David Bowie

[cleanzero]

Low, Side B, simply awesome.

[J.F.]

What do Miles Davis and David Bowie have in common?

I'm flirting for years with the idea that sometime in the future I'll delve into assorted eras of their respective output ("Berlin-phase" for Bowie, '68-'71 for Davis), and the plan is that I'll eventually really like it.

[Drinky]

If I had to pare my Bowie collection to 3 records, it would be these:

Low
Station to Station
Hunky Dory

[Borat Pri Hagafen]

Got 'Santa Monica 72' for $18 at Amazon, which is still too much but at least doesn't make me gag as I place the order. Some photos included with the set, if you're into that sort of thing. The only text is a tour poster, and a half-page or so concert review from the time. I'd prefer no photos, yet a jewel box, instead of the (admittedly cool-looking) cardboard sleeve thing they put the disc itself in. That's smart, because taking a CD out of its case to play it should be a dangerous venture; it puts some excitement back in life.

Record companies are insane. What possible incentive are they giving me to purchase this album instead of just downloading it for free?

[surfer]

What possible incentive are they giving me to purchase this album instead of just downloading it for free?

The cardboard sleeve thing they put the disc itself in. Taking a CD out of its case to play it should be a dangerous venture; it puts some excitement back in life.

[rainey]

really, you're not missing much IMO, though.

i totally disagree, but this thread seems pretty exhausted, so let me just a) admit that i'm a huge bowie fan and have been since i was about six; and b) contribute slightly to the recommendations:

hunky dory; rise and fall of ziggy stardust etc; diamond dogs; lodger.

i don't really care much for low and heroes, which get a lot of props from discerning listeners. give me histrionic paranoia and desperate attempts to commit the entire world to memory before the imminent apocalypse. these qualities tend to become less present/convincing as the apocalypse continues to not happen to david bowie.

his version of "across the universe" is worth surviving, too.

[Dan G]

...diamond dogs...

I'm surprised how many people here actually seem to like this. I've always - and by always, I bought it when it hit the shelves in 1974 - thought that, other than the title track and maybe a couple others, it was a piece of crap.

[barry]

...diamond dogs...

I'm surprised how many people here actually seem to like this. I've always - and by always, I bought it when it hit the shelves in 1974 - thought that, other than the title track and maybe a couple others, it was a piece of crap.

got me wondering if my love of this album was purely nostalgic or not. i was a freshman in highschool when this came out, in my first real band and a big fan of bowie. i put in on and im up to 1984, 2 songs to go. nostalgic for sure but damn, this is a great record. i still love it from beginning to end. go figure....

[yonhosago]

Low, Side B, simply awesome.

Absolutely seconded... Subterraneans specially.

[Dan G]

got me wondering if my love of this album was purely nostalgic or not. i was a freshman in highschool when this came out, in my first real band and a big fan of bowie. i put in on and im up to 1984, 2 songs to go. nostalgic for sure but damn, this is a great record. i still love it from beginning to end. go figure....

Maybe I need to find a link to it and listen to it again. It's been at least 15 years since I heard the whole thing.