Covers are a real blind spot for Bowie in the 70s. I mean pinups is his worst 70s album and every other cover he did (with the exception of wild is the wind maybe) is the worst song on the album
― Zelda Zonk, Thursday, 23 June 2022 17:54 (one year ago) link
Exception: "It's Hard to Be a Saint...," largely b/c he's having a good time.
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 23 June 2022 18:05 (one year ago) link
The cover of “The Electrician” is fine
Title track and “Drive-In Saturday” are spectacular but I am ambivalent about the rest of this album, especially compared to the sky scraping heights of the previous two
I’m of the opinion that Pin-Ups is fine tho
― flamboyant goon tie included, Thursday, 23 June 2022 18:23 (one year ago) link
xxxp I didn't really mean the production or the overall sound, more the songs and the concept which never really sustained itself for me - maybe there's too many things that are too familiar (I'm not sure it would've helped had he been able to license 1984 either) but whenever I've sat through the whole thing as an active listener, it feels like a slog. The stuff I like I most I enjoy out of context.
As for the covers, I kind of enjoy Pin Ups but yeah, they're really hit-or-miss. I think they've always have been - one can probably program a double LP compilation of non-Pin Ups covers where one disc is pretty awesome and the other the pits.
― birdistheword, Thursday, 23 June 2022 18:31 (one year ago) link
I'll keep trying with Diamond Dogs. It feels like something I should like more just because that whole era of Bowie music means a lot to me, but I always feel a bit disappointed every time I've put it on.
― birdistheword, Thursday, 23 June 2022 18:46 (one year ago) link
Sweet Thing/Candidate is one of the grandest things he ever accomplished. The mix has so much going on, so rich.
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 23 June 2022 18:52 (one year ago) link
and of course his gloriously terrible, appropriate guitar solos and sax bleats
in the 70s every other cover he did is the worst song on the album
I'd rank "Across the Universe" over "Fascination" or "Right".
"Nite Flights"? I made a post elsewhere describing how Bowie changed one chord in his version and completely modified the balance between the song's verse and chorus.
Diamond Dogs is a crazy attempt to touch all the bases at once; he's trying to uphold his rock 'n' roll and glam "roots", but also do cabaret, soul, prog, funk, sci-fi, apocalypse, Krautrock, etc.
― Halfway there but for you, Thursday, 23 June 2022 19:47 (one year ago) link
His version "Across the Universe" is the worst cover of any song by anybody, let alone by David Bowie.
― Doodles Diamond (Tom D.), Thursday, 23 June 2022 20:07 (one year ago) link
otm
― in places all over the world, real stuff be happening (voodoo chili), Thursday, 23 June 2022 20:13 (one year ago) link
IIRC he had Visconti cut out two good songs to make room for "Across the Universe" and "Fame" too. (I think "Fame" by itself could have been shoehorned in without sacrificing any songs - wish they had done that.)
― birdistheword, Thursday, 23 June 2022 20:14 (one year ago) link
my favorite one on here is the title track, what a performance by mike garson. i do laugh to myself a little during the part of his solo where he interpolates "tequila" by the champs.
― in places all over the world, real stuff be happening (voodoo chili), Thursday, 23 June 2022 20:14 (one year ago) link
― Doodles Diamond (Tom D.), Thursday, June 23, 2022 4:07 PM (twenty-six minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink
― in places all over the world, real stuff be happening (voodoo chili)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xnu61JbAVvQ
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 23 June 2022 20:34 (one year ago) link
i.e. both of you are wrong
"wild is the wind" excepted, its funny how bowie was so good but seemed to have almost a uniquely difficult time recording a half-decent version of anyone else's song. he could only be bowie.
― nobody like my rap (One Eye Open), Thursday, 23 June 2022 20:51 (one year ago) link
― Doodles Diamond (Tom D.)
this to the power of ...
― mark e, Thursday, 23 June 2022 20:52 (one year ago) link
The first couple of minutes of the title track are my favourite Bowie stuff ever.
― piscesx, Thursday, 23 June 2022 21:34 (one year ago) link
I agree "God Only Knows" is his worst cover. I also know I'm alone in enjoying his "Across the Universe".
― Halfway there but for you, Thursday, 23 June 2022 21:39 (one year ago) link
No!
The guitars sound fab.
