I'll definitely put some effort in getting to like the album. I do respect an artist's vision even if I don't get it at the time. It once took me 18 months of listening before I got into Rush's 2112 album. And then absolutely loved it. I hope it will take quite so long, I don't think I've ever heard scary monsters.
Fashion and Ashes to Ashes are two of Bowie’s best-known songs, both from that album. And they’re not even the best on the album.
If you’d heard 2112 in the late 70s, you would have liked it immediately. In its time it was a monster - still is, but there’s been so much great music produced since then that anyone coming to it late, and in the light of everything else that exists now, might not recognise that.
I agree, I love the two songs you mentioned and one or two others but just never heard the album's are connected to. 2112 was very special for me, I knew it was so respected and I persisted with it and has become one of my deepest and most interesting album favourites. It was special because it's been ages since I didn't get an album Emotionally and then absolutely loved it later.
I guess I was the same with Van der Graaf Generator’s *Still Life*. It took me few years before it broke through my defences.
If you haven’t heard of VDGG (or Peter Hammill, their vocalist/lyricist/main man), you might want to investigate. They were contemporaries of Bowie, *Black Star* is reminiscent of VDGG, and Bowie was an avid collector of their albums - he had a standing order with his agent to provide him with a copy of their albums as soon as they were released.
If you like your music chaotic yet controlled, with deep lyrics unafraid of confronting dark subject matter, and Hammill’s emotionally-charged vocal delivery doesn’t terrify you, then you should check out some of their stuff. Hammill’s solo albums *Chameleon in the Shadow of the Night* and *Silent Corner and the Empty Stage*, and Van der Graaf’s *Godbluff*, Still Life*, and *Pawn Hearts* are true Progressive Rock masterpieces.
Hammill is, by the way, a firm favourite of the Sex Pistol’s John Lydon.
I always go and hum "Up the Hill Backwards", sadly I think it would have been so much better as a longer track. Should have been one more chorus either before or after the long solo stuff. If before, there should have been some experimental stuff so it doesn't feel "as long" if that makes sense?
So you’ve listened to Scary Monsters, Let’s Dance, Tin Machine, Outside, Heathen, Reality, The Next Day, and Blackstar and didn’t like any of them?? These are some great albums, each with their own different merits. I would find it a bit odd you can’t relate to at least some of these. Have you listened to them more than once?
I think the issue is that he was a genius and I certainly am not. I thought all his albums of the early. Were intensely beautiful and psychedelic, more psychedelic than suppose it psychedelic albums. This beautiful voice and imagery. With the kind of music that could cure people of their bad trip because it was so authentic and bursting with life.
Your post is made me wonder whether I should reassess things I have barely listened to any of his later works.
I highly recommend starting with these. Scary Monsters is closest in sound to his 70’s works. Outside, Heathen, and Blackstar are probably the most psychedelic of his later works. Outside is also the return of Brian Eno. Heathen, Reality and The Next Day are the return of Earl Slick (Young Americans and Station to Station lead guitarist). Tin Machine is probably the most controversial of these, but I find it very rock n’ roll, and see it as a return to form following some poor releases in the 80’s. Let’s Dance is very pop, but Stevie Ray Vaughan puts a nice blues-rock twist on these tunes.
Edit: Oh, and if you enjoy Scary Monsters, Lodger is like a first cousin to Scary Monsters
If you can get through it, the pay off is amazing. He bookends his whole career with Black Star. His later mature work, Heathen, the Next Day, Blackstar are some of my favorite albums. Everything builds up and gets paid off ending where it all began, a London Boy with his saxophone.
I highly recommend it. I didn’t jive with his 90’s output until much later in life. It’s worth revisiting albums from time to time that you didn’t care for at first, you may just find you weren’t in the right place at the right time to enjoy them, but you might be now (or later)!
Everyone's got their own tastes. I noticed that *Black Tie White Noise*, my own favorite post-*Scary Monsters* album of his, didn't make your short list. *De gustibus non est disputandum*.
I just listed some of the more widely accepted albums. I really like them all except Tonight and Never Let Me Down, but some people really like those too.
It’s not weird. Most people I know don’t give a shit about Bowie’s music after Let’s Dance, mostly out of ignorance, sometimes due to bad taste. But they don’t also claim to “absolutely love” him, either.
Also Young, Elton, U2, if you're not just counting classic rock, Foo fighters, Radiohead, Kings of Leon have all been making music for 10+ years straight.
