The Man Who Polled the World, aka DAVID BOWIE POLL RESULTS

I came this close to calling the thread "Poll Thing/Candidate/Poll Thing (reprise)"

Let's go! We're burning daylight.

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Part One, Album Poll Results:

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10. YOUNG AMERICANS (1975) - 28 points/8 votes/no first-place votes)

Pack a pack horse up and let's start here. Many thanks for running this!

I might have gone with "Placement To Placement", but this title works well.

or "Sound And Division". There are tons of decent possibilities.

Poll Love

One ballot had the subject line "As they polled you out of the oxygen tent..."

Rock'N'Poll With Me

"He polls out a finger.."

Chev brakes are snarling, as you Suggest Ban across the road...

Gallupin Sane

anyway - YA would have been my sixth place pick for albums. But only the versions with the bonus tracks. Wonder whose decision it was to leave 'Who Can I Be Now' off the original release?

Nick Logan's #1 (circa 1987)

It's not the side effects of the poll name...

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9. SCARY MONSTERS (1980) - 60 points/15 votes/3 first-place votes

Poll Americans
Poll Americans
I wanna poll Americans
alllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll night
I wanna poll Americans

My #1. Side 1 is my favourite single side of an album. Drops a touch on side 2, but not by much.

I didn't include albums on my own ballot, but if I had I would've made Scary Monsters my #1.

Scary Monsters was my 5th place for albums, I think? (I'm going to open up the e-mail that I sent with the ballot on so I can check this stuff out). Side One is indeed impeccable, Side Two less so. But I generally listen to this one from start to finish. Love the way its bookended by the two different vibes of the 'It's No Game' parts.

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8. DIAMOND DOGS (1974) - 87 points/15 votes/2 first-place votes)

Woof-woof Bow-wow

Diamond Dogs didn't make my Top 5 Bowie albums, but it'd comfortably come in 6th. Once upon a time I used to think that this album didn't compare with Aladdin Sane and it's grown on me so much over the years to the point where I now easily prefer it to that record.

I would say Diamond Dogs is his best album for listening to in its entirety, but I actually listen to another one more often, so it had to take the top spot.

When I think back to what high school actually felt like for me, I usually end up with Bowie's 70s apocalyptic and dissolute world in ruins. Diamond Dogs is key.

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7. ALADDIN SANE (1973) - 112 points/24 votes/6 first-place votes

i didnt vote in this because i just dont know bowie well enough. i like him though and i'm excited to listen to each youtube that makes it.

I'm not going to do embedded youtubes until the top 10 tracks, to keep the thread from loading too slowly. Youtubes would be great when we get to tracks, but if everyone would use the youtu.be address that keeps it from embedding, that would be best.

Also key: Aladdin Sane... paranoid, romantic and filthy.

xpost!

Is everyone else as lazy as I am, in that unless the youtube is there waiting for me to click (as opposed to opening in a new tab) that I'm probably not even gonna bother?

God, I'm lazy.

well i'll happily click on the youtu.be link :)

Yeah, please don't load a bunch of youtube embeds in here. Those threads absolutely kill my browser at work and since these polls usually go up during the weekday, I want to follow along.

I would say Diamond Dogs is his best album for listening to in its entirety, but I actually listen to another one more often, so it had to take the top spot.

― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Tuesday, March 6, 2012 3:00 PM (7 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I definitely agree with this up to a point. I mean, I can listen to a lot of Bowie's albums from start-to-finish without complaint, but I can also dip in and out of those records just as easily. I do think Diamond Dogs works much, much better as a whole piece rather than something to be dipped in and out of, definitely.

The thing that comes to my mind every time I listen to Aladdin Sane is how god damn loud it sounds compared to the albums that come before and after it. 'Watch That Man' for example - the guitars on that are scorching!

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6. LODGER (1979) - 135 points/24 votes/5 first-place votes

Lodger is the first of mine to place (my #3), but Diamond Dogs and Scary Monsters were late cuts.

That's 4 of my 5 gone.

This dude has awes cover art but I really like the Lodgers one.

I know the pendulum has swung in DD's favor in recent years but I still think it's one of his weakest records – and embarrassing in places.

Seconded. Can't take anything beyond "Rebel, Rebel" and the title track (and the latter is desperately crying out for some Ronson).

I like Bowie a bunch of the time & love wide swathes of it, but yeah, aside from "Rebel Rebel" & "Panic in Detroit" I can't really get into DD or Aladdin Sane, after years of trying, even. But it's just me: theatrical rock rubs me the wrong-ish way, & those + Ziggy are Bowie at his most theatrical.

The second album of mine to place. Like EZ, Lodger is my #3. I absolutely love this record. A favourite of mine I dig out very regularly.

Young Americans And Aladdin Sane are the two canonical albums I dislike. The former more than the latter.

yeah euler otm, it just doesn't feel like there's much substance to those songs

I prefer AS to Ziggy (which I never listen to) – it rocks!

I know the pendulum has swung in DD's favor in recent years but I still think it's one of his weakest records – and embarrassing in places.

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, March 6, 2012 3:21 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

The only track on it that I'd say I'm less keen on in comparison to the others is 'Rock'n'Roll With Me', really. I guess I can see why some may not like Diamond Dogs, but for me its definitely far from an embarrassing album.

Young Americans And Aladdin Sane are the two canonical albums I dislike. The former more than the latter.

― EZ Snappin, Tuesday, March 6, 2012 3:24 PM (4 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I tend to listen to specific tracks from these two albums rather than the whole album from start-to-finish these days. Neither of these albums made my albums ballot, fwiw.

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5. "HEROES" (1977) - 135 points/30 votes/5 first place votes)

Note the near-tie.

Tucan and I in similar Bowie tastes non-shocker.

"We Are The Dead" makes me cringe – that line about "defecating ecstasy"!

I wish more folks would defecate Ecstasy. The world would be a much happier place to live in!

I love you in your fuck-me pumps

it's like unicorns shitting rainbows.

I reaaaally need to devote more time to Lodger.

I think the whole "Something kind of hit me today" verse part is way better than the chorus.

DD was my 4th place - again, the bonus tracks really make it.
AS was my 1st place - a really underrated album compared to ZS, I prefer it to the earlier album.
Lodger was my 5th place - if only DB hadn't run out of creative steam in the early 80's and had continued on with this kind of experimentation. I get this feeling that Outside was trying to get back to it, but Lodger feels far less contrived.

"Heroes" is another Bowie album that didn't make my Top 5. I'd put this one 7th after Diamond Dogs actually. I've never really got into this record to the same degree as I have with the other two 'Berlin' albums, although I obviously like several tracks from it.

So I'm guessing that Outside has beaten Let's Dance and The Man Who Sold The World here? Ought to get round to listening to it I suppose.

I kind of agree with the embarrassing tag on DD, but I can never get past (as others mentioned above) how amazing Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing is. It's one of those musical moments that are so strong that I'm willing to overlook almost everything else, and makes me wish that Bowie had trusted himself to play guitar more often. Rebel Rebel is a good mindless single, as is Diamond Dogs. The part of the album I tend to skip is the first three tracks on side two. My main problem wit DD has always been the fact that it feels like two concept albums smashed into one. Cut the first three tracks on side 2 and replace them with something great, and I might have this as my #1.

Outside was "sneak previewed" on the voting thread - placed 11th.

I can never get past (as others mentioned above) how amazing Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing is. It's one of those musical moments that are so strong that I'm willing to overlook almost everything else, and makes me wish that Bowie had trusted himself to play guitar more often

will agree with this. For masochists: Bowie played lead guitar on "'87 and Cry" and "New York's in Love."

Outside was "sneak previewed" on the voting thread - placed 11th.

Yeah, that's what I was referring to!

