NEUPÖLLN - ILM Artist Poll #14 - David Bowie (POLLS ARE CLOSED)

Chap doesn't have time to run the Bowie poll right now and has given his blessing for me to do it. Let's dance!

http://i40.tinypic.com/9s57w1.jpg

Rank your top 20 David Bowie tracks. Feel free to include tracks by Davie Jones and the King Bees, the Manish Boys, the Lower Third, the Buzz, Bowie/Queen and Tin Machine if you'd like.

normal scoring: 1:40, 2:36, 3:33, 4:30, 5:28, 6:26, 7:25, 8:24, 9:23, 10:22, 11:21, 12:20, 13:19, 14:18, 15:17, 16:16, 17:15, 18:14, 19:13, 20:12.

Part 2, optional:
Include your ranking of Bowie's five best albums.

Send your ballots to me at wmcrump AT gmail.com, or via ILXmail. Deadline is midnight Eastern Standard Time, -- MONDAY, MARCH 5TH.

Cliffs:
1. Ranked ballot of TWENTY (20) David Bowie tracks
2. Ranked list of FIVE (5) favorite Bowie albums
3. Deadline is MONDAY, MARCH 5.

done

hahaha, daaaang, you were ready to roll!

70 ballots or bust

with Baal's Hymn on every one

Bowie on Spotify:

http://open.spotify.com/artist/0oSGxfWSnnOXhD2fKuz2Gy

Ooh. I'm going to do this one!

So awesome!!

whats up with his eyes?

can't believe you didn't go w/ man who polled the world

I'm sure you're aware of this, but it's essential reading for any Bowie fan. http://bowiesongs.wordpress.com/

Looking forward to this poll more than any other.

Wow, that Bowie blog in incredible. I 'm going to kill a couple of days with that.

The write up for Ashes to Ashes is amazing.

I would like to congratulate you on an *outstanding* poll name, and also state that this will be a very tough but enjoyable poll to complete...

I hope "This Is Not America" doesn't get lost in the shuffle here. :(

Love the thread title.

The blog is terrific; it singlehandedly forced me to relisten to "Absolute Beginners" (which I still don't like much).

The commenters though are mostly creepy Bowiephiles.

can't believe you didn't go w/ man who polled the world

― iatee, Sunday, February 26, 2012 5:21 PM (1 hour ago)

Way to spoil the results thread title, iatee. THANKS.

haha sorry :(

Ballot sent.

how high is "As The World Falls Down"?

haha sorry :(

― iatee, Sunday, February 26, 2012 6:52 PM (4 minutes ago)

lol j/k, I didn't think of that title as I was scrolling through his Spotify page. You will get credit when I use it for the results thread -- it's better than "John, I'm Only Polling".

Seriously, has he always had crazy eyes? Anyone?

Yeah, it dates back to an injury he got in a fight when he was a kid.

He received a serious injury at school in 1962 when his friend George Underwood, wearing a ring on his finger, punched him in the left eye during a fight over a girl. Doctors feared he would lose the sight of the eye, and he was forced to stay out of school for a series of operations during a four-month hospitalisation.[12] The damage could not be fully repaired, leaving him with faulty depth perception and a permanently dilated pupil (the latter producing Bowie's appearance of having different coloured eyes, though each iris has the same blue colour). Despite their fisticuffs, Underwood and Bowie remained good friends, and Underwood went on to create the artwork for Bowie's early albums.[13]

ty

I made sure to pick a photo for the top of the thread that accentuates the eye thing -- it's a really striking feature.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/651/yeays.png/

Four ballots in already, this is cool.

how the hell am I only gonna pick 20 Bowie songs... albums are easy.

I think this is the first one of these artist polls that I will vote in

http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/7236/yeay.png

ballot sent!

lovely --- yeah this is hard.

Not heard the Baal EP until today. Don't think it'll make my list.

Excited for this! Also wanted to remind everyone that Station to Station is the greatest music ever made, vote accordingly!

I want to remind everyone that this exists:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkGLwQ76E5o

This is the great obscure Bowie classic...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mB9RSG-56wU

can't believe you didn't go w/ man who polled the world

She Shook Me Poll
Eight Line Poll 'em
Lady Grinning Poll

Bowie's outtakes from Young Americans gonna be REAL high in my poll!

sorry, I meant "Who Can I Be Now?" and "It's Gonna Be Me"

Anyone has a list of all Bowie's song to pick from?

Taken from a Bowie fansite (Stardust)

Duplicates-- many "The" songs are repeated, or songs expanded titles ("Rock 'n Roll With Me" + "When You Rock 'n Roll With Me").

