Ah Bowie, how I love you so. David Bowie is one of those artists who is in a class and league all his own. His massive influence on popular music is undeniable and his talent often seems limitless. If one is new to this artist it can be a bit daunting to find a good entry point in his vast catalogue. Bowie’s been called a chameleon so many times in the press (though it was I who first famously used the term back in my original write up of his David Live album from 1974, it’s hard to believe I’ve been following the man’s career for so long) that the moniker has started to lose meaning for some. When someone has become so entrenched in the popular zeitgeist – with echoes of his work being heard in everything from the Pixies to Lady GaGa to Nine Inch Nails – it can be easy to forget just how groundbreaking the original stuff was.
I spent the last 17 days (so let the rain come down, the rain come down, let the rain come down down) or so trying to decide what Bowie album to start with. His catalogue is so rich and varied one would be justifiable in starting from any point as all his different guises offer something unique and worthwhile. Those who know me best know that I typically spend my Friday nights wearing a latex suit and ball gag and hanging from apartment ceilings of people I’ve only just met that night. But they also know that of all the eras of Major Tom my favorite has always been the Berlin era. I’m not quite ready to delve into that hallowed period yet but the 1976 gem Station to Station – which was a precursor to that time and saw David moving beyond his previous “plastic soul” era – is among his most accessible works while also showing off the brilliant songcraft I mentioned.
Mr. Stardust was doing enough cocaine in this era to take out 12 Keith Richards and 9 Charlie Sheens all put together so it’s little wonder that he claims being unable to remember the writing and recording process for this album.
Station to Station: This song is over ten minutes long and worth every single second. It starts off with the sounds of a train mingling with some industrialized factory noises before turning into pure rhythmic bliss. After a few minutes the vocals start with the haunting refrain, “The return of the Thin White Duke, throwing darts in lovers eyes”. Oh Bowie, do you know the things you do to me? Oh God! Oh David, yes!!! YES!!! The track continues in this dark sleek manner before doing a complete 270 about halfway through and shifting to something devastatingly funky and rocking that has me bobbing my head and singing along until the finale. Despite the changes, the track does not feel like several ideas crammed together but one mammoth progressive unit whose shifts are natural, not forced. Also, am I the only one who hears this song when I listen to “Reptile” by the aforementioned Nine Inch Nails? Either way, both songs cause my face to melt off and land in a grotesque pile of amorphous skin at my feet. This opening song is a stunner and sets a lofty precedent that few could match? Does Bowie do it? Read on for answers so thrilling that your heart will literally beat right of your chest and squirt blood everywhere before slamming against a wall in such a way as to create an abstract painting so innovative that you will soon be recognized as the next great thing in new wave avante garde self expressionistic painting. Much has been made of the Nietzscheian and occultist writing and imagery that found it’s way into this album, particularly with this song, which is also a good indication of his state of mind during this era. The imagery is quite striking but I don’t think it matters so much what the artist’s inspiration was so much as what he is making you feel.
Golden Years: Here’s a song I’ve probably listened to around 77 million times in my life yet it always sounds as fresh as the very first time I bought the single on vinyl and chilled out with my girl Lorena [no, not Lorena Velazquez, star of so many fantastic b movie Mexican genre films including personal favorite Nave de los Monstruos, oh Lorena your tempestuous eyes and divine voluptuous hips are forever immortalized in the seductive evil alien and vampire queens that you put into my dreams every night, I will never forget and never stop loving you Lorena (see below, how I wish I was that alien)].
Getting back to the task at hand, Golden Years is one of Dave’s most beloved singles and with good reason. I don’t know what’s catchier, the funkified guitar or the insistent driving bassline, the groove is strong enough to motivate anyone to dance and the little touches like the syncopated handclaps only enrich that musical stew. But in the end it’s all backdrop for a standout vocal performance that shows off the man’s vocal range the way Velazquez’s alien wardrobe showed off her gorgeous gams. This is the song easiest to fall in love with right away and would fit comfortably on any mix of the man’s work.
Word On A Wing: The drug use and macabre interest mentioned earlier afforded Bowie something of a spiritual moment of clarity that is explained with this track. The chordal progression is gorgeous but once again there is little doubt that despite the rich musical tapestry it is that voice which is the primary draw. His vocals are inviting, melodic and supple. The harmonies and piano keys come together into something warm enough to melt chocolate (strange analogy, I don’t think it quite works but it’s jarring enough that I’m going to leave it). Every time he arrives at that bass accompanied chorus “Lord, my prayer flies like a word on a wing…” my heart breaks all over again. You feel the anguish in his voice, he believes every word and this is the purest expression he could have written at this time. I think this song often gets overlooked, even within this very album. It is something of a challenging track, asking questions about faith and personal convictions. I think anyone going through a similar crisis would find something powerful here. At its heart it does still feel like a love song, albeit to a higher power that even those deep in prayer supplication cannot fully comprehend. Regardless of whether his feelings changed later on this remains an incredibly beautiful statement on and exploration of God, spirituality and the quest to retrieve one’s own fleeting soul.