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4. THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS (1972) - 153 points/39 votes/4 first-place votes

I have a lot to say about 'Sweet Things/Candidate/Sweet Thing (Reprise)', but I'm better off leaving that until it gets to the tracks rollout. I'm seriously trying to resist the temptation to start discussing certain tracks at the moment!

xp ^^^ have visited that street. It's just a street ;_;
And not even one with a deal.

Ah, and there's my #4!

My #3.

Ziggy squeaked in as my #5, more for remembrance of my teenage love of it instead of how often I reach for it these days.

I'm certain my #2 isn't going to place at all.

xp ^^^ have visited that street. It's just a street ;_;

have walked down that street many times, even been to godawful 'strawberry moons' club, without realising its significance.

does it smell like a street?

emphatically

"rubbish. Stay away."

...says Google Maps. Last time I was there was 10 years ago - it's been developed a lot.

I think I'm going to count down the top 60 tracks instead of top 50.

Still holding out hope for Heathen in the top 3! (lol, I know better)

"There's a bar at the end where I can meet you and your friend get charged insane prices for Guinness and assorted drinks on St. Patrick's."

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3. HUNKY DORY (1971) - 198 points/41 votes/4 first-place votes)

tsk

I like it, but there are others I like more.

My no1...it's more like a house than an album to me...

I like it, but there are others I like more.

― c'est ne pas un car wash (snoball), Tuesday, March 6, 2012 3:58 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah, the very same. Hunky Dory is one of those where if it's playing, I'll get a lot of enjoyment out of it, but it's far from the first Bowie record that I'd consciously put on.

Wow, I figured Hunky Dory would take the #1 album spot... will Low really come in ahead of it? If so, that bodes well for an interesting top 50 songs!

In fact, I'd probably put this as my #7 and bump "Heroes" down to #8.

Love Hunky Dory!
I didn't vote for albums and now I'm regretting it. Looks like you all have taken care of things well enough. I wonder if anyone else threw away a vote on Kooks. I did!

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2. STATION TO STATION (1976) - 306 points/43 votes/16 first-place votes

My #1.

i guess that leaves 'never let me down' then

wow i thought station to station would walk this
i think it's quite a bit better than Low

Tin Machine II in first place

I adore Low, but it didn't make my top 5 (it would be 6th).

the jump in 1st place votes (from 4 to 16) is telling tho

Takes a bit of the mystery out of what the #1 will be, so...

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1. LOW (1977) - 325 points/50 votes/15 first-place votes

Station To Station was my #1. I remember having a conversation about this record with EZ not too long back where he said something along the lines of "Every time I listen to a track from Station To Station I find myself wanting to listen to the whole thing", which is one of the most OTM things I've ever read about this record. I love this record. The one Bowie record I would grab in the house fire, the one I'd take on the desert island etc. etc. An absolute all-time favourite.

Call me Mr Consensus - my top five was this top five, but in 1-3-2-4-5 order.

Really fucked up my album poll...tossed it off without thinking bout it...Low and Station to Station should of been in it...

Consensus Jones.

2-3-1-4-DIDNOTPLACE

Does DBowie have the best face, or does he have the best face?! He is so well structured!! It's ridiculous!

My (predictable) album ballot:
1. Ziggy Stardust
2. Hunky Dory
3. The Man Who Sold The World
4. Station To Station
5. Scary Monsters

wow i thought station to station would walk this
i think it's quite a bit better than Low

― ciderpress, Tuesday, March 6, 2012 4:10 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I was expecting both Low and Station To Station to be 'up there', but I had no idea which one would place the highest. I prefer Station To Station over Low also, but I think they're both impeccable records. Low was my #2.

station to station was my number 1

Ziggy squeaked in as my #5, more for remembrance of my teenage love of it instead of how often I reach for it these days.

― EZ Snappin, Tuesday, March 6, 2012 9:46 AM (24 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

^^this is way OTM for me, though i think i had it higher than 5

My ballot:

1. Station To Station
2. Low
3. Lodger
4. Ziggy Stardust
5. Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)

Surprised at this, I thought Low would be miles and miles ahead.

1. Outside
2. Hunky Dory
3. Station To Station
4. Lodger
5. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

1. Low

2. Station To Station

3. Scary Monsters

4. Ziggy Stardust

5. Hunky Dory

Low and S2S went back and forth all week long, jumping back and forth in front of each other. This was the early trendline that I mentioned in the voting thread -- Low took the big early lead, S2S jumped ahead last Wednesday-Friday, Low came back strong at the end over the weekend.

1. Station To Station
2. Stages
3. Lodger
4. Outside
5. Ziggy Stardust

I love "Low" but am confused by people who rate it so highly.

1 Aladdin Sane
2 David Live
3 The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
4 Diamond Dogs
5 Lodger

1. Low
2. Lodger
3. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars
4. Black Tie, White Noise
5. Heathen

The full album results

1. LOW (1977) - 325 points/50 votes/15 first-place votes
2. STATION TO STATION (1976) - 306 points/43 votes/16 first-place votes
3. HUNKY DORY (1971) - 198 points/41 votes/4 first-place votes
4. THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS (1972) - 153 points/39 votes/4 first-place votes
5. "HEROES" (1977) - 135 points/30 votes/5 first place votes
6. LODGER (1979) - 135 points/24 votes/5 first-place votes
7. ALADDIN SANE (1973) - 112 points/24 votes/6 first-place votes
8. DIAMOND DOGS (1974) - 87 points/15 votes/2 first-place votes
9. SCARY MONSTERS (1980) - 60 points/15 votes/3 first-place votes
10. YOUNG AMERICANS (1975) - 28 points/8 votes/no first-place votes
11. OUTSIDE (1995) - 14 points/3 votes/0 firsts
12. THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD - 13/3/0
14. (tie) DAVID LIVE - 7/1/0
14. (tie) STAGE - 7/1/0
16. (tie) LET'S DANCE - 6/2/0
16. (tie) SPACE ODDITY - 6/2/0
17. BLACK TIE WHITE NOISE - 3/1/0
21. (tie) Changesonebowie - 1/1/0
21. (tie) EARTHLING - 1/1/0
21. (tie) HEATHEN - 1/1/0
21. (tie) LABYRINTH (soundtrack) - 1/1/0

Didn't get around to listening closely to "Heroes" before voting, even though I've had it on CD for like 5 years, but probably woulda voted for one of the two opening tracks if I had. I love Bowie in skronky guitar-squall mode, and these are almost danceable besides. As others have already noted, the title track is hard to hear beyond bad cover versions.

huge consensus on his top records. Interesting.

aaaw, labyrinth soundtrack with one vote : )

I thought it was kinda funny that Stage and David Live tied.

A second cup of coffee and then I'll start on tracks from #60.

Aladdin Sane seems like something of a love-it-or-hate-it pick.

"David Live" is definitely my favourite of the two, it's the one I play a lot more often.

"hours" shut-out!

A second cup of coffee and then I'll start on tracks from #60.

― Carlos Pollomar (WmC), Tuesday, March 6, 2012 4:28 PM (30 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah, think I'm going to put the kettle on as well. Remember folks, it's not the side effects of the caffeine...

It's not the side-effects of the cocaine
I'm thinking that all you people who voted for Low haven't listened to any other Bowie albums

whoa xp

...I'm thinking that it must be wub! Bowie should make a dubstep album for his comeback.

Part of me was expecting Heathen and Scary Monsters to come a little higher, really surprised by the non-appearance of Reality as well, which I've always found pretty decent and far from the disasters that Tonight and Never Let Me down are.

Stage was the 3rd Bowie album I bought, after Heroes and Ziggy, so I've always held it in higher regard than David Live for sentimental reasons. I listened to it again a couple of days ago for the first time in years, and it really is a stormer. "TVC15" way improved over the studio version, beautifully recorded, etc.

Call me Mr Consensus - my top five was this top five, but in 1-3-2-4-5 order.

― Michael Jones, Tuesday, March 6, 2012 4:12 PM (24 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Ha, me too. Exactly that.

xp I don't like the way he plays through the Ziggy material at a gallop, like he's in a hurry to get this gig business over so he can go somewhere.