1917
1984
1984/Dodo
5.15 The Angels Have Gone
87 and Cry
A Better Future
A Better Future (Remix)
A Big Hurt
A Fleeting Moment (Mandarin)
A Foggy Day In London Town
A New Career In A New Town
A Small Plot Of Land ('95)
A Small Plot Of Land ('96)
Abdulmajid
Absolute Beginners
Across The Universe
Afraid
African Night Flight
After All
After Today
Alabama Song
Aladdin Sane
All Saints
All The Madmen
All The Young Dudes
Always Crashing In
The Same Car
Amazing
Amlapura
Amsterdam
An Occasional Dream
And I Say To Myself
Andy Warhol
Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere
Art Decade
As The World Falls Down
Ashes To Ashes
Baal's Hymn
Baby Can Dance
Baby Loves That Way
Baby Loves That Way (Toy Sessions version)
Baby Universal
Ballad Of The Adventurers
Band Intro
Bang Bang
Bars Of The County Jail
Battle For Britain
Be My Wife
Beat of Your Drum
Beauty and The Beast
Because You're Young
Betty Wrong
Bewlay Brothers
Big Brother
Big Hurt
Black Country Rock
Black Tie White Noise
Blackout
Bleed Like A Craze, Dad
Blue Jean
Bombers
Boys Keep Swinging
Breaking Glass
Brilliant Adventure
Bring Me The Disco King
Buddha Of Suburbia (1)
Buddha Of Suburbia (2)
Bus Stop
Cactus
Can You Hear Me
Can't Help Thinking About Me
Candidate
Candidate (Demo)
Cat People (Soundtrack)
Cat People (1983)
Changes
Chant of The Ever Circling Skeletal Family
China Girl
China Girl(Riff & Vox Club Mix)
Ching A Ling
Come and Buy My Toys
Conversation Piece
Conversation Piece (2002)
Crack City
Cracked Actor
Criminal World
Crystal Japan
Cygnet Committee
Dancing In The Street
Dancing With The Big Boys
Day In Day Out
Days
Dead Against It
Dead Man Walking
Diamond Dogs
Did You Ever Have A Dream
Dirty Song
DJ
Do Anything You Say
Dodo
Don't Bring Me Down
Don't Let Me Down And Down
Don't Look Down
Don't Sit Down
Dreamers
Drive In Saturday
Drowned Girl
Eight Line Poem
Everyone Says 'Hi'
Everything's Alright
Fall Dog Bombs The Moon
Fame
Fame '90
Fantastic Voyage
Fascination
Fashion
Fill Your Heart
Five Years
Fly
Foggy Day In London Town
Footstompin'
Friday On My Mind
Future Legend
Fun
Gemini Spacecraft
Get Real
Girls
Glad I've Got Nobody
Glass Spider
God Knows I'm Good
God Only Knows
Golden Years
Good Morning Girl
Goodbye Mr. Ed
Gospel According To Tony Day
Growin' Up
Hallo Spaceboy
Hang Onto Yourself
Heart's Filthy Lesson
Heathen
Heaven's In Here
Helden
Here Comes The Night
Here Today Gone Tomorrow
"Heroes"
"Heroes"/Helden
Holy Holy
I Am With Name
I Can't Explain
I Can't Read ('89)
I Can't Read ('97)
I Dig Everything
I Feel Free
I Have Not Been To Oxford Town
I Keep Forgettin'
I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday
I Pity The Fool
I Pray, Olé
I Took A Trip On A Gemini Spacecraft
I Want My Baby Back
I Wish You Would
I Would Be Your Slave
I'll Follow You
I'm Afraid Of Americans ('95)
I'm Afraid Of Americans ('97)
I'm Deranged
I'm Not Losing Sleep
I'm Waiting For The Man
I've Been Waiting For You
Ian Fish, U.K. Heir
If I'm Dreaming My Life
In The Heat Of The Morning
It Ain't Easy
It's Gonna Be Me
It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City
It's No Game (Part 1)
It's No Game (Part 2)
Janine
Jean Genie
Joe The Lion
John, I'm Only Dancing
John I'm Only Dancing Again
Join The Gang
Julie
Jump They Say
Just For One Day (Heroes) (Guetta VS Bowie Remix)
Karma Man
Kingdom Come
Knock On Wood
Kooks
Lady Grinning Soul
Lady Stardust
Last Thing You Should Do
Laughing Gnome
Law (Earthlings On Fire)
Leon Takes Us Outside
Let Me Sleep Beside You
Let's Dance
Let's Dance (Club Bolly Extended Mix)
Let's Dance (Trifactor VS Deeper Substance Remix)
Let's Spend The Night Together
Letter To Hermione
Life On Mars?
Lightning Frightening
Little Bombardier
Little Drummer Boy
Little Wonder
Liza Jane
London Boys
London Bye Ta-Ta
The Loneliest Guy
Look Back In Anger ('79)
Look Back In Anger ('88)
Looking For Lester
Looking For Satellites
Looking For Water
Louie Louie Go Home
Love You Till Tuesday
Loving The Alien
Loving The Alien (Scumfrog VS Bowie)
Lucy Can't Dance
Magic Dance
Magic Dance (Danny S Magic Party Remix)
Maid of Bond Street
Man Who Sold The World
Memory of A Free Festival
Miracle Goodnight
Modern Love
Moment In Time (Mandarin)
Moon Of Alabama
Moonage Daydream
Moss Garden
Motel
Move On
My Death
Mysterie
Nature Boy
Nature Boy (with Massive Attack)
Neighborhood Threat
Neukoln
Never Get Old
Never Let Me Down
New Angels Of Promise
New Career In A New Town
New Killer Star
New York's In Love
Nite Flights
No Control
No One Calls
Nothing To Be Desired
Oh! You Pretty Things
One Shot
Outside
Pablo Picasso
Pallas Athena
Panic In Detroit ('73)
Panic In Detroit ('79)
Peace On Earth / Little Drummer Boy
Pin Ups (radio commercial)
Please Mr. Gravedigger
Port Of Amsterdam
Prettiest Star
Pretty Thing
Pretty Things Are Going To Hell
Prisoner Of Love
Queen Bitch
Queen Of All The Tarts (Overture)
Quicksand
Ragazzo Solo, Ragazza Sola
Real Cool World
Reality
Rebel Rebel
Rebel Rebel (2003)
Red Money
Red Sails
Remembering Marie A.
Repetition
Revolutionary Song
Ricochet
Right
Rock 'n Roll With Me
Rock 'n' Roll Suicide
Rosalyn
Round And Round
Rubber Band
Run
Running Gun Blues
Sacrifice Yourself
Safe
Saviour Machine
Scary Monsters
Scream Like A Baby
Secret Life of Arabia
See Emily Play
Segue - Algeria Touchshriek
Segue - Baby Grace
Segue - Nathan Adler (1)
Segue - Nathan Adler (2)
Segue - Ramona A. Stone
Sell Me A Coat
Sense of Doubt
Seven
Seven Years In Tibet
Seven Years In Tibet (Mandarin)
Sex And The Church
Shadow Man (Toy Sessions)
Shake It
Shapes of Things
She Shook Me Cold
She'll Drive The Big Car
She's Got Medals
Shinin' Star
Shopping For Girls
Shout (Original Mix) (Solaris VS Bowie)
Silly Boy Blue
Slip Away
Slow Burn
Small Plot Of Land ('95)
Small Plot Of Land ('96)
Some Are
Somebody Up There Likes Me
Something In The Air
Song For Bob Dylan
Sons of The Silent Age
Sorrow
Sorry
Soul Love
Sound and Vision
South Horizon
Space Oddity ('69)
Space Oddity ('79)
Speed of Life
Star
Starman
Stateside
Station To Station
Stay
Strangers When We Meet ('93)
Strangers When We Meet ('95)
Subterraneans
Suffragette City
Sunday
Sunday (Remix)
Supermen
Survive
Sweet Head
Sweet Thing
Sweet Thing (reprise)
Take My Tip
Teenage Wildlife
Telling Lies
That's Motivation
That's Where My Heart Is
The Bewlay Brothers
The Buddha Of Suburbia (1)
The Buddha Of Suburbia (2)
The Dirty Song
The Dreamers
The Drowned Girl
The Glass Spider
The Gospel According To Tony Day
The Heart's Filthy Lesson
The Jean Genie
The Last Thing You Should Do
The Laughing Gnome
The Loneliest Guy
The Man Who Sold The World
The Motel
The Mysterie
The Prettiest Star
The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell
The Revolutionary Song
The Supermen
The Voyeur Of Utter Destruction (As Beauty)
The Wedding
The Wedding Song
The Wild-Eyed Boy From Freecloud
There Is A Happy Land
This Is Not America
This Is Not America (Scumfrog VS Bowie)
Thru' These Architects Eyes
Thursday's Child
Time
Time Will Crawl
Tin Machine
Tonight
Too Dizzy
Try Some, Buy Some
Tumble and Twirl
TVC 15
Uncle Arthur
Under The God
Under Pressure
Underground
Underground (With Opening Titles)
Untitled No. 1
Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed
Up The Hill Backwards
V-2 Schneider
Velvet Goldmine
Video Crime
Volare
Voyeur Of Utter Destruction (As Beauty)
Waiting For The Man
Warszawa
Watch That Man
We All Go Through
We Are Hungry Men
We Are The Dead
We Prick You
We Shall All Go To Town
Wedding
Wedding Song
Weeping Wall
What In The World
What's Really Happening
When I Live My Dream
When I'm Five
When The Boys Come Marching Home
When The Wind Blows
When You Rock n Roll With Me
Where Have All The
Good Times Gone?
White Light White Heat
Who Can I Be Now?
Width of A Circle
Wild-Eyed Boy From Freecloud
Wild Is The Wind
Win
Wish I Could Shimmy Like
My Sister Kate
Wishful Beginnings
Within You
Without You
Without You I'm Nothing
Wood Jackson
Word On A Wing
Working Class Hero
Yassassin
You Belong In Rock & Roll
You Can't Talk
You Didn't Hear It From Me
You've Been Around
You've Got A Habit Of Leaving
You've Got A Habit Of Leaving (Toy Sessions version)
Young Americans
Zeroes
Ziggy Stardust

Sent.

Strange that many of my favourite Bowie songs exist in several different versions. The two non-canon versions I rep hard for are the demo version of "Candidate" (which is my favourite of all the "Diamond Dogs" material), and the moody soundtrack version of "Cat People".

Awesome, thanks Owen.

I'm making 'letter to hermione' my number one pick in case anyone else wants to chime in and give it a few extra points. Anyone who doesn't include it in his ballot loses respect points from me.

I'll be impressed and surprised if that song gets more than one ballot placing

My early period last-minute omission was "Width of a circle"; no regrets

the moody soundtrack version of "Cat People"

This is the only version I'd consider voting for (and I almost did).

we can vote for stuff on the Labyrinth Soundtrack, right?

YOU REMIND ME OF THE BABE
what babe
THE BABE WITH THE POWER
what power
THE POWER OF VOODOO
who do?
YOU DO
do what?
REMIND ME OF THE BAAAABE

as nicely ripped off by nine inch nails

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm2ciX0_UP8

all time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyQxTWDLZ8o

I Want My Baby Back

Whoa! This the one where the girl is killed after they go to a Beatles concert? Or, a different song?

Fuck YES!!! Stoked for this like a madman.

This is like the James Brown poll, it's just too massive an undertaking for me!

ballot sent

Feel free to include tracks by Davie Jones and the King Bees, the Manish Boys, the Lower Third, the Buzz, Bowie/Queen and Tin Machine if you'd like

what about Mott the Hoople?

