Album Club, August 2018: David Bowie - 'Aladdin Sane'

This month’ Album Club choice comes courtesy of Ian (Ian7632) with David Bowie’s 'Aladdin Sane'. As always please listen to the album in its entirety before you comment and/or vote.



David Bowie – ‘Aladdin Sane’

For this month’s Album Club I've chosen Aladdin Sane by David Bowie. This is my favourite Bowie album for many reasons. It was the first one I heard as a kid, my brother played it to death and as the years passed and I heard more I still went back to Aladdin Sane.


http://i66.tinypic.com/15p3ekk.jpg

Released in 1973 it met with mixed reviews, some loving it and others disappointed it wasn't more like Ziggy Stardust. It is quite different from Ziggy, more melodic and dare I say more of a rock album and more American than anything previous. It came in his most creative period and was followed by Pin Ups, Diamond Dogs and Young Americans before his Berlin period.

From the first track Watch that man, you know he's moved on from Ziggy, hard guitars and a driving rhythm. Then comes the title track Aladdin Sane, a sumptuous and stylish blend of simple sounding but complicated guitars and bass, almost romantic piano and the most astonishing and stunningly beautiful piano solo performed by Mike Garson. It's quite a busy track despite being so laid back. Two singles came from the album: 'Drive in Saturday' and 'Jean Genie'. There's a powerful cover of The Rolling Stone's 'Let's Spend the Night Together' and the album is rounded off with the beautiful 'Lady Grinning Soul'.


The Wikipedia entry has some very interesting information about the concept and creation of Aladdin Sane https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aladdin_Sane

I really hope you like it. One thing I will mention is that the latest version on vinyl is not the best exercise in re-mastering, the best modern version I've heard is the 30th anniversary release with a second CD of studio and live performances.

Spotify link https://open.spotify.com/album/3HZKO...Rk2adkyYJ1Csqw

YouTube https://youtu.be/G1loH-YvTDY

As Yes, A truly good album and a great cover.. This and its predecessor, Ziggy were regular players for me in my teenage days as light entertainment from my usual Sabbath/Zep usual :eyebrows: "A lad Insane" s i call it or Love Aladdin Vein as it was originally going to be is well worth a listen if youve not heard it.
good write up ian...

i'll give it 8

It's a great album but I do prefer his debut album, Hunkydory, Scary monsters, and of course Spiders.

7/10

This era Bowie for me will always be 10/10 so that's what I have voted. I still have my vinyl edition I bought the day it was released, the price label on it is £7.99 which is incredible really when you think what we pay for music now, it's almost too cheap but people still don't want to buy it!

Great choice :)

I prefer German period and later Bowie.

I find myself going through his different incarnations and feeling the characters he becomes, their style and emotion......sorry, bit gushy there. From the very early material, Ziggy and the American period, Berlin and the Glass Spider phase, the 90's and later through to Black Star which sends a shiver down my spine now, his last gift to us. Yes, I'm a Bowie fan no doubt

I gave it 8, but perhaps should have been 9 as it was close behind my all time favourite of any album Hunky Dory.

High points for me are the title track (for that piano), and Time. We should be on by now!

I like lots of early Bowie.

There is always the odd track I think is strange but this album gets an 8/10 from me.
Thanks for suggesting as I had listened to this in ages.

'That' Piano solo change the game for me...
T'was a spring board towards Monk, and a whole genre of music then opened up.

This record still sends tingles when i very rarely play it.
10/10

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Originally Posted by WESTLOWER

'That' Piano solo change the game for me...
T'was a spring board towards Monk, and a whole genre of music then opened up.

This record still sends tingles when i very rarely play it.
10/10

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When I played this album through last month and it came to 'that piano', Mrs. P got up and left the room quickly, saying 'this is crap', and the cat looked at me as if to say 'you bastard', before also leaving the room. IT'S THAT GOOD.

I assume Monk is a band. I should check that out.

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Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony

When I played this album through last month and it came to 'that piano', Mrs. P got up and left the room quickly, saying 'this is crap', and the cat looked at me as if to say 'you bastard', before also leaving the room. IT'S THAT GOOD.

I assume Monk is a band. I should check that out.

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I guess " that solo " is rather Marmite, you either love it or hate it and Mrs P voted with her feet. However as cats eat mice and lick their own bottoms I think their tastes are dubious to say the least. My Mia has a particular dislike of reggae or maybe it's just the bass going up her backside is enough to dislodge her from her perch on top of a speaker.
Anyway it's good to have music that can clear the room of unbelievers without having to resort to getting the Slipknot albums out:D

I agree 100% Ian, it's nice to have something that we can call our own. :) And as for Alice (the cat), I only need to put some dreamies in her mouse, and all is forgiven.