My album ballot:

Low
Heroes
Ziggy
Young Americans
Scary Monsters

1 Station to Station
2 Hunky Dory
3 Alladin Sane
4 Low
5 Ziggy Stardust

Mine was:

1. Station to Station
2. Low
3. Hunky Dory
4. Diamond Dogs
5. Aladdin Sane

The last two, as mentioned by others above, I just love as a complete experience start to finish...

Stages is amazing. I like all the Low and Heroes cuts on it more than their studio versions. However, the Nassau show released a few years ago on the deluxe Station To Station beats it. Might be my absolutely favorite official Bowie release.

The live "Stay" (from the Nassau show) demolishes the studio version. And I love the studio version.

That band was smoking.

My ballot

1. Aladdin Sane
2. Hunky Dory
3. Station To Station
4. Ziggy Stardust
5. Low

Aladdin Sane has some clunkers, but 75% of it is just about perfect.

If we'd done this poll in 1982 then surely Ziggy Stardust would've been #1 (undeservedly).

Tracks time! I hope my internet connection doesn't crap out on me -- I've been having dropouts for a few weeks and had a guy from the cable co. out to check it out yesterday.

That band was smoking.

― EZ Snappin, Tuesday, March 6, 2012 4:45 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

and snorting!

Let me tell you, there were some results that surprised the hell out of me. #teaser #fluffer

#bastard

60. "Sons of the Silent Age" (from "Heroes") - 200 points/11 votes/0 first-place votes

Is "Sound & Vision" going to be the number 1 song then?

Happy to see this! (even if WmC had to push it out to 60 spots) Love this tune.

This one was my #20. One of my favourite tracks from "Heroes".

Wait I thought you were at least putting the link to teh youtube w/ the results?

Making me look shit up, pffft.

I'm glad we posted no YouTubes tbh. I have a powerful work computer but it nearly exploded opening the Jacksons poll thread.

http://youtu.be/0mbfyJ3x_1Q

Let me know if that embeds and I'll scratch it.

Seems fine to me, WmC!

yeah thats why there was talk of the youtu.be link which is just a link to the video on youtube.

xpost

didnt embed, thats fine thank you wmc.

its weird that people complain about the youtubes, maybe its whatever browser they use... got a pretty standard 4 year old macbook and it never has a problem with them.

I think it's more if you want to expand the thread

I've got all my Bowie albums here on my computer, so I'm just going to listen along whenever a particular track comes up.

I looked this song up on SongMeanings.net cos I always wondered about it... and now I know:

This song is about abortion. It took me forever to realize but once I did realize that, it is so obvious. Brilliant song and now the chorus means ten times more, knowing that he ACTUALLY means BABY when he says "baby".

God, I love that kind of floating quality that 'Sons Of The Silent Age' has during the verses.

Sons of the Silent Age is a awesome song to begin a countdown with.

59. Teenage Wildlife (from Scary Monsters) - 206 points/9 votes/1 first-place vote

http://youtu.be/i9pByyFqrFI

Ah, the one where Bowie whines about being influential.

the one where Bowie whines

You guys, I totally forgot to put in the image I created for the opening post! Check the top of the thread now.

Nice jorb!

Sweet

Cool!

But what's Ron Swanson doing there?

Love Teslabowie

'Teenage Wildlife' is about Gary Numan, isn't it? Or at least it's rumoured to be. Reading between the lines, it's almost as if Bowie perceived Numan as some sort of threat at the dawn of the '80s. I guess Numan was outselling him at the time, though. I mean, Numan was massive in the UK in 1980/1981. Numan obviously admired Bowie, but the feeling clearly wasn't mutual.

Love the Frippery on Teenage Wildlife, but other than that, I can never quite connect with it.

There's a famous story in which an uncharacteristically ungentlemanlike Bowie destroys Numan on TV.

58. "The Secret Life of Arabia" (from "Heroes") - 211 points/11 votes/0 first-place votes

http://youtu.be/712GnEJHn_Y

Love the Frippery on Teenage Wildlife, but other than that, I can never quite connect with it.

^^^^ My problem with SM generally. I love the sound of the thing but, oof, Bowie's vocals...

There's a famous story in which an uncharacteristically ungentlemanlike Bowie destroys Numan on TV.

Would like to read this story!

well, Numan's a bit freaky, isn't he? not like, uh, Bowie.

oof, Bowie's vocals...

http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_la8wu7q8Ri1qaaa84o1_500.gif

loooove those glasses

There's a famous story in which an uncharacteristically ungentlemanlike Bowie destroys Numan on TV.

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, March 6, 2012 5:17 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I heard he once got Numan thrown out of a TV studio once... or is that the same story? He certainly wasn't the only person to get agitated with Numan for whatever reason. I mean, Yes doing 'White Car' on Drama for example.

Meh... 'The Secret Life Of Arabia' = not one of my favourites. I mean, I kinda appreciate it as some kind of lighthearted relief after the ambient part of "Heroes", but I never ever feel like listening to it on its own ever.

I like your photo collage, but now I have to do this:

http://i.imgur.com/T7Jeb.jpg

I LOVE Secret Life of Arabia but on some thread around here so many people were sort of running it down that I balked...and I think the placement at the end of Heroes helps both the song and the album as a whole. I love hearing it after the heavy instrumentals on s2.

haha, A+
xp

57. "Beauty and the Beast" (from "Heroes") - 219 points/11 votes/0 first-place votes

http://youtu.be/RmqcMwD9NSo

In 2000 a close friend, a Bowie neophyte, stuck the newly purchased Heroes in his car. As that intro piano and gnarled-distorted Frippery began, I put myself in his place and wondered what the hell was going through his mind.

I LOVE Secret Life of Arabia but on some thread around here so many people were sort of running it down that I balked...and I think the placement at the end of Heroes helps both the song and the album as a whole. I love hearing it after the heavy instrumentals on s2.

― Iago Galdston, Tuesday, March 6, 2012 5:28 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah. I mean, I understand why it's there, but it's always come across as something of a PS to me. Or like watching a short Bugs Bunny cartoon after watching Schindler's List.

SECRET SECRET

there are 56 better Bowie songs than Beauty and the Beast?

Only 18, according to my ballot.

There was an interview with Bowie once - on MuchMusic, I think - during the 90s - where they asked what "Bowie imitators" he thought were songwriters good and he named Gary Numan. Maybe he softened with age...

I absolutely love the middle 8 in 'Beauty And The Beast'.

Only 7 according to mine. xps

'Beauty And The Beast' didn't even make my ballot! :/

56. "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" (w/Giorgio Moroder; Cat People soundtrack; Let's Dance) - 220 points/10 votes/0 first-place votes

http://youtu.be/YWX_MFNOL_Y

GASOOOLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!

Polling Out The Fire

I guess it's challops to prefer the Rodgers-produced version...

Cat Pee Poll

I wouldn't call it one of my favourite Bowie songs, but the part where it kicks in after the long intro is a great moment.

This should be the Let's Dance version: http://youtu.be/pRbuxshYvtg

I definitely prefer the Moroder version over the Rodgers version.

55. "Blackout" (from "Heroes") - 229 points/11 votes/1 first-place vote

http://youtu.be/Uz7vhDHPlyk

GET SOME PROTECTION

"Arabia" a very late entry to my ballot - literally last in - after a relisten to Side 2 of "Heroes" at the weekend. Love the guitar on it (Alomar?). Nice to make a difference (for once) to an ILM poll result!

Also pleased that Cat People made it, tho' v. low down my ballot. Also voted for Moroder version, although as I said on the other thread I prefer the "GAS!-o-line" rendition to "Gaso-liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine".

xp haha is all of "Heroes" gonna make it?

I've been aiming for 12 minutes or so between results -- baby, let me know if I need to speed up, slow down or oh my god I can't believe I'm typing that.