He wasn't in them

More "deep cut" stanning here plz to prevent me filling by ballot with singles (only really started investigating the albums proper a couple of years ago, still don't have a decent handle on errr most of 'em).

That Lulu single, he was on that.

Played sax for Steeleye Span

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqg0-WCnJLo

xxxp

sorry, I wasn't clear

what about All the Young Dudes?

He did a 're-cover' version.

Somebody please cut-up that list of Bowie song titles and make a song out of it.
This (that song, but also the pöll) is going to be terrific, whatever the outcome.

My ballot's in. It was much easier to narrow it down to just 20 than I thought it was going to be!

am I the only one who prefers the Rodgersified version of "Cat People"? The singing on the original sends me looking for a sofa to crawl under.

He sings the first "with GASOLINE" better on the rerub, I'll give you that.

xpost
Maybe it's supposed to scare you? ;)
Let's Dance was the first Bowie album I heard (as a 12 year old, I was won over by the single and the heated, peroxide haired singer in the video) and "Cat People" was an instant favorite. Loved the opening guitar riff, especially its tone, which sounds slightly "off". A great energetic rock song, like "Modern Love".
I only heard the original version many years later. Love it, too, but I can see (hear) why you'd be put off by the vocals. Especially the opening lines sound very deliberately slow and deep. But I love them.

Looking forward to this.

Bowiesongs writer occasionally refers to ilm Bowie threads (eg his Laughing Gnome entry) – he should participate!

http://bowiesongs.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/bowie_iggy.jpg

what a photo!

St. Basil's might as well be Some Random Building in that photo.

"Comrade Pop? The swallows will fly east for the Summer"
"Wanna buy some gear?"

It does have that covert drug exchange vibe.

Little Fat Man missing from that list of tracks.

BTW I will kill you if you vote for it.

"That's a very effective sand castle, young sir!"

Bowie at his most statesmanlike there. Also Iggy at his.

Ballot sent! Thanks for doing this WmC.

So overwhelmed. Feel very strongly about a lot of songs but my Bowie listening has been spotty for a long time.
Oh there are so many! When's the deadline again?!

Everybody knows what song is gonna win this

Everybody minus me, I guess.

The Laughing Gnome?!

Really? I can narrow it down to about half a dozen, but can't think of any runaway winner.

'Heroes'?

I mean, I got it, I'm organized, but that's not much time for a slowpoke like me.

I have no idea what song is gonna win this. There are 10 pages of songs! I copied them into a word document because the list in the thread was so long. Dang, TEN PAGES OF SONGS?! That's a lot of songs.

Ziggy?

The vicious cutting from the master list is the most fun part.

Tom D. might be on to something with Heroes, but I didn't give it a spot.

I will say that I have 13 (!!!) ballots in hand already and I don't see any consensus #1 among the songs.

I've gone right off ""'Heroes'"" for some reason, so I didn't vote for it. It's gone from being ultracommitted to having something uncommitted about it, to my ears (fits with the lyric I suppose). Maybe it's the half-assed backing vocals.

LL, the deadline is March 9th, you have lots of time.

I've never done one of these polls before but my method was just to type out all the Bowie songs I love and can rarely go long without hearing in a Word doc in no partic order; turns out that topped out at 17, so then I did a trawl of Spotify to jog the memory, added another 10, chopped and changed and then only really paid attention to the ordering of the top six.

Already I regret one omission, but it's a cover so I guess it'll be my virtual #21.

tbh, I liked these more when there was only a week of voting. The not-thinking-just-voting aspect was what made them spontaneous and fun. The only reason these polls should ever been open for voting for a second week is if there aren't enough ballots to run results.

been=be

4 tracks just missed being in my final 20: All The Young Dudes, Sons of the Silent Age, Station To Station, and Young Americans.

Yeah, I am a slowpoke but I am a thorough slowpoke, not a procrastinatiny one.

I am listening to "Magic Dance" and I just don't even know what to say about this song, but everything he touches turns to gold.

tbh, I liked these more when there was only a week of voting. The not-thinking-just-voting aspect was what made them spontaneous and fun

This is how I approach these things. Much easier and fun to throw twenty random songs I like.

everything he touches turns to gold.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOadV_CPT_k

Usually i go throwaway but I've had this poll on my mind for a good couple of months - have listened to everything repeatedly bar The Buddha of Suburbia, which I plain forgot. Hence the instant ballot - the whole process was driving me spare.

the window of time doesn't actually effect you if you just want to throw your ballot together quickly, you can still do it that way in the space of 2 weeks instead of 1

Twenty years after discovering him, I have to make a lot of allowances for his voice; I know a lot more about good singing now.

i am unsure of what my reaction is supposed to be to that, but the pictures combined with the song, i'm afraid we've got gold

the window of time doesn't actually effect you if you just want to throw your ballot together quickly, you can still do it that way in the space of 2 weeks instead of 1

Yeah, but we were initially zipping through these with a poll to roll out every week or every other week. That was where I was going with the "fun" part.

I'd be amenable to shortening up the poll. Looks like there's not going to be too much whip-cracking necessary. Another idea is for more overlap: Lamp to go ahead and start Paul Simon next week while Bowie is in the last few days of voting. Would that be too much going on at once?

I don't like the overlap personally, but I do like cracking through them quite quickly.

I started listening this morning just picking out an album at random, Aladdin Sane. Garson's playing on the title track reminded me of a thread idea I've been playing with -- what pop singles have the most 'outside'/avant garde solos? Except "Aladdin Sane" wasn't released as a single, oh well.

derail alert! "Cult of Personality" probably has the most bonkers guitar solo of any song ever to make the Top 40.

Really? I can narrow it down to about half a dozen, but can't think of any runaway winner.

Yeah, I actually don't know what I'm talking about! My #1 is, to my ears, head-and-shoulders above his other songs (and everybody else's).

My ballot's spread:
1966-Pinups: 8
Station-Scary: 7
1982-1990: 1
1991-2000: 4
2001-2012: 0

(calling all Outside stans)

hallo spaceboy

Outside rules.

From the last twenty years for your consideration:

Sunday
Jump They Say
Slip Away
Strangers When We Meet
Thru These Architects' Eyes

Garson's playing on the title track reminded me of a thread idea I've been playing with -- what pop singles have the most 'outside'/avant garde solos?

Ian Dury & the Blockheads, "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick". Take it to another thread!

Shit - I forgot Strangers!

My ballot actually has two tracks from Heathen (2002) and one from Outside (1995), but I think that's it as far as "recent" things go.

And here was I thinking "The Lodger" for most recent!

i was on the fence about doing this since i'm not that huge of a bowie fan but coincidentally i've been going thru a bit of a revival the last few weeks so i had a solid 12 to work from then just used spotify to remind me of some of the old stuff i had half forgotten.

won't be voting for Heroes. too many shit cover versions and too much overplay have ruined it a bit for me.

I didn't vote for many after about 83, but I was delighted with the quality of the later albums. It's kind of extraordinary, for a career that long.

(guessing Under Pressure was the one you were thinking of btw, Owen)

Don't forget to vote for "Stay" from Station to Station, guys.

this is gonna be really hard!

excited about going in a bowie hole

started w/hunky dory

homosapiens have outgrown their use

i'm purposefully not gonna check out any of that laughing gnome type shit theres way too much regular proper bowie that i love it will be hard to do a ballot as is with the studio records

i will probably listen to that santa monica 72 thing tho cuz i always meant to and i heard that smokes

I'm probably going to discount from consideration Side 2 of Low and the instrumental sequence on Side 2 of "Heroes". Love both, but it feels daft to pick out one element and declare it "16th best Bowie track EVER".

@ Ismael "Under pressure" and "Rebel rebel" are my #1 and #2 least favourite Bowie 'hits'.

The song I voted for that I'm probably alone in voting for is "No Control" from Outside but I am such a sucker for Bowie's Scott Walker impression.

you rate Dancing In The Street comparatively highly then

"Cat People".

Twenty years after discovering him, I have to make a lot of allowances for his voice; I know a lot more about good singing now.

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, February 27, 2012 2:56 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I don't think I want to know what constitutes good singing if Bowie's doesn't count as such.

