chosen ten and each one can be my favourite on any given day. Today they follow the following order:
1. Station to Station -A classic mix of European and American rock
2. Hunky Dory -A master class in great songs, great lyrics and beautiful orchestration. Rick Wakeman describes it as the best album he played on.
3. Low -Utterly brilliant, influenced by Neu, Kraftwerk, Can... but without which there would have been no New Romantic movement.
4. Ziggy Stardust -The template for classic rock, genre defining!
5.Young Americans -A ground breaking album where Bowie takes a chance and succeeds with aplomb. As good a soul album as Stevie Wonder was recording at the time, I can pay no higher compliment.
6.Diamond Dogs -The bleak dystopia of Orwell's 1984 is set out here as a concept album. Bowie is on top form, although I would have like to have seen Mick Ronson play guitar on this.
7.Scary Monsters -Angular! A weird hybrid of rock with avant guard solos. The guitar in Fashion is bonkers, yet compliments the song perfectly. Also any album which has Pete Townshend performing heroics is always a winner.
8. Heathen, chosen just ahead of Reality. Beautiful songs and surely the start of another great trilogy before he suffered chest problems. 5.15 is just beautiful.
9. Aladdin Sane -An obvious choice really. The Spiders are on overdrive. The piano playing is also great and in 'Time' Bowie is the only person who could make the word 'Wanking' essential to a song. Also 'Lady Grinning Soul' is arguably the greatest ending to any album,
10. Space Oddity -The first true great Bowie album and massively overlooked. There are numerous great songs on this album. Bowie's folk classic.
Also Highly Recommended: Lodger, Reality, Heroes, Let's Dance, The Man Who Sold The World, Outside, Earthling, Tin Machine, Pin Ups, Bowie at the Beeb
Avoid: Tonight and Never Let Me Down -The Nadir of Bowie's illustrious career.
Come back David we miss you, let's see you produce something as good as your last two albums.

Posted by Anthony Stobart at 10:36 PM GMT 09/05/2011 Report Abuse

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Aladdin Sane - the sound of a newly liberated superstar doing as he pleases, without any sense of constraint. Every song is a gem, many push through the undeclared boundaries of what pop/rock should be (especially the title track, with it's extraordinary piano work, and Drive In Saturday, surely one of the most extraordinary top 10 singles of all time), and all of it was written on the road in the USA under the influence of copious amounts of drugs. A great advert for living a creative life on the wild side.

Posted by Duncan Loynes at 8:01 AM GMT 10/05/2011 Report Abuse

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Everything Bowie produced through the seventies was exciting, substantial and significant for both artists and music lovers. From folk to rock to soul to electro. But my favourite has to be LOW. It was something I had never really been exposed to as a teenager in the late 70's. It opened doors to all kinds of new musically ideas for me leading to Kraftwerk, early Human League and the electronic movement in general.
From Speed of Life through to A New Career In A New Town the first side on vinyl was brilliantly written songs uncommercial but accessible songs (the main single Sound and Vision is hardly conventional pop material!). Then from Warsawa to Subterraneans you have a wonderful ethereal side of beautiful compositions where as a teenager (and still now!) one can lose oneself in its imagination.
2. Hunky Dory
3. Aladin Sane
4. Heroes
5. Ziggy Stardust
6. Station To Station
7. Lodger
8. Young Americans
9. Scary Monsters
10. Diamond Dogs
He is a genuis!

Posted by Bob Archer at 12:09 PM GMT 13/05/2011 Report Abuse

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Everything Bowie produced through the seventies was exciting, substantial and significant for both artists and music lovers. From folk to rock to soul to electro. But my favourite has to be LOW. It was something I had never really been exposed to as a teenager in the late 70's. It opened doors to all kinds of new musically ideas for me leading to Kraftwerk, early Human League and the electronic movement in general.
From Speed of Life through to A New Career In A New Town the first side on vinyl was brilliantly written songs uncommercial but accessible songs (the main single Sound and Vision is hardly conventional pop material!). Then from Warsawa to Subterraneans you have a wonderful ethereal side of beautiful compositions where as a teenager (and still now!) one can lose oneself in its imagination.
2. Hunky Dory
3. Aladin Sane
4. Heroes
5. Ziggy Stardust
6. Station To Station
7. Lodger
8. Young Americans
9. Scary Monsters
10. Diamond Dogs
He is a genuis!

