Recommendations of the Editorial team
Low (1977) ★★★★★
After the exuberant, Californian-coked pieces of “Station to Station” One would have expected Bowie to lead the next trend. But instead of punk rock, he immediately took the next step and created new types of electronic music. “Breaking Glass” sounds like a running chainsaw, and with Brian Eno, Bowie composed instrumental epics about the desolation of Eastern Europe (“Warszawa”). Ambient music in complete darkness.
Bowie and the avant-garde: 5 albums that fell from the sky
Lodger (1979) ★★★
Tony Visconti today wishes he could re-produce the record. The brutal post-disco sound is what makes it so appealing – as well as probably the most abrupt fade-outs in Bowie’s career. Songs about wars (“Fantastic Voyage”) and failed lives. “DJ” has the best opening ever: “I’m home, lost my job, and incurably ill.” And again not a hit – the last number one, “Fame”, was four years ago.
Bowie and the avant-garde: 5 albums that fell from the sky
The Buddha Of Suburbia (1993) ★★★½
For the TV miniseries about Pakistani immigrants in London, Bowie devised a daring score that captured the characteristics of “Blackstar” carries – like wildly circulating saxophones, pitched voice and a stop-and-go drum.
Bowie and the avant-garde: 5 albums that fell from the sky
Outside (1995) ★★★
The concept album about a private detective who investigates a murder in the gallery scene leaves you perplexed – Bowie mostly sings to industrial sounds – but it also contains his two most frightening songs, “I’m Deranged” and “The Heart’s Filthy Lesson”. Mike Garson’s piano accompanies a dance of death.
Bowie and the avant-garde: 5 albums that fell from the sky
Earthling (1997) ★ ★ ★ ★
Lack of nose: Bowie’s drum’n’bass contribution came a year and a half (!) too late – with “Timeless” Goldie had the last word in 1995. But if you brush aside the poorly aged constant fire beats, Bowie’s most radiant melodies of the nineties emerge in “Little Wonder” and “Looking For Satellites”. His worst underrated album.
