What's your favorite Bowie record?

[mholloway]

I'm obsessed with David Bowie and his ridiculously strong discography (minus a few 80's and 90's discs, of course, though I DO love the labryinth stuff and I was trying to figure out which record is my "favorite"... and of course I couldn't really do it. I know it's silly anyway (I celebrate his entire catalog, as the man said)....but can you?

at gunpoint, it'd look like this:

Favorite: "Low"

I know, it's the cliche 'artists' choice, Trent Reznor listened it endlessly while writing Downward Sprial etc etc and it's the one most musicians will site as the most influential...but deservedly so, I'd say. The pop songs are quirky offbeat shorts with great early electronic sounds and FX, and then you have stuff like Subterraneans, drooool...

2nd place: Scary Monsters

The second side may sound like dramatic cafeteria rock, but when Bowie does it, it still works; and the first half, well! Ashes to Ashes basically wrote the book on what 80s music would sound like.

3rd place: Lodger

Vastly under-rated, so many great cuts on this one, and not just the obvious choices (DJ, boys keep swinging) there are real gems that are rarely discussed / heard : move on, fantastic voyage, don't look back in anger. shit I might rank this one second, not third....

Join me in Bowie talk. I actually rarely listen to Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane or Hunky Dory. I don't dislike them, I just think they sound less distinct than everything from Station to Station onward (though I do rather like Diamond Dogs).

-M

[squelcht]

Outside FTW

[Poop_Smear]

Station To Station

[Angstrom]

each of his albums has a classic track or usually more.

Station to Station has the title track with that great lumpy riff, Golden Years, and Stay, hell, even his Wild is the Wind is daft fun.
Aladdin Sane: title track with ludicrous girlfriend annoying piano work, Cracked Actor,1984
Diamond Dogs with Sweet Thing / Candidate
Most of Low
etc etc.

I cant really listen to The Man who sold the world anymore after over-listening in my youth. Similarly for Hunky Dory, but I can listen to most of the rest of it.

He takes a lot of stick for stealing parts of his style/material. But really, he contributed way more than he took. EG: the last minute of Lou Reed's Satellite of love.

[rbmonosylabik]

Outside for me. I ran into it pretty late, but it's one of those records that really made an impression in the way I listen to music.

[pepezabala]

as a kid I had hunky dory and listened to it maybe a zillion times. still love it.

[djsynchro]

The best thing Bowie made is his son who directed "Moon".

[dhilsabeck]

Hunky Dory

[leedsquietman]

Tin Machine II and Let's Dance

[dum]

Bowie ate a mars bar from out mick jagger's sweaty batty crack.
Who'd want to expose themselves to his hysterical neurosis ?
Not I.

I'd sooner listen to boy george and mick hucknall play 'soggy biscuit' for two hours straight, followed by a dropkick to the balls.

[leedsquietman]

I never doubted you as a soggy biscuit voyeur ...

[kabelton]

the album 1.outside. i listened to it at least 1000 times.

for me it's the best album i will own in my whole life.

[doghouse]

Hunky Dory for me, too.

Sometimes the very first thing you hear from an artist sticks in your mind more than anything else they do.

[MacGuffin]

the so-called "berlin trilogy" is my favourite, in part because of Brian Eno's participation, and also the krautrock influences.

I also like Let's Dance, I like the rigid funk mixed with dub.

[mholloway]

interesting to see the appreciation here (and deserved, I agree) for 1. Outside. It got a lot of flack at the time of release due to the corresponding NIN imagery / connection, predictably. I think it has some amazing stuff on it, and I also really enjoyed that tour (bowie / NIN) though I was quite young at the time, and arena rock shows aren't exactly my thing, but I'm just pleased that I've seen Bowie at all in my lifetime .

-M