Posted by Bob Archer at 12:10 PM GMT 13/05/2011 Report Abuse

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Scary Monsters...still makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Posted by Dann at 6:37 PM GMT 13/05/2011 Report Abuse

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Here goes - don't think about it too much, just go with your gut!

1: Station to Station
2: 'Heroes'
3: Hunky Dory
4: Ziggy Stardust
5: Diamond Dogs
6: Low
7: Young Americans
8: Scary Monsters
9: Alladin Sane
10: The Man Who Sold The World

Posted by PhilYourHeart at 1:19 AM GMT 20/05/2011 Report Abuse

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Here goes - don't think about it too much, just go with your gut!

1: Station to Station
2: 'Heroes'
3: Hunky Dory
4: Ziggy Stardust
5: Diamond Dogs
6: Low
7: Young Americans
8: Scary Monsters
9: Alladin Sane
10: The Man Who Sold The World

Posted by PhilYourHeart at 1:19 AM GMT 20/05/2011 Report Abuse

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RE: Tony Ward ;Same here, it was something odd & new with this era `71-74! Must´ve been some lethalstuff with the platinumboy? Still, could it have reached even higher??

Posted by Max Ink at 2:07 PM GMT 27/05/2011 Report Abuse

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RE: Tony Ward ;Same here, it was something odd & new with this era `71-74! Must´ve been some lethalstuff with the platinumboy? Still, could it have reached even higher??

Posted by Max Ink at 2:08 PM GMT 27/05/2011 Report Abuse

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The Berlin albums are great, but I think may turn an uninitiated off if tey were the first they heard. Plus, you miss out on the evolution and recognizing the innovation of those albums. How you should by, what is to me, his Top 5:

1. Ziggy Stardust - includes hits and is accessible and representative of his glam period

2. Hunky Dory - again, accesible, maybe not as recognizable

3. Station to Station - gets spacier and more sci-fi, more extended tunes and layering in some alien-funk, but also includes pop song structures

4. Heroes - to me, more accessible than Low. I think this is the first to try to see if you like this era of Bowie

5. Low - if you liked Heroes, then continue here....

Posted by Jon at 5:08 PM GMT 07/06/2011 Report Abuse

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The Berlin albums are great, but I think may turn an uninitiated off if tey were the first they heard. Plus, you miss out on the evolution and recognizing the innovation of those albums. How you should by, what is to me, his Top 5:

1. Ziggy Stardust - includes hits and is accessible and representative of his glam period

2. Hunky Dory - again, accesible, maybe not as recognizable

3. Station to Station - gets spacier and more sci-fi, more extended tunes and layering in some alien-funk, but also includes pop song structures

4. Heroes - to me, more accessible than Low. I think this is the first to try to see if you like this era of Bowie

5. Low - if you liked Heroes, then continue here....

Posted by Jon at 5:13 PM GMT 07/06/2011 Report Abuse

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1. Low
2. The Rise & Fall Of Ziggy Stardust.....
3. Stationtostation
4. Hunky Dory
5. Diamond Dogs
6. The Man Who Sold The World
7. Scary Monsters & Supercreeps
8. Aladdin Sane
9. Bowie At The Beeb
10.Heroes

1.Outside, Hours, Heathen, Pin-Ups, Tin Machine, Tin Machine II, Space Oddity, & Lodger, are all worthy of a place, but you can only squeeze 10 into a top 10.

