As a high school teacher of thirty years experience, let me commend the skill with which the multiple choice question for the poll was written. The choices made me think about which of them I would choose and I was torn between which one it would be.
'To each his own'. Ever heard that phrase? Clearly not, but I suggest that you read up on such matters
Personally after Ronno left it was all downhill for me. Once he went into his coked out Philly soul stuff he lost his mojo.
Weren't you done with this thread earlier when I wouldn't agree with you that "Rock And Roll With Me" is crap?
Watched Ric Burns' Coney Island last night and reminded myself I should re-watch Todd Browning's Freaks again. Anyone remember Prince Randian?
I could see it. I gave Diamond Dogs a rave. I think Ziggy is probably the most important Bowie album, but I think both Hunky Dory and Aladdin Sane might be better records, along with maybe 4-5 others in his catalog (including Diamond Dogs, which I've always found immensely underrated, probably because it offended the more whitebread members of his rock audience).
Love the futuristic and decadent lyrics and musical atmosphere of the album. It's a 9/10 for me. Diamond Dogs, Sweet Thing (and the Reprise), Rebel Rebel, 1984, We Are the Dead, Chant of the Skeletal Family (what?). Those are great songs. Rock 'n' Roll With Me and Big Brother had great melodic verses but their chorus are ordinary.
Sharp, shocking and beautiful. Just what my musical heart needed after "it's the last show we'll ever do".
Essential, with a great dark vibe and proto grungy guitars. It's surprising Bowie was able to pull it off as the album is pretty much a compromise, something he put together as he could, built around his idea of "1984"."Diamond Dogs" (the track) owes a lot to the Stones. I bought it at a young age and "Big Brother" floored me. Bowie is not affiliated with prog-rock but i felt the same kind of vibe listening to the "Sweet Thing" suite and to "Big Brother" - with the mellotron and the acoustic break in the middle. You cannot say that to Bowie fans and not be feathered and tarred! I wonder if somewhere (on bootleg?) there's an extended version of "Chant of the Ever Circling Skeletal Family". I've always been intrigued as to what happened after the final "BRO!" - did the song fall apart, did it go on for a little while etc. Yo La Tengo (I think?) covered it and I thought it was baffling - it sounds like they didn't figure out the right chords.
Oops, it was not Yo La Tengo but Wedding Present that covered this track. Not convinced at all, it doesn't work. Watered down version of this strange and haunting riff.
Well, maybe the choruses aren't that bad but I think they ruin the mood and spirit of the verses: slow and melancholic in Rock 'n' Roll With Me and mystical in Big Brother. They both turn to ordinary loud soul anthems.
For any of you who know music theory, can anyone explain or analyze the chord sequence in the bridge to 1984: "Come see, come see remember me....? That entire bridge section, all the way until it comes back to the verse section. I find that to be a very baffling section, quintessential Bowie.
Sorry for the lateness of my reply, I do not log in that often. And no, not really. Just trying to avoid getting rude. I like it and you don't Pretty easy equation, isn't it? Or do you think that you have the one true answere to all of life's little questions, my man?