I am a huge fan of Bowie, love everything he has done & seen him live many times, so it is hard for me to be critical of any of his music, & I am not going to start now. Aladdin Sane is a superb album, one of his very best, I have 6 versions, all vinyl & play them often. So many high points, the title track is a masterpiece & Garsons piano is wonderful, Lady Grinning Soul is a beautiful song, so emotional, Drive-In Saturday, a great single that I never tire of hearing, the great theatre of Cracked Actor, really I could go on about this all day, every track deserves a mention, but I will spare you.
I did of course vote 10/10.

Yes one of his best, I generally like most of Bowie's output. In fact naughtily I have just ordered , Ziggy, Low, Heroes and Scary Monsters on 180gm vinyl even thoughI have them on CD they are not the best. I am looking forward to hearing them on vinyl again, I hope they are good masterings/pressings.

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Originally Posted by Tim

This era Bowie for me will always be 10/10 so that's what I have voted. I still have my vinyl edition I bought the day it was released, the price label on it is £7.99 which is incredible really when you think what we pay for music now, it's almost too cheap but people still don't want to buy it!

Great choice :)

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Surely it would've been about £1.99 in 1973 !? That sounds more like a late 80s price.

might have been an early 80's reissue. was one about 81. 73 was a long time ago, but guessing 2 to 5 quid. another way to guess would be a barcode. a 73 release wouldnt have one as they didnt start coming out til 74, and were not instantly on everything.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ian7633

I find myself going through his different incarnations and feeling the characters he becomes, their style and emotion......sorry, bit gushy there. From the very early material, Ziggy and the American period, Berlin and the Glass Spider phase, the 90's and later through to Black Star which sends a shiver down my spine now, his last gift to us. Yes, I'm a Bowie fan no doubt

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Me too.

I gave Aladdin Sane 8/10. It's one of my faves but I prefer Hunky Dory and obviously the faultless Ziggy album.

Aladdin Sane, Drive In Saturday, the cover of Let's Spend The Night Together and the awesome Lady Grinning Soul are my faves on " A Ladd Insane"

Does anyone else like the 1995 "Outside" album? It's a personal favourite, although I don't think it's highly regarded in general.

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Originally Posted by struth

might have been an early 80's reissue. was one about 81. 73 was a long time ago, but guessing 2 to 5 quid. another way to guess would be a barcode. a 73 release wouldnt have one as they didnt start coming out til 74, and were not instantly on everything.

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According to Discogs Aladdin Sane was re-released in UK in 1976, 1981, 1984, 1990, 1999(180gm), 2016 (unofficial), and thats vinyl only and there are several with others catalogued as UK releases but with no date. It was obviously a good earner for the record company and presumably Bowie as well.

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Originally Posted by AJSki2fly

According to Discogs Aladdin Sane was re-released in UK in 1976, 1981, 1984, 1990, 1999(180gm), 2016 (unofficial), and thats vinyl only and there are several with others catalogued as UK releases but with no date. It was obviously a good earner for the record company and presumably Bowie as well.

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been thinking re barcodes and betting the 76 one wont be coded. 81 probably will. think it was late 70's before they kinda filtered to majority of things

The first albums I bought, which were the back end of '72 all cost less than 3 quid, and that included 'Billion Dollar Babies' which was one of the dearer single albums at the time. IIRC, I bought 'Aladdin Sane' about April the following year so would have been also under £3. Bearing in mind that in my trade the average wage was £30 per week, so that's 10 albums per wage. The current equivalent pay would probably buy about 30 vinyl albums or about 50 CD's.

We've never had it so good!

Never was a massive Bowie fan. I have his first LP then jumped to his 'Berlin' period and later albums, so missed this one. Very much of it's time, but listening to this album I was very impressed by some of the piano playing. (Incidentally more like Alice Coltrane, than Monk IMO.)

Plus of course it has the track 'Jean Genie', so can't be bad - as well as a near duplicate cover of 'Lets Spend the Night Together'. That, and the perfect final track 'Lady Grinning Soul', I give it 8/10.

Good choice!

there was some criticism that the vocals were too far back in the mix. Hey, no-one mentioned "Panic In Detroit"? I love that, though hard to pick a favourite on this album. Lots off different stuff. Some of it even reminds me of er, um Glitter Band. haha