Posted by jimmmm at 8:03 AM GMT 23/06/2011 Report Abuse

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David Bowie 2/5
Space Oddity 2/5
The Man Who Sold The World 4/5
Hunky Dory 5/5
TRAFO Ziggy Stardust ATSFM 4/5
Aladdin Sane 4/5
Pin Ups 2/5
Diamond Dogs 5/5
Young Americans 3/5
Station To Station 4/5
Low 5/5
"Heroes" 4/5
Lodger 4/5
Scary Monsters 5/5
Let's Dance 2/5
Tonight 1/5
Never Let Me Down 1/5
Tin Machine 4/5 (The album that got me into Bowie)
Tin Machine II 3/5
Black Tie White Noise 4/5
The Buddha Of Suburbia 4/5
1.Outside 5/5 (Fav Bowie album)
Earthling 5/5
'hours... ' 2/5 (Almost a turd)
Heathen 4/5
Reality 2/5

Posted by Oh Yeah?! at 7:05 PM GMT 23/06/2011 Report Abuse

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1. Diamond Dogs
Future Songs , David’s deep Voice 1st time, simply brilliant!

2. Lodger
Totally unrelated, in my opinion a milestone!

3. Hunky Dory
I think I mustn’t say anything...

4. Low
It’s crazy, but just the noncommercial Low was the first Bowie-LP I ever heard and it flashed!

5. Hours...
My favorite “newer” Album; a big help in cruel times...

6. Station to Station
One word: epic!

7. Ziggy Stardust
Of course it’s ingenious, but not the top of my personal playlist

8. Heathen
I loved “Hours” and “Heathen” was an equal superb follow-up album

9. Young Americans
The perfect Soundtrack for a nice evening with your girlfriend ;)

10. Outside
Bowie’s best 90s-work. What a relief in this time...

Posted by Boohousen at 12:03 PM GMT 24/06/2011 Report Abuse

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1. Diamond Dogs
Future Songs , David’s deep Voice 1st time, simply brilliant!

2. Lodger
Totally unrelated, in my opinion a milestone!

3. Hunky Dory
I think I mustn’t say anything...

4. Low
It’s crazy, but just the noncommercial Low was the first Bowie-LP I ever heard and it flashed!

5. Hours...
My favorite “newer” Album; a big help in cruel times...

6. Station to Station
One word: epic!

7. Ziggy Stardust
Of course it’s ingenious, but not the top of my personal playlist

8. Heathen
I loved “Hours” and “Heathen” was an equal superb follow-up album

9. Young Americans
The perfect Soundtrack for a nice evening with your girlfriend ;)

10. Outside
Bowie’s best 90s-work. What a relief in this time...

Posted by Boohousen at 12:06 PM GMT 24/06/2011 Report Abuse

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1. Hunky Dory
2. The Man Who Sold The World
3. Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
4. Diamond Dogs
5. Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
6. Alladin Sane
7. Space Oddity
8. Station To Station
9. Earthling
10. Lodger

Posted by LARM at 5:01 AM GMT 27/06/2011 Report Abuse

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I started out with Ziggy, but if anyone was to ask me now I would tell them to start with Station to Staion. For me the album is his best, and its a shame that he says that he does not remember much about the recording of it. The album can hold its own with the likes of Blonde on Blonde, Sgt. Peppers and any other album considered a classic of modern music.
Also essential are the usual suspects, Low and "Heroes" for the shear scale of creativity, Aladdin Sane, which I consider to be far superior to Ziggy Stardust or the over rated Hunky Dory. Young Americans would be another must have, for Fascination and Somebody Up There Likes Me.
I would also recommend Diamond Dogs and the often over looked Lodger which is arguably one of his most diverse albums, from the paranoid edginess of African Night Flight to the reggae tinted easten european folk that is Yassasin not forgetting Boys Keep Swinging.
You really cant go wrong with Bowie, anything from Ziggy to Lodger is a treat, I dont know if any artist has made so many great albums in such a short space of time. Then cherry pick the procedding decades, Lets Dance, Heathen and even Outside have a lot to offer.