How about wait until I get home?

Will you post everybody's votes after you reveal the winner....

Ah yes! 'Blackout'! This one was my #18.

I'M UNDER JAPANESE INFLUENCE AND MY HONOUR'S AT STAKE!

Will you post everybody's votes after you reveal the winner....

― The Pastiche Liberation Front (sonnyboy), Tuesday, March 6, 2012 11:58 AM (1 minute ago)

There'll be a link to the googledocs spreadsheet with the full voting; it'll be up to everyone else to post their own ballots, unless they need them mailed back to them.

Everything about this song seems to be so damn thrilling, and packed full of wonderful moments. As Soto mentioned above, the 'get some protection' backing vocals... then there's the 'I'm under Japanese influence' rant, the 'kiss you in the rain' part that's immediately followed by GET ME TO THE DOCTOR! It's brilliant. One of my "Heroes" favourites.

Blackout was my no.1. So much for my hopes of a clean sweep of the top 20.

Heroes and Stage versions are both incredible imo.

xp I once asked Gary Numan about getting thrown off that TV show at Bowie's behest, and Bowie's kind words many years later. His response was something like: "Too late, wasn't it? He's still a cunt."

jeez heroes is dominating

54. "Move On" (from Lodger) - 233 points/10 votes/1 first-place vote

http://youtu.be/2NGc1nlWOiU

Now this is a jam.

xp:

I can see why Numan took it badly, in all fairness. The guy was barely into his early 20s and fame was something that happened suddenly for him, AND he was a Bowie fan as well. I suppose Bowie should have known better, but who knows what was going through his head at the time? Also, in Bowie's defence, Numan could have been accused of being a touch arrogant himself at that time.

'Move On' is one of those I really, desperately wanted to include on my ballot but unfortunately I didn't have any room for it. A really clever track, as anyone who has listened to it backwards will realise.

Altogether now: AIIIIYAAAAA OOOOOOOH AIIIIYYYOOORRR OOOOOOOHHH AIIIIIYYAAAA OOOOOOH AIIIYOOOOOOR OOOOOOOOH!

And here is a snatch of it played backwards...

http://youtu.be/lYgNomvJpMs

"Move On" was very, very high on my ballot

Sometimes I feel the need to move on
So I pack a bag
And move on

xp Numan blames a lot of his inability to make friends with other musicians on his undiagnosed Asperger's, which makes sense. Alienated and alienating.

Turrican, thanks for the link. I knew about the 'All the Young Dudes' backwards accident but couldn't be arsed to rip it from cd and play it backwards.

xxxp same here

xxp my favorite Bowie line

53. "Win" (from Young Americans) - 234 points/10 votes/2 first-place votes

http://youtu.be/mB9RSG-56wU

xp:

Somewhere someone's calling me and when the chips are down
I'm just a travelling man, maybe it's just a trick of the miiind

Turrican, thanks for the link. I knew about the 'All the Young Dudes' backwards accident but couldn't be arsed to rip it from cd and play it backwards.

― fun loving and xtremely tolrant (Billy Dods), Tuesday, March 6, 2012 6:24 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

No worries, man. I guess the wonderful thing about it is that not only did he manage to get two songs out of the same thing, but the two songs stand up very well as separate things!

Ah yes, 'Win'. I'll admit that no tracks from Young Americans made my ballot, but this one is definitely a favourite from that album. I love the floating saxophones in the intro and the general vibe of the track. It's very well produced.

Gotta love those backing vocals too: 'That's all you gotta do! It ain't over!'

I don't think I've heard any of these songs before. Loving this.

Best track on Young Americans - just missed my ballot.

"Win" is my first to place, great song!

Same here. I never really got into the rest of that album, but "Win" is a major standout.

xp

Who is the other supercool individual with the excellent taste in favorite David Bowie songs?

'Win' is full of more #win than a thousand Charlie Sheen's eating "winner winner Sheen dinner".

'Win' is great, I had completely forgotten it.

52. "Cracked Actor" (from Aladdin Sane) - 239 points/10 votes/0 first-place votes

http://youtu.be/zkEvAvIGK-w

I tried to remind y'all about the glory of Win, but did you listen to me? Of course not. So here it is, languishing at 53.

I hadn't heard "Win" at all before listening to stuff for this poll -- Young Americans was one of the 70s records I didn't know aside from the singles -- but it made my ballot. This song makes me so freakin' horny! (/tmi)

'Cracked Actor', for me, is one of those songs that is a decent and listenable slice of rock music, but ultimately doesn't blow me away.

Kornrulez, I listened! I had forgotten about it but said a big fuck yeah and put it on my ballot after being reminded. Would have placed lower otherwise.

Cracked Actor was my no.2. I love my Bowie poppy-and-paranoid, clearly.

Excellent, grandavis, excellent. If only more had heard the call....

I love the title too, I find it extremely satisfying to say.

I think a lot of ballots that did not have Win on it were trying not to loose, and failing #winrelatedhumor

"Win" is one of the reasons I counted down from 60 instead of 50, tbh.

Counting down from 60 was a great idea, and I think the number of ballots definitely warranted it!

now speed it up
more songs
more more more more

more more more

― Laura Lucy Lynn (La Lechera), Tuesday, March 6, 2012 7:00 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

How d'ya like it? How d'ya like it?

no, the tempo is just right if a little fast--stretch it out!

51. "Joe the Lion" (from "Heroes") - 251 points/9 votes/1 first-place vote

http://youtu.be/VcXb2FXcWg4

Love Joe the Lion! Not on my ballot though....

Like 'Blackout', this is another "Heroes" track that is just filled with great moments, especially the 'It's Monday...' section which is an excellent little change. Fantastic guitar work throughout, too.

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwvhfu0Oqh1qggdq1.jpg

Joe The Lion, Made Of Iron (In Zion)

50. "A New Career in a New Town" (from Low) - 251 points/12 votes/0 first-place votes

http://youtu.be/JhZqsYkl1zI

For those of you who don't know, that's the artist Chris Burden, who inspired the song. Here he is nailed to a Volkswagen...he also had himself shot in the arm, etc...great artist.

did not know joe the lion was about chris burden! thx for the tip iago.

In making my ballot I made the snap decision to skip all instrumentals. Did anyone else decide to do that? As much as I like almost all of them (though "A New Career in a New Town" would not have made my list, like most of the others over it) it seemed to take space away from the meat of Bowie's career, if that makes sense? My original list that had 45 songs or whatever had 4 or 5 instrumentals, and it just made things so much easier to consider them as a separate entity.

I'll never forget hearing 'A New Career In A New Town' for the first time, and getting that great 'tingle' that the best music gives. I feel that giving this piece of music lyrics would only taint it, since it's just so perfectly realised and everything that you need to know is there in the music. It seems to capture this joyful feeling of moving on, but simultaneously there's something about that harmonica that sounds like a goodbye tinged with regret. Quite apt really, all things considered. It's a beautiful tune. Another one of those I wish I'd had room for on the ballot.

The harmonica is really great in that tune

49. "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)" (from Scary Monsters) - 258 points/11 votes/0 first-place votes

http://youtu.be/NHywdqH3F6Y

Oh hello there, my #15!

did not know joe the lion was about chris burden! thx for the tip iago.
― Spectrist, Tuesday, March 6, 2012 2:25 PM (13 minutes ago)

You're welcome, Spectrist!

Bowie is often an abstruse lyricist so the instrumentals were his best chances of finding musical correlatives for his concepts, you know? What song speaks to Bowie's interests in motorik and C&W than "A New Career..."?

Listening to 'Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)' right now. The track, not the album. Every time that outro comes on, it makes me sad that it seems unlikely that he'll ever play live again. That outro was designed to be a prime live moment, I feel.

the title track allowed for one of the Gabrels era's best live performances.