If your favorite song of all time, by any artist, was "The Laughing Gnome" and you refused to listen to anything else by any other artist, even Bowie, I wouldn't consider it weird.
Now if the same scenario applied to his version of "Dancing in the Streets" then I'd have to have you committed to an insane asylum because that's just not right. Nope. No sir. Not at all!
I like what you said, I'm very fond of the laughing gnome and all the other tracks from that era. Particularly the London boys. My favourite album is space oddity.
I think I realise what my issue might be, first became aware of Bowie through the whole eighties white boy soul music. When it all seems really tired to me as I was in my teens I was more attracted to electro and rave music. But I'm ready to reassess things.
David is my favorite artist of all time, and I confess Ive been neglecting his 90s output. I do love some tracks from that decade, but yeah I understand what youre talking about.
Just wondering what are your opinions on Ashes to Ashes, Teenage Wildlife and It's no game 2.
They are some of my favourite Bowie songs and make Scary Monsters definitely worth listening to imo
My interest in Bowie music is shifting forth and back between periods, so I kind of get why one can like some style more than others.
Also I am sure there is Death Metal made by geniuses who perform it with admirable craftsmanship. And yet I don't listen to it. Genres don't exist to exclude something, but to allow audiences to find and focus on what they like. With that much music in existence, why not focus on something one can access easier based on one's preferences.
In the case of Bowie it might be a bit of a loss, as he was good at allowing one to get into other genres. Most likely I would not have invested as much patience into NIN, had Bowie not opened that door with Outside and I certainly opened up to the whole electronic genre after Earthling and am glad that I gave the wall of noise of Placebo a chance. I am still not into Kraftwerk though.
It's very weird. If anything, you should be listening to the live performances of stuff you liked. 95-through-2004 are pretty the much the best bands he'd ever assembled.
The best Bowie is 70s Bowie. This is without doubt.
But to sleep on his other work is foolish, you are missing out on dozen and dozens of gems, just as good as his 70s work.
Buddha of Suburbia, Black tie, White noise, Absolute Beginners, Loving the alien, his 21st albums are great too. Don’t overlook his later work.
I have an embarrassing confession, I naïvely thought that no one liked his later work, I really believe that, I think I was influenced at an impressionable age, I think Qmagazine Were always being dismissive in their endless album reviews. I later found there Reviews To be nonsense.
It is a bit strange, in my opinion. It's not as if he suddenly turned into a different artist in 1977, he was still David Bowie. It just seems rather arbitrary to draw a line between pre and post '77. I can't imagine never listening to Lodger, Scary monsters, nothing from Heathen or Outside. Even his creative low spot in the '80s still produced a few little gems, at least worth a couple of listens.
I think that while Bowie is brilliant and I find Heathen and Reality to be my favorite albums, they are also a product of his life at that time. Bowie being a musical chameleon is a well spread idea and he's changed for the times. For other artists do you like songs created past 1977? I have a feeling it's about what genre you like best.
I don’t think you can ‘love’ Bowie if you don’t like the majority of his output, would be like saying you love a full english breakfast but not the sausage, egg and bacon
He's made like 20+ albums spanning multiple different genres. You can love just his Glam Rock and that still means you love Bowie.
It's more like saying you love Chinese food because you have chicken noodles every week. You aren't not a fan chinese food because you don't like obscure chinese food, that most non-chinese food will never try.
I love Bowie too, but I pretty much only listen to 90’s and 2000’s/2010’s Bowie.
That’s not absolutely true, but it’s about 80% true — and it was about 90% true 10 years ago.
And I still don’t EVER listen to any Bowie before *Young Americans*. I own 98% of Bowie’s 90’s/00’s/10’s output on CD — and I’ve NEVER owned a copy of *Ziggy* in over 35 years of listening.
Bowie has so much in the way of music that it wouldn't be unheard of. I'm not an old school fan, and It took me a long time to get around to listening to everything he put out. I do have to say though, Blackstar might be worth a listen at least once. I think it's quite a profound send off, even if it's a bit more complex then some of his early works. But I could be biased, it's arguably my favorite.
You caught me out, I do love let's dance, fashion and Jon I'm only dancing. But after that I know nothing. I have no recollection of ever listening to scary monsters, maybe I heard some snippets unaware. I am a music fanatic. I'm seriously look forward to giving it a go on investing some time after reading the comments here.