I've sent confirmation emails to everyone who emailed me. To the two lurkers who sent ballots via ILXmail -- thank you, OWS and CD, ballots received!

guys "life on mars" is so good, fyi wow

I don't think I want to know what constitutes good singing if Bowie's doesn't count as such.

Bowie has lots of terrible early vocals, and even on YA – when he started to learn how to use his lower register – there's horrors like "Across the Universe." "Wild is the Wind" is ghastly too. Most of what he does in the late eighties may count as making noises with his larynx but it's not singing.

boo!

Have you got my ballot WmC? I don't have a confirmation email yet.

For some reason I'd never listened to The Man Who Sold The World before today. Loving the heavier sound on stuff like Black Country Rock.

Chap -- got it! Your ballot arrived about a minute after I sent a batch of responses.

Listening to "hours..." now -- almost all Bowie post-Tin Machine is totally new to me, including this. It's pretty good! But a little Reeves Gabrels goes a long way.

imo this poll is really lacking a 'worst songs' ballot like the led zep poll had

A huge surprise for me was hearing You've Been Around, from Black Tie White Noise, and realising what it was the source for. I think Bjork nails it better, but I was impressed.

"You've Been Around" is a good 'un and – challops, I guess – I prefer Bowie's "Nite Flights" to Walker's.

Will anyone else vote for Kooks?

i think i probably will

I thought about a "worst songs" category but I thought the huge discography would make it hard for a consensus pick to emerge. Even with Zep's big turnout, there weren't a huge number of worst song ballots. But anyone who wants to include "worst songs" in their voting is welcome to go for it, and if there are, say, 20 such ballots, I'll roll out those results too.

Let's say the "worsts songs" ballot should be five spots. Addenda to already-sent ballots are okay by me.

So many great non-singles tracks on Hunky Dory - Queen Bitch, Andy Warhol, Kooks, Oh You Pretty Things...

My brain hurts a lot.

Oh shit I forgot about Oh! You Pretty Things

Oh! You Silly Chap.

Twenty years after discovering him, I have to make a lot of allowances for his voice; I know a lot more about good singing now.

Yeah, I don't really get this either. I can only think of a few songs—notably, "Teenage Wildlife" and "Kingdom Come" (both from Scary Monsters oddly enough)—where Bowie's singing might qualify as unlistenable.

"Across the Universe" is atrocious -- but the vocal is really only one part of the reason why.

woah i never realized Saccharine Trust got their name from a lyric in the "The Bewlay Brothers"

Don't forget to vote for "Stay" from Station to Station, guys.

The more I listen to previously-unheard stuff, the harder this gets. "I Dig Everything" (1966 single) is great!

this is kind of impossible. honestly my JB ballot was way easier

"You've Got a Habit of Leaving" is definitely going on my ballot. It out-Whos his Who covers on Pin-Ups.

Rather than worst Bowie song, I'd rather vote for worst cover version of a Bowie song. So many to choose from!

Now that I've thought about it, I can't think of many good Bowie covers. Maybe these qualify:
Space Oddity - The Langley Schools Music Project
Oh! You Pretty Things - Au Revoir Simone
Letter to Hermione - Robert Glasper Experiment ft. Bilal
The Secret Life Of Arabia - BEF ft. Billy Mackenzie
Life on Mars? - Seu Jorge

I quite like the two that Lulu did as well. But after that...?

Don't forget to vote for "Stay" from Station to Station, guys.

i wish i could vote for "sweet thing"/"candidate"/"sweet thing reprise" as all one track...

Don't forget to vote for "Move On."

yes, Move On is a gem. Station To Station and Lodger will dominate my ballot. Bowie in cocaine mode!

Oh my TVC 15! Oh-oh.

Don't forget to vote for "Stay" from Station to Station, guys.

Epic guitar on that track. And "You can never really tell/when somebody wants something you want too" is possibly one of the best lines Bowie ever wrote.

Encouraging everyone to vote for Lower Third songs (I've got two):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgBe8NL1818

Voted! Nothing pre-Hunky Dory on my ballot and only three post-'70s tracks.

'5 worst' ballot sent.

almost done with my who-cares-about-completism emotional ballot

How does everyone feel about me closing the balloting in seven days instead of 11 days? That should still be enough time.

a week is a good standard imo

Agree

Agree

Q: How long did it feel like I spent searching fruitlessly for my David Bowie CDs before I managed to leave the house for work today

A: Five years

Where are they?! Thank goodness for spotify.

A week is peachy.

The three-month James Brown delay was showmanship worthy of the godfather himself, but a week for Bowie would be ideal.

sent

Please note that I voted for the vastly superior 7" single version of "Memory Of A Free Festival" as found on the Ryko reissue and the 40th anniversary 2CD version. I encourage all of you to do likewise.

Campaigning for this song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC0RSXOemQs

"Letter to Hermione" is a song written by David Bowie in 1969 for the album Space Oddity. This ballad is a love letter to Hermione Farthingale, whom Bowie met through Lindsay Kemp. She became Bowie's girlfriend and they lived together for a short while in London in 1968. In early 1969 she left Bowie for Stephen Reinhardt, an American musician and dancer she met on the film Song of Norway.

An early name for the song was "I’m Not Quite". Bowie recorded a demo version of the song with this name together with John Hutchinson in February 1969.

Comedian Ricky Gervais has repeatedly expressed his love for this song, going so far as to call it his favourite David Bowie song, indeed, possibly his favourite ever song. He chose it as one of his Desert Island Discs.

You don't need to convince me. I'm already sold on that one.

I know when to go out. I know when to stay in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hDbpF4Mvkw&ob=av3e

Just let me beeeeeeee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gc1ePZDxIoY

guess i won't have time to brush up on the post Let's Dance to the present era!

You and me both, I only have three non-70s songs on my ballot.

To be honest, I wasn't looking forward to it so this is better!

man this tracks list is gonna be hard...because Bowie has a lot of great deep cuts...but also it's hard to front on a lot of the big singles!

Changed thread title and opening post to reflect the bumped up deadline - MONDAY THE 5TH Y'ALL.

modern love is one of the best intros EVA

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00004WMMY.01.LZZZZZZZ.gif

Hope this gets some love:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUH6vae0mec

Back in 2010, a now-defunct classic rock program on local public radio did a full Bowie show on his birthday, and I requested this one 'cause I was hung up heavy on someone at the time. Hearing it (in the bbc version) on the air, and then having one of the DJ's compliment my "wise choice" afterwards is a better memory of that time for me.

tin machine I
tin machine II
tin machine III
tin machine IV
tin machine V

Reduced the list upthread to little over a hundred songs... This is ridiculous :)

1st cut reduced the list to 22 songs. 1 turned out to be a duplicate. this is working out okay.

ballot sent. lemme know if you didn't get it, WmC.

Currently debating whether to include china girl, after the slapdown it got in the poll against iggy's version.

basically decided i'm gonna stick to all the radio hits i've known and loved since a child, though. plus station to station.

I kicked nearly all of those off my ballot in the end, so we'll cancel each other out

*considers promoting let's dance from #20 to #1*

Now that I've thought about it, I can't think of many good Bowie covers.

Um, there's this track, um, called "All the Young Dudes"?

i'm down to 31; after deciding to eliminate all the songs that are covers/have been covered where i like someone else's version better (e.g. china girl, alabama song, i know it's gonna happen someday)

Comedian Ricky Gervais has (etc)

So, actually, Bowie's "Little Fat Man" from "Extras" is currently in the running as his last/final song ever!

I don't regard Mott (or Iggy for that matter) as having done Bowie 'covers' as such.

Having sat through Pin-Ups, the uncharitable part of me feels that Bowie kind of deserves to have his songs covered badly...

Yes, Pin Ups is a mess. You see it on these best-sleeve-ever lists with the likes of Sgt Pepper or The Velvet Underground & Nico and you think there must be something equally amazing on there - but there isn't, quite

This poll might be a shocker. I had no idea eeeeearrrrrrrly Bowie held fans' attention.

She Shook Me Cold has been killing me this morning.

Is Mott's "All the Young Dudes" a permissible vote?

Why would it be?

There've been lots of polls where you could vote for something the artist had written (e.g., voting for "Until You Come Back to Me" in the Stevie Wonder poll).