My snap decision now seems to be just that, an opportunity to make picking 20 songs a little easier. I think I would trade a couple of my eventual choices out for an instrumental or two now, but there you have it. Good point btw Alfred, and those songs work really well on the albums, they are much more than interludes or diversions, they belong in the narrative of the records.

I had 3 instrumentals on my ballot. I ended up making the snap decision to exclude nearly all the hits instead.

there is a killer live version of SM&SC on the Serious Moonlight bootleg

man I'd never listened to Live in Santa Monica 72, this thing SMOKES

48. "Diamond Dogs" (from Diamond Dogs) - 268 points/13 votes/0 first-place votes

http://youtu.be/36lWAcY9IXE

totally, wild eyed boy--i put width of a circle from that show on my list, but i guess it will get folded into the studio version which is fine by me.

I've been trying to coin "Call them the Diamond Hogs!" as the unofficial slogan for the Arkansas Razorback baseball team, but no go.

Bowie is often an abstruse lyricist so the instrumentals were his best chances of finding musical correlatives for his concepts, you know?

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, March 6, 2012 7:43 PM (8 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I agree with this completely. The moments that tend to affect me in some way on Bowie releases are very rarely the lyrics in and of themselves. Rather, they tend to be musical elements for the most part. When it comes to his vocals, most of the time I get more of a buzz out of the way he sings things rather than what he's actually singing, if that makes sense.

THIS AIN'T ROCK'N'ROLL! THIS IS GENOCIDE!

I've been trying to coin "Call them the Diamond Hogs!" as the unofficial slogan for the Arkansas Razorback baseball team, but no go.

I love that -- too bad the idea isn't sticking.

THIS AIN'T ROCK'N'ROLL! THIS IS GENOCIDE!

― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Tuesday, March 6, 2012 1:58 PM (11 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

best line in rock n' roll history

"Scary Monsters" is a song he simply never could've done before his collabs w Eno. The insane Fripp lead, the filter on the bgd vox during the chorus, the careening tempo -- I've always been a very big fan.

Can't believe 'Win' charted so lowly...my no 1...one of my heartbeat songs...

So I think most of my ballot will be in the top 20 but I will pretend I wasn't a part of this poll if letter to hermione doesn't feat.

It's interesting, because I'm listening to this song ('Diamond Dogs') straight after listening to 'Scary Monsters', and I've noticed both songs have same kind of dalek effect on the vocals.

47. "What in the World" (from Low) - 275 points/12 votes/1 first-place vote

http://youtu.be/7SAIVyGTNRM

Pacman is trying to eat this song.
chavedappelle 2 days ago

What In the World is a little kooky. I always thought the Eno synth part was mixed so high that it threatened to overwhelm the rest of the song.

Pacman is trying to eat this song.
chavedappelle 2 days ago

Or this.

Hah, totally

Hehehehe... it's definitely not heard the first time someone has referenced Pac Man in regards to this track. There are some tracks from the first half of Low that you can take out of the context of the song order and work equally well as a separate thing: 'Be My Wife' and 'Always Crashing In The Same Car' for example. I feel this is one of those tracks on Low which thrives best as part of the album, but maybe as a standalone thing it doesn't work quite as well. That's not to say that I don't like it, because I like it a great deal.

Yay, my #2. Hugs to whomever had it as their #1.

I love the Pacman sounds in this.

Hehehehe... it's definitely not heard the first time someone has referenced Pac Man in regards to this track.

Have I had too my coffee or something? This should read "It's definitely not the first time I've heard someone referencing Pac Man in regards to this track."

Geez. It's not the side effects of the caffeine, folks.

In making my ballot I made the snap decision to skip all instrumentals. Did anyone else decide to do that?

*raises hand*

(although even right up to the end I was sorely tempted to include Neukoln. I'm sure it will place high w/o my help though)

xp:

Too MUCH coffee. Fucksake.

Can't believe 'Win' charted so lowly...my no 1

So you're the other guy with great taste in #1 Bowie songs.

(hi to dorsalstop btw - long time no see an' all that)

46. "The Bewlay Brothers" (from Hunky Dory) - 284 points/14 votes/0 first-place votes

http://youtu.be/8a82arE0JSQ

cmon KOOKS

Oh come ON, Bewlay Brothers can't be this low

Another personal Bowie favourite of mine that didn't make my ballot. Ranks up there with his best album closers for me.

(Oh, hey Jeff - funny anyone should remember me at all.)

Bewlay Brothers was my no.5. Another day it'd've been my no.1.

I'M STARVING FOR ME GRAAAAVYYY!

I've listened to it several times this week and it just doesn't stick to me for whatever reason.

"Diamond Dogs" way too low - what an ominous piece of sleaze that is. I intend a compliment.

I know not everyone likes that 'gravy' part at the end, but I've always felt it added a nice twist to the track.

It's perfect, there's really no other way to top the heavy lyrics of that song except with a silly vari-speed ending.

xxp I'm really surprised Diamond Dogs is - yes, I know - TOO LOW. My No. 4 - I adore it. One of his very best classic singles.

feel like at least one of the berlin trilogy is going to have the entire tracklist make it into the top 60

I have a feeling that all of the tracks from Station To Station will make it. There's only 6 of them!

45. "Word on a Wing" (from Station to Station) - 288 points/10votes/1 first-place vote

http://youtu.be/DTIAiMeyd7Q

Oh come now. My number one.

Really, people?

And there we go! I absolutely adore this song. This was my #2.

The first couple of lines are so awesome that I feel the song doesn't really recover from them. And Bowie's histrionics in the second half are distracting.

My #9. Treasure of a tune

Is anyone spotify playlisting this thing?

I left DD off my ballot, but it was one of the hardest cuts.

Bewlay Brothers was my #9. I dunno, I love all Bowie songs that conjure fantastic images, places, people. This one has big sweep and artful wordplay, and touching, telling details so softly offered up... and then that course intrusion at the end, fucking w/ yr expectations.

Word on a Wing doesn't touch me at all.

Word is one of my faves off StS...can't remember my justification for leaving it off my ballot, but I shouldn't have axed it.

I thought it was gonna be a top ten. But then. These are all winners.

I love that guitar lick in the intro, and the "sweet flame you're born once again" backing vocals. A great set of lyrics in here as well. Like everything on Station To Station, it never feels as long as it actually is.

Is anyone spotify playlisting this thing?

― Feebs K-Tel (NickB), Tuesday, March 6, 2012 2:43 PM (1 minute ago)

I can start one after I finish with today's tracks (4 more to go), but not til then. If someone else wants to do it, have at it.

I guess I'm learning I like OTT Bowie more than most - I was surprised Teenage Wildlife was as low also.

The "histrionics", I guess - his vocal gymnastics. I.e. THE COKE.

http://open.spotify.com/user/simon7bond7/playlist/5eB7YOnC2x30Zmt1vWrdVb

I think the histrionics are fucking brilliant, fwiw.

44. "Kooks" (from Hunky Dory) = 290 points/14 votes/0 first-place votes

http://youtu.be/Mdr05UVBihY

will not take any of the "TOO LOW"'s seriously considering that Beauty and the Beast and MOVE ON are outside the top 50

La Lechera to thread!

"what in the world" was my no.1, thanks for the hugs dorsalstop! Really in love with the whole first side of Low.

many xps

Yaaaaay!! 13 other people see the beauty of this lighthearted silly little song.

We believe in you.

I don't think I ended up voting for "Kooks", but it's one of the best songs on that album.

Don't pick fights with the bullies or the cads, 'cuz they're not much cop at punching other people's dads!

will not take any of the "TOO LOW"'s seriously considering that Beauty and the Beast and MOVE ON are outside the top 50

I think that if there's one complaint about this list, it's going to be that it was too Low.

TOO LOWE!

http://991.com/newgallery/Nick-Lowe-Bowi-449845.jpg

Well there goes my "I love the sound of 'Breaking Glass'" joke for No. 15.