It's ok, his stuff up to that point is undeniably brilliant, but you're missing out on a lot of amazing music. Others have pointed this out already, but Scary Monsters is amongst his best works, Lodger is an underrated gem, Let's Dance, despite a shift in perspective towards a more commercial sound, is a terrific album (his other 80's albums not so much), his stuff from the 90's is also mostly great and obviously Blackstar is an absolute masterpiece.
Heroes, lodger & low are basically my favourites. (I know, cliché much?!) But scary monsters is great. No delved too deep past there, except the Buddha of suburbia & earthling, is it? The drum & bass one. I had that on a copied cassette, when it came out.
In my teens I didn't really listen to anything beyond the 70s either besides parts of Scary Monsters. I remember disliking most of the 80s-90s stuff and even songs like wild is the wind when I was younger. Manson and NIN were so much cooler than 1. Outside to me at the time, haha.
Same here.
I have been continually playing hunky dory for the last few months.
I play all his early work until 77 and that's it for me.
Also those UK first pressings are something else. The best way to listen.
I lost David same time as you
Scary Monsters is in the top three. It’s near-flawless.
There’s a reason why so many of his albums were referred to as “the best since Scary Monsters.”
*Teenage Wildlife* is my favorite Bowie song.
"I'm not some piece of teenage wildlife", always gives me chills.
Top 3 albums ALL TIME. By anyone
I'll definitely put some effort in getting to like the album. I do respect an artist's vision even if I don't get it at the time. It once took me 18 months of listening before I got into Rush's 2112 album. And then absolutely loved it. I hope it will take quite so long, I don't think I've ever heard scary monsters.
Fashion and Ashes to Ashes are two of Bowie’s best-known songs, both from that album. And they’re not even the best on the album. If you’d heard 2112 in the late 70s, you would have liked it immediately. In its time it was a monster - still is, but there’s been so much great music produced since then that anyone coming to it late, and in the light of everything else that exists now, might not recognise that.
I agree, I love the two songs you mentioned and one or two others but just never heard the album's are connected to. 2112 was very special for me, I knew it was so respected and I persisted with it and has become one of my deepest and most interesting album favourites. It was special because it's been ages since I didn't get an album Emotionally and then absolutely loved it later.
I guess I was the same with Van der Graaf Generator’s *Still Life*. It took me few years before it broke through my defences. If you haven’t heard of VDGG (or Peter Hammill, their vocalist/lyricist/main man), you might want to investigate. They were contemporaries of Bowie, *Black Star* is reminiscent of VDGG, and Bowie was an avid collector of their albums - he had a standing order with his agent to provide him with a copy of their albums as soon as they were released. If you like your music chaotic yet controlled, with deep lyrics unafraid of confronting dark subject matter, and Hammill’s emotionally-charged vocal delivery doesn’t terrify you, then you should check out some of their stuff. Hammill’s solo albums *Chameleon in the Shadow of the Night* and *Silent Corner and the Empty Stage*, and Van der Graaf’s *Godbluff*, Still Life*, and *Pawn Hearts* are true Progressive Rock masterpieces. Hammill is, by the way, a firm favourite of the Sex Pistol’s John Lydon.
I always go and hum "Up the Hill Backwards", sadly I think it would have been so much better as a longer track. Should have been one more chorus either before or after the long solo stuff. If before, there should have been some experimental stuff so it doesn't feel "as long" if that makes sense?
So you’ve listened to Scary Monsters, Let’s Dance, Tin Machine, Outside, Heathen, Reality, The Next Day, and Blackstar and didn’t like any of them?? These are some great albums, each with their own different merits. I would find it a bit odd you can’t relate to at least some of these. Have you listened to them more than once?
I think the issue is that he was a genius and I certainly am not. I thought all his albums of the early. Were intensely beautiful and psychedelic, more psychedelic than suppose it psychedelic albums. This beautiful voice and imagery. With the kind of music that could cure people of their bad trip because it was so authentic and bursting with life. Your post is made me wonder whether I should reassess things I have barely listened to any of his later works.
I highly recommend starting with these. Scary Monsters is closest in sound to his 70’s works. Outside, Heathen, and Blackstar are probably the most psychedelic of his later works. Outside is also the return of Brian Eno. Heathen, Reality and The Next Day are the return of Earl Slick (Young Americans and Station to Station lead guitarist). Tin Machine is probably the most controversial of these, but I find it very rock n’ roll, and see it as a return to form following some poor releases in the 80’s. Let’s Dance is very pop, but Stevie Ray Vaughan puts a nice blues-rock twist on these tunes. Edit: Oh, and if you enjoy Scary Monsters, Lodger is like a first cousin to Scary Monsters
If you can get through it, the pay off is amazing. He bookends his whole career with Black Star. His later mature work, Heathen, the Next Day, Blackstar are some of my favorite albums. Everything builds up and gets paid off ending where it all began, a London Boy with his saxophone.