Posted by Reece at 6:43 PM GMT 16/07/2011 Report Abuse

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As much as we would all like to slag off the Tin Machine albums, they were very much instrumental in his return to listenable music. Some of it was challenging, some just not. But considering that most of his '80s output was so thin you could floss your teeth with it, those records, with that band were precisely what he needed. To remember how guitars work, and how drums are bashed, not always tastefully tapped. I agree the 70's period is untouchable, and the '90's were a climb from the 80's mire, and the noughties have been a renaissance, but with out the Tin Machine I just can't see how he could have wrenched his career free. Just me though.

Posted by Colin at 10:47 AM GMT 21/07/2011 Report Abuse

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As much as we would all like to slag off the Tin Machine albums, they were very much instrumental in his return to listenable music. Some of it was challenging, some just not. But considering that most of his '80s output was so thin you could floss your teeth with it, those records, with that band were precisely what he needed. To remember how guitars work, and how drums are bashed, not always tastefully tapped. I agree the 70's period is untouchable, and the '90's were a climb from the 80's mire, and the noughties have been a renaissance, but with out the Tin Machine I just can't see how he could have wrenched his career free. Just me though.

Posted by Colin at 10:51 AM GMT 21/07/2011 Report Abuse

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I think the absolutely MUST listen to is:

Diamond Dogs! Why? Because it's a wonderful masterpiece that is really, almost entirely his own. His first real solo work, a concept album of perfection/completion, a concerto! All his own work (save for "Rock 'N' Roll With me" which Bowie co-wrote the music for with Warren Peace), and most of the instruments played by the man himself. You can hear and feel the raw emotion and passion! The album needs to be listened to as a whole in one sitting!

Others include (for the showcase of Bowie's talent and diversity as a singer/musician and a composer):
Aladdin Sane ("Lady Grinning Soul" is an absolute must!); The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars (Live and Studio if not for the inexperience and small amount of naivety still possessed by the man at the time prior to his final transition into a confident, diverse singer and composer); Station to Station (his decent into a cocaine induced madness); and Space Oddity (that pre-drug, naive young boy finally starting to make a break through after previously unrecognised albums).

Of course there is always The Best of Bowie. A good collection, but not a great one.

But I always recommend, where possible, to just listen to a few songs from each album (including the 2 albums released prior to Space Oddity). It will take you on a journey starting with the young, ambitious, naive David Jones' transformation into rock god David Bowie, going through all his stages - the struggle; the break through; the rise to fame; the decent into madness; the recovery/comeback; the 3 stages of mid-life crisis - denial (Tin Machine, Outside, Earthling), realisation/grief (Hours..., Heathen respectively), and acceptance (Reality).

Posted by Mellie at 1:10 PM GMT 29/01/2012 Report Abuse

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I think the absolutely MUST listen to is:

Diamond Dogs! Why? Because it's a wonderful masterpiece that is really, almost entirely his own. His first real solo work, a concept album of perfection/completion, a concerto! All his own work (save for "Rock 'N' Roll With me" which Bowie co-wrote the music for with Warren Peace), and most of the instruments played by the man himself. You can hear and feel the raw emotion and passion! The album needs to be listened to as a whole in one sitting!

Others include (for the showcase of Bowie's talent and diversity as a singer/musician and a composer):
Aladdin Sane ("Lady Grinning Soul" is an absolute must!); The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars (Live and Studio if not for the inexperience and small amount of naivety still possessed by the man at the time prior to his final transition into a confident, diverse singer and composer); Station to Station (his decent into a cocaine induced madness); and Space Oddity (that pre-drug, naive young boy finally starting to make a break through after previously unrecognised albums).

Of course there is always The Best of Bowie. A good collection, but not a great one.

But I always recommend, where possible, to just listen to a few songs from each album (including the 2 albums released prior to Space Oddity). It will take you on a journey starting with the young, ambitious, naive David Jones' transformation into rock god David Bowie, going through all his stages - the struggle; the break through; the rise to fame; the decent into madness; the recovery/comeback; the 3 stages of mid-life crisis - denial (Tin Machine, Outside, Earthling), realisation/grief (Hours..., Heathen respectively), and acceptance (Reality).