Right, I've missed those. Stupid idea. Anyway, there's more than enough actual David Bowie records to choose from!

Bowie's done a few versions of it himself, so I don't see a problem with voting for it. We don't have to specify versions do we?

But not enough actual Stevie Wonder records?...I don't know--I think it's a good idea. I've already voted, but if "All the Young Dudes" is okay, I'll have to amend my list.

There's certainly enough Stevie Wonder records. I seem to have missed that poll, where was I, I wonder (no pun intended)?

Clemenza, "All the Young Dudes" is in the big DB song list posted upthread (because Bowie recorded a version around the same time as MtH I believe) and you're certainly welcome to vote for it. If you vote specifically for Mott's version, I still might combine the votes in the tally and make note of "signing statements" or whatnot in the results.

Sounds good--I'll resend an ammended ballot.

Quickly followed up by an amended ballot.

Having sat through Pin-Ups, the uncharitable part of me feels that Bowie kind of deserves to have his songs covered badly...

― Gavin, Leeds, dinsdag 28 februari 2012 12:42 (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yes, Pin Ups is a mess. You see it on these best-sleeve-ever lists with the likes of Sgt Pepper or The Velvet Underground & Nico and you think there must be something equally amazing on there - but there isn't, quite

I'll rep for both Who covers (esp. "I Can't Explain" - it sounds massive and I love the sax), "See Emily Play" and "Sorrow" (a sentimental favourite). When I heard Pin Ups for the first time I didn't know any of the originals, maybe that's important to know :) On a non-musical note, I love the brown suit he's wearing on the back cover.

Sounds good--I'll resend an ammended ballot.

― clemenza, Tuesday, February 28, 2012 7:40 AM (3 minutes ago)

That'll be fine. If you would, send a revised complete ballot, rather than a "sub this for that" request. Ditto for anyone else who wants to send revised ballots.

I would like to once more urge people to vote to Win from Young Americans. If you have not heard it, please do yourself a favor and listen.

Ooop, that's vote FOR the song "Win" from Young Americans

I would like to encourage you to vote for "Young Americans" itself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFudBQcplj4

He doesn't exactly look healthy here, but VERY well groomed.

That clip is the greatest thing ever.

Even the way he reinvents his facial expressions totally amazes me. I guess lots of artists do that over time, but a lot don't. He does it really well, I think.

I love the idea of "signing statements" in the poll...our friends across the pond won't know the hellish political backstory but for us Yanks, argh!

My signing statement is "Everybody in the results thread who says 'gee, I wish I'd voted in this' is getting a 3-day ban."

Also can I tell a stupid anecdote about Pin Ups? DNR if you hate personal anecdotes.

A long time ago, when I was about 23, a particularly vexing older guy I was dating at the time tried to "test me" with Pin Ups. He played "I Can't Explain" (on cassette on the stereo of his gold Taurus) and was like "do you know who this is?" and then gave me this stupid smirk like I was a total utter moron who wouldn't be able to recognize the song or the artist. I refused to answer because I was so pissed that he would have underestimated me like that, and he kept pressing me, like teasing me about not knowing. He just kept going and going! It was appalling. I was so insulted that I decided then and there to break up with him. What a jerk!

Sounds like Bowie did you a favour there

I know! He's always looking out for me, I feel.

Now that I've thought about it, I can't think of many good Bowie covers.

"If There Is Something" is definitely going on my ballot.

Jerk-dude was always crashing in the same car.

La Lechera's story is the first good thing I can associate with Pin Ups.

xxxpost
Hahaha, that's awesome. And when he asked you why you broke up with him you said, "errr, can't explain, really..."?

i wish i had been that clever, but no. i don't think we actually broke up until like 4am that same night, but during that interim he had both stood me up and found me again at 2am after spending ??? hours with his friends. (this was before anyone i knew had a cellphone btw) i had been planning my attack that whole time, but i couldn't FIND him. then we had a stupid "talk" by the river and i was like "this is not working" and that was that. It was a lot easier to not mention the chronic underestimation at that point.

".. and you can go back to admiring your PIN-UPS!!! if you like!"

He doesn't exactly look healthy here, but VERY well groomed.

Same goes for Luther Vandross.

everything about Ava Cherry in that clip – skirt, hair color, moves – is hot.

Whereas Bowie looks like one of the Proclaimers after a 70-day hunger strike

So apparently Bowie covered "Waterloo Sunset" sometime in the last ten years? I need to hear this.

I don't think a single track from Young Americans made it into my ballot.

I don't think a single track from Young Americans made it into my ballot.
― Turrican, Tuesday, February 28, 2012 11:47 AM (2 minutes ago)

If you can, track down the outtakes "It's Gonna Be Me" and "Who Can I Be Now?" that first appeared on the 80s Ryko reissue. Better than anything on the record except YA, Win, and Fame...although if you didn't include "Win" you probably won't like these.

When I put my ballot together, I went through the albums one by one and wrote down the songs that I personally felt were indispensable, to me... and I think of the Young American tracks, the title track, 'Fame' and 'Win' were on there. I ended up cutting 'em all, though!

I do enjoy Young Americans from time to time, even if it isn't what I would call one of my absolute favourite Bowie LPs.

Those Ryko reissues disappeared from print real quick, didn't they? Replaced by remasters with no bonus tracks (boo).

Was thinking of voting for 'Fascination' but will reconsider 'Win'.

"Young Americans" is the one 'classic' Bowie album I've never liked.
I bought *all the Rykos*, Sam's dumped them at $10 a pop in 2000

I remember when Rumbelows dumped the RCA CDs.

Should have picked a few up, they're a fortune now. Or, were.

Everybody knows what song is gonna win this

Don't Sit Down, obviously. It's going to be a battle for 2nd place.

Segue - Nathan Adler (1) maybe

#3. Time Will Crawl

The best thing about the Rykos were the fold-outs of hilarious Bowie fashion outtakes http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lg7vc0jQsb1qgdlaro1_500.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aW8ZFXTjRM

"huffing" ... *shakes head*

The only Bowie albums I own are those early nineties Rykos. The bets part: the instrumental credits for each song post-STS.

Apologies if this has been covered earlier, but that massive Bowie song list upthread has a lot of duplicates, mostly songs that begin with "The."...for example Jean Genie and The Jean Genie

Which should we use for our ballots? Does it even matter?

I guess it doesn't matter. I'll try to go over everything carefully when I start entering data to make sure there's no vote splitting.

omg i forgot to vote for "changes"
i assume it'll be ok without me, right?

You never can tell.

Now that I've thought about it, I can't think of many good Bowie covers.

always loved dinosaur jr.'s "quicksand"

Bump to say that lurkers' and semilurkers' ballots count just as much as active posters' ballots, and the lurkers are very active in this poll! (Yay!) If you're an active ILMer who likes the sound of your own opinions, don't forget to put your rankings where your mouth is.

None of that made a lick of sense, did it.

If you talk the talk you better walk the walk, because the walkers lead the talkers, and you won't have no squawkers throwing blockers or talkers being mockers while you're dropping rockers.

Yeah, I dig.

To my amazement, my son started singing along to Changes the other day because he was learning it at school. Unfortunately he thought it was by someone called David Bogey.

That is one cool school.

Time sounds much better than I remembered.

If you talk the talk you better walk the walk, because the walkers lead the talkers, and you won't have no squawkers throwing blockers or talkers being mockers while you're dropping rockers.

Yeah, I dig.

― EZ Snappin, Tuesday, February 28, 2012 8:05 PM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Outtasite brotha!

Time sounds much better than I remembered.

― kornrulez6969, Tuesday, February 28, 2012 8:11 PM (36 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

It flexes like a whore! It falls wanking to the floor!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q10BUOwZqtE

If you talk the talk you better walk the walk, because the walkers lead the talkers, and you won't have no squawkers throwing blockers or talkers being mockers while you're dropping rockers.

Yeah, I dig.

― EZ Snappin, Tuesday, February 28, 2012 2:05 PM (21 minutes ago)

This is totally what I meant to say! Thank you!

<3 David Bogey

Morning bump - we're at 30 ballots. Let's have a few more!

i'll do one when i get home from work

voted!

