How would you rate "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)" (1980) by David Bowie?

Bowie's last good album for a while.

It has one of those great track 1 curve balls then quickly cuts into high gear. Only "Teenage Wildlife" and the Tom Verlaine cover save Side 2 but with a strong hit ratio, I still consider it of David's best albums.

Key Tracks: "Up the Hill Backwards", Ashes to Ashes", "Fashion", "Teenage Wildlife"
Also of Interest: "Alabama Song" "Space Oddity (1979)" "Crystal Japan" (sake, anyone?)

 

Yeah...1969 to 1980 Bowie is pure genius.

 

It's probably my 4th or 5th favourite Bowie album. It's not perfect, but still excellent. Love the opening track, title track, Ashes to Ashes, and Teenage Wildlife.

 

Side 1 is an amazing album side!

 

I voted again "Essential listening - a true classic".

All good songs, a good 'summary' and/or continuation to say of his 3 albums before. Very catchy songs and good songwriting. I only would have liked it a lot more if he ended it with Crystal Japan which was the intention in the first place but he replaced it with the imo much lesser It's No Game, Pt 2.

 

Ashes to Ashes and Teenage Wildlife are among his very best...

But apart from this, it's mostly so-so, for me. I don't really like the "huge" sound, the congested mix, and all. I don't think the other titles have very strong compositions, either. I'm bored once Teenage Wildlife stops, and his vocals on Kingdom Come are quite painful.

Hence, the "his best since Scary Monsters" thing never meant much to me. I rank Space Oddity and Buddha above this one, so well...

 

The best tracks are loaded on side one which is great. Never warmed to the "flip side". A curious contrast.

 

Tricky one as it has some of his very best tracks but I only tend to listen to half of it so I’ve gone for option 2. But I could move it to option 1 almost purely for ashes which I don’t think I will ever get bored of hearing, loved it since I was 4 and have never stopped loving it

 

Well, I’m not the biggest fan of the Berlin trilogy, so I’d rate this his best since Station To Station.

Young Americans, leaves me cold as well: nothing so great, as the run from Hunky Dory, to Diamond Dogs.

I voted option 2. (I have the RCA of this.)

 

bested only by Hunky Dory.

 

Is it part of the trilogy? That's Low, Heroes and Lodger...

 

I'm a casual fan of early 70's Bowie. I bought Scary Monsters and dumped it shortly after. Crapola.

 

The poster is saying that Scary Monsters was Bowie's best since Station to Station.

 

Hi. Sorry, if I wasn’t clear. I know it’s not part of the trilogy, which is why I say it’s the best since STS.

 

This one and Aladdin are my two favorite Bowies. Essential.

 

Why do you think Bowie included images from Aladdin, Lodger, and Heroes on the cover?

 

Essential.
The only song that's middling to me is "Because You're Young".
The rest kicks my patootie.

 

Running out of ideas perhaps? I've never been that convinced about this album, as a whole, though parts of it are undeniably great.

 

Essential listening. A true classic for me. I'm grateful for my sister playing this album A LOT during the first years of my life (I was born in 1978). And of course the videos from this album are great too.

 

I guess it's a farewell to his younger self. The 70s were over, Major Tom appears again, the videoclip for Ashes to Ashes reuses some stuff from the back cover of Space Oddity... Lyrics about growing older and not being ahead of the curve anymore, etc.

Never Let Me Down and The Next Day played with this, as well.

 

I like it. It has a sort of loud, brash, ugly production that keeps me from warming to it totally, though. Second tier Bowie, which is not that bad considering I don't think he ever descended much below that, except for NLMD.

Perhaps he found the escape to Berlin was not so much of an escape at all? I always wondered what became of his relationship with Iggy Pop. Did they ever have a falling out? Not much information out there and what is seems carefully guarded.

 

I don't think he fell out with Iggy, he worked with him after it. Also, he made sure Iggy had some money in the bank by recording several of his songs.

 

... Lou Reed, on the other hand.

 

Pretty great, worth recommending

I was already totally into Bowie when this came out - absolutely crazy about all his albums since 1969 and especially Low, Heroes and Lodger plus The Idiot and Lust For Life.
I jumped at Scary Monsters practically on release day. After many plays, I found Side One terrific but found Side Two rather dull, lacklustre. That feeling hasn't changed to this day.

 

So I feel the same way about Scary Monsters as most people. Side one is splendid and has some superb songs, but side two is a little bit weaker. I still like side two, especially "Scream Like a Baby", but it takes the album from being essential to just very very good.