43. "Warszawa" (from Low) - 291 points/13 votes/0 first-place votes

Studio: http://youtu.be/9Gy94N_mcWs
Live, Tokyo 1978: http://youtu.be/j9rELaQztqk

http://open.spotify.com/user/simon7bond7/playlist/5eB7YOnC2x30Zmt1vWrdVb

― kraudive, Tuesday, 6 March 2012 20:51 (13 minutes ago) Bookmark

Applause! Thanks kraudive!

Yes, thank you!!

Thanks kraudive!

Warszawa is great, was on my original list until I gacked all instrumentals from it.

there are vocals on it!

eeeeeee aaaaaa ooooooooo-eeeeeeeee-ooooooeeeeeeeehhhh!

Was just gonna say: it's not really an instrumental, I just always think of it that way! Obviously my logic for this poll was muddled. It's not the side effects of the caffeine, though, I swear.

That Tokyo performance is great -- I can imagine the slow tempo tripping people up without a conductor. There was also a crappy cellphone video posted of a 2002 performance, but I didn't want to post that link.

xp -- I always think of it as an instrumental myself.

xxxxp - this Moroder version of Cat People is lovely.

The whole Cat People soundtrack is great! At least I like it.

42. "Jean Genie" (from Aladdin Sane) - 300 points/14 votes/0 first-place votes

studio: http://youtu.be/CGQo6zpVzt8
Top of the Pops, January 1973: http://youtu.be/yEmGQYCuc6M - WATCH THIS ONE, YO

BLOCKBUSTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

That unearthed TOTP perf was one of the reasons I gave the song 4th place.

says he's a beautician
who sells you nutrition

My opinion on this one is a bit like my opinion on 'Cracked Actor'... it's a good slab of rock'n'roll, it's highly listenable and I don't mind it, but it's never been one of my favourites.

That jacket! His skin doesn't even look like real human skin. There should really be a poll for DB's various looks -- he has had SO MANY!!!

* thread grinds to a halt while everyone watches that TOTP clip *

Are the sideburns on the bassist dyed, or is it just his hair and he went white in the beard really young? Either way, tough look to have to pull off.

I was wondering the same thing. He looks like one of those weird monkeys with distinctive facial hair.

The hair grows out of his brain.

It is true, his skin does not look human. How can a face be so smoothe?

Is the whole thing getting posted today?!?!?@

I'm not even sure they're real. (the sideburns)

Not a huge fan of JG the song, but that TOTP clip is really great. Love Ronson's shoes.

he learned puppet makeup in mime school!

Last one of the day coming up.

Maybe he is a shark. Speaking of, I have been ogling his old teeth (RIP old teeth).

http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgmi11oXWl1qc97xyo1_250.jpg

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l875wn0RSv1qckm0wo1_500.jpg

DB's teeth analyised
http://www.youtu.be/dtrjZRQ8TzU

I think my favorite bit of that TOTP performance was the "Love Me Do" quote at the end.

41. "Wild Is the Wind" (from Station to Station) - 313 points/13 votes/0 first-place votes

studio: http://youtu.be/pMICp0gwZic
Live at the Beeb, 2000: http://youtu.be/RT__JxncHEs

I hated cutting WitW so I'm glad to see it place.

Interesting that this one came higher than 'Word On A Wing' in terms of the Station To Station tracks.

At one point the entire album was on my ballot, but it seemed slight overkill.

You're not the only one who was tempted to put all of the Station To Station tracks in there. I think I settled for about half of them, which still only amounts to 3 songs. This one didn't make my ballot, though.

Greatest ILM thread ever: TS: Prince or Bowie?

Interesting that this one came higher than 'Word On A Wing' in terms of the Station To Station tracks.

Yes.

'wild is the wind' is one of my favorites

i love "kooks" it makes me think of my lil girl at home

Do we think 'African Night Flight' is gonna make it...not terribly high on my list but I do hope some love is shown for it...

I'm thinking #16-40 tomorrow, and the top 15 Thursday. I'm also thinking we're going to have pancakes, bacon and maybe a fried egg for dinner tonight.

sounds good on both counts

Rundown sounds good, looling forward to 40-16 tomorrow!

Do we think 'African Night Flight' is gonna make it...not terribly high on my list but I do hope some love is shown for it...

― The Pastiche Liberation Front (sonnyboy), Tuesday, March 6, 2012 9:58 PM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I didn't vote for it, but I hope so. I'd be very happy if pretty much any of the Lodger tracks charted highly.

Beginning to regret not including 'Lady Grinning Soul' and 'DJ'...

There are still A LOT of hits to come - actual proper chart sensations. Not sure that cuts like "African Night Flight" will make it.

^^ from a UK view btw. I'm not sure of the US / UK split here - or how US people are aware of how many records Bowie sold in the UK in the 1970s.

Not sure that cuts like "African Night Flight" will make it.

In my ballot fwiw. Crazy track.

that song is great but it did not make my ballot, I did consider it.

It is a great song. I didn't even think of it. There are too many.

xp - yeah

Gotta get word to Elizabeth's father

Best electronic crickets evah...

hats off to whoever's putting the Spotify playlist together. much obliged.

so Sweet Head won't be making it i guess..

Had I gotten my ballot in on time, it would've had African Night Flight placed at #14. For my money, where most of the Berlin Trilogy sounds like Eno-influenced Bowie, African Night Flight sounds like Bowie-influenced Eno.

Kooks is such a great bizarro world bowie track, no theatrical dystopian cut-up wordplay, instead we get "don't pick fights with the bullies or the cads, cause I'm not much cop at punching
other people's dads". Didn't vote for it but glad to see it.

I love kooks, voted for it – something optimistic, beautiful and genuinely moving abt it – inviting your child into the world. And funny.

Kooks is such a great bizarro world bowie track, no theatrical dystopian cut-up wordplay, instead we get "don't pick fights with the bullies or the cads, cause I'm not much cop at punching
other people's dads".

Yep -- lines as subversive and transgressive in their own way as "The church of man-love is such a holy place to be"

"Church of man-love"? ha.

Mostly given as "church of man, love". Is there a definitive lyric, do we know?

church of manlove

http://www.incredibletvandmovies.com/dudley.jpg

this poll has me looking forward to work tomorrow, well played.

Only three from my ballot so far (Sons of the Silent Age, The Secret Life of Arabia, The Bewlay Brothers). Anyway, great mantle taking, WmC.

none from mine! i think!

Oh man, this thread delivers. Too bad I'm not able to attend the roll out "live". So many memories & urges to post reactions came up while reading through the thread in bed yesterday evening.

My (as it turns out, ILM-canonic) album ballot
1. Low
2. Station to Station
3. "Heroes"
4. Lodger
5. Hunky Dory

My #'s 1 and 2 also frequently switch places. 3 to 5 often change too, I already regretted not including DD when I played it in the car this morning.

Can I just recap 60 - 41, I suppose WmC's planning to do this before continuing today anyway...

60. "Sons of the Silent Age" (from "Heroes") - 200 points/11 votes/0 first-place votes
59. Teenage Wildlife (from Scary Monsters) - 206 points/9 votes/1 first-place vote
58. "The Secret Life of Arabia" (from "Heroes") - 211 points/11 votes/0 first-place votes
57. "Beauty and the Beast" (from "Heroes") - 219 points/11 votes/0 first-place votes
56. "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" (w/Giorgio Moroder; Cat People soundtrack; Let's Dance) - 220 points/10 votes/0 first-place votes
55. "Blackout" (from "Heroes") - 229 points/11 votes/1 first-place vote
54. "Move On" (from Lodger) - 233 points/10 votes/1 first-place vote
53. "Win" (from Young Americans) - 234 points/10 votes/2 first-place votes
52. "Cracked Actor" (from Aladdin Sane) - 239 points/10 votes/0 first-place votes
51. "Joe the Lion" (from "Heroes") - 251 points/9 votes/1 first-place vote
50. "A New Career in a New Town" (from Low) - 251 points/12 votes/0 first-place votes
49. "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)" (from Scary Monsters) - 258 points/11 votes/0 first-place votes
48. "Diamond Dogs" (from Diamond Dogs) - 268 points/13 votes/0 first-place votes
47. "What in the World" (from Low) - 275 points/12 votes/1 first-place vote
46. "The Bewlay Brothers" (from Hunky Dory) - 284 points/14 votes/0 first-place votes
45. "Word on a Wing" (from Station to Station) - 288 points/10votes/1 first-place vote
44. "Kooks" (from Hunky Dory) = 290 points/14 votes/0 first-place votes
43. "Warszawa" (from Low) - 291 points/13 votes/0 first-place votes
42. "Jean Genie" (from Aladdin Sane) - 300 points/14 votes/0 first-place votes
41. "Wild Is the Wind" (from Station to Station) - 313 points/13 votes/0 first-place votes

6 favourite songs already!