My ballot's spread:
1966-1975: 7
1975-1981: 8
1982-1990: 2
1991-2000: 2
2001-2012: 1

given that the ryko discs have been mentioned, is there a big difference in sound between the ryko remasters and the easily available emi remasters that are on the shelves these days ?

to my ears, the EMI discs are louder (no surprise) and slightly warmer in tone (fuller and brighter, if that makes sense). The Rykodiscs sound good though, and the bonus cuts are nice (in some cases). I think you get most, if not all, of the bonus cuts on those 30th/40th Anniversary deluxe versions that exist for a few of the albums - Space Oddity, Ziggy, Aladdin, Diamond Dogs (I think that's all of them).

i have all the ryko discs bar ziggy of which i have the incorrect stereo channel double cd reissue

- so think i'm good to go.

oh, and the ryko inserts are indeed a thing of beauty and should have been done for the EMI remasters ..

The EMI discs have shit liner notes.

S/D of Bowie rarities?

and sent.

when rolling out the poll results, there should be a top 20 of songs not appearing on albums which were released between 1969 and 1982.

Morning bump - we're at 30 ballots. Let's have a few more!
― Steamtable Willie (WmC), Wednesday, February 29, 2012 10:15 AM (3 hours ago)

I'm not going to get my ballot in til the last minute--I think there will many others for whom that's the case

Cool -- I probably won't start tabulating until Sunday.

I'm glad I got the ballot submission overwith, but I'm now discovering that I've been missing out on like A ZILLION GREAT SONGS. Not really a bad problem to have, all said.

Bowie was really good for a while there.

Poor guy. I feel like I should understand more from reading so much what exactly happened to him. Anyone want to hazard a guess at why he's retired (as such)?

He's old? He has a daughter?

i'm realizing nowt hat there's some great stuff on the later records that i haven't heard at all. my ballot's sadly gonna be almost all 70s classics since thats what i know already

He's old? He has a daughter?
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, February 29, 2012

I thought there were recurring notions, going back to the 80s, that his creative juices had run dry--and that he had discussed it or referred to it obliquely. Like aren't there occasional comments around here (?) that we'll never hear from him again? Sorry, should have been more specific!

ballot submitted

tbh I hope we never hear from him again -- if he's got nothing to say.

yeah, that's the sense i got--nothing to say.

If I were 65, could look back at a really well-regarded 45-year body of work, had had emergency angioplasty within the last few years, had was financially set for the rest of my life, was married to Iman, and had a young daughter, I'd settle back and enjoy the rest of my years without thinking about work too.

Ciderpress, got yr ballot btw

Wow, A Reality Tour is really, really good. I don't expect much from live albums, but DB's in great voice and the band gives it everything. Might have to find a copy of the DVD.

i will vote in this for sure. haven't heard all of his later stuff, but have a very firm idea of which songs and reinventions really get under my skin.

korneulez otm re "win". i came up with a ballot but having not heard several of his albums in full, i can't vote in good conscience.

If I were 65, could look back at a really well-regarded 45-year body of work, had had emergency angioplasty within the last few years, had was financially set for the rest of my life, was married to Iman, and had a young daughter, I'd settle back and enjoy the rest of my years without thinking about work too.

How to live!

ok sent my ballot

i'm kind of obsessed with "strangers when we meet" now

I think since his heart surgery he's basically not been well enough to tour or do much recording any more, which is a shame as those last two studio albums have some great stuff on them.

He got hit in the eye by a fork or something thrown from the crowd during one of his last gigs too, you can't blame him for sacking it after that.

Now both his eyes look the same

It was a lollipop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsfSLzPp1io

http://gfx.dagbladet.no/kultur/2004/06/19/KariBowi2.jpg

It was a lollipop, in Oslo in 2004. Geir's never forgiven him for going drum & bass.

Lollipop under the eyelid is one Bowie look that'll never catch on

The return of the Thin White Duke, throwing darts lollipops in lover's Bowie's eye.

i'm kind of obsessed with "strangers when we meet" now

there was a period when I endured the same affliction

I have submitted a ballot. My first ever in one of these, I think.

voted

will be away from computer today, so confirmation emails will resume tonight

Geir's never forgiven him for going drum & bass.

ha

Down to 29 tracks, God only knows how I'll get it to 20. (That won't feature btw).

Sent!

Hmmm, forgot how many songs from Hunky Dory I love. Trying to cover bases, but certainly looking very 70s-centric.

Going through my 70s albums, "Fascination" is my big rediscovery thus far. My kind of Coke jam.

having just listened to the entirety of Bowie's output from 1970-1983 over the last few weeks (I'm going through the family vinyl collection alphabetically) this is pretty much impossible and my ballot's going to be really random. it will not, however, include anything post-1983 lol

Yeah, "Fascination" was a song I had forgotten about as well. May not make my ballot, but it's on the list right now.

anybody gonna stan for "Win"...? Beck obviously loved it lol.

It's on my list.

always figured the similarities had to be intentional
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mB9RSG-56wU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8YaaUYiELw

every time I listen to another Bowie album I feel like I have to completely redo my ballot

Was just gonna post that while "Fascination" is cool, I think "Win" is my winner from Young Americans!

Uggh, "Win" ... "winner". Wasn't even intentional. Too much computer.

"I'm duh winnah!"

http://glennkenny.premiere.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/09/04/paradise.jpg

42 ballots received.

Have you started adding up the points yet?

I can vote again if you need me to.

will send mine today

xp - no, I'll probably start tabulating tomorrow or Sunday. Just from glancing at the ballots as they come in, there's one huge easy-to-spot trendline, but that's all I'll say.

It's all those votes for Little Drummer Boy isn't it?

What – "Day-In Day Out" is leading?

Tin Machine dominating the albums poll?

Mostly 70's stuff?

SOUTH AMERICA!

NEED 2 ballots :(

Speaking of "Day-In Day Out"...

http://bowiesongs.wordpress.com/2012/03/01/day-in-day-out/#comment-5549

might throw a list together today, I dunno

Submitted a ballot, hope it came through!

grandavis and kornrulez, got your ballots.

Thanks! Good luck with the tallying ...

Bump in case there are weekend-only ILXors who haven't seen this yet. Last couple of days to vote -- get your ballot in!

okay gonna do my ballot tonight, pretty sure i'll have to include This Is Not America and Magic Dance.

i wish i could vote for "sweet thing"/"candidate"/"sweet thing reprise" as all one track...
― ciderpress, Monday, February 27, 2012 1:07 PM

I agree...

I wish I could vote for his ghastly-awesome guitar solo.

that solo is so amazing--you're right, it is an awesome solo. the lyrics of sw/cand/sw-reprise are also among his best

hmmm looks like will probably vote for everything on station to station here and almost all of low.

Early tabulation notes:

The early trendline I mentioned a couple of days ago has been wiped out in later voting.

Album ranks will be the same as Led Zeppelin (at least I think I did it this way):
1st - 10 pts
2 - 7 pts
3 - 5 pts
4 - 3 pts
5 - 1 pt

18 different albums have received votes.

this poll will finally reveal that ilm is actually a David Bowie fan site

nay, the world

i wish i could vote for "sweet thing"/"candidate"/"sweet thing reprise" as all one track...
― ciderpress, Monday, February 27, 2012 1:07 PM

I agree...

― Iago Galdston, Saturday, March 3, 2012 5:03 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I completely agree. If that whole suite had been one track I would have undoubtedly voted for it, and I didn't just want to vote for one part of it, so it sadly lost out when it came to putting my ballot together.

i wish i could vote for "sweet thing"/"candidate"/"sweet thing reprise" as all one track...
― ciderpress, Monday, February 27, 2012 1:07 PM
I agree...
― Iago Galdston, Saturday, March 3, 2012 5:03 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I completely agree. If that whole suite had been one track I would have undoubtedly voted for it, and I didn't just want to vote for one part of it, so it sadly lost out when it came to putting my ballot together.
― Turrican, Saturday, March 3, 2012 1:12 PM (57 seconds ago)

I actually put SW and Candidate in there, love that suite enough to warrant two votes

Every time I listen to that suite I'm bowled over by Bowie's vocal performance on it.

