Poll --The Weakest Link, DAVID BOWIE (aka SPACE ODDITY), Round 1

David Bowie's second album is getting the WL treatment this week. This is the same album that was released in the USA as MAN OF WORDS/MAN OF MUSIC and SPACE ODDITY.

Note to players, I left "Don't Sit Down" out of the line up. I know it is a separate track on the original issue, tacked onto "Unwashed" on others, and left out on others. Our history with the short oddball tracks tells me it would be chopped first, and I'm not going to bother.

Pick two of these as weak links.

 

I took the last song on each side; I found both "Cygnet" and "Memory" hard to finish.

JcS

 

"God Knows I'm Good" and "Letter To Hermione."

This one is going to be tough........there's a folky sameness to a lot of these songs where a lot of the songs aren't really better or worse than each other. I just know what my final two would be.

 

God knows I'm good is too much if a throwback to the first album and free festival is too dirge like. The remake is much better.

 

Unwashed (annoys the heck out of me).

Memory (just awful, po-faced hippie nonsense, more embarrasing than even The Laughing Gnome, which was at least meant to be ridiculous).

 

Letter to Hermione is a personal favourite. I shall try to save it as long as I can.

 

What I find fascinating about the album, Space Oddity, is the juxtaposition between it and the album that came after: a hard rocker full of some of the most delightful electric guitar known to man.

Who does a great, acoustic guitar album, then follows with a heavy metal album?

 

Neil Young sort of does that! Quite often...

 

I am with you on it being a favorite; I discovered this one as I was pining for a lost love (who had married, so it was OVER). I don't usually engage in strategic voting--I just voice my choice and let things fall as they will, since it doesn't change MY opinion--but I could see myself doing it on this one. "Letter To Hermione" is on a very short list of my top Bowie songs of all time.

JcS

 

"God Knows I´m Good" is my least favorite.

 

Memory Of A Free Festival. It's bollocks.

 

Janine and Occasional Dream. Obvious which one will be strongest link.
Not a particularly great album. He didn't really get going until The Man Who Sold The World.

 

Janine & God Knows I'm Good

I really like this album. I played it the other day.

 

Agree. I think this is a mediocre album - it's never done much for me.

Wonder what the winner will be!

 

Ashes to ashes

 

I agree with those that think this is a mediocre album; I played it last night to refresh my memory, and didn't find a lot to like about it beyond the big hit and "Letter To Hermione."

JcS

 

I lose interest completely after 'Freecloud', so the last two tracks are the weakest for me - 'Festival' just gets on my nerves - especially at the end with it's awful attempt to recreate something akin to 'Hey Jude' - it's not an album I'm particularly fond of, a few interesting tracks but I can't say I ever listen to it now. Basically, the title track stands out and the rest of the album isn't up to the same standard.

 

I'm surprised so many people dislike Occasional Dream. One of my favourites - the demo version on the 2CD version is also great. From the same demo session there exists a beautiful song called Lover To The Dawn. Bowie obviously decided to re-write the song in a "heavier" style (Cygnet Committee), but to me he ruined the song. Bowie's attempts to be "heavy" on this album sound forced and clumsy. Unwashed & Slightly Dazed is much better in its BBC session version.

 

Looks as if it could be The Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud.

 

I wonder how "Don't Sit Down" got started? It's obviously a joke, but what's the joke?

 

Two votes for Space Oddity? I wonder if they have heard the rest of the album.

 

I really wish you'd been less literal and regarded "Man Who Sold the World" as Bowie's second album. I always viewed this one as the debut from Bowie - the 1967 album was by some guy who looked like Bowie and called himself Bowie but who wasn't actually Bowie!

"Man Who Sold the World" woulda been a MUCH more interesting discussion - and one without an obvious winner. (Though it probably would've been the title song...)

 

Yeah. I love this track, whether demo or finished product. I've placed it on a good many CD comps over the years. I like the opening guitar phrase and even them "Stairway To Heaven"-esque flutes. Breaking up with Hermoine certainly yielded some good material. Bowie would rarely wear his heart on his sleeve so nakedly as he does on this record.

 

It may have been more interesting; I have that album, think I played it a couple of times and haven't gone back to it in two decades.

But it still wouldn't be his SECOND album...

JcS

 

Two tied for second with an hour and a half yet, so I'll bump this for visibility.

JcS