In 1976, David Bowie had actually reached the goal of his dreams: with “Young Americans” and the REtB-tinged singles “Fame” and “Golden Years,” he had found a successful formula that also brought him superstar status in America.
But Bowie, never one to stay on a rut for long, found himself increasingly frustrated and disillusioned in Los Angeles. So he quickly prescribed a radical change: “What you have to do now is take a closer look at yourself. Find some people you don’t understand and a place you don’t want to be and throw yourself in!”
Dark soundscapes from a divided city
So he went back to Europe, or more precisely: to Berlin, a place that was divided like himself. This is where the recordings for his new album were made. The first page is about himself: “Always Crashing In The Same Car” and “all that self-pity stuff,” as he once humorously put it.
On page two, with the help of Brian Eno, he processed his impressions of the divided city and the Eastern Bloc. Since these could hardly be put into words, the result was mainly dark soundscapes.
All in all, this resulted in a kind of experimental album with which Bowie freed himself using his own strength and at the same time opened up new perspectives. Not to mention the lasting influence that “Low” had on subsequent generations of musicians.
Gabriele Werth