LINK: All of David Bowie’s Albums, Ranked.

Screenshot 2015-01-09 14.09.44Not by me. This was posted today at Gothamist.

I realized reading this that I’ve always listened to Bowie as a singles artist. I’ve heard most of these albums, but I never listened to his albums obsessively, and so I don’t have an immediate reaction to the writer’s comments about them. At one point last year I decided I would listen to all of the albums in order, but I quit the project in the middle of the first album.

I know, silly.

6 thoughts on “LINK: All of David Bowie’s Albums, Ranked.

  1. I agree with this list a lot more than I thought I would.

    1) I can’t call “Diamond Dogs” overrated, because when I listen to it now, I still like it a whole lot. The middle of the first side is all kinds of mixed-up goofy (between “Diamond Dogs” and “Rebel Rebel”, but it definitely works for me. I’d actually call that series of songs underrated.

    2) Glad the guy wasn’t trying so hard that he listed “Hunky Dory” and “Ziggy” outside the top five (which I feared going in), but as #5 and #4, I can’t be all that happy about it either. A rare case of the consensus best being the real best. Although it seems “Station To Station” and “Low” are gaining with time among the consensus.

    I’m definitely into Bowie for the albums (although singles for anyone are almost sacrilegious to me), but you sabotaged your entire project starting beginning with the first album.

  2. I agree with a lot of the article and I agree with a lot of Steve. I always had a hard time listening to ANY Bowie album straight through, with the exception of Ziggy, but Diamond Dogs goes down better than it used to. I think the standard “Bowie-as-vampire” thing is largely true if somewhat unfair – it’s DAVID BOWIE doing Lou Reed or Mick Jagger, and he is unmistakeable. But Bowie was made for the Greatest Hits album, even though he can fill three full albums no sweat. And by the way, not to be a name-dropper but I know (or knew, I guess) Iman. She lived with my brother-in-law’s best friend for about five years, after she divorced Spencer Haywood. She was discovered as a teenager walking down the street in Nairobi. Literally.

  3. What surprises me is how much work the guy produced. Half of these albums I don’t even know.

    I do love Diamond Dogs and Ziggy a lot, but my fave period of his was the Station to Station/Low Phase. First time I saw him was during that period, and I always felt like an outlier for liking that stuff so much over China Doll and Let’s Dance and such (much like my favorite U2 album is actually Zooropa, which no one even remembers any more). So, weird to see how well thought of they seem to be now.

    I also saw Bowie in 95 or so, when he toured with NIN. They were great and it was a good show. NIN opened, and after an hour or so, a Reznor band member would disappear after a song and Bowie band member would take his place till the transmogrification was complete, and just Bowie was left standing. Reznor went last, so he and Bowie did a song together, but i don’t remember what it was.

  4. Funny that you pin Bowie to Reed and Jagger. I always thought he was half Dylan and half Bolan (although Bolan was part Dylan too – it gets incestuous if you think about it too hard).

    I like your name-drops, Gene, and I think you’d be a top contender for the title among us. Speaking of, I’m reading another NYHC oral history and your old buddy Steve Wishnia does quite a bit of talking.

    Realizing there’s a guy here who might understand, the standalone sax solo in the middle of “Candidate” on “Diamond Dogs” still gives me chills.

  5. DEFINITELY on the sax solo. I mentioned Reed and Jagger due to the clear influence on Man Who Sold the World and the Pinups/Diamond Dogs phases respectively. There are others, including Dylan and Bolan and especially Bryan Ferry. Not to mention Carlos Alomar, It’s funny, I saw Bowie on Broadway as the Elephant Man, and I saw him when he was playing keyboards for Iggy, but I never saw him as Bowie. That’s a cool concept, Lawr, the interchangeable band members. I gotta look up Steve’s oral history. He always has something to say.

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