David Bowie - 'Aladdin Sane' What am I missing?

I have been a Bowie fan since I first heard 'Life On Mars' back in 1973. Whilst I love all his work between 1969 and 1980, and some later albums, Aladdin Sane is possibly the one I play the least from this period. I have never really thought about why, and wonder if I am missing something? Whilst I like half of it (Aladdin Sane, Panic In Detroit, Prettiest Star, Jean Genie & Lady Grinning Soul) the rest seems less interesting (to my ears anyway). I have gone back to it over the decades, but my position hasn't really shifted. Anybody have a similar feelings towards this album that many consider a "classic"?

 

I think you're missing Drive-In Saturday.

 

I agree.

I think it was made in a rush to tie in with the success of Ziggy and it sounds like it, some of the songs just aren't good enough, and as a whole it lacks cohension. Watch That Man for example is ok, but it sounds a bit flat and probably is b-side material.

Still there are some really great songs on there - Lady Grinning Soul is one of my favourite Bowie tracks, and Jean Genie, Drive-In Saturday and Panic in Detroit are good.

In a perfect world Bowie would have come up with a couple of extra killer tunes, added the sax version of John I'm Only Dancing and changed the running order radically so that it flowed much better as an album.

 

You're missing the sound of drug-injected glam rock!

 

I would say you are missing everything. What a great album! One of my faves.

 

I'm with you on this one. Huge Bowie fan up through his Berlin trilogy and I have to admit to playing this all the way through maybe twice in 20 years.

 

ronson shines on that album......

 

"Aladdin Sane" is one of my favorite Bowie albums. I can't explain why I like it other than that it is very pop-oriented. Read: commercial. Nothing wrong with that. It also has a degree of R&B influence which he no doubt extended to "Young Americans" and "Station To Station".

 

For me it's the best Bowie album, every song's a winner, even the Stones cover isn't bad.

 

two words: 'cracked actor.'

 

"Let's Spend the Night Together" totally rawks!

"they said that we were too young, but our love comes from above. do it! let's make love!"

or something like that.

 

the only song i hate on it is 'let's spend the night together."

 

Side 1 is amazing, it is in regular rotation since 1973

 

What are you missing? Nothing. And everything. We've all got these records. Albums we should like in theory but just don't click. It's just one of these things.

But you've got to admit you LOVE the artwork, don't you?

 

probably my joint favourite along with Station To Station. the title track, Drive-In Saturday, Panic In Detroit, Jean Genie and Lady Grinning Soul are quintessential Bowie.
as for what you're missing, see Neonbeam's comment above.

 

It's a great pop album that sums up 1973 for me. Bowie doing it that bit better than everyone else. By this time, Bolan was struggling to keep his fans and his records were becoming stale, but Bowie seemed to go from strength to strength. It's a much poppier LP than the following year's Diamond Dogs would be. A happy medium between the styles of Ziggy Stardust and DD.

This is from the time when a new album was an event and the remarkable sleeve artwork only made it seem even more special. I think I have more copies of Aladdin than any other Bowie album. I'd recommend it to anyone.

 

I regard "Aladdin Sane" as middle of the pack 70s Bowie. Very good album but not among his best from that period.

Of course, given how good he was in the 70s, "middle of the pack Bowie" is still better than the vast majority of the other material from the era...

 

A classic. Better than Ziggy.

 

Bowie did much better here than in the States at this time and every album was greeted with great anticipation. Even the 'covers' album Pinups sold very well and spawned a top 10 hit here!

I'm more of a pop than rock guy, but if anyone asked me for an early Bowie album to begin their journey with, it would be Aladdin Sane I'd recommend.

 

I love it, but if you've tried to love it but can't, you're missing nothing. If it hasn't grabbed you, it hasn't grabbed you.

 

I just played it on my way to work this morning.

You're not obligated to like it. There are lots of 'classic' albums I don't like either.

 

Prettiest Star is really good. Only Bowie had the guts to re-record a flop single and put it on a hit album. Since he redid Holy Holy and John I'm Only Dancing at the same time the album could have been even more audacious.

 

I love Ziggy but sometimes I do think AS is better. It's like a "tour" concept album - every song is a snapshot of the city it was conceived in. It's got lots of great hard rock, brilliant avante garde music, and Bowie's greatest ever music hall pastiche. It's a real left-of-center classic rock album and it does make Ziggy sound somewhat conservative at times.

 

Now don't go lulling the boy into a false sense of security - he HAS TO LIKE IT!

 

The piano playing is phenomenal, as is Panic in Detroit. One of my fav David songs.