David Bowie review

David Bowie's second album, again titled David Bowie and released in 1969. Since this is the beginning of David Bowie as we know him, the title is more appropriate this time.

Tracks:

1. Space Oddity: 9/10 a weird, wonderful and musically dazzling journey into space, this masterful track creates a hugely compelling science fiction narrative backed with an interesting central character in just 5 minutes.

2. Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed: 7/10 although it outstays its welcome, this absurd in a good way song is pretty entertaining and delightfully surreal.

3. Don't Sit Down: 4/10 I don't know what they were thinking here. Why would they insert such a pointless, bland song, 42 seconds in length, into the album? Thankfully, this was removed in the 1972 re-issue.

4. Letter to Hermione: 7/10 derivative yet surprisingly touching, and it once again shows Bowie's song-writing skill.

5. Cygnet Committee: 8/10 this one takes its time to get going and feels derivative of Bob Dylan, but it rewards the listener's patience with an awesome crescendo and plenty of mad imagery.

6. Janine: 6/10 it has more energy than on would expect but it's pretty bog-standard stuff.

7. An Occasional Dream: 7/10 a bit too similar to the other songs on the album for it's own good, but it's still entertainingly weird.

8. The Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud: 6/10 there's some interesting imagery here but after so many songs like this on the album it's not particularly diverting anymore.

9. God Knows I'm Good: 7/10 it's a bit stripped back, but it tells a good story.

10. The Memory of a Free Festival: 8/10 a strong finale for the album.

Best song: Space Oddity
Worst song: Don't Sit Down

Summary: All in all, this album isn't bad at all. Space Oddity is the obvious standout and with the rest of the album in an awkward middle ground between the insane rock of Bowie's future projects and Bob Dylan style lyrical gymnastics backed with acoustic instrumentals, it admittedly peaks too early. Some of the songs are flawed and fairly generic, while others stand out more. Most of the time, this an enjoyable listen and a lot better than Bowie's first album without a doubt. Thanks to Bowie putting his energy and personality into every song with the exception of that bizarre third track, this is a good second album and Space Oddity alone makes it worth the listen.   



Final rating: 7/10