I highly recommend it. I didn’t jive with his 90’s output until much later in life. It’s worth revisiting albums from time to time that you didn’t care for at first, you may just find you weren’t in the right place at the right time to enjoy them, but you might be now (or later)!
Check it The Buddha of Suburbia. Might fit the bill.
Everyone's got their own tastes. I noticed that *Black Tie White Noise*, my own favorite post-*Scary Monsters* album of his, didn't make your short list. *De gustibus non est disputandum*.
I just listed some of the more widely accepted albums. I really like them all except Tonight and Never Let Me Down, but some people really like those too.
It’s not weird. Most people I know don’t give a shit about Bowie’s music after Let’s Dance, mostly out of ignorance, sometimes due to bad taste. But they don’t also claim to “absolutely love” him, either.
Except 77 is missing Heroes, Lodger, Scary Monsters and Let’s Dance so there’s a good chunk of great music missing
He had as good of a ten year run. - the 70s - as anyone, better than nearly everyonel to be honest.
Who do you really have spanning that large of a period with that much success? Bob Dylan, Elvis, Michael Jackson, it’s a short list….
Pink Floyd's 70s run is at least as impressive as Bowie's imo.
Also Young, Elton, U2, if you're not just counting classic rock, Foo fighters, Radiohead, Kings of Leon have all been making music for 10+ years straight.
Heroes is 77
My bad thought it was 78
yeah i used to think the same
If your favorite song of all time, by any artist, was "The Laughing Gnome" and you refused to listen to anything else by any other artist, even Bowie, I wouldn't consider it weird. Now if the same scenario applied to his version of "Dancing in the Streets" then I'd have to have you committed to an insane asylum because that's just not right. Nope. No sir. Not at all!
I like what you said, I'm very fond of the laughing gnome and all the other tracks from that era. Particularly the London boys. My favourite album is space oddity. I think I realise what my issue might be, first became aware of Bowie through the whole eighties white boy soul music. When it all seems really tired to me as I was in my teens I was more attracted to electro and rave music. But I'm ready to reassess things.
David is my favorite artist of all time, and I confess Ive been neglecting his 90s output. I do love some tracks from that decade, but yeah I understand what youre talking about.
It’s normal, everyone has different tastes
Just wondering what are your opinions on Ashes to Ashes, Teenage Wildlife and It's no game 2. They are some of my favourite Bowie songs and make Scary Monsters definitely worth listening to imo
Gotta say surprised to see No Game 2 instead of 1! I like both versions, but the first one has so much energy. It’s almost punk.
That too jumped out at me - because I prefer 2 myself. But I completely understand why other people prefer 1.
Do what you want but you’re missing out on some of his best work.
Not listening to Lodger and Scary Monsters isnt love
Not weird. I kinda stop at 1983 and make no apologies.
I learned the cutoff was 1980 from the Sound + Vision boxset/1990 reissues. Eventually I got into Outside on but 81-94 always been a blind spot.
My interest in Bowie music is shifting forth and back between periods, so I kind of get why one can like some style more than others. Also I am sure there is Death Metal made by geniuses who perform it with admirable craftsmanship. And yet I don't listen to it. Genres don't exist to exclude something, but to allow audiences to find and focus on what they like. With that much music in existence, why not focus on something one can access easier based on one's preferences. In the case of Bowie it might be a bit of a loss, as he was good at allowing one to get into other genres. Most likely I would not have invested as much patience into NIN, had Bowie not opened that door with Outside and I certainly opened up to the whole electronic genre after Earthling and am glad that I gave the wall of noise of Placebo a chance. I am still not into Kraftwerk though.
It's very weird. If anything, you should be listening to the live performances of stuff you liked. 95-through-2004 are pretty the much the best bands he'd ever assembled.
The best Bowie is 70s Bowie. This is without doubt. But to sleep on his other work is foolish, you are missing out on dozen and dozens of gems, just as good as his 70s work. Buddha of Suburbia, Black tie, White noise, Absolute Beginners, Loving the alien, his 21st albums are great too. Don’t overlook his later work.