Everything about "Sweet thing" is so fucked. Vocals are all over the place. Orientalism-piano on "I'm glad that you're older than me".
I don't like the album version of "Candidate"

Demo version has an all-time Bowie lyric, though:

I make it a thing when I'm on my own to relieve myself
I make it a thing when I gazelle onstage to believe in myself
I make it a thing to glance at windowpanes and look pleased with myself
And pretend I'm walking home

It's definitely my highlight of the Diamond Dogs album alongside the title track and 'Rebel Rebel'. I have a real soft spot for the disco-ness of '1984' as well!

owen OTM. the "Candidate" demo is one of only a handful of essential extras on those Rykos ("Sweet Head," "Velvet Goldmine," and two of the YA outtakes are the others).

is that the outtake where "inside every girl is a fountain / inside every boy is a mountain" or is that the ultra-rare "Zion"...that's quite a lyric!

yep

to the first part

It's "Inside every pair of pants is a mountain" iirc; not my favourite line. There are a couple of clunkers in that demo (another line about predicting a monsoon?) but still one of my favourites.

@ Alfred, true, lots of filler. I like the demo versions, "Crystal Japan", and actually "Some are" is one of my favourite Berlin-era tracks

I like the Arnold Corns version of "Hang On To Yourself"; the take of "Moonage Daydream" not so much.

I think the AC versh of Moonage Daydream has a desperate quality to the vocal that makes it in some ways more interesting than the ZS version.

AC = Arnold Corns, not An*l C*nt
ZS = Ziggy Stardust, not ILXor Z_S

1. Thank you Laura Lucy Lynn (La Lechera) for that Dick Cavett "Young Americans" clip. I am now certain of YM for my #1 choice.
2. Will someone explain to me how "Too Dizzy" - reportedly left off of CD reissues of Never Let Me Down due to its inferior quality as a song - is worse than the other songs on this album? Seriously, please give some explanation. ILM members Never Let Me Down. Har har. But true!

Yay!!

2. Will someone explain to me how "Too Dizzy" - reportedly left off of CD reissues of Never Let Me Down due to its inferior quality as a song - is worse than the other songs on this album?

I've made these points for years. In fact, the two songs on either side of "Too Dizzy" are far worse.

I've never done karaoke, but if I did, Young Americans is what I'd do

I've done it many times -- it's in my repertoire. I even drop down on my knees during the "Ain't there one damn song" part.

It has some of the best lyrics of any Bowie song:

Have you bee the un-American?
Just you and your idol
sing falsetto about
leather leather
everywhere and
not a myth left from the ghetto

I actually put SW and Candidate in there, love that suite enough to warrant two votes

― Iago Galdston, Saturday, March 3, 2012 1:16 PM (4 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Haha, I regret not putting Sweet Thing reprise on there with the other two parts! Good job, Cider, I stand with you in protest...

Re: "Too Dizzy", seems to me to be a simultaneous mea culpa and "re-listen to the rest of the tracks, guys, they're not as bad as you remember"

"Too Dizzy," yes, not the rest.

Confession: I've never listened to "Never let me down"

So. Does the roll out - the results - start on Monday?

No -- the voting deadline is Monday night, midnight Eastern. I'm thinking about blasting through the results in two days -- all of the albums and part of the tracks on Tuesday, then the rest of the tracks on Wednesday. Fooey on long reveals. No youtubes until we get to the top 10 tracks.

Or, maybe the youtube URLs that don't auto-embed until the top 10 tracks.

less youtube is good. It breaks my laptop.

Confession: I've never listened to "Never let me down"

― an elk hunt (Ówen P.), Sunday, March 4, 2012 1:20 AM

Well, if your curiosity gets the best of you, please share your reaction here!

the sound of the drums on side one of Low... that's the greatest sound in the universe

70 ballots or bust

― Steamtable Willie (WmC), Sunday, February 26, 2012 4:58 PM (6 days ago)

hmmm...

How many ballots have you got? I'm almost done with my listening and should have mine ready tomorrow.

xp I'm gonna follow along with wordpress I think

Got two more this morning -- puts us at 53. Seventy would be a stretch, but 60 wouldn't surprise me.

I'm getting seriously excited now. Can't wait for the poll results!

i can submit a couple more ballots if it makes you happy

Sent (typed up while lisening to...T.Rex).

sent one in... put sweet thing/candidate/st reprise as one track though. it's only a quirk of labeling that it's not. i guess that might put my vote for it at risk, but damn it, it is what it is.

Zingzing, got yr ballot -- thanks for voting!

Ballot sent. Difficult to narrow down the shortlist. Ranking not to easy either.

i just sent mine in too. for me the concern was leaving out some of the tucked away album tracks that i didn't have time to reappraise.

What's the record number of ballots received for an ILM poll, again? (Sorry, I feel like I ask this in every poll thread...)

Led Zeppelin got 65 or 66.

Pavement got to 70 I believe

For anyone who wants to believe Bowie's twaddle that NLMD was a toss-off or whatever here's a rather thorough interview documenting his involvement.

http://www.teenagewildlife.com/Appearances/Press/1987/0800/cover.jpg

OK, I'm tabulating tracks -- up til now I was just looking at album rankings -- and a few people went ahead and included "Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing (reprise)" as a single vote. I wasn't familiar with Diamond Dogs beyond its singles until this week, and I can totally understand wanting to vote for it as a whole. I'm torn on how to handle this -- I don't want to have to have to tear all this up and re-enter stuff.

most votes for "candidate" as a stand-alone track are probably for the very different demo version, which is an excellent song. i can't imagine too many people putting either part of "sweet thing" in a top 20, but i suppose it could happen. it's also possible that people just voted for "sweet thing" meaning the entire thing. i would assume that anyone who did doesn't stop liking it after it switches to "candidate," but i dunno. if i were doing it, i'd say any vote for "sweet thing" means the whole, while any vote for "candidate" means the demo of that song. it's not perfect, and probably messes with a few people's intentions, but that's how i'd do it.

Thought about submitting the 20-song Bowie mix tape I made for myself about 20 years ago, in the original running order, but no.

just sent you mine

submitted my ballot via ilxmail.

My vote for Sweet Thing was basically a stand-in for the whole sweet thing candidate reprise deal

BALLLLZ i think i forgot to vote for Look Back In Anger

it'll most likely be on mine. will be sending it in tonight. had a good time going through the best-of dvd on saturday evening. als, good to hear the sweet thing/candidate/sweet thing reprise debate is settled.

Voted.

This feels like one of those rare instances where even if none of my 20 tracks makes the final countdown, it won't matter. Whatever does make it will be great.

OK, I've slept on the it, and I'm going to allow ST/C/ST(r) as a single ballot spot. Anyone who used multiple spots on their ballot to vote for 2 or 3 of its parts is welcome to redo their ballot and send it in. Someone upthread mentioned leaving it off entirely because they couldn't decide which part to include -- you can redo your ballot and include it if you want.

If you voted for "Sweet Thing" and would like it applied to the whole suite, like hugo_w, email me or post here and I'll make that fix.

In other arbitrary tallying decisions, votes for "It's No Game" are going to be combined for the final vote count, though in some cases (1) or (2) were specified. "John, I'm Only Dancing" and "John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)" will not be combined.

BTW, last 16 hours to vote! Six more ballots arrived overnight.

Thought about submitting the 20-song Bowie mix tape I made for myself about 20 years ago, in the original running order, but no.

― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Monday, March 5, 2012 12:52 AM (7 hours ago) Bookmark

ARE YOU ME?! Jesus man alive, I almost did the same thing, but I thought better of it. "Young Americans" was one of my MAJOR JAMS on that one though.

WmC can you just count my 3-in-a-row vote for ST/C/ST(r) as one vote for the whole thing and then bump everything below it up 2 slots on my ballot? Or I could just do it on my end and resubmit if that's easier

Do you want to fill in those two spots that are freed up at the end?

BTW, the Bowie-compiled iSelect compilation includes ST/C/ST(r) as one 8:47 track, which makes voting for it that way in this poll legit enough for me.

Hey WmC, just sent in my revised ballot. Thanks again for doing this!

Glad to! I get a stoopid amount of fun out of these polls.