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 23 June 2022 22:03 (one year ago) link
xxxp yes yes I meant “Nite Flights” ugh
― flamboyant goon tie included, Friday, 24 June 2022 03:00 (one year ago) link
If it counts, I’d argue “Tonight” is his worst cover
― flamboyant goon tie included, Friday, 24 June 2022 03:02 (one year ago) link
what i'd like to know is how we feel about "fill your heart"
― budo jeru, Friday, 24 June 2022 04:11 (one year ago) link
Maybe it would be easier to list the good covers? Not necessarily better but ones we enjoy.
"Sorrow," "Kingdom Come," the Velvets stuff done live, "I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday," "China Girl" (if that counts), "Cactus," "I've Been Waiting for You," "Pablo Picasso"...
― birdistheword, Friday, 24 June 2022 04:54 (one year ago) link
I actually quite like Fill Your Heart but it's still probably the worst song on the album, or second tier at least. It's also pretty much the same as the Biff Rose original.
― Zelda Zonk, Friday, 24 June 2022 07:59 (one year ago) link
For me, Sorrow and Wild is the Wind are the only standout Bowie covers. The rest don't add much, or anything at all, to the Bowie oeuvre.
― Zelda Zonk, Friday, 24 June 2022 08:02 (one year ago) link
I love Lets Spend the Night Together! I didn’t realize most aren’t that fond of it. It sounds unhinged in just the right way, overloaded and horny.
― Cow_Art, Friday, 24 June 2022 09:41 (one year ago) link
I think it works in the context of the album, plus I love the “DO IT” part with mick ronson’s motorcycle revving
― brimstead, Friday, 24 June 2022 14:18 (one year ago) link
god, "wild is the wind" is SUCH a slog. the three-minute single edit is plenty
― budo jeru, Friday, 24 June 2022 15:16 (one year ago) link
I agree. I’d argue that there’s a worse Stones cover on Diamond Dogs (I have no love for “Rebel Rebel” except that it’s on the radio often and I like to be reminded of Bowie)
I always forget that “The Jean Genie” is on this. I love that song
― flamboyant goon tie included, Friday, 24 June 2022 16:48 (one year ago) link
otm re "Rebel Rebel"
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 24 June 2022 16:49 (one year ago) link
I must have missed this, Bowie covered 'The Electrician'? Where can I find that?
― Maresn3st, Friday, 24 June 2022 17:24 (one year ago) link
It's corrected, they meant "Nite Flights."
But Bowie wrote a song so similar to Scott Walker that the estate might've sued:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02BXbobS_mY
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 24 June 2022 17:28 (one year ago) link
I love "Rebel Rebel," one of the first Bowie singles I instantly fell in love with before I really knew who he was. But it also feels wedged into Diamond Dogs rather than something organically conceived with the rest of the album. It's probably more appropriate for Aladdin Sane but it was recorded (or written?) too late for that to happen.
― birdistheword, Friday, 24 June 2022 19:08 (one year ago) link
"Diamond Dogs" the song seems much more of a Stones pastiche than "Rebel Rebel".
― Halfway there but for you, Friday, 24 June 2022 19:21 (one year ago) link
I slag on Diamond Dogs a lot but isn't it the first album since early days that Bowie made without Ronson? If so, I gotta cut it some more slack
― flamboyant goon tie included, Friday, 24 June 2022 20:16 (one year ago) link
Bowie wrote a song so similar to Scott Walker
afaic, one of Scott Walker's greatest achievements was proxy-teaching Bowie his latter-day technique. Bowie from Buddha onward is like... my favourite singer. I prefer Bowie-doing-Walker to Walker-doing-Walker, oftentimes; Walker tends to get a little too Phantom Of The Opera at times
― flamboyant goon tie included, Friday, 24 June 2022 20:18 (one year ago) link
xp I believe so. That's one reason I mentioned "1984/Dodo" which was early enough to be recorded with Ronson. You get rid of "Dodo" and it's more or less the same song and arrangement as what's on the album, but Ronson's guitar part was also my favorite and that's completely gone.
― birdistheword, Friday, 24 June 2022 20:18 (one year ago) link
One of my favourite things is Scott Walker wishing Bowie a happy 50th birthday and Bowie starts crying
I mean, it's famous, but here it is in case anybody missed it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V01oQ_BsX00
― flamboyant goon tie included, Friday, 24 June 2022 20:20 (one year ago) link