Ok, I'll admit, my discography is empty as it relates to Bowie, but when i've tried to get into anything other than Let's Dance (most recently The Next Day) which I only heard (the singles) because it was everywhere in the 80s, (I LOVE China Girl actually) dude bores me to death. (Side note, the success of Let's Dance is largely due to Nile Rodgers)

His voice is not great, slightly haunting at best, but give me Sting or somebody for that. I know he broke all kinds of new ground with his concepts and visuals, and even arrangements (Fame comes to mind) but musically, I don't get all the rave/hype. Nothing I've sampled has made me wanna cop the single, let an album!

Dare I say it, Bowie is overrated!

datdude said:

Your telling me you never listened to his 70's albums? Not Hunky Dory? Ziggy Stardust? Heroes? Low? AKA his classic perioud. if you haven't heard those... listen and then come back here

datdude said:

Ok, I'll admit, my discography is empty as it relates to Bowie, but when i've tried to get into anything other than Let's Dance (most recently The Next Day) which I only heard (the singles) because it was everywhere in the 80s, (I LOVE China Girl actually) dude bores me to death. (Side note, the success of Let's Dance is largely due to Nile Rodgers)

His voice is not great, slightly haunting at best, but give me Sting or somebody for that. I know he broke all kinds of new ground with his concepts and visuals, and even arrangements (Fame comes to mind) but musically, I don't get all the rave/hype. Nothing I've sampled has made me wanna cop the single, let an album!

Dare I say it, Bowie is overrated!

I feel the same however unpopular that opinion may be. So you are not alone! People like what they like and everyone's taste in music is different. I don't see why you should feel bad for feeling this way. There are many artists I love that I know others don't like and I feel it's a waste of time trying to convince other people to love their music. Taste in music is so personal and individual. But I do feel with David Bowie a lot of it why people idolize him is extra-musical things. For a lot of gay people growing up in the 70's, he was one of the first and only musical figures that embraced gay imagery and made them feel comfortable with who they were. Also, his groundbreaking stage shows and the way he used personas and characters like Ziggy Stardust and his overall fashion sense. But the music itself for me is not my cup of tea.

Ah, grasshopper...you know not of what you speak...

I was like that once. And then I turned 12......

Let's Dance is a fantastic album, I understand why it was such a huge succes, and it was my introduction to Bowie, I have a lot of his earlier albums now and some of the later ones too, but I find them hard to appreciate, when I am listening to Bowie it is usual Let's Dance and also the Best Of Bowie compilation:

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...2_.28UK.29

^ this 2cd has all of the great hits, imho.... from 1969-2002.


I guess I am not a great Bowie fan, because like Bowie's single hits better than his albums.

[Edited 1/11/14 15:53pm]

datdude said:

(Side note, the success of Let's Dance is largely due to Nile Rodgers)

I love Nile Rodgers but that is just...

NoVideo said:

datdude said:

(Side note, the success of Let's Dance is largely due to Nile Rodgers)

I love Nile Rodgers but that is just...

I think it was combination of two geniuses that made that record what it was

aardvark15 said:

NoVideo said:

I love Nile Rodgers but that is just...

I think it was combination of two geniuses that made that record what it was

It was indeed. They were a great team. Let's Dance and China Girl are incredible singles. Very tense and dark and edgy, but also very commercial - - and they still sound amazing 30 years later, not cheesy and dated like a lot of 80s material from that time period.

The sad thing about the "Let's Dance" album is that as good as the high points are, there are also a couple real clunkers (especially "Shake it").

NoVideo said:

aardvark15 said:

I think it was combination of two geniuses that made that record what it was

It was indeed. They were a great team. Let's Dance and China Girl are incredible singles. Very tense and dark and edgy, but also very commercial - - and they still sound amazing 30 years later, not cheesy and dated like a lot of 80s material from that time period.

The sad thing about the "Let's Dance" album is that as good as the high points are, there are also a couple real clunkers (especially "Shake it").

God that song ruins the album

Bowie is one of those artists that is a "hard listen", u like him or really you arent into him. Im pretty much into most of what he has done, but he is one of those like Prince where you have to be able to handle albums being thrown at you alot, and concepts, and looks, things like that, some people are some people arent into that kind of artist, but i think universally the respect is there.

errant said:

His last 4 albums are no place to start. They are a very weary summation of everything that came before. They're great but not a great place to start.

Hmm, why not simply get one of the several "The best of Bowie" discs? There you get everything you pretty much need to get to see whether you like Bowie or not.

[Edited 1/12/14 14:38pm]

ok, i'ma go to the wrecka stowe this week. a best of cd OVER hunky dory, or vice versa??! honestly i can say i DON'T plan to immerse myself in multiple albums. (i really don't expect that i'll be compelled to)

I dont get the whole hullabaloo. Just listen to the album if not just skip it. No guilt needed. This is coming from a person does not like The Beatles. You know how many people gasp when i say that, i don't care, i Just smile and dance To BANARAMA

PatrickS77 said:

let's dance is far from being his best album..the 70's were his golden era imo my favorite albums from him are from that decade...

Rococo said:

I dont get the whole hullabaloo. Just listen to the album if not just skip it. No guilt needed. This is coming from a person does not like The Beatles. You know how many people gasp when i say that, i don't care, i Just smile and dance To BANARAMA

i hear you, i don't like the Beatles either. but i want to buy at least one Bowie album and give it a proper listen (like i did with Radiohead and Massive Attack; both were greatest hits collections btw and SEVERELY underwhelming!). i guess it'll depend on what they have at wrecka stowe when i go.

^ Lennon solo is the most overrarted artist.

But The Beatles.....?

They were the greatest band, and still is the greatest imho = so many fantastic songs/ albums.

A bit off topic sorry.. back to Bowie,

Datdude try and buy The Best Of Bowie a great 2cd compilation, you won't regret, see my link!



http://en.wikipedia.org/w...2_.28UK.29

.

[Edited 1/14/14 21:48pm]

looks like a good enough "hits" compilation. i've heard under pressure, blue jean, modern love, let's dance, china girl, fame, and dancing in the streets, so hopefully the OTHER stuff will be compelling enough to cause me to explore "beyond the hits"

I started with the 2-CD greatest hits package from the 90s and built upon that with Let's Dance. BTW, Stevie Ray Vaughan is the main guitarist on the Let's Dance album, so that's another reason most people like it.

datdude said:

Ok, I'll admit, my discography is empty as it relates to Bowie, but when i've tried to get into anything other than Let's Dance (most recently The Next Day) which I only heard (the singles) because it was everywhere in the 80s, (I LOVE China Girl actually) dude bores me to death. (Side note, the success of Let's Dance is largely due to Nile Rodgers)

His voice is not great, slightly haunting at best, but give me Sting or somebody for that. I know he broke all kinds of new ground with his concepts and visuals, and even arrangements (Fame comes to mind) but musically, I don't get all the rave/hype. Nothing I've sampled has made me wanna cop the single, let an album!

Dare I say it, Bowie is overrated!

Excuse you for not knowing your music history very well, but without David Bowie, there is no Madonna OR Lady Gaga.

Yes, I said it.

and the world would arguably be better w/o madge and her decades late wannabe. knowing "musical history" doesn't make one like an artist. and those two artists could easily be inserted into my OP. they're more style and substance too and nor do THEY occupy space on my shelves and shelves of music. i'm at least willing to give Bowie a shot cause of the damn near universal acclaim (there has to be something as haunting as say Sting's Fragile)