TVC15: This is a song about a man traveling inside a “hologramic” television set after said appliance has just eaten his girlfriend, I think that’s a situation we can all relate to which really serves to make this a welcoming and comfortable track. This has another great piano hook from Roy Bittan and some nice crunchy guitar. The production is thick on this one, which gives the track a different feel to match its bizarre subject matter and retro qualities. This song isn’t quite as dizzying in its heights as Golden Years but its mines much the same territory and when I’m in that quirky off beat mood it always hits the spot. It does have a slight feel to it in comparison to the other songs but perhaps that was the point, especially when considering its placement on the album.
Stay: We start off with a great guitar and bass interplay and right away you know this is continuing the fast pace set by TVC15. Whether playing it himself or merely providing the direction one thing that is true of Ziggy’s entire career is his ear for good basslines and this one is rock hard and holds down the entire groove which allows the rest of the music to go as crazy as it likes. And crazy it does go with a disco drenched chorus that carries this surreal and cerebral rave well into the late night hours. Bowie’s voice seems mixed more within the instruments themselves as opposed to how upfront they were in prior tracks, which gives this song it’s own unique color. The percussion is off the chain yo and this song is that last wild ride before the reality of the after party sets in. Try listening to this song with a strobe last in your room while drinking several bottles of white wine and spinning around, it is a truly wonderful feeling.
Wild is the Wind: Some may call it unusual to end an album with a cover (a Johnny Mathis tune to be specific, check out the infamous X-Files episode “Home” for GREAT use of another Johnny Mathis tune) but not me since that would necessitate more extrapolation and research than I’m inclined to partake in at this moment. The almost lounge like feel of this song reminds me a little of Riders on the Storm by the Doors, but I only until I listen them back to back and realize what an idiot I am since they sound absolutely nothing alike. This is song is host to yet another amazing vocal performance – perhaps the best on the album. His voice is otherworldly here and when the music cuts out altogether and leaves only him, the effect is the cold, isolated beauty of creation done by starlight (whatever the hell that means, man I’m really phoning it in, and it’s only a six track album for fuck’s sake!) But indeed, this song is like a smoke filled lounge at three in the morning. The drinks are being cut off and you’re just about ready to stumble home, the night is at it’s darkest and you can let it protect you for just those few minutes longer but you run the risk of being swallowed whole before the sun rises. I believe that is the reason Bowie chose to end the album with this track, it’s evocative of a last call, a final hurrah before we all vanish into the darkness. There are few sounds that would be as perfect to hear at that moment of closure as this.
Station to Station is a sprawling widescreen work of beautiful and pastoral musical landscapes. Bowie’s vocals take a turn here for the lower pitched crooning style he would employ to great effect for the remainder of his career. I can’t say that I believe this to be his best album because many could hold that title, depending on the time, my mood and the particulars of my medication at that moment. However there is no doubt that this is among his best and always a huge fan (if not general audience) favorite. It is also a great starting point for new listeners as the songs never feel too cloistered or impenetrable as on some of his other albums. This is one of those rare works that I can listen to for energy and drive in the morning and for calm centeredness in the evening. The remaster is fantastic and shows off the consummate artistry on display here, with musical details leaping from my second rate stereo speakers and slapping me across my cleanly shaven face and firm, hirsute buttocks. It is also comes with a long bootlegged and treasured concert Live at Nassau Coliseum 76’ which features performances of many of the songs here as well as some older glammier material. The 2010 package also includes a detailed booklet and several photographs which I like to stare at inappropriately while listening to the album.
So there we have it. The album is 6 songs but does not feel truncated in anyway. Part of that may be due to the generous song lengths and part may be due to the quality of the songs. There isn’t a hint of filler and any one of these tracks could be considered a highlight. When taken into consideration with our modern digital era this work functions exceedingly well as a straight through listen or as a shuffle but it also reveals nicely it’s origins with a clear cohesion between “side 1” of tracks 1 through 3 and “side 2” of the remaining songs. Music like this just isn’t made anymore (not even Bowie himself who seems to have retired, the selfish, lazy jerk). This disc receives top kudos from this humble writer and is a must for any collection.
