I am aghast to realise it was ten years ago (almost) that I tried to make a Bowie Top Ten list.
Thought I’d try similar, with the same reckless abandon, and see what comes out.
Oh, okay. A pic of Bowie first (a la last time).
Nice scarf, Dave. And you do rock the odd gray streak in that awesomely luscious hair. 😉
Here goes the new Top Ten…
01. “Heroes” (1977)
02. Life On Mars? (1971)
03. Ziggy Stardust (1972)
04. Station To Station (1976)
05. Strangers When We Meet (1993/5)
06. Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide (1972)
07. Where Are We Now? (2013)
08. Jump They Say (1993)
09. Absolute Beginners (1986)
10. Cat People (1982—not ’83)
Didn’t change one and three! The rest are all different. And you’ll note that number seven is from the new album. I could’ve picked from two or three others but, that song, on the morning of January 8th, was such a surreal and powerful moment. It’s one of those unforgettables. And I’m not saying that I rank The Next Day amongst the core Bowie classics. I’ve see-sawed on it a fair bit… I can’t truthfully say that this material would’ve hooked me into long-time Bowiedom back in the day. But it’s a nice album. Some of it is sublime. Coming to terms with ten years between albums wasn’t an easy process. “Where Are We Now?” is a lovely track, in any case.
And “Absolute Beginners”? Just great pop. Nothing wrong with pop. Considering this was only a year before a genuine creative nadir (aka Never Let Me Down), it seems almost miraculous. NLMD is horribly dated on top of its other problems; whereas this song has aged very well indeed. Ditto “Cat People”—the original 1982 version, not the inferior remake on the Let’s Dance album.
Opinions?
Heroes has also remained my favourite track (and possibly album). I haven’t really listened to anything since Let’s Dance, but you make me think I should try the latest at least.
I was listening to a singles album in the car recently and it brought back many happy memories from first hearing Life on Mars on Top of the Pops (probably) to loving the effect of Cat People in the cinema.
That’s surely the most fetching Bowie photo in a long time. Your list is excellent too, a shade darker than the original one.
Nothing wrong with Absolute Beginners always thought it caught some unfair stick. Quite fond of Buddha Of Suburbia… I read somewhere / some one’s review that although it wasn’t great it was the track / album that Bowie stopped trying too hard after years of not trying hard enough… My top ten would have something from Heathen though… Possibly http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFtNAXxwn-I
or… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmEnRtMaeCo
My education regarding David Bowie came through a friend at university in 1980. A couple of years before that my brother had had Changes One and I thought it was terrific, but my favourite albums became Hunky Dory, Ziggy Stardust, Pin Ups and Scary Monsters, the latter mostly on account of it being on the radio when I started school. Favourite song is still Rebel Rebel, but often it’s Young Americans that I can’t get out of my head. I bought Let’s Dance when it came out, and saw Bowie live, but can’t listen to the album now (other than Modern Love once in a while). Since then I’ve gone off his new stuff until now (I like The Next Day), preferring to live in the past musically.
As you know, Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide is among the songs I want played at my funeral.
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