Lots of "Heroes" tracks in the lower regions - glad they're placing individually anyway. Love the hardrocking songs of side 1, B&B, JtL and Blackout. As I played them this morning after listening to Diamond Dogs it occurred to me that the vocal parts on these tracks are often recorded in two distinct ways, one sounding like he's singing in a very small room (claustrofobic echo-y vox), the other upfront in the mix and quite clear/direct sounding (they alternate from Sweet Thing to Candidate and back to Sweet Thing (reprise), on Joe the Lion the clear upfront vox come in on the awesome "It's Monday..." part while the rest is sung in the claustrofobic bathroom studio). Maybe it's not significant, but it struck me as something he seems to do more often this morning.

Anyway, looking forward to the next 20!

Oh, tracks from my ballot until now:
- "A New Career in a New Town" (I love Alfred's remark on this being a combination of Bowie's love for motorik and C&W - it's an almost perfect amalgam! Made me realise my number one track is also an example of this!)
- "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)"
- "The Bewlay Brothers"

Wow, 'The Jean Genie' is much lower than I expected. First real surprise to me so far. 'Wild is the Wind' had a second life in the UK as a hit single in '81 so that may account for some votes?

Pushing Ahead of the Dame on the 20 so far, lotsa versions linked:

60. Sons of the Silent Age
59. Teenage Wildlife
58. The Secret Life of Arabia
57. Beauty and the Beast
56. Cat People (Putting Out Fire)
55. Blackout
54. Move On
53. Win
52. Cracked Actor
51. Joe the Lion
50. A New Career in a New Town
49. Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
48. Diamond Dogs
47. What in the World
46. The Bewlay Brothers
45. Word on a Wing
44. Kooks
43. Warszawa
42. Jean Genie
41. Wild Is the Wind

That's a terrific idea, linking to all those. Thanks.

I prefer the Johnny Mathis version of Wild is the Wind but this is still Bowie's greatest cover.

Was just thinking a while back about how The Jean Genie came out about the same time as Rebel Rebel, but the former is much better than the latter which sounds like a jean/perfume ad for the 'rock-chick' by comparison.

xpost yeah, I rated "WITW" higher...

I prefer the Johnny Mathis version of Wild is the Wind but this is still Bowie's greatest cover.

The Nina Simone version is utterly devastating and that really ruined the Bowie one for me. Never heard the Mathis original though!

Sounds like the song is a 'go-to' for vocal gravitas.

It's just a matter of time before it appears on X-Factor auditions.

i wonder how the 'pushing ahead of the dame' book is coming along?

anyone get around to reading this? http://peterdoggett.org/page4.htm

Yes, it's good on individual songs - some more than others - but I found the format frustrating. There are so many boxouts on wider themes that it feels like he committed to this format and then strained against it. It makes it a great reference tool but not a great read. Could be just my preferences though - I think Revolution In the Head is the only time that format has been truly satisfying.

How does the style of that huge Nicholas Pegg book compare?

yeah supposedly it was going to be Ian Mcdonald's next book too (according to the Dogget interview on Word mag podcast). the Pegg book is great; i just bought my second copy.
the format is spot on although it is MENTAL detailed. he's a bit too much of a fan to be objective at times that's the main criticism i would have of it.

I have a problem with the way Nina Simone sings and Bowie was going for something like that so yeah, give me Johnny Mathis.

The Doggett does have some great facts and theories though and it sent me back to Bowie's back catalogue, which was good prep for this poll. I just felt that "Bowie in the 70s" could have made a great story if he wasn't hamstrung by taking on Ian MacDonald's unfinished project. His previous book, There's a Riot Goin' On, shows that he's much better at overarching narratives.

The Nick Pegg book is outstanding - heartily recommend it. Insanely exhaustive and detailed but also very astute, insightful etc.

Ordinarily I would've snapped up the Doggett book, but 'Pushing Ahead of the Dame' is such a fantastic piece of work that it seemed superfluous.

yeah supposedly it was going to be Ian Mcdonald's next book too

He was going to do a Rev in the Head-style Bowie book? Man, I would've loved to read that.

Apparently Doggett was asked to finish it off after MacDonald's death and then when the publisher inspected MacDonald's files they realised he'd barely started it. So Doggett's book is more like a tribute album.

Good morning! My wife got up with the dog and his dumb bladder this morning so I got to sleep in about an hour longer than usual. Time for some results.

40. "It's No Game" (from Scary Monsters) - 324 points/13 votes/1 first-place vote

Part 1: http://youtu.be/E6hEcDt8HZI
Part 2: http://youtu.be/yUzWAJJMycs

Did she 'ouvrez le chien' ?

Another track that made my ballot, although I voted specifically for the first part. I love the way 'It's No Game' opens up Scary Monsters with the projector sound-effect. Some excellent guitar work in this. Particularly fond of the Japanese vocal, and Bowie here turns in a great manic vocal performance himself, screaming himself hoarse... "I REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND! THE SIT-U-A-TIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!". The way it ends is just fantastic too, the lone guitar and Bowie screaming "SHUT UP!!! SHUT UP!!!".

I guess the second part of 'It's No Game' highlights that it's a good enough song to be able to withstand being done in a different approach... in the case of part two, a more calmer reading. But for me, it's all about the more panic-stricken first part.

Specified the first part of "It's No Game" in my vote as well

Nine votes specified Pt. 1, two votes specified Pt. 2, and two votes didn't give a specific version.

willem and woof, thanks for the recap and links!

39. "Fantastic Voyage" (from Lodger) - 327 points/17 votes/ 0 first-place votes

http://youtu.be/CMh6GgwFLS0

Yeah I voted 'Its No Game' but didn't specify which part...(part 1)...

Thank you all for voting "Fantastic Voyage"! One of the songs it pained me to leave off.

two votes specified Pt. 2

Glad I'm not the only person who prefers 2. Love the deadpanness of it.

And you're welcome EZ!

The PAotD post on "It's No Game" is chock full of interesting information (trivia: the japanese vocalist is one of the ladies on the cover of Kimono My House!, the one on the right :-). This song is so much fun to scream along to (Shirueto ya kagega!) - I'll be doing just that when I leave for home in an hour :)

Yay @ "Fantastic Voyage"! My #14. His delivery sounds so compassionate.

'It's No Game (Pt. 1)' was my lucky #13.

My favourite part in FV is segue from the first chorus to the second verse... The contrast between that massive sustained high note, and the very understated, lower register "...And the right words make you listen".

I wish I'd been able to include "Fantastic Voyage" on my ballot -- the lyric is just about the most brilliantly mature I can think of in his catalogue. But I didn't really know the song until this past week.

'Fantastic Voyage' made my ballot also @ #17. I've always been a massive fan of this track. Bowie turns in a great vocal on this in my opinion, and the "we're learning to live with somebody's depression/and I don't want to live with somebody's depression" line has always been a bit of an earworm for me.

Remember it's true!

Dignity is valuable... but our lives are valuable tooooo-hoOoO-hOOOO!

