How would you rate "Let's Dance" (1983) by David Bowie?

don't know if a deluxe edition exists... if not they could release one with the moroder "cat people" and "under pressure" as add-on

 

The shark was well and truly jumped with this LP I'm afraid.

The next one was terrible, which I only bought hoping for an improvement. Sadly I gave up with Bowie for ages after this.

Just because an album is the biggest seller for an artist it doesn't mean that it is their best (it's just the one that appeals to the mainstream audience). How many people who bought this as their first Bowie LP would like Low or Lodger for example?

 

The song Modern Love marks the first and only time the phrase, "God and man" was sung on popular airwaves.

 

I think it is pretty great. Another fantastic chameleon shift from Bowie. Beautiful sound. Some interesting songs, especially Modern Love, the title track, and Ricochet. Oddly I think this record would be rated higher by Bowie fans if it had sold fewer copies.

Commercially it was a remarkable achievement. Over a decade after Ziggy and Bowie pulls off this huge global hit.

Tim

 

You'd think Bowie was already in a creative draught when he made this album. 8 songs, two of which are covers. One older tune already used on a soundtrack. One song (Shake It) which is a variation of the title track.

 

Not including his classic early albums, Lets Dance if my favourite Bowie.

However where his classics like Ziggy, Space Oddity, Hunky Dory etc are timeless, Lets Dance has aged somewhat.

 

Criminal World is a cover. If Cat People is the "older tune" then you are counting China Girl as a cover? It was co-written by Bowie.

I agree there is some evidence of struggle to come up with songs but then again Let's Dance is also about sonic textures.

Tim

 

True, proves the importance of Bernard Edwards. Some of that teamwork is there if you listen to Without You as if it were an instrumental, Bernard does make a difference.

 

Yes I count China Girl as an Iggy Pop cover despite the co-write, as Iggy's version was released years earlier. Though a lot of people are perhaps familiar with Bowie' s version only.

 

It's his 2nd worst album after Tonight, and completely feeble as an overall album. The title track and the China Girl cover version are obviously fantastic. The album was just a vehicle for those singles, a cash generating con, as Bowie more or less admitted in 2004. He said re 1983 to 1987, "Er... I liked the money".

 

I think it's great. Especially after I had found a nice vinyl copy. A much different listening experience (imo).

 

Why is he playing guitar with gloves on?

 

It was 1983, maybe inspired by Michael Jackson? Most pop stars looked daft in 1983, even the great David Bowie

 

I don't understand a lot of things that have to do with "video" (or the 80's on...) Hard for me to filter stuff like this that makes no sense.
That's why I just listen to the music. Maybe Stevie Ray Vaughan's involvement is what I like about "Let's Dance".

 

Yeah, SRV was a great musician.

Are you familiar with the highly regarded Germany 1968-1979 band Can ? Their bassist Holger Czukay often played bass in thin gloves, to get a particular sound and to cover mistakes, according to people who were there (I forget who).

I suspect though that Bowie just thought it looked cool. Like Prince in his underwear or Madonna with pointed cones on her nipples.

 

It wouldn't make a Bowie top 15 for me, but nevertheless I'd say that it's essential listening, a true classic.

 

The only bad thing about it to me is that it reminds me of being stuck on a couch, having to eat pudding, as I had to have my wisdom teeth surgically removed just when MTV was playing the videos from this album to death.

 

Playing an instrument with gloves is stupid (imo). But nowadays everything has some excuse to make it "o.k." Just turn on your t.v.

 

great drum sound!

 

Well, Czukay and Can are in probably the top 10 most influential bands of the past 50 years, so I'm sure he doesn't mind appearing stupid. Just like I'm sure Bowie couldn't have cared less about those of us who hated his Let's Dance album. It and the tour made him millions, fair dos after not making his due financially in the 1970s for various reasons.

 

It's all about the music for me.

 

Couldn't have said it any better. The man went from timeless classics to "Lets Dance". Need I say more.....

 

That sums up my feelings about the album, and I honestly don't think either of those better tracks from this album hold up to much of what Bowie released previously. One would think I would like the album more given that I like a lot of other Nile Rodgers productions, but the sum of Rodgers and Bowie just seems quite below what they did apart.

I absolutely loathe "Modern Love." What a horrible way to start an album that was already going to raise some eyebrows due to the dramatic change in direction for Bowie.

 

I see a lot of snobnishness being posted here - I don't see this album as sell out - I like all of his catalog, outside of Tonight and Never Let Me Down - THAT's where I think he lost the script. It is possible for geniuses like Bowie and Niles to put together commercial songs with artistic integrity.

 

I'm with you. "Modern Love" grates on my nerves.