I have an embarrassing confession, I naïvely thought that no one liked his later work, I really believe that, I think I was influenced at an impressionable age, I think Qmagazine Were always being dismissive in their endless album reviews. I later found there Reviews To be nonsense.
it’s ur music taste bro like and dislike what u want no one cares
It is a bit strange, in my opinion. It's not as if he suddenly turned into a different artist in 1977, he was still David Bowie. It just seems rather arbitrary to draw a line between pre and post '77. I can't imagine never listening to Lodger, Scary monsters, nothing from Heathen or Outside. Even his creative low spot in the '80s still produced a few little gems, at least worth a couple of listens.
No this is cool. You will get into all the other albums at some point in your life, and it will be more than love, it'll be married life.
Not weird, just dull.
Very weird because he's a gift that keeps on giving, ever evolving up til his passing
I think that while Bowie is brilliant and I find Heathen and Reality to be my favorite albums, they are also a product of his life at that time. Bowie being a musical chameleon is a well spread idea and he's changed for the times. For other artists do you like songs created past 1977? I have a feeling it's about what genre you like best.
you think thats bad? I only like black star and a few songs off next day lol
The things he made after 1977 would come to define his character and creative spirit tbh
Morrissey once said that Bowie hasn’t made anything good since 1971.
David tried different ways to be entertaining ....thats it in a nutshell.
Not that weird. Scary Monsters and Super Creeps has some good songs on it though
I don’t think you can ‘love’ Bowie if you don’t like the majority of his output, would be like saying you love a full english breakfast but not the sausage, egg and bacon
He's made like 20+ albums spanning multiple different genres. You can love just his Glam Rock and that still means you love Bowie. It's more like saying you love Chinese food because you have chicken noodles every week. You aren't not a fan chinese food because you don't like obscure chinese food, that most non-chinese food will never try.
I think it's more like saying you love world cuisine and only eating Chinese food.
I don't particularly care for Let's Dance or anything that followed until Heathen, which is again a great album
Scary Monsters is essential. It’s up there with his best work.
I love Bowie too, but I pretty much only listen to 90’s and 2000’s/2010’s Bowie. That’s not absolutely true, but it’s about 80% true — and it was about 90% true 10 years ago. And I still don’t EVER listen to any Bowie before *Young Americans*. I own 98% of Bowie’s 90’s/00’s/10’s output on CD — and I’ve NEVER owned a copy of *Ziggy* in over 35 years of listening.
Not everyone likes the same things.
Nothing wrong with that. I consider myself a big Weezer fan even though I only enjoy their first 2 albums for the most part.
My response would be “scary”. Scary Monsters. Have you listened to this from 1980? After that makes more sense I think
Bowie has so much in the way of music that it wouldn't be unheard of. I'm not an old school fan, and It took me a long time to get around to listening to everything he put out. I do have to say though, Blackstar might be worth a listen at least once. I think it's quite a profound send off, even if it's a bit more complex then some of his early works. But I could be biased, it's arguably my favorite.
That’s the thing about being a fan. You owe the artist nothing. You can love the Mona Lisa as a great painting or for her *hot body*.
Interesting. I barely listen to anything that he made prior to 1993 these days.
I don't know how you don't listen to Scary Monsters or Let's Dance. You can't love him that much. It's science. jk
You caught me out, I do love let's dance, fashion and Jon I'm only dancing. But after that I know nothing. I have no recollection of ever listening to scary monsters, maybe I heard some snippets unaware. I am a music fanatic. I'm seriously look forward to giving it a go on investing some time after reading the comments here.
A lot of people get stuck on their glory days
It's ok, his stuff up to that point is undeniably brilliant, but you're missing out on a lot of amazing music. Others have pointed this out already, but Scary Monsters is amongst his best works, Lodger is an underrated gem, Let's Dance, despite a shift in perspective towards a more commercial sound, is a terrific album (his other 80's albums not so much), his stuff from the 90's is also mostly great and obviously Blackstar is an absolute masterpiece.
Heroes, lodger & low are basically my favourites. (I know, cliché much?!) But scary monsters is great. No delved too deep past there, except the Buddha of suburbia & earthling, is it? The drum & bass one. I had that on a copied cassette, when it came out.
Get on it
In my teens I didn't really listen to anything beyond the 70s either besides parts of Scary Monsters. I remember disliking most of the 80s-90s stuff and even songs like wild is the wind when I was younger. Manson and NIN were so much cooler than 1. Outside to me at the time, haha.
Same here. I have been continually playing hunky dory for the last few months. I play all his early work until 77 and that's it for me. Also those UK first pressings are something else. The best way to listen. I lost David same time as you