Last week in a The Day Today series Jez featured Drive -In Saturday by David Bowie.
This led me to comment that it was a brilliant and often overlooked song.Overlooked probably because Bowie was churning out quality song after quality song at the time.
Jez' post also led me to dusting down 1973's Aladdin Sane and giving it it's first listen in quite a while.
Whereas Hunky Dory remains my all time favourite Bowie album there is no denying that Aladdin Sane is also a cracker.
There are few, if any, artists who have produced three records in a row as good as Hunky Dory, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars and Aladdin Sane.
Aladdin Sane also has the greatest album cover of all time.
Here are another two brilliant and often overlooked sings from the album.
Thanks Jez
David Bowie - Panic in Detroit
David Bowie - Cracked Actor
I've always thought of Aladdin Sane as Bowie's Tanx...or perhaps Tanx was Bolan's Aladdin Sane. Either way they're both dense, experimental albums following career defining commercial successes. They're also often unfairly overlooked gems. Of course thereafter it was onwards and upwards for Bowie, while Bolan, commercially at least, saw his fortunes steadily decline.
ReplyDeleteYes. I love Aladdin Sane - so many moods and moments in it. My older sister had it in the '70s and I was mesmerised by that cover image. Actually, still am!
ReplyDeleteI always thought Aladdin Sane was patchy, personally. That doesn't mean it doesn't have its moments and I think you and Jez have pretty much nailed three of them. Cracked Actor in particular makes my list of all time fave Bowie songs.
ReplyDeleteThis is my sister's favourite album. I remember finding the cover a little scary when leafing through her albums as a kid.
ReplyDeleteAs an album Aladdin Sane is the one "earlier" Bowie album that it took time for me to deem essential. I got there though. I will be honest that it took me until my early 40s to really appreciate Lady Grinning Soul. Now I think it is the best film score song that Bowie ever wrote for a movie that was never made.
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