What can I even say about this album?

Early in Bowie's career he jumped from style to style covering Anthony Newley styled dancehall ditties, unwashed and somewhat slightly dazed hippy schlock and Mod-ish pop-rock. Even with the proto-metal paranoia of "The Man Who Sold The World" and the singer-songwriter cabaret pop confection of "Hunky Dory", his genre shifting came off as a desperate attempt to fit into ANY musical niche. This wasn't the restless experimentalism of his late 70's. This was Bowie trying to distinguish himself and find his voice.

Sometime in early '72, he chopped off the Garbo do, ditched the bipperty bopperty hats and took on his first fully formed character. Although much of the Ziggy material was conceived concurrently with Hunky Dory, the music has its own theme, mood and vision. Long before the red hair dye, the kabuki constumes, the shaved eyebrows and the guitar fellatio, he clearly was on a mission and knew what he wanted to do with this beast called Ziggy. So complete was this persona that it took him nearly 3 years to shake it off.

The music was leaner, sharper and at the same time more universal than anything he'd created so far. The razor guitars, shrill Cockney vocals and nearly punk energy would define a genre and a million followers. If Bolan invented 'Glam Rock', Bowie perfected it. The themes of future dystopia, gender politics and sexual freedom are as radical and relevant now as they were in 1972. Although the storyline seems a bit quaint today, the epic scope and sheer theatricality put his message across in a way that few other albums, or artists can. Any stage fright or artistic self-doubt had clearly disappeared.

I had a religious experience with this album. I won't get into that now, and I'll save any further rambling for future posts. But aside from Low, this is MY Bowie. He would go on to make smarter, tougher rock music. His image would become even wilder and more daring over the following years. But there is an innocence and beauty found on Ziggy Stardust missing from all of his future work. He would never make something this crystal clear again, and for that it stands as his most important and perhaps most influential work. Perfection.


So on with the show! I'm assuming that you all know how to play.

*Choose the 1 song that you like the least and want voted off.

Here are the contestants:

1. Five Years
2. Soul Love
3. Moonage Daydream
4. Starman
5. It Ain't Easy
6. Lady Stardust
7. Star
8. Hang Onto Yourself
9. Ziggy Stardust
10. Suffragette City
11. Rock 'N' Roll Suicide

You know it's a classic album when you don't even have to look at the packaging to know the exact titles and tracklist.

Here we have a fresh-faced Ziggy debuting his new thing on the Old Grey Whistle Test. This was well before the heavy makeup and rooster mullet. Things would only get more interesting from here...







ROUND CLOSED
[Edited 1/29/07 2:10am]

[Edited 1/26/07 19:25pm]

I guess I'll start


It Ain't Easy

NorthernLad said:

yes it is.

GangstaFam said:

well this one was. After that... it ain't.

NorthernLad said:

I was thinking the same thing.

"Hunky Dory" was easy to call. I had the top 5 and bottom 3 almost nailed. I have no idea how this one will go.

GangstaFam said:

Yeah this one will be VERY interesting near the end... I really have no idea what to predict. I'm not even sure at this point what I will pick for my faves, heh. Such a strong album.

I wish he had used "Velvet Goldmine" in place of "It Ain't Easy" though. Or was "All the Young Dudes" written at that point? maybe that was later....

it ain't easy

lady stardust

NorthernLad said:

Velvet Goldmine would be awesome on there. I'd put it somewhere near "Hang Onto Yourself".

"Dudes" I believe was written more with the Aladdin batch.

Kooks, that was def alot of work to have timeout. So glad it's back. There's nothing like being a specatator for survivor. Moonsong must come forward and choose!

sallysassalot said:

I didn't think i'd see Ms. Stardust this early

Untouchable said:

I believe she's doing her homework as we speak.

NorthernLad said:

Strangely a lot of people hate that song. I don't get it.

This truly hurts my heart
It Ain't Easy

MoonSongs said:

You're playing!

GangstaFam said:

unhappily ~ how in the world can anybody CHOOSE a song to kick outta here? I mean, seriously!

"It Ain't Easy" is the easy choice.

It Ain't Easy.

NorthernLad said:

and i didn't realize it ain't easy was the low man on this totum pole. i've always really liked it.

K. West

Oh how I wish It Ain't Easy was the weakest of 11 of my songs

CinisterCee said:

Yes. Please get rid of Kanye West!

sallysassalot said:

I really like it too. But it's a cover. And it sounds a little out of place. It fits more with some of the bluesier moments on "The Man Who Sold The World" and the Arnold Corns stuff. It's hard to understand how and why it was included on Ziggy.

He once said of an outtake called "Black Hole Kids" that he must've been high when compiling the album because he has no idea why it wasn't included.

I'm highly intrigued.

MoonSongs said:

Ian's brainwashed me to think like a statistician!

sallysassalot said:

ya don't say. i've never pictured you as the contrarian type.

that said, i'm choosing 'lady stardust' too...i love everything on this album, but this one does the least for me.

It Ain't Easy

Has no place on this album, sounds like a Space Oddity session outtake.

Soul Love

Easy: It Ain't Easy.

It Ain't Easy. Some classics on this album, not much filler so who knows how this will play out?