This is where I remind everyone to check out the live version of "TVC15" on Stage -- it's 100x better than the studio version. Faster tempo, swings like a motherfucker, just more fun all around.

Do you want to fill in those two spots that are freed up at the end?

― Steamtable Willie (WmC), Monday, March 5, 2012 10:13 AM (27 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Nah I think I'll just keep it at 18 since I'm too busy today to go back and look for more votes. Thanks.

You could put YOUNG AMERICANS on there if it is not already on there...
Just sayin

I almost did the same thing, but I thought better of it. "Young Americans" was one of my MAJOR JAMS on that one though.

I'll get it out of the car and scan it soon, I'm curious to see how closely the top 20 I chose for this poll matches it! Pretty sure Young Americans is on there : ) I know Candidate (demo) led off side one since that was the song I always wanted to be easy to rewind to.

Finally getting around to preparing my own ballot, and this is the hardest one I've ever done for an ILX poll.

Still on the lookout for ballots from some dude and M@tt H, possibly SMC. Just over 12 hours to go.

Is 70 on? We can't have Pavement as top ilx favourites.

We're over 60, so it could happen.

It would be fitting if we topped out at 65.

I'm thinking about blasting through the results in two days -- all of the albums and part of the tracks on Tuesday, then the rest of the tracks on Wednesday. Fooey on long reveals.

Not my poll but TOO FAST!

Will do my ballot a bit later.

Can we have the results rolled out a bit slower please? I get the feeling that people in Europe are going to miss out on talking about individual tracks without awkwardly having to preface their posts with (xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxp)

just sent my ballot!

Got it, thanks!

Yeah, I think three days to roll it all out would be better after all. Albums and a few teaser tracks on day 1, the bulk of the tracks on days 2 and 3. There have only been a couple of "most hated" ballots, so that won't be happening.

mine is kinda boring i guess, except for my big station to station boosting (but that might be boring in and of itself on ILM)

too many great songs!

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lr6x7zn7Ih1r2gpaao1_r1_500.jpg

hahaha!

Appreciate the slower rollout, thanks WmC

thanks WmC

ballot sent!

listening to scary monsters atm

i maybe should have put this on my albums list

I always forget just how much I love 'Up The Hill Backwards' until I put it on to listen to.

^^^

And then afterwards I have the "it's got nothing to do with you/if one can grasp it" lyric going 'round my brain for weeks until it eventually dies off and I start the whole cycle again.

Bump. Let's get the total ballots into the 70s.

Figure there's going to be a lot of people sending theirs in at the last minute.

i just noticed bowie says "fuck me pumps" in "we are the dead", i wonder how old that expression is???

^^that one was one of the last to be crossed off the list. I always thought it was/sang it like "juicy pumps". Listening now I wonder why?! Maybe I was prone to protect myself from filthy language...

I've sent mine. - Never knowingly ahead of the last minute.

There's been barely a mention onthread of any of my top fifteen, no idea where or if they're going to place. I'm getting *extremely* curious to see the results now.

scent

Scrabbled together some kind of list and sent it in

Yours is ballot #73.

haHA!
take that, pavement

aaaaah left space oddity off my ballot /dumb

Wowie Zowie

Attention Willem! Your ballot has 21 tracks -- you have two #15s. Want me to just chop the last track off?

in the name of paranoias, you, uh, got my ballot, rite?

I guess not! I've sent emails to everyone as ballots came in, unless I acknowledged receipt in this thread. Hit me with it again.

--------

Attention Brad C! Your ballot has 21 spots. Same as willem, I'll just knock the 21st track off unless I hear otherwise.

Oops! Yeah WmC, just leave the last one off, it probably (??) doesn't need my 12 points anyway.

dang! sent it to u via ILX mail a week or so back. will send another copy along when i get home (to where my .xlsses is hid). before cutoff in any event...

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly30tbT4bP1qbgvpzo1_1327037858_cover.jpg

Bowie things I learned from ILM:

"Neukoln" is my fave Bowie ambient track and all-time fave Bowie track.
I greatly prefer the 1st half of "Warsawa" to the (vocal) 2nd half.

Lodger is much better than I gave it credit for (ta Sinker!) (still didn't make my Top 5 though "Red Sails" and "Look Back In Anger" made Top 20 cuts).

always love love loved it but seriously LOOK:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbxp1hC8vts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHXRoVEbD88&feature=fvsr

Cool! Did you vote?

yes (today) it's the one with "Neukoln" at the top plus "Red Sails", "Look Back In Anger" and "Queen Bitch" in the mix :)

Neukoln at the top?! I admire that! Can't we post our top five albums, sort of like opening one present on Xmas eve?

No! Go to bed or Santa will never come!

awwww rats...did we seriously beat pavement, tho?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a6spL97lM8

Just to tide you over, a couple of lines with the Man...

As awesome as the Berlin-era stuff is, I sort of found my favorite songs were mostly inconsequential pastiches from the Hunk Dory/Ziggy/Alladin Sane years.

Experimental songwriting is great and all, but a guitar blast and "I'm an alligator!"....you can't really beat that.

Not that that song's a pastiche.

awwww rats...did we seriously beat pavement, tho?

― Iago Galdston, Monday, March 5, 2012 7:59 PM (13 minutes ago)

Definitely -- I looked back at the Pavement results thread and it says that 57 people voted. I don't know where the 70 number came from. Led Zeppelin had 66. Bowie is at 74 ballots with 3 hours 45 minutes to go.

Make that 75, thank you Adam!

holy shit, 75 ballots? that's amazing, people

i think the guy who wrote the 33 1/3 book on Low is even here voting, is that correct? If so, I've read like 15 of those and his is the only one I've really liked unreservedly. Such a great book.

xxxp the 70 number came from my memory. a dark and perverse place.

a guitar blast and "I'm an alligator!"....you can't really beat that.
OTM!!

I'm getting seriously excited for the poll results now. 75 ballots in, all that material to choose from, people choosing deep cuts from the lesser-appreciated years. This might end up being more interesting than I thought it would!

Can't believe I left off Moonage Daydream...

That was another one that I wanted to put in my ballot, but unfortunately got chopped. I think more than a few folks may have voted for it though!

174 different tracks have gotten votes. Actually more than 174; in some cases voters specified live versions or particular remixes that wound up getting combined for the purposes of the tabulating.

how much time do i have?

43 min as of now

I'm getting seriously excited for the poll results now. 75 ballots in, all that material to choose from, people choosing deep cuts from the lesser-appreciated years. This might end up being more interesting than I thought it would!

― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Monday, March 5, 2012 10:19 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

actually in general the more people who vote, the more predictable the poll results will be. I'm a not-hardcore bowie fan who coulda come up w/ 25 tracks but I didn't vote for that reason.

BALLOT RESUBMITTED

lemme know if you didn't get it this time, WmC

i threw in a ballot of AOR staples and trolly weird picks

Ok mine is in.. I did it in 15 minutes.. I already regret voting for so many singles. sorry everyone :/

guys, it isn't the defiant obscurantist bowie poll... dude could write a pop song, it's cool.

i voted with my heart, will not apologize!

(ps i have a heart)

you need a heart to live

Ballots received: thewufs, billstevejim, contenderizer. Thanking U!

We're at 79 or 80.

Deadline is Eastern Standard Time, so there's an hour to go.

isn't midnight EST in about two minutes?

Oh shit, you're right! I forgot what time zone I'm in.

POLLS ARE CLOSED.

it's too late, to be late again

i voted for a lot of singles... maybe the man just knew how to pick singles. my #1 was a first single from an album, and for years i hated it, but a couple of months ago (after almost two decades of listening to it), it just got me. it's such a crazy song to release as a single. but really, my love for it must spring from the fact that it is the latest in a long line. think i'll listen to it now.

I listened to Young Americans three times tonight while I worked on entering this stuff.

listening to the nassau version of tvc15 right now. so good. i need to listen to that whole disc. never have for some reason.

61 ballots included album ranks. Tomorrow I'll count down the top 10; here's a teaser.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51oZMrT1-SL._SS500_.jpg
11.
1. Outside (1995) - 14 points; 3 votes; 1 first-place vote)

I doff my bippity boppity hat to the person - mark s? - who gave Outside first place.