38. "Breaking Glass" (from Low) - 333 points/15 votes/1 first-place vote

http://youtu.be/2j4mfErOeqg

The thing about 'Breaking Glass' is that I always find myself wishing that the song were twice as long, even if I do realise that its length is actually perfect.

I always want to know what the awful thing he drew on the carpet was.

In the event that this fantastic poll should turn to erosion

The awful thing was a pentangle I believe, drawn during some paranoid LA hallucination.

Can I do the nick Lowe joke now?

The lines "Don't look at the carpet; I drew something awful on it" refer to Bowie's practice of drawing the Tree of Life on the floor during that period, as he was interested in Aleister Crowley and Qabbala at the time.

(from wikipedia)

Good.

http://www.wilde-life.com/expos/secretsongs/nicklowe.html

Side A of Low is my favourite of any of his sides. All but "Breaking Glass" and "What In the World" feature on my ballot. And even those are great songs. Sequentially, that side kinda comes of as a perfectly executed run of try out singles. As if he recorded them all within a week or so, each in one take, bang on the money every time. Perfect.

xp
Think you're too late Mark. Unless it's different to the one upthread.

Breaking Glass was my no.6. I love love love it.

Low in general sounds so interesting texturally to me, and Breaking Glass is the most so.

The awful thing was a pentangle I believe, drawn during some paranoid LA hallucination.

― Ismael Klata, Wednesday, March 7, 2012 3:37 PM (3 minutes ago)

This is slightly disappointing.

Yeah I tried to find the photo of him drawing that. It's in one of the ryko booklets. There's one of him standing up and drawing it and one in which he sits on the floor, one arm supporting his upper body, the other drawing. Maybe it's the back cover for Station to Station ryko release?

http://schoolgirlsmack.tumblr.com/post/224871240/bowie-drawing-a-kabbalistic-tree-of-life

as he was interested in Aleister Crowley and Qabbala at the time

The time being his whole career. Also see "Quicksand.

Bowie looks as if you could snap his arms off in that picture.

does look pretty awful:

http://neovitruvian.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/340px-tree-of-life_queens-colours-svg.png

What In The World seems too, uh low. That is a doozy of a song, and still sounds ahead of its time.

xp, Yep, back of Ryko StS. Didn't know what that was until now; assumed it was another still from The Man Who Fell To Earth.

So what did he use to draw on carpet? I assume it wasn't shag.

Maybe rather than drawing something that is awful, he drew something but did an awful job.

Sorry chap. I knew there was some satanist thing going on. Tree of Life might be nastier; don't know what it is but it must be evil somehow.

Bowie would've been a hellvua roommate. Breaking glass, drawing on the carpet, crashing his car in the parking garage...

Cool, two in a row for me! Fantastic Voyage was my #14 as well, such a cool song. Breaking Glass almost got cut, but eeked out my last spot. Just such a bizarre, texturally dynamic song. The hooks were too hard to ignore for me.

But the best is the abusive "don't look!" then "see!"

37. "All the Young Dudes" (Bowie: Aladdin Sane sessions; Mott the Hoople, 1972 single) - 334 points/15 votes/2 first-place votes

Bowie: http://youtu.be/YZqY3hiXJr8
Mott: http://youtu.be/IBcDEmNDYW8
Queen, Bowie, Ian Hunter & Mick Ronson at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert: http://youtu.be/nhGOx1lidGc

Moderator, is it too early to guess the top 5?

(Thanks ledge and tarfumes, that's the pic I was referring too)

It was different, but I'm too late anyway:

http://www.vinyltap.co.uk/gallery/ni/nickliltsobg5005150309498270.jpg

Tree of Life is Jewish mysticism, nothing evil about it.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/lowes-bowie

All the Young Dudes I figured would rate much higher, it is classic Bowie that presages many hits of the 80s: a rock anthem about the end of the world.

Pretty much after I submitted my All the Young Dudes-less ballot I had it going round my head for a couple of days. No do-overs though.

That hook is powerful.

Confession: I dislike "All The Young Dudes" and always have. Don't know why.

:O

36. "Boys Keep Swinging" (from Lodger) - 345 points/16 votes/1 first-place vote

Official video: http://youtu.be/UMhFyWEMlD4
On Saturday Night Live with Klaus Nomi and Joey Arias: http://youtu.be/XNKiGFaRxdM

Haven't heard it, but there's a version of this by Susanna Hoffs with John Entwistle on bass.

there's a version of this by Susanna Hoffs with John Entwistle on bass

my introduction!

This one grew out of 'Fantastic Voyage', apparently. I like it a lot, but it's not one of my favourites.

I remember watching that SNL clip at the time and thinking "what the HELL?!"

I resubmitted with "All the Young Dudes" as my #1 (just Mott's version, though--don't think I've heard Bowie's). Such a great, oddly moving song. "Teen Age Riot" circa 1972.

Bowie dancing better than usual in that SNL clip.

Oh man, I can't believe I didn't know this was happening!

Prefer Mott's ATYD, so left it off.

Tree of life more an awe-ful/profound thing than awful/evil thing in the kind of magickal system that coke-addled rock stars go for. Foundation of existence, kether to malkuth.

Yeah I always imagined it was more like stick figures engaging in a disgusting sex act.

35. "Aladdin Sane" (from Aladdin Sane) - 347 points/14 votes/0 first-place votes

http://youtu.be/q2y9inP4CqE

Love the verses, find the extended outro slightly tedious.

Oh man, I can't believe I didn't know this was happening!

― wolf kabob (ENBB), Wednesday, March 7, 2012 10:26 AM (4 minutes ago)

I don't want to be a dick about this, I just want to understand -- how do people "do" ILX in a way that a thread that spends a day and a half at the top of Site New Answers and ILM New Answers can go unnoticed?

Just catching up with bookmarked threads rather than scanning new answers?

Not everyone looks at ILM every day!

I've got no idea how booknmarking even works on ILX

34. "Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing (reprise)" (from Diamond Dogs) - 356 points/12 votes/3 first-place votes

http://youtu.be/vrfc8c6VkTA

How have I never seen that Boys Keep Swinging performance before now? The, erm, item popping up from his trousers at 2:01!

What a strange coincidence! I'm actually listening to Diamond Dogs right now, and this came on and I was wondering when it was going to come up... and here it is! This is probably the centrepiece of Diamond Dogs for me... love the way the vocal leaps from the intro to the "can't you seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee that I'm scared and I'm lonely?" part. Real goosebump-inducing stuff. And of course, the whole way that 'Candidate' just builds and builds before the release of 'Sweet Thing (Reprise)'.

This was a late cut for me, and really I am not sure how it got left off my ballot. It is a great moment on the record, and a standalone gem. I was having a tough time getting a ballot done at all, so I guess this was just collateral damage. Hard to tell if there will be spikes in the point totals soon, or if it will just be for the top 10-15 tracks.

omg that SNL clip is too much!! <3

I didn't get the impression that voting for other artists' versions of Bowie songs was permitted. If I'd thought Mott the Hoople's "All the Young Dudes" was kosher in this poll, it woulda been top 10 on my ballot!

It was brought up on the voting thread -- I OK'd it as a legit ballot entry because he recorded his own version, which was eventually released as a bonus track on Aladdin Sane.

glad boys keep swinging made it, that was high on my list

No comments on "Aladdin Sane"? C'mon! Mike Garson! Genius!

i love alladin sane, the song, the album, it kinda replaced ziggy stardust for me because i listened to ziggy too much in HS and never really want to listen to it again

33. "Fame" (from Young Americans) - 360 points/16 votes/2 first-place votes

Studio: http://youtu.be/J-_30HA7rec
Lip-syncing on Soul Train: http://youtu.be/FW9x7OkwpxA

I will repeat myself talking about the glory of the Aladdin Sane/Diamond Dogs era of Bowie, and say that Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing (reprise) is perfect summary... apocalyptic, paranoid, romantic, and filthy. I absolutely love it.