After years of commercial stumbling, David Bowie soared into sky-high spheres in July 1972 with his performance of the programmatically titled “Starman” on Top Of The Pops, reuniting with his alter ego, space rocker Ziggy Stardust. On the US leg of the album’s tour, he already composed most of the follow-up, which was to be released just ten months after THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS.
Back then, Bowie called ALADDIN SANE “Ziggy under the influence of America”. The fictional character was to be buried three months later, on July 3, 1973, in London’s Hammersmith Odeon. But the reverberations of their era, which lasted only about 14 months, can still be felt today. The Simple Minds later called themselves after a line of the single “The Jean Genie”, which was inspired by the French author Jean Genet and was released at the end of November 72. The supporting simple riff helped The Sweet and in 2005 Oasis to No. 1 hits the following year.
Ultimately, the longevity of ALADDIN SANE is also due to the artwork
ALADDIN SANE also has a pivotal function in Bowie’s work: while he recalled his nostalgic HUNKY DORY with the doo-wop of the voluptuous “Drive-In Saturday”, the solo by US pianist Mike Garson pointed to “Aladdin Sane (1913-1938 –197?)” into an avant-garde future. Ultimately, however, the longevity of ALADDIN SANE is also due to the artwork, which shows Bowie’s probably most iconic look. Copied at countless carnival parties since then, Bowie only wore the make-up this one time. Not only with the design borrowed from Elvis Presley’s “Taking Care of Business” logo, he made himself comfortable on the shoulders of giants.
Soundwise, he approached his role models, the Rolling Stones – beginning with Mick Ronson’s Chuck Berry memory licks popularized by Keith Richards on opener “Watch That Man” and his “Tumbling Dice” backing vocals – that he brought them towards the end of the Tracklist even covered. Unfortunately, his “Let’s Spend The Night Together” sounds as if the song’s head had been cut off and left to wander around in hysterical aimlessness.
Aside from Bowie’s oddly scrambled vocals on the aforementioned “Watch That Man,” this tepid foretaste of October ’73’s mediocre covers album PIN-UPS is the only weak spot on an otherwise flawless album. As befits classics of this caliber, they are thrown onto the market at every opportunity – most recently in 2003 for the 30th anniversary, most recently in 2013 for the 40th anniversary, most recently in 2018 for the 45th Wiegenfest and now for the full half century. Formats this time are an LP in half-speed mastering, which thankfully restores the gatefold cover, optionally available as a picture disc.