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

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.