Posted by Mellie at 1:11 PM GMT 29/01/2012 Report Abuse

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I think the absolutely MUST listen to is:

Diamond Dogs! Why? Because it's a wonderful masterpiece that is really, almost entirely his own. His first real solo work, a concept album of perfection/completion, a concerto! All his own work (save for "Rock 'N' Roll With me" which Bowie co-wrote the music for with Warren Peace), and most of the instruments played by the man himself. You can hear and feel the raw emotion and passion! The album needs to be listened to as a whole in one sitting!

Others include (for the showcase of Bowie's talent and diversity as a singer/musician and a composer):
Aladdin Sane ("Lady Grinning Soul" is an absolute must!); The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars (Live and Studio if not for the inexperience and small amount of naivety still possessed by the man at the time prior to his final transition into a confident, diverse singer and composer); Station to Station (his decent into a cocaine induced madness); and Space Oddity (that pre-drug, naive young boy finally starting to make a break through after previously unrecognised albums).

Of course there is always The Best of Bowie. A good collection, but not a great one.

But I always recommend, where possible, to just listen to a few songs from each album (including the 2 albums released prior to Space Oddity). It will take you on a journey starting with the young, ambitious, naive David Jones' transformation into rock god David Bowie, going through all his stages - the struggle; the break through; the rise to fame; the decent into madness; the recovery/comeback; the 3 stages of mid-life crisis - denial (Tin Machine, Outside, Earthling), realisation/grief (Hours..., Heathen respectively), and acceptance (Reality).

Posted by Mellie at 1:13 PM GMT 29/01/2012 Report Abuse

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I think the absolutely MUST listen to is:

Diamond Dogs! Why? Because it's a wonderful masterpiece that is really, almost entirely his own. His first real solo work, a concept album of perfection/completion, a concerto! All his own work (save for "Rock 'N' Roll With me" which Bowie co-wrote the music for with Warren Peace), and most of the instruments played by the man himself. You can hear and feel the raw emotion and passion! The album needs to be listened to as a whole in one sitting!

Others include (for the showcase of Bowie's talent and diversity as a singer/musician and a composer):
Aladdin Sane ("Lady Grinning Soul" is an absolute must!); The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars (Live and Studio if not for the inexperience and small amount of naivety still possessed by the man at the time prior to his final transition into a confident, diverse singer and composer); Station to Station (his decent into a cocaine induced madness); and Space Oddity (that pre-drug, naive young boy finally starting to make a break through after previously unrecognised albums).

Of course there is always The Best of Bowie. A good collection, but not a great one.

But I always recommend, where possible, to just listen to a few songs from each album (including the 2 albums released prior to Space Oddity). It will take you on a journey starting with the young, ambitious, naive David Jones' transformation into rock god David Bowie, going through all his stages - the struggle; the break through; the rise to fame; the decent into madness; the recovery/comeback; the 3 stages of mid-life crisis - denial (Tin Machine, Outside, Earthling), realisation/grief (Hours..., Heathen respectively), and acceptance (Reality).

Posted by Mellie at 1:17 PM GMT 29/01/2012 Report Abuse

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avant de juge9 craig david, les gars et les girls, essayer un petit peu de coraintne ca personnalite9, n'essayer de faire ce qui connaissent les chanteurs parce que vous etes loin de savoir la tel realite9 de la reprise de cette chanson. Avant tout craig david fais disque en premier pour le plaisir de chanter, creer, renover, se divertir mais aussi pour ses fans, et ce n'est pas vraiment a but lucratif, certes un peu mais pas comme tout le monde le croit. Et puis la si il a repris la chanson de david bowie, c'est seulement parce que craig est ne9 en 1981 et cette chanson (Let's Dance) est sorti en 1983 et donc il disait qu'il ne l'a pas trop connu est c'est pour ca qui l'a sorti, le plaisir de renover voila les aboyeur.

Posted by Auth at 11:45 AM GMT 19/11/2012 Report Abuse

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